The search for a new president of Mississippi University for Women kicks off next week, beginning with a chance for stakeholders to share their input.
The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning will host listening sessions Tuesday for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community stakeholders to weigh in on the qualifications and qualities they want to see in the next MUW president.
Two listening sessions will be held, one at 11 a.m. and the other at 2 p.m., in the Cochran Limbert Assembly Room inside Thad and Rose Cochran Hall on The W campus.
For those who can’t make the meeting in person, sessions will be livestreamed at muw.edu/live. Comments can also be submitted online through 5 p.m. Tuesday at mississippi.edu/muw.
The sessions are the first step in the process to find a replacement for President Nora Miller, who is set to retire June 30.
Miller, an MUW alumna, served much of her 30-year career in higher education at The W, holding positions as senior vice president for administration and chief financial officer before she was named president in 2018.
During her tenure, Miller has helped to establish The W’s Women’s College and seen the university earn NCAA Division III athletic status and acceptance to the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.
The university has also achieved top rankings in comparison to other state institutions of higher learning under Miller’s leadership, including the highest enrollment growth since fall 2024 after years of decline and a first-place ranking for highest undergraduate earnings after graduation.
The board of trustees has not yet announced a timeline for the process to replace Miller.
However, next steps, according to the board’s bylaws, require a candidate profile and minimum qualifications for the position to be approved. Then, after a general schedule for the search is created, the position will be advertised.
The IHL commissioner and search committee will then review applications to determine which candidates will be interviewed.
Candidates who advance past the first interview will undergo a background check and reference review before being interviewed a second time.
The board of trustees and search committee will then meet to discuss candidates and either vote to appoint one to the position or delay, suspend or extend the search.
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