Headlines in newspapers and broadcasts in North Mississippi and Alabama are causing Mississippi State University students to wonder if their four-year president, Malcolm Portera, will leave his alma mater to pursue a career heading 45,000 students in the University of Alabama System. If Portera takes the job offer, he would be the chancellor for the University of Alabama System, which means he would oversee the system’s campuses in Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Birmingham.
In a phone interview, Portera’s grim and sad-sounding tone told The Reflector that the only actions that have taken place are that the university system he called home from 1990-1996 has contacted him and requested that he listen to their offer.
Making every attempt to cut the interview short, Portera reminded The Reflector of his love for MSU and his pride in graduating from Bulldog country, but many students and faculty are beginning to wonder if that love will surpass the tremendous job offer at hand, as well as the chance for Portera to return to his former employer.
Portera served as the vice chancellor for the UAS from 1990-1996. If Portera accepts the position, which will be discussed at an undisclosed date, he would move up in the pay ranks-only it would not be here.
In the interview, Portera politely requested to keep his responses to a minimum. He also did not say that the decision to take the job at Alabama, if any, would be a hard one; however, his desolate tone leaves me to think MSU’s president will be doing more than listening to UAS.
While conducting the interview, I was also saddened by Portera’s tone and his passionate remarks regarding State. Portera was sure to make clear that he and his wife love MSU and are both proud graduates.
If or when Portera says goodbye, it will not be an easy thing to do-for him or the Mississippi State community. In Portera’s four-year history as the highest Bulldog, little negative has been said or written about him. He has led this university without the controversy that neighboring Mississippi universities have experienced.
Because of this, the Mississippi College Board has announced they will do almost anything to keep him on staff. In an interview conducted Saturday at a memorial service in front of the library, Portera told reporters that MSU has been successful in growth and graduating top students. He said to keep that success, faculty and staff naturally need to be paid incentives to stay and keep the university at the high level we are becoming accustomed to. He also said the main attraction to the UAS is the budget of over $1 billion.
Even saying that, his passion for MSU’s prosperity was evident. He wants State to be what he has determinedly worked to make it-the largest and best university in the state, but, unfortunately, our state refuses to financially support education, and we will lose a successful president because neighboring states see the need for educational excellence.
If he leaves, he will be missed by many, and he will miss MSU-that was clearly in his voice.