The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has placed Thomas Hudson, President of Jackson State University, on administrative leave with pay, effective immediately.
Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony as temporary acting president of JSU at its meeting held today in Jackson, effective immediately. Dr. Hayes-Anthony currently serves as Chair and Professor, the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, at Jackson State University.
There were no reasons given by the IHL for placing Hudson on leave, The Clarion-Ledger reported.
The decision comes after Hudson received a vote of no confidence from the faculty senate in January.
JSU Faculty Senate President Dr. Dawn Bishop McLin told the newspaper that a resolution was presented by the executive committee and voted on by the university’s faculty senators. However, she could not confirm whether the vote had anything to do with the vote of no confidence.
“The Jackson State University Faculty Senate did in fact vote in favor of the resolution to move forward with bringing concerns to the Jackson State University campus community and other stakeholders,” McLin said. “This Resolution sets forth that there is no confidence in President Thomas Hudson and various leaders of the administration.”
Hayes-Anthony, who will take over for Hudson, has served as chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Jackson State University since 2015. She served as professor of Communications and chair of the Department of Communications at Belhaven University from 1998 until 2015.
Prior to her time at Belhaven, she served at JSU for 10 years, first as director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Mass Communications and later appointed head of the department. Under her leadership, the department received national accreditation from the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Hayes-Anthony earned both her bachelor of science and master’s degrees at JSU, and obtained her Ph.D. in Organizational Communication Broadcast Law at Southern Illinois, Carbondale.
She has a distinguished career in broadcast journalism. A native of Jackson, she made a name for herself as the first African-American female news anchor on WJTV Channel 12.
The Board of Trustees will discuss the future leadership of Jackson State at its regular Board meeting later this month.
Courtesy: Mississippi IHL
