The resignation of Marcus Thompson as president of Jackson State University has reignited criticism of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), which oversees public universities and their leadership. Thompson's departure marks the fourth president in five years at Jackson State, highlighting ongoing instability at the institution. Local lawmakers and alumni have expressed frustration with the IHL's hiring practices, demanding greater transparency. Despite IHL's claims of a transparent process, the recent rapid turnover raises concerns about governance and leadership effectiveness, especially following a previous president's controversial resignation.
The abrupt departure of Marcus Thompson, Jackson State University's now-former president, who served for less than two years before leaving earlier this month, has sparked criticism of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the body that oversees public universities in the state and hires and fires campus leaders.
Thompson is the fourth president of Jackson State in five years, including acting presidents, some surrounded by scandal and controversy. But some local lawmakers and alumni blame the IHL for chronic leadership churn at the historically Black university and are calling for more transparency in the next presidential selection process.
But some local lawmakers and alumni blame the IHL for chronic leadership churn at the historically Black university and are calling for more transparency in the next presidential selection process.
The resignation was a blow to a university that's suffered its fair share of presidential turnover. Thompson was hired to replace Thomas Hudson, who resigned in 2023, two weeks after the IHL Board of Trustees placed him on paid administrative leave for an unspecified 'personnel matter.'
#leadership #jackson-state-university #higher-education #mississippi-institutions-of-higher-learning #administrative-transparency
Collection
[
|
...
]