Mississippi IHL (Photo from IHL website)
- Two new centers at Alcorn State University and the University of Southern Mississippi were also approved by IHL’s Board of Trustees on Thursday.
New student housing and degree paths at the state’s four-year universities were approved by the Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning on Thursday.
Student Housing
Additional student housing is planned for the University of Mississippi as part of the second phase of an ongoing project at the Oxford campus.
Senior Associate Commissioner for Finance John Pearce told the IHL Board that this is the second phase of a student housing project approved by the Board back in November 2025, which involved the development of a 1,280 bed facility.
Second-phase work on the project aims to provide 850 new student beds on about 15 acres as Ole Miss seeks to meet anticipated enrollment growth needs.
The Board approved the request to enter into a ground lease for a site on West Row where PRG-Oxford Properties will begin phase two of that student housing expansion, Pearce explained. That site will feature student housing on four acres, along with parking and a pad for a food and beverage trucks. Completion of the project is anticipated for July 2028.
Student fees are expected to cover the rent, maintenance and other costs for the project, and the university will not be responsible for debt incurred on the project, Pearce said.
In another matter involving student housing, Jackson State University was approved to enter into a lease agreement with The Westin Jackson. The agreement leases 179 hotel rooms at a rate of $169 per room per night starting on September 7. The contract will last until August 2, 2027, and will include student access to hotel amenities such as internet, parking and complimentary breakfast. The maximum cost of the agreement is set at $379,912.
Degree Paths
Three new programs approved by the IHL Board include a Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Human Forensic Science at Mississippi State University along with a Bachelor of Science in Social Media and Digital Communication at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The BAS in Criminal Justice will be a 120-hour program housed under the College of Arts and Sciences within the Department of Sociology and Mississippi State. It will entail a five-year implementation cost of $205,720 and a potential revenue within that time of $648,508. Graduates of the program will be skilled in advanced, leadership and practical criminal justice related positions.
Dr. Casey Prestwood, Associate Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs, said that while many positions within law enforcement do not require a degree, some agencies in the state require higher education for advancement in rank.
“Many of these positions do not require a college degree. However, they do require good writing and organizational skills, which the BAS in Criminal Justice graduates will have,” Prestwood described.
Pay scales for those with the degree range from $30,000 to $83,000 annually, based on position, experience and department.
Another degree with law enforcement ties approved by the IHL Board is the BAS in Human Forensic Science, also at Mississippi State. It will also entail 120 hours but has a five-year implementation cost of $2.4 million, with $6.6 million in anticipated revenue during that time.
Prestwood said the program will provide graduates with training in forensic science, research and law enforcement, and it will be accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission.
There is a growing need for more professionals in the related fields, the IHL Board was told, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 14% growth heading into 2033.
“According to the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, Mississippi ranks 50th in DNA backlogs with critical level caseloads across crime laboratories, across the state,” Prestwood noted.
The median wage cited for graduates with the degree is $67,000.
The BAS in Social Media and Digital Communication at Southern Miss will accommodate an increasing student demand. The degree will cost $218,000 to implement over five years, with $5.5 million in anticipated revenue.
“This 120-hour online degree program is designed to serve an increasing number of students in digital media career technical programs in Mississippi, as well as non-traditional students seeking a change in career direction, new credentialing, or advanced digital skills in order to advance in their current positions,” Prestwood told the Board.
Designed to complement classes currently offered in high schools, the program provides a path to a job sector with a reported median wage of about $66,000, Prestwood added.
New Centers
Two centers were also approved by the IHL Board during the meeting on Thursday.
At Alcorn State University, the Mississippi Small Business Development Center will provide a hub for workforce innovation, small business development and economic growth in communities within the southwestern portion of the state.
Over the next five years, the center is estimated to cost about $750,000, which will be paid for by a model that utilitizes federal Small Business Administration funds, sponsorships, grants, and university matching funds, to name a few.
“As the only HBCU in Mississippi to host a federally funded SBDC regional center, Alcorn State is uniquely positioned to advance minority entrepreneurship and economic development in one of the most undeserved regions of the state,” Prestwood said.
Southern Miss was approved to add the Center for Sales Excellence under the College of Business and Economic Development at a five-year cost of $365,000. Corporate partners, alumni and endowments are expected to cover that cost.
Work by the center will focus on the existing Southern Miss Professional Sales Program to help it become nationally accredited through the University Sales Center Alliance. To reach that goal, the center will utilize curriculum development, sales research and partnerships with corporations and faculty. The sales program has been successful in student job placement over the past four years.
Other Business
Among the other business considered by the IHL Board:
- A request from Southern Miss to rename M.M. Roberts Stadium as Renasant Stadium as part of a new naming rights agreement was approved. The agreement will last until June 30, 2036, and provide USM with $13.7 million in naming rights fees over that time.
- A request from Mississippi State University to enter the design phase of a new parking structure to be located in the Crossroads Districts to accommodate anticipated student and economic development growth was approved. The planning phase of that project is anticipated to cost $1 million. When complete, the new structure will have a capacity of 500 to 700 vehicles.
- A request from Mississippi State University to increase the legal knowledge services contract between Butler Snow LLP from $125,000 to $225,000 due to the university’s “expansion of programs and offerings in Italy,” and to assist with understanding of Italian law was also approved.
