Uncertainty surrounds Mississippi's college board as governor has not disclosed new board appointees

Mississippi's College Board handles the funding for Mississippi's eight public universities. Friday, the board rushed to take up budget items before the terms of four members expired.  Among the items addressed; extending leases for the University of Mississippi Medical Center and insurance policies for students. Board Member Tom Duff says they have been working on the insurance plan for at least a year.

“We are saving about $224 per student compared to the previous average, so it’s a savings of over $800,000," says Duff, who attended the emergency meeting virtually. "And David has done a great job of trying to get this so all of the IHL students can participate at a lower price.”

Governor Tate Reeves did not make new appointments to the board which must be confirmed by the state senate.  

Eight members are a quorum, but an absence could delay finalizing important decisions.  Also on Friday, a spokesperson for the governor's office told several media outlets there are no vacancies and the governor will make those appointments at the appropriate time. Retired Jackson State University Professor Ivory Phillips was at the meeting and he's concerned about how the situation is being handled by the governor. 

Phillips says “Each month there are critical issues that come up. So there’s no such thing as ‘Oh, we can slide into the next month’ because something critical will be missing. It may be academics, or it may be tuition, or it may be personnel, but every month there’s something critical that comes up.”

MPB reached out to the governor's office and did not receive a response.