JACKSON — Hank Bounds will become Mississippi universities” chief executive next month, but he said he won”t lose too much of his focus on elementary-secondary education, where he”s spent his whole career until now.
With the state college board Wednesday confirming Bounds” appointment as state commissioner of higher education, he”ll move from his current job as superintendent of Mississippi”s kindergarten-through-12th-grade system.
Bounds said he applied for his new post because it would give him a better opportunity to improve all education: K-12, community colleges and universities.
“I”m excited about that possibility,” Bounds said.
“I really feel as higher education commissioner, it would put me in the best possible situation to really help align our system of education,” he said.
The state Board of Institutions of Higher Learning officially appointed Bounds after he met with faculty, staff, students and alumni of the universities he”ll be overseeing as their chief executive. The 12-member board had named him June 2 as its candidate to be the new commissioner.
“Dr. Bounds brings the experience, passion and vision to move the university system forward and to forge a collaborative relationship between the secondary and postsecondary education systems in the state,” said IHL board member Ed Blakeslee.
Bounds will replace Aubrey Lucas, who”s been interim commissioner of higher education since Tom Meredith resigned under pressure in October. Meredith quit amid a scandal over the landscaping of his yard at taxpayers” expense using Mississippi State University workers.
”Fiscal challenges”
Bounds, 41, has since 2005 been in charge of administering the laws and policies that govern Mississippi”s 149 school districts. He”s a former high school principal who had been Pascagoula”s school superintendent since 2001.
He noted the only professional experience he”s had in higher education is teaching a college course as an adjunct faculty member. However, he said his leadership skills outweigh his lack of experience working at a university.
“I”ve had pretty good success working with members of the Legislature and with the governor”s office,” he said.
He takes his new job as the state struggles with a recession-battered economy and funding shortages that have the state Legislature unable so far to pass a budget for the fiscal year that starts in two weeks.
“We have some real fiscal challenges,” said Bounds, who noted the universities” budget picture could be worse in 2012 when federal economic-recovery funds run out. He said his job will be “to keep us falling off that cliff.”
With the Legislature expected to underfund universities for the next couple of years, they will be under pressure to raise student tuition and fees. Bounds will be in charge of recommending to the IHL board how high they go.
“I want to do everything I can to mitigate against future tuition increases,” he said.
Mississippi University for Women President Claudia Limbert said she”s impressed with Bounds” intelligence and commitment to public service.
“He”s very bright. He knows his data,” she said of her new boss.
Bounds said he plans to move in late July to his new office, in which he”ll be the chief executive of Mississippi”s eight universities with about 71,000 students and 25,000 employees. His annual salary will be $341,250.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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