Approximately 50 Mississippi University for Women students walked silently across campus Tuesday before standing arm-in-arm in front of Callaway Hall and Columbus Hall.
It was a show of solidarity in protest against a proposed merger, which would see the state”s smallest public university merged with its largest, Mississippi State University. The symbolic wall of people was the students” way of blocking entrance to their school while drawing attention to their disapproval.
“They ask the board what they think. They ask teachers. They ask state officials. They ask school officials. They ask teachers. They don”t ask students. This is our way of saying something without being asked,” said Lizzie Locker, a sophomore creative writing major and organizer of the protest.
While it may be unlikely legislators in Jackson will take notice of 50 students standing in a line in Columbus, Locker said the protest also was aimed at her fellow MUW students.
“There are a lot of students who still don”t even know what”s going on. A lot of us just live in our little study-and-work holes and don”t even think about it. And that”s how it should be in college. You shouldn”t have to worry about your school being absorbed by something else,” she said. “We need to make sure everybody on campus knows what”s going on and what they can do to stop it.”
Merger won”t fly
Stopping the merger may not be necessary as a number of influential state legislators have publicly opposed Gov. Haley Barbour”s proposal to merge MUW with MSU as well as his proposal to merge the state”s historically black colleges — Jackson State, Delta State and Mississippi Valley State. Legislators have told MUW President Dr. Claudia Limbert merging was off the table, Limbert said Sunday during a Friends of the W meeting.
But students, faculty and alumni aren”t relaxing. The Friends of the W, a non-affiliated alliance of alumni groups, is hoping to help MUW raise $3 million to offset state budget cuts and never again face merger or closure.
Students are speaking out, too, to explain what”s at stake if MUW loses its independence.
“We have world-renowned nursing and education programs,” said senior education major Laura White. “In Mississippi, you can get a job in education just for being a W grad. You can”t get that anywhere else. You can”t go to Mississippi State and get a job because you”re a Mississippi State grad.”
A follow-up event, W Day at the Capitol, is planned for Jan. 11 in Jackson, White said.
Counting the costs
Autumn Mason, a freshman speech pathology student, is concerned the monetary benefits being touted by Barbour — $35 million in savings by 2012 — won”t justify the losses to MUW.
“One of the great things about MUW is it has a university education with a community college price, which makes it much more available to many students who wouldn”t have been able to go to college,” said Mason. “When they merge, it would mean that price we have now would go up to level out what they have at MSU.”
Resident tuition in 2010 for MUW will be $4,423, the lowest among state schools. Tuition at MSU will be a state-high $5,150.
Mason also expressed concern scholarships available to MUW students would be lost in the merger. Shirley Boudreau, a senior studio arts student who attends MUW along with her daughter, April, expressed similar concerns.
“There are more scholarships here and more activities I can be a part of. And it”s easier to blend in with the younger kids here. That”s just one of those things you can”t get at a larger school,” she said.
Tuition concerns, identity crisis
Michelle Johnson, a senior psychology student, is able to pay her own tuition and doesn”t want that to change.
“Honestly, I”m not ready to pay more tuition each semester. I get no financial aid from the school, yet I”m willing to stand here and say this is my home. If we are merged with another school, I think of it like we will be eaten by another school, because it just won”t exist anymore,” said Johnson.
MUW students likely will face a tuition increase regardless. Limbert told the Friends of the W Sunday immediate increases in enrollment and tuition likely would not offset the budget cuts.
If the money cannot be raised, according to Limbert, merger might be the school”s only option, resulting in a shuffling of administrators and academic programs.
Sophomore family studies major Stacey Jones says that could cost MUW to lose some promising young programs.
“Some of the programs here are just starting to develop. Like the counseling program is starting to become very well developed. I”m scared if we merge with State the counseling center might be moved over there and the administrator would have to follow their rules,” said Jones.
Amber Parker, a senior communication major, is concerned the W”s communication program will be absorbed into MSU”s because MSU has more money and equipment. In addition, she said, MUW, as well as the three HBCU”s stand to lose their identity in mergers.
Its own niche
“We”re going to lose a lot of good quality students who chose those institutions because they have their own niche. With eight public universities, each one has its own niche to separate it from other schools in the area,” said Parker.
One of the unique programs which could be on the chopping block at MUW is the Hearin Leadership Program, since MSU already has its Day One Leadership Program.
“This university has everything that makes us better citizens and leaders,” said Emily Sullivan, a senior education student and Hearin participant. “All these great leaders, when they leave here, impact their graduate schools.”
For senior education major April Boudreau, there”s no more reason to merge MUW and MSU than any other two state schools. MUW”s tradition make it worth maintaining independently, she said.
“There”s something about the W that people hold with pride. I want to be able to have that. I want my kids to be able to have that, and future generations,” she said. “They could do so many other things. They could combine State and Ole Miss. If they said that, let”s see what would happen. Let”s see how many protests would go on.”
If merger talks persist, MUW students say there will be more protests, and they hope to get more students on board.
“We had a pretty good turnout today,” said sophomore history major Audrey Avery of the protest march. “But if there”s another one, it should be 10 times this.”
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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