Board of Trustees names Dr. Marcus L. Thompson as President of Jackson State University


bernard

bernard

THEE Realist
11/16/2023 - Jackson, Miss.

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning completed its search for the 13th President of Jackson State University by voting to name Dr. Marcus L. Thompson as President during its meeting held today in Jackson.

Dr. Thompson has more than 20 years of leadership experience in early childhood, K-12 education, and higher education. Thompson serves as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Administrative Officer of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), Mississippi’s public university system, where for over a decade he has been responsible for overseeing IHL staff. In this role, all senior-level leaders report to him, and he manages all facets of day-to-day operations of the agency, including IHL Board relations, communications, legislation, technology, data management, and facilities.

"The Board selected a leader who knows the unique historic importance of the university who will articulate a bold vision for the future and will be indefatigable in the pursuit of excellence for Jackson State University," said Trustee Dr. Steven Cunningham, chair of the Board Search Committee.

Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and Spanish and a Master’s degree in Education from Mississippi College. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Jackson State University in urban higher education. Thompson is married to LaToya Redd Thompson, a practicing attorney. They are the proud parents of Kaelyn, Jessica, and Marcus, Jr.

"Marcus Thompson has a deep understanding of the vital role HBCUs play in higher education," said Senator Sollie Norwood. "His proven leadership will serve him well in taking Jackson State University to new heights."

Thompson’s appointment as the 13th President of Jackson State University will be effective November 27, 2023. A welcome reception to introduce Dr. Thompson to the campus will be scheduled at a later date.

www.jsumsnews.com

Board of Trustees names Dr. Marcus L. Thompson as President of Jackson State University - JSU Newsroom

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning completed its search for the 13th President of Jackson State University by voting to name Dr. Marcus L. Thompson as President during its meeting held today in Jackson. Dr. Thompson has more than 20 years of leadership experience in...
www.jsumsnews.com www.jsumsnews.com
 
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The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning completed its search for the 13th President of Jackson State University by voting to name Dr. Marcus L. Thompson as President during its meeting held today in Jackson.

Dr. Thompson has more than 20 years of leadership experience in early childhood, K-12 education, and higher education. Thompson serves as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Administrative Officer of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), Mississippi’s public university system, where for over a decade he has been responsible for overseeing IHL staff. In this role, all senior-level leaders report to him, and he manages all facets of day-to-day operations of the agency, including IHL Board relations, communications, legislation, technology, data management, and facilities.

“The Board selected a leader who knows the unique historic importance of the university who will articulate a bold vision for the future and will be indefatigable in the pursuit of excellence for Jackson State University,” said Trustee Dr. Steven Cunningham, chair of the Board Search Committee.

Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and Spanish and a Master’s degree in Education from Mississippi College. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Jackson State University in urban higher education. Thompson is married to LaToya Redd Thompson, a practicing attorney. They are the proud parents of Kaelyn, Jessica, and Marcus, Jr.

www.jsumsnews.com

Board of Trustees names Dr. Marcus L. Thompson as President of Jackson State University - JSU Newsroom

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning completed its search for the 13th President of Jackson State University by voting to name Dr. Marcus L. Thompson as President during its meeting held today in Jackson. Dr. Thompson has more than 20 years of leadership experience in...
www.jsumsnews.com www.jsumsnews.com
 

Dr. Thompson has worked well with IHL, but his loyalty must be with JSU now. We expect nothing less than exceptional leadership from him as he leads TheeILove to higher heights! You know the IHL board will pull the rug from under you if you step out of line. Congrats and we are praying for your success.
 
Was he one of the applicants who actually applied for the position? That’s what I want to know. Can’t find anything about him online except for his work with the IHL. Sounds like another off-standard maneuver by this board.
 
Hedgy said:
Was he one of the applicants who actually applied for the position? That’s what I want to know. Can’t find anything about him online except for his work with the IHL. Sounds like another off-standard maneuver by this board.
Click to expand...
Reports say he was not one of the 79 applicants but he was interviewed. Smh. This is BS.
 
I'm side eyeing this whole process. But I mean what can we do? The state controls the school and the state is controlled by white Repubilcans who are not invested in the Black community at all
 
Hedgy said:
Was he one of the applicants who actually applied for the position? That’s what I want to know. Can’t find anything about him online except for his work with the IHL. Sounds like another off-standard maneuver by this board.
Click to expand...
Dr. Thompson was selected as JSU's President because he wanted the position. Dr. Thompson's experience is in early childhood, K-12 and the IHL. Dr. Thompson probably has never held an academic position on a university campus. I doubt if Dr. Thompson was one of the most qualified applcants who applied for the position. 🤔
 
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Dr. James T. Minor was the interview search advisory committee’s preferred candidate in 2017 when Dr. William B. Bynum was selected president of Jackson State University by the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees search committee.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a78VnG358R8


Dr. James T. Minor was the interview search advisory committee’s preferred candidate. Minor, a JSU alumnus, was also popular among the general public for his service as deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Post-secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education from March 2014 to August 2016. Minor is currently the senior strategist for academic success in the chancellor’s office at California State University.

“As an alumni family, we are enormously disappointed that the board chose not to honor the recommendation made by the representatives of the Administration, Faculty, Staff, Students, Foundation, Community and Alumni,” said Owens.

https://mississippitoday.org/2017/05/23/jsu-alumni-challenge-presidential-selection-process/
 
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On Thursday, November 16, hours after its regular monthly meeting, the college board issued a press release, naming Dr. Marcus Thompson as the next president of Jackson State University. This ended a year-long period of speculation which included a search process that reputedly involved a pool of more than 70 applicants.

Thompson, who has more than 20 years of experience in early childhood, K-12, and higher education, is currently serving as deputy commissioner of higher education and the chief administrative officer of the Office of Institutions of Higher Learning. He is scheduled to begin his tenure as president on November 27, 2023. This is earlier than the originally announced date of January 1, 2024.

Thompson received a bachelor’s degree in history and Spanish and a master’s degree in education from Mississippi College, which would not have been the choice for some JSU alumni. He did, nevertheless, receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree in urban higher education in an accelerated, week-end program. He has licenses in elementary education and endorsements in English, history, mathematics, and Spanish. He has served in the Mississippi Department of Education as Assistant to the State Superintendent and Chief of Staff and with the Office of State Institutions of Higher Learning. These experiences show him to have had a well-rounded and exceptional career as an educator.

jacksonadvocateonline.com

OPINION: College Board appoints Dr. Marcus Thompson as JSU President, allaying fears, but also raising questions - Jackson Advocate

On Thursday, November 16, hours after its regular monthly meeting, the college board issued a press release, naming Dr. Marcus Thompson as the next president of Jackson State University. This ended a year-long period of speculation which included a search process that reputedly involved a pool...
jacksonadvocateonline.com jacksonadvocateonline.com
 
Ward 3 Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes lashed out against the Institutions of Higher Learning Board in a press conference which he called on the Jackson State University campus Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.

A seven-term elected councilman, Stokes voiced, “Everybody’s asking the same thing: ‘What’s going on in Jackson?’” In connection, he said that the board named Dr. Marcus Thompson as the new president, and that he would be sworn in Monday of this week. The councilman charged that this was a strategy used by the board as JSU students were on fall break and would not return until Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

Stokes claimed that the board had no respect for JSU students and was sending them “a strong message.”

Being away from the university, the students could not show their support for Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony, the acting president and only reported candidate to apply for the position of president. Several weeks ago, a rumor ran away like a rushing wind that the board had asked Dr. Hank Bounds (IHL commissioner from 2009-2015) to serve as president. Dr. Bounds commented via media that he was neither a candidate nor a finalist. Thus, Monday, November 27, 2023, was the day that Thompson was sworn in as JSU president.

According to Stokes, the board made a nonsensical appointment. “Our babies’ education and their future are at stake.” He further noted that Dr. Hayes-Anthony long ago received her doctorate [from the University of Illinois] and that Dr. Thompson, on the other hand, recently received his doctorate [from JSU] but “hasn’t even been hooded, and he’s coming to rule those who have.”

 

New JSU president emphasizes accountability and financial sustainability​

In his first press conference as Jackson State University’s 13th president, Marcus Thompson pledged to improve “customer care,” accountability and financial sustainability at the historically Black university, all with students as his administration’s north star.

Leading Jackson State, Thompson added, is an “awesome responsibility,” one he thanked the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees for placing on him. He told reporters and roughly 40 attendees, including faculty, staff and administrators, that he’s spent much of his first four days as president getting to know students and the campus.

“I look forward to enhancing (the) experience for the next generation of tigers who will walk these hallowed halls,” Thompson said. “And I’m proud to stand on the shoulders of every president who has come before me.”
mississippitoday.org

New JSU president emphasizes accountability and financial sustainability

JSU's 13th president, Marcus Thompson, pledged Thursday to improve “customer care,” accountability and financial sustainability at the HBCU.
mississippitoday.org mississippitoday.org
 

Concerns multiply over selection of J-State president​

Just days before the Thanksgiving break, the College Board announced that it was appointing Dr. Marcus Thompson as president of Jackson State University. That announcement may have allayed some fears that the board would appoint a white person, at that time Dr. Hank Bounds, as president. It, nevertheless, did not put to rest the criticism that the college board does not in such matters have the best interests of JSU at heart. The same holds true when it comes to Alcorn and Mississippi Valley — the other state universities in Mississippi.

As news of Thompson’s appointment spread across the community and the country, various concerns were expressed. There were concerns about Thompson’s suitability for the job, concerns about the board’s selection process and the motives behind the appointment, and even concerns about how the board itself is constituted and operated, if things are ever to improve. The concerns come from elected officials in the city and county, from staunchly-supportive alumni, from civil rights lawyers and activists, and many others who observe such matters.

THE APPOINTEE. There was the thought that Dr. Thompson may have been in the broad field of education for more than twenty years, but none of them were as even a mid-level college administrator. He has never worked as an educator at the college level; he has never worked as an educator at a historically Black college or university (HBCU). Some close observers and veterans of presidential searches have expressed the opinion that those two experiences are crucial for success at any HBCU.

jacksonadvocateonline.com

Concerns multiply over selection of J-State president - Jackson Advocate

Just days before the Thanksgiving break, the College Board announced that it was appointing Dr. Marcus Thompson as president of Jackson State University. That announcement may have allayed some fears that the board would appoint a white person, at that time Dr. Hank Bounds, as president. It...
jacksonadvocateonline.com jacksonadvocateonline.com
 
Just when I think Alabama is the worse, I look across the border and it is worse for HBCUs. The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning IS A HOT MESS FOR THE HBCUs in Mississippi!
 
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