A BY TOMMIEA P. JACKSON
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horter, more intense classes. A boundless campus. Nontraditional students as traditional students. Although unconventional, this is the Jackson State that President Ronald Mason Jr. sees in the university’s not-so-distant future. The 54-year-old Columbia University-trained attorney says he hasn’t decided alone that these would be JSU’s priorities. “People always ask about my vision and I say, ‘What’s the point?’ What matters is the vision of the people Jackson State serves.” Birthed as Natchez Seminary in 1877, this school began with 20 newly freed slaves who hoped to become ministers and teachers. Today, as the only university located in the capital city of the largest metropolitan area in the state of Mississippi, Jackson State is poised to become a premier institution deserving of the Magnolia State. As JSU prospers, Mason often says, so does the city of Jackson, therefore the state of Mississippi.
THE PAST Arriving at JSU in 2000, Mason convened the Blue Ribbon Commission of higher education, government, science, technology and industry experts who together began planning JSU’s future. Their product, “Beyond Survival: The Millennium Agenda for Jackson State University,” set forth five key strategies: redefining the academy, technology infusion, enhancement of management resources, increased image and visibility, and model learning and working environment. Since its completion in 2002, JSU officials have meticulously followed the plan of approximately 200 action steps. “We’ve accomplished our goals,” says Mason. The university’s eight schools were reorganized into six colleges: Public Service; Lifelong Learning; Education and Human Development; Liberal Arts; Business; and Science, Engineering and Technology. The newly established First Year Experience Program, he says, has prepared freshmen to handle the rigors of college life and has led to a noticeable increase in student retention. “We started at 27 percent and we’re pushing 40 now,” Mason says, describing JSU’s six-year graduation rate. “That means we’re serving people better.” Jackson State now has three supercomputers, a system that allows
students to view scientific data in three dimensions, video conferencing capabilities and campus-wide Internet access. Resource management also has improved, Mason says. Mississippi Development Authority and Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning awards in 2006 were evidence of that success. Banner, a new information management system, allows JSU faculty, staff and students to access personal information regarding salary or grades within minutes. University Communications has led the charge to tell JSU’s story through its various print, broadcast and Internet efforts. “The proof is in the pudding,” Mason says. “We’re starting to get notice in Black Enterprise, Washington Monthly and a cover of Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. That means PR is doing its job.” THE PRESENT With everything on schedule, Mason says transforming JSU into a model learning and working environment is a longer, more involved process. “The campus is much more attractive and inviting, but we have plans to move off campus,” says Mason. After Gov. Haley Barbour and Secretary of State Eric Clark announced the transfer of 73 parcels of tax-forfeited land to the university in Feb-