By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MISSISSIPPI, United States – Governor Haley Barbour has proposed to merge three of Mississippi’s historically black colleges into one beginning in the year 2011. The merger is part of the Governor’s plan to decrease costs amidst new budget negotiations.

Under the Governor’s plan, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State would be merged into Jackson State, the state’s largest historically black college. Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley state are located approximately one hundred miles from Jackson State. Their campuses would remain but under new names.

Governor cited many different reasons for merging the three colleges into one. Mississippi has eight colleges and universities for approximately two million, nine hundred thousand people. Barbour stated that the residents of Mississippi can not afford that many institutions of higher education. According to Barbour, the merger would save Mississippi around thirty five million dollars. The savings would come from cuts to administrative costs and eliminating academic duplication.

Many groups and state legislators are opposed to the Governor’s plan. The presidents of the historically black colleges are unanimously opposed to the proposal. Jackson State University president Dr. Ronald Mason stated that “Mississippi needs historically black colleges because we traditionally serve the underserved.” Some Mississippi state legislators stated that they will not support the proposal. They believe that all Mississippi universities should be subject to the same scrutiny in regards to cuts or mergers.  Representative Adrienne Wooten said, “I only know there are certain universities that are having to come forward and prove why they should remain open.”

The Obama administration has also questioned Barbour’s proposal. John S. WIlson, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities believed that cost savings should not be a goal. According to Wilson, the goal of the state should be improving the campuses’ capacity to educate more students. Wilson also believed that the Governor’s proposal may hurt the White House’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.

For more information, please see:

MSNBC – Proposal to Merge Black Schools Draws Fire – 22 November 2009

WJTV, Jackson, MS. – School Chiefs Oppose Merging Black Universities – 18 November 2009

AFRO – Proposal to Merge HBCUs Draws Fire – November 2009