The
Delta (and indeed the state of Mississippi) may struggle
to improve its numbers of college graduates, and strive
to train its workforce to meet the demands of a high-tech
world, but even a cursory look at the region’s higher
learning institutions reveals abundant educational opportunities.
The colleges and universities that serve Delta residents
continue to expand their programs and upgrade their facilities,
even as they address continuing funding challenges. It
is also clear that both the communities and the schools
are reaping the benefits of strong “town-gown”
relationships.
In Cleveland, Delta State University finds itself in a
state of transition, says interim president Dr. John Thornell.
In addition to a new president, Dr. John Hilpert—who
starts in September—the university will have three
new deans and five new department heads.
The state’s financial condition is having its effects—Thornell
reports that some junior faculty has been lost to other
institutions. “Like all businesses, we face financial
challenges,” he says. “There are concerns
about offering the salary levels to retain faculty, as
well as funding for building maintenance, recruitment,
etc.”
Among the positive developments at Delta State is the
opening of the new Delta Music Institute, which Thornell
says gives the university the opportunity to greatly expand
its music program.
It has been a busy year at Mississippi Delta Community
College, says Dr. Larry Bailey. “We’ve opened
our center in Greenwood, which offers academic programs
and workforce training,” he reports. “It’s
the first time we’ve had our own center there.
“MDCC has just graduated its first general hygiene
class,” he continues, “as well as the first
group out of our Global Positioning Precision Agriculture
program.” The college is looking at adding a polymer
science program in the future, according to Bailey—a
two-year program that would train polymer technicians
for the plastics industry. A forensic criminal justice
program, in conjunction with the on-campus law enforcement
school, is also on the books for the coming year.
“We’re very attuned to the possibility of
budget cuts,” Bailey comments. “We have prepared
our budget for the coming year with possible cuts in mind.
Double-digit increases in enrollment over the past several
years have certainly helped our revenue. We’ve been
very fortunate in that we haven’t lost any faculty
or staff positions through job elimination or layoffs.
In fact, we’ve added people—in security and
office staff, for example—due to our growth.”
Dr. Roy Hudson, vice president for University Relations,
reports a significant development at Mississippi Valley
State University. “Our college board has given us
the go-ahead to implement our program in Bio-informatics,
which we’ve been preparing for some time,”
Hudson says. “This is a very cutting edge program
that brings together the disciplines of biology, chemistry,
zoology, and genetics to study the intricacy of living
things.”
He notes that the current climate of financial austerity
comes, ironically, at a time when MVSU is in a growth
mode, recording substantial increases in enrollment.
The Vicksburg-Warren County branch of Hinds Community
College has now attained full campus status, reports Dr.
Clyde Muse. “We’re very pleased to announce
this,” he comments. “In the past, the Vicksburg
campus was limited to 2-year college transfer programs—now
we’re able to offer much more comprehensive programs.”
Another major development at Hinds main campus in Raymond,
says Muse, is the completion of a fund drive to replace
Cain Hall, which burned in 1998. The new Cain-Cochran
Hall, which houses the college’s performing arts
center, is used extensively by both the school and the
community.
“Adequate funding remains our most difficult challenge,”
Muse comments. “We have to find ways to fund our
educational programs without significant increases in
tuition.” He adds that a challenge for all Delta
area learning institutions is providing the business community
with a highly-skilled, technically-trained work force.
“As less skilled jobs leave the area, we have to
help people make the transition.”
At Mississippi State University, president Dr. Charles
Lee reports some notable recent academic achievements.
“Our five-year-old ‘Pathfinder’ program
received a Retention Excellence Award at the National
Conference on Student Retention in July,” he reports.
“When the program started, about 76 percent of freshmen
returned for a second year; that number has now topped
81 percent.
“Also, Mississippi State ranked 61st among all institutions
and 37th among historically white colleges and universities
in awarding bachelor’s degrees to African-Americans
in 2001-2002,” Lee continues. “These two achievements
are especially significant because a key university priority
is to improve graduation and retention rates. The state
continues to lag well behind the national average in the
proportion of our citizens who hold college degrees, and
one of the real challenges for all of us is overcoming
our education deficit and improving the quality of life
for all of our citizens.”
“Belhaven College continues to be a growing, dynamic,
Christ-centered college that teaches every discipline
from a foundation of faith and truth,” states Dr.
Roger Parrott. “Our adult studies program offers
adult students the opportunity to grow professionally
but maintain a strong ethical business foundation,”
says Parrott.
“One of the fastest growing academic areas at Belhaven
is the fine arts,” he continues. “We are the
only evangelical college in the country that offers majors
in all four of the primary arts: dance, music, theater
and visual arts.” In order to support this growing
program, last year the college purchased the facilities
of a church located near its main campus and transformed
it into the Belhaven College Center for the Arts.
In its first year, the Center for the Arts has become
one of the most sought-after venues in Jackson for performances,
lectures and readings, Parrott reports. “It has
been the site of many community arts performances in addition
to numerous college events. The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
will, in fact, hold all of its 2003-2004 Bravo Series
performances at the Center.”
“There has been some good news on the financial
front,” comments Jeff Alford, Communications Director
at the University of Mississippi. “This year the
legislature passed the appropriation for education first,
and that benefited us in two ways—it allowed us
to know from the beginning that we wouldn’t be looking
at another budget cut, and that gave stability to our
planning process.
“And, it sent a good message to the faculty and
staff that the legislature gives education a high priority.”
Ole Miss did not raise tuition this year, for the first
time in three years, Alford reports. “ Budget concerns
are an ongoing challenge, however,” he continues,
“and we’ve worked to make our operations much
more efficient. Also, enrollment continues to go up, and
more students means more revenue.”
As president Dr. Claudia Limbert points out, in spite
of its name the Mississippi University for Women welcomes
male students. In fact, she says the university’s
mix of students, which includes good percentages of minorities
as well as adult learners, is one of MUW’s strengths.
Most Mississippi higher learning institutions are faced
with many of the same financial and other challenges;
MUW has also had to address a less common one—a
tornado that ripped through the Columbus area last year
impacted dozens of buildings on the campus.
“I can say that it led to a wonderful year of planning,”
Limbert comments. “The tornado damage did help jump-start
a campus facilities master plan. It’s going to be
exciting over the next couple of years.”
The school’s gym was totally destroyed in the storm,
and will be rebuilt, she reports. Among other construction
projects underway are the renovation of an old dormitory
which will become a Students Affairs complex.
“We’ve also hired our first-ever vice president
for Institutional Advancement, as well as a grants writer,”
says Limbert. “With the budget challenges all state-supported
colleges are facing, we have to do more for ourselves.
“Among MUW’s signature programs is a four-year
music therapy program that leads to helping those people
who can only be reached with music—people with Alzheimer’s,
or autism, for example.”
Good educational programs and facilities are a vital component
of Delta region communities, but the relationships extend
much further. Area colleges and universities provide a
wide range of services and other assistance to the communities
at large. And in return, as area educational leaders point
out, the communities show their support for their centers
of learning in tangible—and intangible—ways.
Jeff Alford says that Oxford supports Ole Miss “enormously”,
and comments that the university benefits from the city’s
growing reputation as an attractive, pleasant place to
live and do business. “This certainly helps us attract
top-notch faculty and researchers.
“We’re known as Ole Miss at Oxford,”
he continues. “The two go hand in hand—you
can hardly separate them. Oxford is known for its charm,
beauty and history…and so is the university.”
“Delta State has a very strong historic relationship
with Cleveland and the surrounding area,” says Dr.
John Thornell. “One of the ways in which we’re
addressing our financial challenges is by aggressively
seeking grants through government and private sources.
The community has been a partner on a number of the grants,
and the Chamber of Commerce has assisted us in identifying
grant sources.”
He adds that numerous business and civic leaders sit on
Delta State’s advisory boards, and that the university
makes its faculty and expertise available to help Cleveland’s
tourism efforts.
“Community service is definitely a part of our mission,”
says Dr. Roy Hudson. “We approach this in several
ways—through economic development activities, for
example. We partner with Delta communities for things
such as developing proposals to bring in industry and
build infrastructure.”
As part of their education program, MVSU works with Delta
primary and secondary schools, Hudson adds. The university
assists in upgrading the schools proficiency levels and
operations. Addressing Delta health problems, such as
the high percentage of diabetics, and serving as a cultural
center for the community are also important to the university,
he says.
Dr. Charles Lee cites numerous Mississippi State projects
focused on the Delta: “The Delta Health Initiative,
which includes two Delta universities (Delta State and
Mississippi Valley State), MSU, the Delta Council, and
the University of Mississippi Medical Center, is an alliance
established to help improve health education, research
and access for citizens in the region.
“Another partnership between MSU and three community
colleges—including Coahoma Community College—is
providing an opportunity for aspiring teachers to complete
a university degree by combining weekend and online classes,”
he continues. “And of course, MSU’s Delta
Branch Experiment Station at Stoneville is part of one
of the largest and most sophisticated agricultural research
efforts in the world.”
As for community support of the university, Lee points
out that more than 2,000 students from Delta counties
are enrolled at Mississippi State. “We view the
fact than citizens are entrusting us with the education
of their sons and daughters as a profound expression of
support.”
Certainly one of the most visible ways that Mississippi
Delta Community College supports the communities it serves
is through its Small Business Development Center. Dr.
Larry Bailey says the center now serves seventeen of eighteen
Delta counties and just received a national best practices
award.
“Delta towns support their community colleges, first
of all, by sending students to them,” he states,
“whether for the regular academic classes or workforce
training or whatever. And, there’s the support of
local tax dollars. Our counties are very good to us—they
like MDCC and have strongly supported us for many years.”
“In July of 1846,” relates Gloria Kellum of
Ole Miss, “the mothers and children of Oxford gathered
at what we now call the Circle. The men of the town gathered
in the Square and symbolically locked the door of the
businesses, then walked together through the woods to
lay the Lyceum cornerstone, marking the beginning of the
construction of Mississippi’s first university.
And so began a ‘town-gown’ relationship which
has grown ever deeper for more than 150 years.”
Kellum shares this story to illustrate the strong bonds
between her own university and community. And yet, it
symbolizes the long-standing and mutually beneficial relationships
between all Delta area schools and the communities they
serve. DBJ
