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Keenum: Leaders need to clarify higher ed funding |
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Tuesday, 17 March 2009 |
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By PAUL SIMS
Starkville Daily News
Higher education officials need to clarify what state officials mean when they say they’ll make Mississippi’s universities whole from a budgetary standpoint, Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum said Monday.
Keenum spoke to Starkville Rotarians Monday.
State officials have pledged to use stimulus funding to make the state’s eight higher education institutions whole, Keenum said. Higher education officials need to clarify what making institutions whole means and “make sure there’s an understanding of what our needs are,” Keenum said following his talk to the organization.
The hope is that “they will adequately fund all the institutions of higher learning so that there will be no need for tuition increases,” he said after his talk. “Investing in higher education is a positive return,” he told the Rotarians.
Also, after the Rotary meeting, Keenum expounded on his thoughts about MSU’s interaction with Starkville and the surrounding community.
“I want a bonding relationship between university and the community,” he said. “It should be hand in glove.”
Keenum said there are “many exciting things” to mention regarding both MSU and the community.
“I’d like to promote both the university and the surrounding Starkville community as a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family,” he said.
He told Rotarians that the more attractive the community, the “easier it is for me to recruit” students, faculty and staff. Other points Keenum made to the Rotary Club include that:
• University officials have a goal of reaching a student population of 22,000 by 2015.
• A recent appropriations bill includes funding for three buildings – a new Multi-Tenant Building in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, a Poultry Center of Excellence near the Wise Center on campus and a facility to house the Northern Gulf Institute, an MSU partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce which will focus on remote sensing research and technology development.
• The appropriations bill included $10.5 million for the university’s Sustainable Energy Research Center.
Also, Rotarian Dr. Roy Ruby – who served as interim MSU president just prior to Keenum – introduced Keenum to the club and Rotary Club officials provided Keenum with an honorary membership into the club.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 March 2009 )
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