The Bulldog nation will know Tuesday who will lead our university across the threshold of greatness in the crucible of the academic world. Whether I go off to the Navy or to the Smokey Mountain to help preserve the American Hemlock, I will watch as our university continues to maintain the values of the “People’s University.”
For years I have wanted to write about areas where we could pay special attention to in order to achieve greatness, but I could never muster up enough words per individual subject. So this article will partly be a collection of my suggestions.
The Comprehensive University
Charles Lee and past presidents have worked to make MSU a true “academic village” that appreciates the liberal arts while preserving the intentions of the Morrill Act and the role of the land-grant university.
The next president should make this a top priority, if not the main priority. It appears our success on the national scene is inextricably tied to achieving this goal. We can be the best in numerous technical fields, but if we disregard liberal arts, we are ignoring the holistic approach that many prominent universities like Georgia Tech, the University of Florida, Virginia Tech and MIT have wholeheartedly adopted.
This would also help with our enrollment goal of 20,000. After enrolling at MSU a few years ago, many people back home would ask why I majored in political science at MSU instead of somewhere else with a greater emphasis in liberal arts. This couldn’t be any further from the truth, as we have the best department in the state, but I realize perceptions matter when the majority of American college-goers are majoring in the liberal arts and business-related fields.
Strengthen Fields
At the risk of sounding non-partisan, I will condemn the “Who’s the best academic university in Mississippi?” fights. These arguments are played out prominently to my enjoyment of Web sites like Gene’s Page and Rebel Yell. We should tout our university strengths, and the next president should invest more capital in certain areas to ensure we are in the upper echelons of those respective fields.
Frequently, when MSU students tell you they’re from New York or Michigan, you know what their majors are: professional golf management or broadcast meteorology. We should make an extra investment in areas like these and others like aerospace engineering and architecture to keep an edge. To my knowledge, it’s past due for MSU to put a man on the moon.
Designations and Scholarships
The next president should also see that MSU receives certain designations and that our students receive high honors. This would include a designation as a Phi Beta Kappa institution and membership in the American Association of Research Libraries. Being a Phi Beta Kappa university may seem futile, but for the merit scholars in high school who consider it in their college selection, it could hurt that we are the last SEC school without a chapter. We should also ensure students have the resources to win prominent awards like the Rhodes and Truman scholarships. I could never qualify to be a member of Phi Beta Kappa nor win the Rhodes Scholarship. Making this possible for our exceptional scholars is vital.
Public Relations
Last but far from least, the next president should invest more capital in improving our public and media relations. The efforts we have are the best we can muster on an anemic budget, but this must be a priority. Whether it be through upgrading technological capabilities at media relations and the MSU-TV station or by devising a comprehensive promotion strategy, we need to get the word out about our beloved university.
I have made no secret about my support for Mark Keenum. Initially, it seemed either he or Jim Cofer (ULM) would make a great fit for MSU. Cofer has withdrawn, and no short of the recently departed Harvard President Larry Summers applying for the job, Keenum is my choice.
There are a few people who worry Keenum is too tied to partisan politics and doesn’t have enough experience. This argument misses that he has a doctorate degree, taught on the college level and at heart is a college professor who was drafted into the political world for his academic expertise by Sen. Thad Cochran and a former MSU president.
In Washington D.C. where partisanship and career climbing are viewed as sacrosanct, Keenum has avoided both. He has stayed loyally with Cochran for years and is one of the more mild-mannered persons on the Hill.
In addition, Rhonda Keenum, wife of Mark, is an assistant to the president of the United States and a former public relations executive. Their contributions will help move MSU to the next level. If Keenum is not chosen, all factions should put aside their differences and unite behind the new president.