By Othor Cain
Contributing Writer
Things are far different on the campus of Jackson State University (JSU) today, than they were in 1955, when 83 year old Rod Paige graduated. “I’m just amazed everyday that I walk this campus or look out my office window; I think to myself…look at the growth, look at the changes, look at the greatness,” said Paige, who was named interim president of the university in November 2016, after the highly publicized resignation of Carolyn Meyers. Meyers, only the 10th president in the history of the university, which was founded in 1877 and its first full-time female leader, resigned in the fall of 2016, amid rumors of financial unsettlement on the campus.
In a recent discovery, it was revealed that JSU’s cash reserves had plummeted nearly 90 percent in the last five years, going from an estimated $37 million to $4.2 million for the 2016 fiscal year that ended in the fall. Paige, who was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the seventh U.S. Secretary of Education, says JSU’s financial troubles are deep and perplexed but fixable. “I want to paint a very clear picture, the hole we find ourselves in today is deep, in fact, I really didn’t understand the magnitude of the problems until I got here, but these problems are fixable and when we come out of this…and we will, we will be a stronger more vibrant university than ever before,” Paige said.
Paige failed to equate or give an exact dollar amount as it relates to the financial deficiencies of the university. “I don’t want to give an exact number and then two-weeks later that number has changed or as we are going through this process we find that the number continues to roll,” he said. “Right now, we know its a serious situation and we know that we’ve got to fix it.” Charged with the responsibility by the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) to improve the financial conditions of the university and to strengthen its academic performance, Paige’s outlook for JSU is bright.
“We are looking at everything to ensure that we are running a tight ship, he said. “All external vendor contracts are being reviewed, right now its safe to say that we’ve pretty much instituted a hiring freeze, we must exam everything.” Examining everything includes looking at JSU’s Madison and downtown campuses. When asked if discussions about closing the Madison campus were underway, in spite of recent record enrollment and the campus doing well, Paige said, “I don’t have the data to support your positive outlook.”
“We are looking at everything and in particular at the recent closure of Tulane in Madison, that conversation is happening now. We want to make sure that all of our ducks are in a row and that we are being as financially responsible as we possibly can.”
Paige understands that getting the community and state involved as well as doing fundraising in a new way is a must for JSU. “Listen I’m indebted to this university, it has had an indelible mark on who I am…its in the heart of Jackson and should be the premier university of this state,” he said.
“We need everybody involved in spreading the good news of JSU, telling those untold stories and raising money for the university.” Despite the governor’s recent assertion that JSU should have its own stadium, Paige said having a stadium was not a top priority for him.
“On a scale of importance, having a stadium ranks below getting our financial house in order, it [stadium] ranks below making sure students have the best on campus experience, he said. “We’ve also got to have some winning seasons in order to get bodies in a new stadium.” Paige said no discussions had taken place about a change in JSU’s football coaching staff. “I know this past season was the first season for our current coach, he has to have time to learn the players and they’ve got to have enough time to get acclimated with his coaching style and expectations,” he said. “However, as a fan, I know that we don’t want another season like last year.”
Paige regrets not having been more involved with the national alumni association. “I’ve given money to JSU in years past and I’ve been actively involved in groups and organizations giving to JSU. I did this a lot while Ronald Mason was president,” he said. “In retrospect I should have done it through the alumni and my plans are as long as I’m able to give and lend my hand and name to giving efforts not only am I going to do it, but I will do it through the proper channels of the alumni association. Paige believes the alumni association should have a very active role in the selection of the next president.
“We need the best leader in the country, one that can take Jackson State to its rightful place of being one of the top institutions in the country and I think our alumni should be involved in the discussions centered around doing that,” he said. “I spoke with the alumni association president last week and she indicated that she had been in communications with IHL.”
Paige down played the assertions that he was hired as a hit man by IHL. “First let me say, that I have the utmost respect for all members of the IHL, they are top notch professionals,” he shared. “They charged me with the responsibility of getting our financial situation in order and improving academic performance as I stated earlier and I plan to do that…you know change can be difficult, but change is important and sometimes a necessary requirement.”
Paige does not anticipate it taking a long time to fix the financial problems and get a new leader for the university. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we are committed to getting it done and preparing JSU for its next leader,” he said. “When it comes to the next person that will become president, we’ve got to think outside of the box and expand our vision and simply look for the right person to lead this remarkable university.
Be the first to comment