| Friday, April 22, 2022 |
| MSU Extension to sponsor water sampling effort | |
 | The Mississippi State University Extension Service is promoting a free water sampling campaign in seven Mississippi Delta counties. Water samples will be analyzed for coliform bacteria and metals. Any Mississippi resident with a private well is eligible to participate. Test kits and detailed sampling instructions will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants can pick up sampling bottles Tuesday, April 26, to Tuesday, May 10, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the following MSU Extension county offices: Sharkey/Issaquena counties: 614 Pine Street, Rolling Fork; Yazoo County: 212 E. Broadway, 3rd floor, Yazoo City; and Holmes County: 299 1/2 Yazoo Street, Lexington. Water samples must be collected and returned between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, for Sharkey/Issaquena, Yazoo and Holmes counties; on Wednesday, May 11, for Warren, Sunflower and Washington counties. Water testing results will be mailed to each well user, along with a publication explaining how to interpret the results. Participants will receive free MSU Extension publications with information on private wells and septic systems |
| MSU and U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Host ERDC Day | |
 | Mississippi State University and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center partnered to host ERDC Day on Thursday, April 14, at MSU's James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. Leaders from the research center conducted a public panel discussion during which 600 College of Engineering students heard presentations from ERDC leaders on career pathways, sustainability efforts, future uses of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Based in Vicksburg, ERDC is the research unit of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2014, MSU and ERDC partnered to create the Institute for Systems Engineering Research, which is also housed in Vicksburg. MSU and ERDC collaborate on high performance computing, materials science, military engineering, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning. MSU launched a military engineering concentration in 2018, in part to help ERDC meet its training needs with a local academic partner, a release from the university says. MSU researchers are developing advanced materials and conducting autonomous vehicle modeling and simulation for navigation in cold environments. |
| New path connecting MSU and Starkville has increased in price | |
 | A multi-use path connecting Mississippi State and Starkville is rolling along, with a price tag increase. The university requested from the Institutions of Higher Learning to use $250,000 of its funds to cover increased costs. While the project is listed as in the design phase, the budget increases are mainly due to construction costs and architectural and engineering fees. A bulk of the plan will be paid for through a state department of transportation program. The bike and pedestrian path will connect Collegeview Drive to Highway 182. This would also connect the northwest portion of the campus to the city. The item was approved by the IHL board. |
| Starkville paid parking on pause due to ordinance | |
| The brakes have been put on paid parking in Starkville after an ordinance has been found. Mayor Lynn Spruill says the city is suspending the enforcement of paid parking for a couple of weeks. This gives city leaders time to host public meetings and then amend and clarify the overlooked ordinance. That city rule states on and off-street parking shall be free. Spruill also believes this time will allow the city to educate folks in town about the paid parking app. The board of aldermen will take up the matter at its next meeting in May. |
| SFD to start new Explorer Program for area youth | |
 | Being a public servant as a first responder is a vital part of any community, and now children ages 12-18 will get a chance to see what life is like as a firefighter. Starkville Fire Department Chief Charles Yarbrough is launching SFD's new Explorer Program for young teens aspiring to become a first responder. Participants will be able to learn the many skills it takes to become a firefighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic or law enforcement officer. "Our whole purpose is to eventually bring in firefighters, to get kids interested in being a firefighter," Yarbrough said. "We feel like if we get them in this program then they will, number one, be interested in being a firefighter or first responder. Some may not want to go to college, so the way we've designed this program we want to eventually work with Starkville High School with their new academic houses. Some students may get out of high school and not want to go to college, but they can come here and be a firefighter right at 18." The program is slated to begin in May after an initial interest meeting for parents and students across Oktibbeha County at Fire Station One at 6 p.m. Monday. The program is completely free to the participants, and they will also receive their own uniform to make them feel more at ease. Yarbrough also sees this as a mentorship opportunity for youth in the community who may need extra support. |
| George Evans Park plan displaces educational center, causes concern for some residents | |
| Every day after school, 150 students file into Ms. Smith's Educational Services at the Needmore Community Center in Starkville. Providing the students with snacks, help with homework and constant hugs, Niya Smith said her after school program's goal is to ensure the students not only have the resources they need to be successful in the future, but also know they are loved. "We try to make sure that our kids are well-rounded, and we take care of the whole child," Smith said. "We give them experiences so that they want to further their education." Housed at the Needmore Community Center since 2014, the program will soon have to find somewhere new to go. As a part of the city's park renovation plan, the Starkville Board of Aldermen voted in March to move forward with improving George Evans Park, which includes the Needmore Community Center. The plan includes tearing down the current building, which is approximately 6,000 square feet, and replacing it with a brand new, 3,000-square-foot building. The board met with landscape architecture firm Kimley Horn on Thursday to discuss the planning and construction phases of the park's improvements. Mayor Lynn Spruill said the board has not made any official decisions regarding the renovation but hopes to see construction begin by 2023. The No. 1 priority Ward 4 Alderman Mike Brooks, who represents the area in which the center resides, had when running his campaign last year was to improve the center, he said. He said the building is run down and constructing a new one will be beneficial to the city. |
| ERDC researchers analyze resilience in nanotechnology supply chains | |
| Researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are analyzing the need for increased resilience in nanotechnology supply chains. Manufacturing and distribution of products require a complex network of suppliers and distributors that constitute supply chains. In today's world, most people are aware of supply chains and have probably been affected by supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Supply chains are pivotal in the production of both military and civilian products and technologies," said Dr. Igor Linkov, senior scientific technical manager for ERDC's Environmental Laboratory (EL). "Our team looked at two questions: a) how do you assess the impacts of supply chain disruptions on the manufacturing bottom line and product availability to consumers, and b) how do you mitigate supply chain disruption and increase their ability to recover, particularly when the various secondary or tertiary contributors to a supply chain are poorly characterized?" In the past, supply chains were optimized to be efficient and lean. Companies like suppliers with low labor costs and predictable and inexpensive material availabilities; suppliers having mature capabilities to ship basic or composite materials to manufacturing centers and consumers alike are also popular. However, when there is a crisis and supply chains are disrupted, efficiency may not equal the ability to recover from the disruption. |
| Mississippi education superintendent Wright set to retire | |
 | Mississippi's longest-serving state superintendent of education said Thursday that she will retire this summer. Carey Wright became the leader of Mississippi public schools in 2013, after a 41-year career as an educator in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Her retirement June 30 comes on the final day of the state budget year. Wright said in a news release that she is grateful to have worked with educators, state Department of Education employees, legislators and other leaders. "Together, we have worked to make a difference in the lives of children." Wright said. "Most especially, I am incredibly proud of Mississippi students. There is no limit to what they can accomplish." The state Board of Education will choose a new superintendent, and that person must be confirmed by the state Senate. "Dr. Wright never wavered from her belief that Mississippi students were just as capable as students in any other state," said the board chairwoman, Rosemary Aultman, said in a news release from the state Department of Education. "She eliminated the culture of low expectations and proved our students could achieve at the highest levels." |
| MDE votes to temporarily adjust statewide accountability system for 2021-22 school year | |
 | The state school board has approved a change in Mississippi's statewide accountability system to help determine schools' accountability ratings for the 2021-2022 school year. On Thursday, the Mississippi State Board of Education (MSBE) voted to temporarily adjust the statewide accountability system so that A-F grades for districts and schools, along with federally required school improvement designations, can be determined for the year. Growth will be measured on high school-level assessments from the most recent year students were previously tested. For example, current 10th graders who take Algebra I and English II assessments this year will have their scores compared to their seventh-grade assessment in 2018-19 to measure progress. 2021-22 high school end-of-course assessment results will be included, regardless of the student's grade level. Typically, scores for students in grades seven through nine who take high school level assessments are not included in the current accountability year and are "banked" for accountability until they reach the 10th grade. Any banked scores from previous years that would have been included in the current year's accountability calculation will be excluded. The pandemic forced the cancellation of assessments in spring 2020. Without scores from the previous year to which to compare, the MDE needed to adjust how Mississippi's students would be assessed for the 2021-22 school year. |
| Congressman Trent Kelly, Lt. Governor Hosemann speaks at DeSoto County Economic Council | |
 | Congressman Trent Kelly already spoke at Southaven Rotary on Thursday and had more to say at the DeSoto County Economic Council's (DCEC) meeting today. He, along with Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann and State Treasurer David McRae, were welcomed by county economic officials. Kelly, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, Agriculture Committee, and Budget Committee, said COVID money has hurt the economy along with inflation. "I don't think we need any more money injected into the economy. Right now it's going to cost us $3,500 a person this year in inflationary costs. That's $3,500 less in each of our pockets due to inflation this year. Not to mention some of the taxes." Supply chain issues were also brought up by Kelly, particularly in the technology sector. "I was just at MIT three weeks ago," Kelly said, "talking about all kinds of cyber stuff. The (computer) chip issue is there. We make some of the finest silicon chips in the world right here in Mississippi, in Tishomingo County. I did know if y'all were aware of that. We're just looking at those niches for Mississippi and what we can do." Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann also made a stop at DCEC to meet with county mayors on more local issues. "We are up here to visit with the mayors and some of our supervisors," Hosemann said. "DeSoto County had an excellent year this year in the Mississippi Legislature. One thing that was a hot topic of conversation was the (sewage) interceptor. The legislature was able to appropriate $10 million dollars to start the process of building our own. That's for Horn Lake and Southaven." |
| Mississippi offers tax credits for donations towards crisis pregnancy centers | |
 | Governor Tate Reeves has signed House Bill 1685, the Pregnancy Resource Act. The measure allows for businesses and individuals to contribute $3.5 million in tax credits to non-profit pregnancy resource centers across the state. Governor Tate Reeves says this is part of an overall initiative to ban abortions and aid families after birth. Reeves says "They're not just here to provide opportunities and options for those pregnant mothers, they're also here to help once the babies are born." Erin Kate Goode is Executive Director of the Center for Pregnancy Choices Metro, a Christian faith-based non-profit. She says her facility could use this funding to offer people resources during and after pregnancy. "If abortion is restricted because of the Dobbs case, that's not going to be the end of unplanned pregnancies," says Goode. "Women will still need support, and no woman should walk through that decision alone. And so pregnancy centers actually may be busier than ever." But pregnancy resource centers are not licensed medical facilities and are often focused on dissuading someone from getting an abortion. Michelle Colon is Executive Director of the reproductive rights group SHERo. She says these organizations can be harmful for pregnant people. Abortion rights activists say the state should invest more into birthing centers or reproductive health clinics that can provide in-depth medical care and advice for pregnancies. |
| Education company leaders plead guilty to federal charges | |
| A mother and son who ran a for-profit education company have pleaded guilty to improperly obtaining millions of dollars from the Mississippi Department of Education by submitting false documents about schools they operated. Federal court records show that on Wednesday, Nancy New pleaded guilty to wire fraud and Zachary New pleaded guilty to conspiracy. They remain free on bond, and sentencing is set for Nov. 9. "My office was proud to continue our work with our federal partners to help achieve this result in this case," Mississippi Auditor Shad White said in a statement Thursday. Nancy New was president and Zachary New was vice president of operations for New Learning Resources Inc., which ran three private schools that offered services for children with autism or dyslexia -- New Summit in Jackson, North New Summit in Greenwood and South New Summit in Hattiesburg. Mississippi law allows some public education money to be paid to private schools for students with special academic needs, but prosecutors said Nancy New and Zachary New submitted documents fraudulently seeking reimbursement for teachers' salaries. Those included claims for teachers who no longer worked at the schools and claims that misrepresented other school employees as teachers. |
| Democrats Urge Final Push on Stalled Agenda to Limit Possible Midterm Losses | |
 | Rank-and-file Democrats are pressing President Biden and congressional leaders to take quick action when lawmakers return to work next week, as they hope even modest policy moves can help temper expected Republican gains in the midterm elections. Lawmakers are pushing leaders on issues ranging from student-loan forgiveness to lowering the cost of prescription drugs, steps they argue can shore up households shaken by rising inflation and economic uncertainty that Republicans have blamed on Mr. Biden. Some proposals have broad support within the party, but others have divided progressives and moderates, with each wing making different arguments about what will energize or repel voters in November. As the party debates where to place its bets, the White House has taken a series of executive actions -- some incremental and some more substantial -- on issues including energy. With polls pointing to possible deep losses in November, many Democrats said they were eager to show voters they can get more things done, after Mr. Biden's $2 trillion healthcare, education and climate-change agenda stalled in the 50-50 Senate late last year. "Pick a couple of them and just deliver them," said progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.), who sees young activists being discouraged by the lack of progress on liberal priorities. "That means getting done the student-debt relief -- that is so obvious, that is such a no-brainer." |
| Iowa GOP open to non-Trump prospects as 2024 gets underway | |
| Former President Donald Trump's persistent flirtation with another White House run is doing little to discourage other potential Republican candidates from stepping up their activity in Iowa, the state that will formally launch the 2024 nomination process. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo quietly finished his fifth trip to Iowa last week, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is making plans for a statewide trip this summer. Former Vice President Mike Pence, meanwhile, is expected to visit the heart of conservative western Iowa this weekend. Pence's trip is particularly notable since he spent the better part of four years in lockstep with Trump. It provides further evidence that Pence, whose life was threatened by Trump supporters during the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, is considering his political future without regard to the former president's plans. Pence and his wife, Karen, will make their plans based on "where they are being called to serve, not on what anyone else is doing, including Trump," said senior Pence adviser Marc Short. From his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump is closely watching the developments in Iowa and working with operatives in the state to ensure that he would dominate the caucuses if he decided to run again. But some Republicans warn that Trump doesn't have the state locked down. Pence, in particular, seems prepared to dig in to the state, especially the sprawling swath of northern and western Iowa where Christian conservatives have lifted the past three GOP caucus winners. |
| Audio: McCarthy told colleagues he would seek Trump's resignation after Jan. 6 | |
 | Days after a violent pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol and sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy told top allies he would urge then-President Donald Trump to resign, according to an audio recording of a conference call on Jan. 10, 2021. The recording, obtained by New York Times reporters Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin -- and heard publicly for the first time Thursday on MSNBC -- shows McCarthy preparing to formally break from Trump in the aftermath of the deadly riot and as House Democrats started drawing up an impeachment resolution. "Again, the only discussion I would have with him is that I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign," McCarthy said of the impeachment resolution. "Um, I mean that would be my take, but I don't think he would take it. But I don't know." Joining McCarthy on the call was Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who was then the third-ranking Republican. They briefly discussed the prospect of Trump's Cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment, which would allow Trump to be immediately removed from office, and McCarthy revealed he had spoken to Trump within the previous "couple days." The call underscores the degree to which GOP leaders were preparing to abandon Trump in the aftermath of the attack -- only for McCarthy to rapidly veer back into Trump's fold. For McCarthy, the appearance of the audio recording from the days following the attack could weigh on his bid to become the next speaker of the House, a possibility if Republicans retake the chamber, as they're now favored to do. |
| Trump says he threatened not to defend NATO against Russia | |
 | Former president Donald Trump on Thursday offered his most explicit statement to date that he threatened not to defend NATO allies from attacks by Russia. Appearing at an event held by the Heritage Foundation in Florida, Trump claimed that he told fellow NATO leaders that he might not abide by NATO's Article 5 collective-defense clause if those countries didn't pay more for the alliance. "[A fellow leader] said, 'Does that mean that you won't protect us in case -- if we don't pay, you won't protect us from Russia' -- was the Soviet Union, but now Russia," Trump said. "I said, 'That's exactly what it means.' " Trump implied that it was a negotiating tactic. "Now if I said, 'No, I don't mean that,' then why would they pay? So somebody had to say it," he said. Trump said he was "amazed" the conversation hadn't leaked during his presidency. The comments - an apparent reference to NATO's 2018 summit in Brussels, which Trump shook up with his threats -- were the most extensive account from Trump himself about his mind-set and intentions at the time. They don't fully jibe with how others described the conversations at the time, although they may still be an accurate window how he felt. Leaders and others who were inside the room at that summit said that Trump's threats to them were actually less explicit than the former president recounted in his Thursday speech. Trump said that if countries did not live up to their spending targets by the end of 2018, he would "do his own thing," according to interviews in the hours after the meeting with two officials familiar with the conversation |
| MSMS taps inaugural alumnus as new executive director | |
| Donald Cook is a 1990 graduate of the inaugural class of Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, and now he is headed back to his roots to take the helm as the new executive director. "I was sort of the kid who couldn't stay away," Cook said. "I'm really excited at the prospect of going back and giving back to the school that's meant so much to me." Cook was voted in Thursday by the Mississippi State Board of Education, as the Mississippi Department of Education was leading the search for a new executive director. The selection process included a committee representing MSMS leadership and stakeholders, according to MDE Director of Communication Jean Cook. In January, the former executive director Germain McConnell left MSMS to become chief of staff for the Oxford School District, and Rick Smith took over as the interim executive director. Cook is currently a chemistry instructor at Newnan High School in Newnan, Georgia, but he is originally from Houston, Mississippi. He says he is looking forward to returning home and letting his wife and three sons experience the true hospitality of Mississippi. Cook's post-high school education includes a bachelor's degree in psychology/pre-med from Mississippi State University, a master's in science education from Mississippi College and a doctorate in education from Liberty University. |
| UM to pay tribute to students, faculty and staff lost in 2022-23 | |
| The University of Mississippi will honor members of the Ole Miss family it lost over the past year during an annual campuswide Memorial Ceremony set for Thursday (April 28). The university's traditional ceremony for those lost in 2021-22 is set for 4 p.m. at Paris-Yates Chapel. "At the University of Mississippi, we feel deep sadness and heartbreak when we lose members of our university family," Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. "The University Memorial Service offers us a reflective time to gather as a campus community to express care and compassion through our thoughts, prayers and memories. "Our hope is that by honoring and remembering the cherished individuals we have lost, the ceremony provides support and solace to families, friends, classmates and colleagues." The event is typically hosted on the final Thursday of spring semester classes. Provost Noel Wilkin will comment on faculty and staff. Brent Marsh, dean of students, will make closing remarks. ASB President Lila Osman, Staff Council President-elect Deetra Wiley and Faculty Senate Chair Daniel Durkin will read the names of those being remembered. The University String Quartet will provide musical accompaniment. The UM Memorial Ceremony was established in 2008 by then-Chancellor Robert Khayat. |
| Masks no longer required on Oxford University Transit buses | |
 | UMPR announced April 20 that face coverings will no longer be required on Oxford University Transit effective immediately. Previously, on campus, masks were only required on transportation and in healthcare facilities. OUT's new rule follows in accordance with a federal court order, according to the UM Today announcement. On April 18, the Transportation Security Administration released a statement saying, "Due to today's court ruling, effective immediately, TSA will no longer enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs." Originally, UMPR released a statement on April 19 saying OUT buses would continue to require face coverings through May 3. The statement was quickly retracted, which Lisa Stone, the University of Mississippi strategic communications director, confirmed to the DM: "A federal court has vacated the federal COVID-19 mask mandate for public transportation. This applies nationwide. Therefore, we are no longer required to mandate mask wearing on OUTbuses." |
| USM scientist collaborates with Scholastic on educational shark activity kit | |
 | A sea creature that tends to be feared by many is now being used as an educational way for kids to learn about the ocean. Jill Hendon, University of Southern Mississippi director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development, has partnered with the Scholastic Corporation to create an activity kit that features facts and photos of sharks and rays. Hendon says this shark kit is designed for kids ages 7-12 and also includes a 32-page book, a diving shark toy, a growing shark in a dissolving bag and two fossilized shark teeth. "This book tries to help educate the public, children and adults alike, as to the unique features shark have that allow them to play this unique role in the environment," said Hendon. "So, I was helping fact check on this activity kit but also building on the different attributes that I might know about sharks and rays that I felt would be interesting to this age group." According to Hendon, this activity kit also focuses on highlighting women who inspire to get involved with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). |
| MCC, JSU sign transfer agreement | |
 | Meridian Community College graduates will have a pathway to a four-year college after MCC on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with Jackson State University. MCC President Thomas Huebner said the MOU marks the beginning of a partnership between the two colleges that would benefit both Lauderdale County residents and the entire state. "This partnership will absolutely open doors," he said. "It will open doors that can be transformational to our community and to our state." Under the agreement, MCC students who complete an associate degree will be able to automatically enroll at JSU to continue their education. JSU President Thomas K. Hudson said the public sometimes has the impression that Mississippi's community colleges and four-year colleges compete with each other. The MOU, he said, is not a competition, but a collaboration to improve the lives of Mississippi residents. "Our community college, our four-year colleges, we're not in competition. We're in collaboration," he said. "We're all in this fight together to make the state of Mississippi the best it can be from an education standpoint." Education, Huebner said, can have generational impact on individuals, families and communities. "I think people underestimate the value of education. It really is a difference maker," he said. |
| Silver Alert issued for 21-year-old Jackson State student | |
| The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) issued a Silver Alert for a 21-year-old Jackson State University (JSU) student. Kamilah N. Fipps, a senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is five feet five inches tall, weights 130, with back hair and brown eyes. According to MBI, Fipps was last seen on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, around 6:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of J.R. Lynch Street. She was walking in an unknown direction. Family members said she suffers from a medical condition that may impair her judgment. If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of Fipps, contact Jackson State University Campus Police Office at 601-979-2580 or Investigator Terrence Ware, JSU Department of Public Safety, at 601-985-7740. |
| Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs bills regarding state universities, nursing-home visits, U. of Alabama license plates | |
| Gov. Mike DeWine signed nine bills into law Thursday, including a sweeping higher-education bill, and measures limiting his coronavirus powers regarding nursing-home visits, removing state environmental protections for temporary streams, and creating an Ohio specialty license plate to benefit the University of Alabama. The massive bill, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jerry Cirino of Lake County, makes several various changes regarding state colleges and universities in Ohio. Every state institution of higher education will have to adopt a formal system in which students, groups, or faculty members could submit complaints about free-speech violations by a school employee. Cirino told the Columbus Dispatch that this provision was meant to help any student who believes that "their professor is overly liberal and expresses concern about how speaking up is impacting his grades." Ohio's Bureau of Motor Vehicles will soon offer eight new specialty license plates -- including plates to fund scholarships for Ohioans attending two out-of-state universities: Marshall University in West Virginia and the University of Alabama. While it may seem odd for Ohio to create a license plate to recognize the school that beat Ohio State University in last year's national championship football game, the idea for the plate came from Republican state Rep. Adam Bird, who told cleveland.com last year that he wanted to honor of his father Ron Bird, who played for the (disputed) 1964 NCAA football champion Crimson Tide football team. |
| New chancellor of state's public colleges says Georgia must sell value of college degree | |
| University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said its schools must find more ways to recruit students and help them graduate as it faces a projected enrollment decline in a few years. One recruitment strategy could be encouraging adult learners to seek degrees or certificates through some of its online programs, the former two-term governor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in his first interview since becoming chancellor earlier this month. He also suggested having more advisers work one-on-one with struggling students. "We've got to sell the long-term value of higher education," Perdue said Wednesday in his sparsely decorated office, a block away from his old workspace at the state Capitol. Perdue said recruitment and retention are key as employers offer higher starting salaries across Georgia. Since the pandemic began, more young people went into the workforce instead of enrolling in college to support their families. The 340,000-student system had a slight enrollment decline last fall, its first in about a decade. System leaders have said there may be greater declines ahead because of decreasing birth rates nationally. Several of the system's schools have six-year graduation rates below 50%. The system's budget is largely based on enrollment. The state's Board of Regents approved a plan about a decade ago to consolidate some of its schools as a cost-cutting measure after the Great Recession. Perdue said he has no current consolidation plans. |
| Activist Angela Davis discusses death penalty, racism at U. of South Carolina after intro from Darla Moore | |
 | Political activist Angela Davis declared South Carolina's plans to conduct a firing squad execution of a Black man an attempt to return to the nation's earlier era of racial violence. Speaking in Columbia on April 21, Davis said the execution method reeks of the violence that kept white supremacy in place. "That to me is kind of symbolic of efforts to turn back the clock." Davis, who became a worldwide symbol of radical defiance in the early 1970s, spoke at the Robert Smalls Annual Lecture commemorating the 50th anniversary of the University of South Carolina's African American Studies Program. She was welcomed to the stage by Darla Moore, USC's biggest benefactor who has been estranged from her alma mater in recent years. Moore came because of some opposition to Davis being brought to campus. In her introduction, Moore acknowledged the controversy of Davis' career, which included two stints as the vice presidential candidate of the Communist Party and an arrest in connection with a deadly shootout that landed her on FBI's most wanted list but ended with her acquittal. "Personally, I recall as a young girl being told that Angela Davis was someone I needed to be scared of," Moore said. "You might imagine how surprised I was to later discover how much Professor Davis and I potentially have in common and how wise I believe some of her ideas about the future of America are." Moore, making her first appearance on campus in three years after disagreements with the board, said she believed conversations like the one Davis was holding with her longtime friend, USC professor and note poet Nikky Finney, at the event were the way for real progress on racial issues could begin. |
| 'Poverty wages have got to go.' U. of Kentucky union calls for better pay, health care for graduate workers | |
 | Calling for higher pay and access to more comprehensive health care for graduate workers, members of the University of Kentucky union marched across campus on Wednesday afternoon. Marching to chants of "Poverty wages have got to go," the group of around 100 people delivered a copy of a petition to UK President Eli Capilouto's office, although Capilouto was not in his office at the time. Among other requests, the petition calls for a $20,000 minimum stipend per academic year for graduate employees, as well as annual increases to the stipend, and comprehensive health insurance for graduate employees, including dental and vision coverage. The petition had more than 600 signatures in support, according to the union. The march happened one week after United Campus Workers, the union for UK employees, hosted a "phone zap," directing calls to Capilouto and other administrators' offices last week. Goeun Lee, a teaching assistant in the anthropology department, said she faces barriers as an international graduate student. Her visa only allows her to work for the university, and her stipend is around $15,000 per year. Lee said while she is grateful for what UK provides, the rising cost of rent in the area has put pressure on her financially. "The stipend from the school is not enough," Lee said. "When you think about inflation, and the housing prices spiking up around campus, how am I supposed to survive?" |
| Texas A&M students host Earth Day event to encourage advocacy | |
 | Two Texas A&M chapters of statewide and national organizations will be hosting Earth Day events on the university's campus Saturday that will include conversations on climate change and possible solutions. "Sometimes it's not that people aren't aware; it's that they can sometimes be apathetic because the problem seems so huge, and the power's not in our hands," said Kristina Samuel, president of the Texas A&M chapter of MOVE-Texas that is co-hosting the event. However, individuals do wield power, she said, by using their voice to influence elected officials and voting to create change. Levi Newell, president of the Texas A&M chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby that is co-hosting the event with the MOVE-Texas chapter, said the first event hosted by the two nonpartisan organizations brings together education and advocacy. He said the first half of the event will teach people about climate change with a keynote address from Andrew Dessler, climate science professor and director of the Texas Center for Climate Studies at Texas A&M. Then people will be able to go to breakout groups to learn about lobbying and advocating for solutions to climate change. |
| U. of Missouri System Board of Curators: 'Under no circumstances' will pension payments increase | |
 | The University of Missouri System Board of Curators on Thursday approved changes letting retirees, employees with a university pension and future curators know that no cost-of-living increases should ever be expected or considered. The meeting was held at Missouri University of Science and Technology. It was the first time on that campus for the curators since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's our largest liability," MU Chief Financial Officer Ryan Rapp said of the pension fund. MU retirees and current faculty members protested the planned move at last week's general faculty meeting. The change adds a paragraph to the UM System's "Collected Rules and Regulations" that reads: "Given the magnitude of the plan's liabilities and the additional risks inherent in managing a closed plan, under no circumstances shall plan benefits be increased above levels in place at the time of this policy's adoption." The MU Retirees Association and the MU Faculty Council have registered their opposition to the move. After the general faculty meeting, MURA officials emailed another communication to MU finance officials. The wording change isn't needed "unless it is intended as an admonition to future boards" making it more difficult for future boards to grant an increase, MURA wrote in a letter to administration. |
| Iowa State U. Exits the Coveted AAU | |
 | Iowa State University on Thursday announced that it is leaving the Association of American Universities, the organization long known for conferring a coveted status upon research universities. The decision to exit the association, which institutions join by invitation only, was driven by Iowa State's sense that its core priorities didn't match the AAU's increasing focus on particular types of research, the university said in a statement. "The decision to end AAU membership is driven by Iowa State's commitment to its mission, strengths, and impact," the statement reads. "While the university's core values have not changed since joining the association in 1958, the indicators used by AAU to rank its members have begun to favor institutions with medical schools and associated medical research funding." (An Iowa State spokesperson declined to respond to further questions about the decision.) Pedro Ribeiro, vice president for communications at the AAU, declined to comment on Iowa's decision in an email to The Chronicle. "Beyond our publicly available membership criteria and policy, AAU does not comment on membership issues," Ribeiro wrote. The university's statement cited statistics on its research expenditures and funding. Iowa State, it said, ranks 16th in federal research spending among U.S. institutions without a medical school, and is among the top 10 percent of institutions receiving funding from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy, and the National Science Foundation. |
| A $400K settlement over misgendering a trans student could foreshadow wave of Title IX clashes | |
| In January 2018, a student in Nicholas Meriwether's class, a trans woman, approached the Shawnee State University philosophy professor after he had referred to her as "sir" that day. Meriwether taught Socratically, using students' last names and a title or honorific like sir or ma'am. The student told him to call her by female pronouns and honorifics. The professor considers himself a devout Christian whose religious beliefs influence how he thinks about social issues and gender, according to court filings. He told the student he may not be able to adhere to the request. Meriwether, administrators and the student tried to compromise on the issue, but the student eventually lodged a formal complaint. This led the university to warn Meriwether that it might punish him if he violated its nondiscrimination policy, including by potentially suspending him without pay or firing him. In response, Meriwether sued later that year, alleging the Ohio public institution infringed on his free speech and religious rights. Now, after a federal appeals court ruled in Meriwether's favor and allowed the lawsuit to continue, Shawnee State is paying Meriwether $400,000 in damages and attorney fees to settle it. Under the settlement announced this month, Meriwether does not have to use pronouns, "including if a student requests pronouns that conflict with his or her biological sex," said Alliance for Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that represented him. The case shows how debates concerning trans students' rights in higher education have intensified. And they could grow more heated with the impending release of the Biden administration's proposed regulation on Title IX, the federal law banning sex-based discrimination in education settings. The rule reportedly will protect students from sexual harassment and violence based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, but critics say this goes beyond Title IX's scope. |
| JD Vance paid $70K by colleges he bashes as Senate candidate | |
| Before Republican JD Vance began targeting universities as the enemy of the conservative movement, the Donald Trump-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate in Ohio leveraged a network of higher education institutions across the country to promote his book --- and he made money doing it. In the two years after the 2016 release of "Hillbilly Elegy," his bestselling memoir of growing up in Appalachia, Vance visited at least 18 universities to give graduation speeches, lectures or political talks. For those visits, Vance was paid more than $70,000, according to records provided to The Associated Press by the colleges. At the time, Vance, a graduate of Ohio State University and Yale Law School, spoke glowingly of education. During an appearance on CBS' "Sunday Morning" in 2017, he complimented universities on providing "high-quality talent" and "intellectual property necessary for folks to get their businesses off the ground." In his book, he recalled watching an episode of "The West Wing" about "education in America, which the majority of people rightfully believe is the key to opportunity." But his rhetoric has hardened before the state's May 3 primary as he courts conservative voters in a crowded GOP field. The shift underscores the extent to which Republicans are increasingly embracing anti-elite populism as they try to appeal to blue-collar voters who view institutions and intellectualism with skepticism. |
| One of Higher Ed's Hardest Jobs Is Getting Tougher. Blame Political Interference. | |
| If there's a new "hot seat" in higher-education administration, it might burn hottest at the top. The job of public-college system head has seen a string of abrupt departures, board battles, and contentious searches. Last month, for example, Melody Rose resigned as chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education after less than two years on the job. Rose had filed a complaint with the system's general counsel in 2021, alleging, among other things, harassment by members of the system's Board of Regents based on her gender and their political views. The nation's growing political polarization has fueled much of the current upset in system governance, says Jill Derby, a senior consultant with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, known as AGB, and chair of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan. Derby was chair of the board of the Nevada system back in the '90s and '00s and says she often didn't know her fellow regents' political affiliation. Now, she says, partisanship "is very much in the mix of boards." Such dynamics can be particularly acute in states with one-party control of the governorship and legislature, according to a Chronicle analysis. But long-running changes in what's expected of the job have made it tougher, too. System presidents and chancellors now serve in a role that has evolved from an advocate and caretaker to a chief innovation officer from whom results are demanded. They steer collections of increasingly complex institutions through some of the most tumultuous times higher education has ever seen. And they do all this during the most politically fraught period the country has experienced in half a century. |
| Georgia State's Mark Becker to lead public university group | |
 | Throughout its modern history, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (known previously as the National Association of State and Land-grant Universities) has been led by former presidents of major flagship and land-grant universities, the last three from institutions in the Big Ten Conference. The flagship orientation was no accident: APLU -- unlike its sister organization, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, whose members include comprehensive and undergraduate-focused public universities concentrated as much on teaching as on research -- has historically emphasized issues such as science policy, international education and funding for research. That trend began to change in recent years, as M. Peter McPherson, who has led the association since 2006, read the political tea leaves and encouraged its members to pay more attention to student success through such initiatives as Powered by Publics. But the shift is unmistakable with the new president the association announced Thursday: Mark P. Becker, president of Georgia State University from 2009 until his retirement a year ago. It's not that Georgia State didn't pay attention to research under Becker; its federal research funding rose by 150 percent from fiscal 2010 through 2022. He himself was a federally funded public health researcher, and Becker even has administrative stints at two Big Ten universities on his CV, so in that way he checks the APLU box. But Georgia State is best known, by far, for its intense emphasis on (and comparative success in) driving its 50,000-plus students to complete their educations, increasing its graduation rate by 23 percentage points over a decade and eliminating the gaps between students from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds that are prevalent throughout higher education. |
| APLU Names Dr. Mark Becker as Next President | |
| On Thursday, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), a higher education advocacy organization, announced that Dr. Mark P. Becker, former president of Georgia State University, will be the association's next president, effective September 1. Becker will succeed Peter McPherson, who announced his retirement last year after serving as APLU's president for more than 16 years. "Mark is a proven national leader in university transformation with a demonstrated impact on the lives of students and communities," said Dr. Robert Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and leader of APLU's presidential search committee. "We're extremely excited for him to step into this role at APLU leading exactly this kind of transformative change across the APLU membership." As president of Georgia State University, Becker drove gains in retention and degrees awarded while working to close equity gaps. He previously served as a member of APLU's board of directors and as chair of the board for the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, which partners with APLU. "Public and land-grant universities are the bedrock of American higher education, promoting student success and driving a highly skilled workforce while addressing the needs of their communities and our world through community engagement and cutting-edge research," said Becker. "I am excited to provide leadership for this vibrant community of diverse public and land-grant universities." |
| Mississippi Loses Some Licensing Weight | |
| The Wall Street Journal editorializes: Mississippi residents have the highest obesity rate in the U.S., but the state is about to shed a few regulatory pounds. Raise your protein shake to personal trainer Donna Harris and her lawyers at the Mississippi Justice Institute. Effective May 16, the Mississippi State Department of Health will no longer require residents who don't claim to be dieticians to get a dietician's license before they can offer non-medical weight-control services. The reform is part of a settlement with Ms. Harris, who was targeted by state regulators. In addition to her personal trainer's certification, Ms. Harris has a bachelor's degree in food science, nutrition and health promotion and a master's in occupational therapy. In early 2020 she debuted a weight loss challenge that included one-on-one coaching and a private Facebook page where participants could swap recipes and cheer for each other. Seventy people paid $99 for her eight-week program. Enter the state health department, which complained that Ms. Harris was working as an unlicensed dietician, though she never claimed to be one. ... Ms. Harris sued, claiming that the health department's rules amounted to "government censorship of speech on the age-old topic of weight loss." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi NIL changes aimed at keeping state schools competitive in recruiting | |
| Significant tweaks to Mississippi's Name, Image and Likeness law were made when Gov. Tate Reeves signed Senate Bill 2690 on Wednesday. Specifically, junior colleges and universities can now play a more active role in guiding their athletes through NIL. In the first year of the law, schools were prohibited from engaging with third parties who sought to align themselves with college athletes. Now schools can communicate with those outside parties. School administrators have said this is necessary to provide guidance to athletes and help them identify opportunities that fall within state law and those that may not. The second significant change allows athletes to enter into NIL contracts at the point that they offer a "verbal commitment" to a Mississippi junior college or university. Previously, athletes could not sign an NIL deal until they were enrolled in the school. The bill, originally authored by Sen. Rita Potts Parks, R-Corinth, has been subject to amending in an effort to remain competitive with laws in other states, supporters have said. Supporters of the change want to see Mississippi's law as "user friendly" as possible to allow state schools to continue to recruit successfully against schools in other states. But user-friendly doesn't mean anything goes. Mississippi's law also requires that those seeking to enter into an NIL agreement with an athlete include clear language in the contract that warns the athlete of possible loss of eligibility to compete should the deal signed be found in violation of the law. |
| Bulldogs Welcome Auburn For Crucial SEC Series | |
| Mississippi State and Auburn are locked in a tie for eighth in the SEC standings with 7-8 records in conference play. The Bulldogs will welcome the No. 18 Tigers to Starkville for a crucial three-game series with both programs sitting just 2.5 games back from a top-four seed and first-round bye at the SEC Tournament next month. Friday and Saturday's games will air nationally on SEC Network with the series finale set for SEC Network+. The Bulldogs (28-17) are coming off of two midweek victories after going toe-to-toe with No. 2 Alabama last weekend and dropping two one-run games to the Crimson Tide. Auburn (34-9) has won five consecutive games, but the Tigers were swept by then No. 10 Arkansas in their last SEC series. With Wednesday night's victory over UT Martin, the Bulldogs assured themselves of a .500 or better record at the end of the regular season. State's RPI is No. 27, and MSU has played the seventh-strongest schedule in the country. Auburn will be the seventh ranked team that MSU faces this year, and five of State's six conference series thus far will have been against ranked programs. The softball program is the only Bulldog team at home this weekend, and head coach Samantha Ricketts is encouraging fans to pack Nusz Park. Admission to MSU's home softball games is always free. Friday night is one of two scorecard bingo nights remaining on the schedule, and on Sunday the third of four All-Time Team trading card sets will be given away. Saturday is Park in the Bark, giving fans the opportunity to bring their pups inside the stadium for one day of the season. |
| Matt Luke Left the Toils of College Coaching to Be a Dad -- and He Won't Be the Last | |
| Matt Luke is dressed in a blue polo shirt, khaki shorts and flip-flops. He's sipping coffee and munching on breakfast at a place called Mama's Boy in Athens, Ga. Soon, he'll go for a workout and then scoop up his youngest son from school and drive him to an arcade across town. Tomorrow, he might play some golf, and over the weekend, he'll watch his boys play travel baseball. At the age of 45, in the midst of what some might describe as the peak of his college coaching career, fresh off helping lead Georgia to the national championship as one of the highest-paid offensive line coaches in the country, Luke is, basically, retired. In February, when Georgia announced that Luke was "stepping down" from the staff, many within the college football industry were left stunned. A relatively young coach was voluntarily leaving one of the nation's best assistant jobs at a powerhouse program to, at least temporarily, hang it up? Luke's phone buzzed with messages and calls. Are you dying? What's wrong? Did something happen? "Everybody initially thinks of a scandal," Luke says with a laugh, speaking deeply about his departure for the first time. "It was scary, but I knew it was the right decision." There's no scandal involved, no tragic family event, no paralyzing health issue: Luke left the coaching industry to be a dad. |
| Appeals process approved for targeting, faked injuries | |
| Football players who are ejected for targeting during the second half of a game will be able to appeal their suspension for the first half of the following game beginning this year. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Wednesday approved the appeals process for targeting, as well as an investigation process for teams suspected of faking injuries. For targeting, a conference will submit a request to national coordinator of officials Steve Shaw, who will review the play. The conference will then decide whether a suspension is warranted for the first half of the following game. Under NCAA rules, targeting penalties that occur in the first half result in an ejection for the rest of that game. Players ejected for targeting penalties in the second half must also sit out the first half of the following game. "If it is obvious that a player was incorrectly penalized for targeting, the call would be overturned, and the player would be cleared to play in the first half of the next game," according to an NCAA news release. Schools or conferences will also be able to report suspected instances of faked injuries to Shaw, who will provide feedback to the conference. Any penalties against a team would be decided at the conference level. According to the NCAA, playing oversight members discussed in-game options to address faked injuries and how pace of play contributed. "We considered all options to address this issue, including allowing both teams an opportunity to substitute after a first down," said Stanford coach David Shaw, chair of the NCAA Football Rules Committee. "This is another step to consider in the future." |
| Let's play 2: Baseball, football combo tests few who do both | |
| Brody Brecht's schedule is so full, sometimes he writes notes to himself to make sure he's where he needs to be and when. The Iowa freshman is working double-duty this spring. He's a pitcher on the baseball team and a wide receiver on the football team. With baseball in season and football going through spring practice, it's all about time management. "You kind of have to prioritize," Brecht said. "And you also have to make time for academics, because those are important, too. It's about getting done what you need to get done." Brecht is among at least a half-dozen Division I athletes who are playing baseball and participating in spring football simultaneously this year, according to conference and school sports information directors who responded to an Associated Press survey. The others known to be doing both are Kansas outfielder-running back Devin Neal and first baseman-tight end Trevor Kardell, Michigan outfielder-linebacker Joey Velasquez, Georgia outfielder-receiver Randon Jernigan, Citadel outfielder-defensive back Dominick Poole and St. Thomas (Minnesota) pitcher-punter Kolby Gartner. Iowa's Brecht has a high ceiling in both sports. Brecht, who is on a football scholarship, was projected as a high-round pick in last summer's Major League Baseball draft, but he made it clear he wanted to play two sports for the Hawkeyes. "He's a mature kid and he handles his business off the field extremely well," Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller said. |
| What does former Alabama coach Gene Stallings like about college football today? Not a whole lot | |
| Gene Stallings last coached Alabama football 26 years ago. On Thursday, he's said he's glad he's not coaching in today's game. Stallings, 87, met with reporters while in Tuscaloosa for the RISE golf tournament of champions at NorthRiver Yacht Club and the Chip in for RISE event. It's one of the largest fundraisers for the center, which helps provide early intervention services to "an inclusive population while serving children with special needs at no cost to families," according to its website. Stallings didn't mince words about the current state of college football. "First of all, you have to handle them with kid gloves because if you're really tough and rough on them sometimes, they'll leave," Stallings said. "And they can leave without a penalty. They can go and be eligible immediately. I think the NCAA made a mistake when they allowed a player to transfer and play immediately. I think they made a mistake when they allowed them to transfer for no reason. That's just a personal opinion." Stallings, who during the 1992 season coached Alabama to its first national championship since Paul W. "Bear" Bryant's tenure, said he does not like the new rules that allow players to profit off their name, image and likeness. "I'm opposed to paying the player," Stallings said. "It's not professional football. It's college football. I'm not opposed to the player getting some help, but if you checked it, a normal college player, he gets a whole lot more help than you think he does." Stallings said he sees too much focus on the individual and not the team in today's college football. Stallings said a key to the success of his team winning the national championship was that it wasn't a group of selfish players. |
| UF baseball's Florida Ballpark renamed Condron Ballpark in honor of Gary Condron | |
| Florida Ballpark has been renamed Condron Ballpark in honor of Gary Condron, a former UF graduate and the largest single financial donor in Gator Boosters history. Florida will reveal the name change prior to Friday's 6:30 p.m. contest with No. 1-ranked Tennessee. The $65-million ballpark, which features a 360-degree concourse, opened prior to the 2021 season and brought shade to the fans, grass berms and improved concession options. Since moving from Alfred A. McKethan Stadium to what is now known as Condron Ballpark, the Gators have a 43-14 record at home. Condron's name should be familiar to Florida fans. UF's indoor practice facility, located on SW 2nd Avenue, officially bears the name of Gary Condron Indoor Practice Facility. A former walk-on for the Florida baseball team, Condron has donated approximately $22.5 million to the university for a variety of projects, according to the University Athletic Association. |
| Josh Heupel pokes fun at Lane Kiffin, Tony Vitello in comedy-filled Big Orange Caravan stop | |
 | Josh Heupel may want to chest-bump a referee like Tony Vitello did an umpire, but he said he couldn't afford it. "He gets suspended for four games and still gets to coach 40 more," said Heupel, the Tennessee football coach. "If I get suspended for four (games), that's a big chunk of the season. So I'm going to try to remain a little more calm on the sideline. "Just don't read my lips on TV." Heupel's first joke was about the four-game suspension that Vitello, the UT baseball coach, received for chest-bumping an umpire after his ejection against Alabama last week. Heupel's second joke referenced the lip-reading of some colorful language he used in response to a controversial call that ended UT's football season in the Music City Bowl. There were a lot more zingers at the MeadowView Marriott on Thursday night, during the funniest of three stops so far in the return of the Big Orange Caravan after a four-year hiatus. During the Q&A portion, a fan who identified himself as Ron from Kingsport asked if Heupel saw Lane Kiffin at SEC Media Days, would he please ask that Kiffin return his golf ball. "I love that it was you," Heupel replied. "And I'm just wondering why you didn't bring a few more sleeves of balls." A golf ball was thrown at Kiffin during the UT football game against Ole Miss last season. Fans tossed trash on the field in protest over some questionable calls and Kiffin's tactic to slow UT's offense with what appeared to be players faking cramps. At a caravan stop in Atlanta on Wednesday, Heupel said he might send pickle juice to Ole Miss' team hotel in the future to make sure their players avoid cramps. |
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