(02-29-2024 01:45 PM)rtist Wrote:  They're probably discussing closing down the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Those three institutions are uber-expensive to operate and cost the State of Mississippi a lot of money. Better to save their money there and reallocate those resources elsewhere.

As a parent of a Sophomore at Mississippi State, I can assure you they are making money. I did a laughing emoji but it shows up as a ?. Strange

(02-29-2024 03:40 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Used to work with with a guy who was a proud alumni of Delta State. They have one of the best mascots in college sports, the Fighting Okra (their official mascot is the Statesmen).

I’m surprised Statesmen hasn’t been cancelled.

They could probably get away closing one HBCU and Delta State, but not two HBCUs.

If it’s between MVSU and Alcorn, it’s definitely Valley of the two.

Tennessee St absorbed a PWI in the 80s, I believe. It was very controversial to TSU alums.

Can’t remember the name of the school they absorbed. University of Nashville, maybe?

(02-29-2024 05:45 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Tennessee St absorbed a PWI in the 80s, I believe. It was very controversial to TSU alums.

Can’t remember the name of the school they absorbed. University of Nashville, maybe?

Think it was University of Tennessee at Nashville.

Some good illustrations for different metrics from enrollment to budget here:

(02-29-2024 05:31 PM)Bully Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 01:45 PM)rtist Wrote:  They're probably discussing closing down the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Those three institutions are uber-expensive to operate and cost the State of Mississippi a lot of money. Better to save their money there and reallocate those resources elsewhere.

As a parent of a Sophomore at Mississippi State, I can assure you they are making money. ?

My comment was meant to be sarcasm, but I will note that the article assumes that the three smallest universities will be targeted in this proposed reduction. That may not necessarily be the case. We don't know what criteria might be used if something like this is passed in Mississippi....

(02-29-2024 04:34 PM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  You got that right.

The bill sponsor's ideal scenario likely would be to shutter Alcorn and The W and "merge" Delta State and Valley (or, more accurately, have DSU absorb MVSU because of the latter's superior location and, well, other reasons).

It would make 2020's political fight to change the Mississippi State flag look like child's play

This is probably what he has in mind.

There's no way they'll close two of the three HBCUs. They'll merge the W with MSU and merge Delta State with Valley.

Which leaves Alcorn as the odd man out, and a huge political brouhaha.

(02-29-2024 02:08 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 02:05 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 01:31 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  https://x.com/redditcfb/status/176326845...E0_xipAVQw

There are not any specifics on who, but CFB reddit speculates it could be ones with the lowest attendance (among them MS Valley State and Alcorn State).

Curious how damaging that could be for SWAC if that were to happen (my godfather is a proud alumni of Delta State and I would hate to see them forced to close their doors).

The only ones that could close are Alcorn, MVSU, Delta State, and MUW. MUW is down the road from Miss State so its probably one of the closures. Delta State and Valley could merge I guess since Itta Bena and Cleveland arent too far apart. Call it Delta Valley State or something. Alcorn St would probably shut down in this situation.

Its probably time to shut down Mississippi Valley State and the Mississippi University for Women. Merge the first with Delta State into the University of North Mississippi. The other gets merged into Mississippi St.

I don't know that this will happen. But it should. Throwing out 3 may be the effort to get one or two closed. If Alcorn were to get closed, it would be merged into jackson St.

They seriously discussed closing MUW several years ago.

MUW just needs to be re-purposed for students with autism. Those with autism do not like going to huge universities, for the most part. (although I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule.) In that way, MUW, like my alma mater the University of Montevallo, does serve a very useful purpose, IMO. Just think of it as another use for the Americans with Disabilities Act. I'm sure the same holds true for small HBCU's as well: serving blacks with autism.

Why can’t Mississippi (and other states like Maryland for that matter) consolidate their state HBCUs under one system since they largely serve the same function, just in different parts of the state?

(02-29-2024 06:42 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Why can’t Mississippi (and other states like Maryland for that matter) consolidate their state HBCUs under one system since they largely serve the same function, just in different parts of the state?

Rivalry among the schools, probably--unless it was done like the Cal State system. That could work, IMO.

(02-29-2024 06:01 PM)rtist Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 05:31 PM)Bully Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 01:45 PM)rtist Wrote:  They're probably discussing closing down the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Those three institutions are uber-expensive to operate and cost the State of Mississippi a lot of money. Better to save their money there and reallocate those resources elsewhere.

As a parent of a Sophomore at Mississippi State, I can assure you they are making money. ?

My comment was meant to be sarcasm, but I will note that the article assumes that the three smallest universities will be targeted in this proposed reduction. That may not necessarily be the case. We don't know what criteria might be used if something like this is passed in Mississippi....

100% understood it was sarcasm. For some reason my laughing Emoji changed to a ?, twice. Sorry about that. I love sarcasm and am surprised at the people that it goes over their head. I assure you I appreciate it, my keyboard didn’t for some reason.

Mississippi is a state that has seen very little growth. As the population has aged, the supply has dried up for college students. Nothing surprising here.

This is a quick summary of Ayers v Fordice about HBCU and Mississippi many years ago. If interested you can dig in to a lot more detailed info by Googling. Putting it here since discussion about HBCU potentially being closed/consolidated has taken place on this thread.

https://casetext.com/analysis/case-summa...-v-fordice

(02-29-2024 06:38 PM)DawgNBama Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 02:08 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 02:05 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 01:31 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  https://x.com/redditcfb/status/176326845...E0_xipAVQw

There are not any specifics on who, but CFB reddit speculates it could be ones with the lowest attendance (among them MS Valley State and Alcorn State).

Curious how damaging that could be for SWAC if that were to happen (my godfather is a proud alumni of Delta State and I would hate to see them forced to close their doors).

The only ones that could close are Alcorn, MVSU, Delta State, and MUW. MUW is down the road from Miss State so its probably one of the closures. Delta State and Valley could merge I guess since Itta Bena and Cleveland arent too far apart. Call it Delta Valley State or something. Alcorn St would probably shut down in this situation.

Its probably time to shut down Mississippi Valley State and the Mississippi University for Women. Merge the first with Delta State into the University of North Mississippi. The other gets merged into Mississippi St.

I don't know that this will happen. But it should. Throwing out 3 may be the effort to get one or two closed. If Alcorn were to get closed, it would be merged into jackson St.

They seriously discussed closing MUW several years ago.

MUW just needs to be re-purposed for students with autism. Those with autism do not like going to huge universities, for the most part. (although I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule.) In that way, MUW, like my alma mater the University of Montevallo, does serve a very useful purpose, IMO. Just think of it as another use for the Americans with Disabilities Act. I'm sure the same holds true for small HBCU's as well: serving blacks with autism.

MUW (Mississippi University for Women) —> MUA (Mississippi University for Autism)

Mississippi University for Women in Columbus is just 26 miles on route 80 to Mississippi State in Starkville. The four lane road is easily done in 1/2 hour. MUW could practically be a convenient branch campus of MSU. MUW has some nice buildings and grounds. It would make sense to consolidate and shift certain programs. It would save some money.

In the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (not to be confused with the separate Penn State & their branch campuses), Bloomburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield, merged into Commonwealth University.

https://www.passhe.edu/universities/index.html

(02-29-2024 08:32 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  Mississippi University for Women in Columbus is just 26 miles on route 80 to Mississippi State in Starkville. The four lane road is easily done in 1/2 hour. MUW could practically be a convenient branch campus of MSU. MUW has some nice buildings and grounds. It would make sense to consolidate and shift certain programs. It would save some money.

MUW is also undergoing a campaign to rebrand itself. Perfect time to pull the plug and make it the Columbus extension center of MSU.

I'd merge MVSU and DSU. Let the merged campus inherit the MVSU athletic program.

Alcorn State probably needs to go, but it will be a tougher cut politically.

(02-29-2024 08:51 PM)OdinFrigg Wrote:  In the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (not to be confused with the separate Penn State & their branch campuses), Bloomburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield, merged into Commonwealth University.

https://www.passhe.edu/universities/index.html

Looks as though Clarion, Edinboro, and California have been combined under one name, PennWest. Think PennWest was mentioned above.

FWIW, Stephen F. Austin University struck a deal to become a part of the University of Texas system. Maybe MUW needs to see about becoming a part of the Mississippi State University system.