THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JACKSON — More than 200 supporters of Mississippi’s historically black universities packed a Capitol committee room Thursday, all hoping for answers about what the future holds for the schools in these tough economic times.
Dozens of students and alumni filled rows of wooden chairs and stood in aisles and along walls. After a nearly two-hour budget presentation by Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds, Democratic Sen. Alice Harden of Jackson finally asked the question the crowd wanted to hear: What is the College Board’s position on Gov. Haley Barbour’s proposal to merge Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State universities into Jackson State University?
“Go on now,” one man called from the audience.
“There has been no conversation about that particular subject,” Bounds answered. “Our focus has been on building business models for eight institutions to weather the storm.”
As College Board president Scott Ross stepped to the microphone, some spectators leaned forward in their chairs.
“Based on private conversations that we’ve had with members of the Legislature as well as many public comments that we’ve seen by members of the Legislature, we have assumed that the merger idea is dead on arrival in this Capitol, and there is no reason for us to discuss it,” Ross said. “And we haven’t.
Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.
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