Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--In a Jan. 28 resolution sent to state officials, Mississippi State's Robert Holland Faculty Senate urged continued state support of higher education after two years of funding that have led to institutional improvements and growth.
Gov. Haley Barbour has said that higher education may see flat or reduced funding during the upcoming fiscal year.
Addressed to Barbour, Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, House Speaker Billy McCoy, and members of both the Senate and House of Representatives, the one-page document expresses appreciation for recent levels of university funding and argues the need for continued resources. It is signed by Robert E. Wolverton, president of the 50-member representative body.
Wolverton said MSU senators felt that state officials had not received appropriate acknowledgement for what they had done over the past two years.
"We felt this faculty recognition would call public attention to their support of higher education and the role it plays in furthering economic development in Mississippi," he added.
"We appreciate the Holland Faculty Senate taking a leadership role in communicating the importance of state support for institutions of higher learning," said MSU President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong. "Funding over the last two years has allowed us to add faculty members as enrollments increased, enhance student services and boost Mississippi State's ability to foster economic development in the state."
"Faculty members at Mississippi State make significant contributions to the mission of our university and to the state," Foglesong observed. "Their voices are important in articulating the value of state funding."
In part, the senate document reads:
"Whereas, Mississippi Sate University deeply appreciates the recent level of support, especially at the time of increasing enrollments and new program initiatives; now,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Robert Holland Faculty Senate thanks all those responsible for the current level of support and encourages the Legislature and elected officials to maintain, and even increase, that level of support, in order that we may continue to attract high-quality students and faculty and reach a state of parity with our sister institutions across the nation."
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional information, Dr. Wolverton may be reached at 662-325-2395 or 325-8700.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.