School Chiefs Oppose Merging Black Universities

By: Ross Adams |
Published: November 19, 2009

As the presidents of Mississippi’s eight public universities gathered for the monthly college board meeting Wednesday, the heads of the three historically black schools expressed unanimous opposition to merging the institutions into one.
“Mississippi needs historically black universities because we serve the traditionally underserved,” said Dr. Ronald Mason, Jackson State University president.
Mississippi Valley State’s Dr. Donna Oliver, on the job as president of that school for just 11 months, says, "I'm focused on making Mississippi Valley State the best university it can be for the students who choose to come there.”
“There are lots of questions that have to be answered,” says Alcorn State President Dr. George Ross.
He wants to know how much money a merger would really save.
“We have to examine costs, we have to have an explanation for the costs, I'm willing to have the conversation,” Ross said.
At the end of the conversation, Ross wants Alcorn State to remain independent.
“Alcorn is a proud university, the second oldest in the state, we serve citizens of southwest Mississippi as we've done for the past 138 years.”
JSU’s Mason doesn't believe the proposed merger will get very far in the legislature.
“There's a lot of reaction to it, but in the final analysis I think we'll have eight universities in Mississippi.”