Spend any time around the Mississippi University for Women campus or visit The W’s social media and you’ll notice a distinct spirit of optimism.
Every few weeks, it seems, there is a good news report and the university does a good job sharing the news.
On campus, signs of construction dot the campus, visual evidence of that optimism.
This week, U.S. Department of Labor data showed The W ranks first among the state’s eight public universities for earnings four years after graduation. MUW graduates earn a median of $63,197 four years after graduation, nearly $4,000 more than the next highest university – the University of Mississippi – and $5,688 more than Mississippi State.
MUW continues to lead all state universities in degree completion and ranks ninth in the South on the best value list.
This comes at a time when there is much focus on offering meaningful degrees with less student debt.
This fall, The W reported its largest enrollment increase in nearly a decade, with an 8% increase bringing total unduplicated student enrollment to 2,371.
All of this drives home the idea that sometimes the best things are the things that don’t happen.
In the span of a couple of weeks in February 2024, MUW went from a divisive internal fight over a name change to an existential fight for the university’s future that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
On Feb. 10, 2024, MUW was poised to have a bill presented in the legislature to change its name to Wynbridge University after a torturous two-year process that divided administration, faculty, students and alumni.
Two weeks later, The W had far more serious issues to deal with. Two Senate bills, authored by South Mississippi legislators put the school in the crosshairs. The first moved the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science from the W campus, where it began in 1988, to the Mississippi State campus in Starkville.
The second bill sought to close three of the state’s eight universities. Although not mentioned specifically as one of the three schools with the fewest students among the eight, MUW was a likely target.
Suddenly the internal bickering melted away. All elements of the university melded together to form a spirited defense against outside attack. Lowndes County and Columbus rallied to the cause, as did our local legislators.
For all of the turmoil of that February, the school was not renamed, MSMS’ home at MUW appears to be assured and MUW doesn’t appear to be nearly as vulnerable. If three universities are targeted for closure, it almost certainly won’t be the one lauded for its bang-for-buck that has the highest graduation rate and whose graduates are the best paid.
It’s been 21 months since that chaotic February and those worries seem to have melted away, at least for the present.
At some point, the MUW is going to put feelers out about a name change, we suppose.
But for now, the W seems to be united, focused and growing.
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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