Mississippi Governor Calls for Merging Some of the State’s Public Universities

Mississippi should consider merging some of its public universities to save money, its governor, Haley Barbour, says. “Mergers of universities are preferable to closures, but continuing to fund eight self-standing universities is not a responsible use of taxpayers’ money,” the governor, a Republican, wrote in a letter to legislators that accompanied his budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins next July.

Mr. Barbour’s proposal, according to the Associated Press, would merge the administrative staffs of the Mississippi University for Women (known as “the W”) and Mississippi State University. It would also combine three of the state’s historically black institutions: Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State Universities would become part of Jackson State University.

None of the campuses would close, but the plan was controversial even before it was announced. Some alumni of the Mississippi University for Women held a two-hour strategy session on Sunday to develop plans for preserving the university’s independence, The Clarion-Ledger, a newspaper in Jackson, Miss., reported.

The governor’s plan is not binding on the Legislature, whose leaders are scheduled to release their own budget proposal next month.