Dispatch Staff Report February 18, 2010 11:27:00 AM
The state College Board has directed Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women to explore consolidating operations, a move that MUW’s president says “is not a merger,” and would end with The W remaining a stand-alone institution.
The state College Board and university presidents are meeting in Jackson today.
The two schools will name coordinators to “develop functional teams from the two universities to review the operations. We will carefully and deliberately examine all possibilities before taking any action,” MUW President Claudia Limbert said.
In a separate statement, MSU President Mark Keenum said that the arrangement "simply involves one university helping another during extraordinary times."
"IHL Commissioner Hank Bounds and IHL Board members asked us to reach out to a sister institution, and we have agreed to do that," Keenum said. "It is my hope that sharing back-office resources will achieve efficiencies and allow MUW to continue to play a vital role in the higher education system in our state."
After several months of work, a Mississippi State committee released a series of its own cost-cutting proposals Wednesday, which included combining the College of Forest Resources and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and merging or realigning other academic departments with similar missions.
"Mississippi State University faces its own budget issues, and we have been working for months to meet those challenges," Keenum said. "I cannot state more forcefully that our focus will not shift from those priorities. But if we can work with MUW on functions to achieve savings that will help MUW through a difficult period, we are willing to do so.”
While the two presidents, in their statements, didn't mention the consolidation of academic programs, MSU also announced separately that the two schools were creating a joint degree in culinology, combining food science courses at State and the culinary arts program at MUW.
Also, the two schools signed an agreement that would allow pre-nursing students at MSU who were admitted into MUW's nursing program to earn bachelor of science degrees from both MUW and State simultaneously.
"All students who opt to enter the new interdisciplinary pre-nursing track at Mississippi State and satisfy the requirements of the MUW bachelor of science in nursing program will hold degrees from both institutions," Keenum said in a separate release.
Limbert’s full statement:
“The State of Mississippi is in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis. This crisis affects every state agency including all eight IHL institutions, and in particular, the smaller universities such as MUW that cannot absorb the budget cuts that the larger institutions can. The financial challenge facing Mississippi promises to become worse before it gets better.
“The lack of a name change, coupled with the current economic realities facing us, requires that the IHL and MUW move in a different direction.
“As a result, the IHL has directed MUW to partner with MSU to explore opportunities for MUW to increase its efficiency by consolidating some of our operations. This is possible because MSU has economies of scale based on their size that MUW, as a smaller institution, lacks.
“The questions to guide us will be: Will consolidation of certain operations save money? Will consolidation provide the same or better level of service to our students and to our community?
“It needs to be stressed that this is not a merger. In addition, our academic integrity will remain intact and MUW will retain budgetary authority for any operations consolidated with MSU. The outcome will be eight institutions and for MUW to be a viable, separate, stand-alone institution and poised for growth.”
Check cdispatch.com and tomorrow's printed Dispatch for more information on this developing story.
What exactly is the difference between a merger and a consolidiation? It sounds to me like nothing more then a turn of phrase in order to placate the often outspoken MUW alumni. Mind you, I think a merger would be an excellent idea.
Wouldn't it make more sense to merge with Ole Miss instead of a university 25 miles away. I have said it once and I will keep saying it...add some programs/degrees that people can actually get a job with. How about adding Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy? Maybe a pharmacy school, pharmacy technician, radiology technician, dietician, add a degree that would help with getting a job at a casino...casino management,etc.
While its nice to be a liberal arts school, there aren't an abundance of jobs out there currently hiring liberal arts majors.
I guess some of you people can't read. They are only considering consolidating some programs. Don't turn this in to An alumni debate because nobody gives a crap about w alums anymore.
I am with Columbusguy!! Can we get some programs that would get you a job?? I know I would like to be in the health care field but not as a nurse or doctor. There is a great demand for occupation and physical therapy but I am gonna have to go to Tupelo to get my degree.
What they do not tell you is when this happens in 5 years the school will be closed ,Mississippi University for Women, Which the now President wants becuse she did not get her way to the name change. Then the next step will the colsed of Columbus Air Force Base, because of this is where they get there wifes from and then the OLD MONEY of Columbus will have there way of a dead city with poor stupid people in it and a COW UNIVERSITY A BIG LOSING COW UNIVERISTY THAT IS LEFT, and people i know that works there will lose there jobs just like the ones here at the W. WELL OLD MONEY YOU GOT YOUR WISH THE CITY WILL SONN DIE BECAUSE OF YOU!!!!!!!!
Anonymouse, I am not sure that I see this action as placating the MUW Alumni. It seems to me the IHL has taken a back-door entrance to merger when the Legislature would not give them what they wanted. "Exploring opportunities", as Limbert puts it, is not quite the same as "sharing degreed programs", as MSU puts it! Looks like merger is sheep's clothing to me, or at least the beginning of what is to come.
Claudia Limbert can't seem to leave the W alone and steadily stirs up controversy.. When is she going to retire?? Miss. State does not want to merge/consolidate with the W any more than the W wants to merge/consolidate with State so I seriously doubt they are "exploring" anything on paper. True the economy is not good but she shouldn't have cut vital programs and spent thousands of dollars on trying to change the name and severing ties with the Alumnae Assoc. That is money that could have spent on recruitment!!! Leave the W alone Limbert and take your retirement today.
Good grief, W alum...
"Claudia Limbert can't seem to leave the W alone and steadily stirs up controversy.."
You seriously think Dr. Limbert is powerful that she controls the state goverment, including the IHL?
"When is she going to retire??"
June or July, isn't it?
"Miss. State does not want to merge/consolidate with the W any more than the W wants to merge/consolidate with State so I seriously doubt they are "exploring" anything on paper."
Really? You have the inside scoop on what the administration of MSU deems chooses to do?
"True the economy is not good but she shouldn't have cut vital programs and spent thousands of dollars on trying to change the name and severing ties with the Alumnae Assoc."
What programs were vital? The athletic program? How was it vital, when it was costing the university money in scholarships, travel, and other expenses? The Demonstration School? How was it vital, when its population had dwindled to approximately 100 students and when the University no longer even used it?
Too bad the former Alumnae Association sued the University and forced it to spend money on defense. Some people seem to forget that the University did not start the lawsuit - and as for severing ties with the Association, anyone with a lick of sense and minimal reading comprehension skills knows exactly why that was necessary. (Refer to the Sansing Report if you're confused.)
Wgrad, You hit the nail on the head. You are completely right. This has gone on to long and at the expense of our beloved University. Phil Bryant told the most recent past president of the alumnae association "You are loving the W to death" Thanks Alumnae you have succeed in your goal. Thanks for nothing. I talked to Hank Bounds personally and he told me that this is what was going to happen (Word for word the press release) So when all is said and done we will continue to not be able to work it out and the Alumni, Alumnae and the citizens of Columbus will all loose. Way to go!
As I told some of the Alumnae a year ago: United we stand, divided we fall. Guess what? We can not stop this now and we have fallen and we are not going to get up.
The name change was the perfect issue to use to divide and conquer MUW. Now the spoils will belong to MSU. For some reason, it seems this may have been part of the plan all along.
Sorry about the spelling errors .I need to look more closely next time. But , what said is true the old money would have us stupid than anything as long as they are in control.
Link: Related press release from MSU
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