Independent community page. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official communication of Mississippi University for Women or the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.
Speak Up for The W

Your voice belongs in this conversation.

Mississippi University for Women is choosing its next president. If you care about The W, its students, or the future of public higher education, send the IHL Board a personal message. It takes about five minutes.

Write Your Message Find IHL Contact Info

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Community recommendation · not an IHL announcement

What you can do now

Current focus: plans for the search
Community action reviewed:

Ask IHL what happens next.

IHL held listening sessions in April and announced a national search in September. It also asked for proposals from firms that help find university presidents.

Send IHL a short message. Ask it to share the next steps, explain how April’s feedback will help decide what MUW needs in its next president, and tell the community when it can take part again.

Make it personal: tell IHL one thing you want the next president to focus on and why. You might choose support for students, strong academic programs, faculty and staff, or careful use of university funds.

Write to IHL

This is a community request, not an IHL announcement. The action is reviewed when the search changes. Check IHL’s latest update before you write.

Read official updates

The request and the official steps so far

Community request: share the next steps, explain how April’s feedback will guide the search, and say when people can take part again.

Official steps: IHL held April listening sessions, announced a national search in September, and posted a request for proposals from search firms. Read IHL’s announcements.

What this action asks IHL to clarify: how it will use the listening-session feedback and what the next chances for community input will be. Check the latest official notices before writing.

These announcements are not proof that this page caused a change. This page does not track messages sent or claim that IHL has responded to this request.

What you can do at each step

These are ways to support The W as the search moves forward. This is not IHL’s official schedule. Wait for IHL to announce an opportunity before taking part.

  1. Share what matters to you April sessions held

    Useful action: read or watch the April listening sessions. Tell IHL what you want in MUW’s next president and ask how it will use the community’s feedback.

    The April sessions are over. Check IHL’s site for any new chance to give feedback.

  2. Ask about the search plan Current focus

    Useful action: write to IHL. Ask for the next steps, what it will look for in a president, and how the community can take part.

    IHL has asked firms to submit proposals. That does not mean it has chosen a firm.

  3. Help reach qualified candidates When announced

    Useful action: when IHL posts the job, read it and share it with people who may know strong candidates. Recommend someone only if IHL provides a way to do so.

    Use the official job requirements. Keep candidates’ private information off this page.

  4. Give feedback on candidates When announced

    Useful action: if IHL invites public feedback, take part. Ask respectful questions about how candidates would serve MUW. If no opportunity is announced, ask IHL how the community can be heard.

    IHL has not promised public meetings with finalists. Ask about the process without sharing rumors or private candidate details.

  5. Welcome the new president After selection

    Useful action: read the official announcement and welcome the new president. Ask how you can help with the first goals for MUW. Follow up on the plans the university shares.

    Once IHL chooses a president, focus on MUW’s next steps and the promises made.

Why this decision matters

The university's next president will help shape MUW's direction, partnerships, public voice, and ability to serve Mississippi.

Healthcare & workforce

Healthcare and workforce

MUW prepares graduates in fields that serve communities across Mississippi, including nursing and speech-language pathology.

Growth

Opportunity and partnerships

Presidential leadership can influence research relationships, external funding, philanthropy, partnerships, and workforce-development opportunities.

Legacy

The future of The W

The next president will represent the institution during an important period for its identity, visibility, stability, and long-term role in Mississippi.

From the official source

Official search updates

Updates from Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), the board that chooses MUW’s president. These official notices are separate from the community requests on this page. The live site checks for updates each week.

Visit IHL’s search page for the latest announcements.

    View the official IHL search page →
    A tree-lined walkway and brick buildings on the MUW campus

    A campus worth speaking up for.

    Photo: RomeoEchoDelta / Wikimedia Commons. Cropped with overlay. CC BY-SA 4.0

    What supporters are asking of IHL

    You do not need to use a script. A short, personal message is more meaningful when it reflects your own experience and priorities.

    Ask 1

    A fair search

    Ask IHL to follow through on the national search, explain what it wants in a president, and give qualified candidates fair consideration.

    Ask 2

    Transparency

    Ask IHL to share the next steps, explain how it uses community feedback, and tell people when they can take part.

    Ask 3

    Strong leadership

    Ask IHL to choose a president who will support MUW’s students, employees, and service to Mississippi.

    Write your message

    Write two or three sentences. Use any prompts that help. You do not need to answer them all. This page welcomes students, employees, alumni, families, and neighbors.

    Your action today: Ask IHL to share the next steps and explain how the MUW community can take part.

    Share only what you are comfortable including. You do not need to name your employer or share private experiences. This page does not save or send your answers. You review and send the message yourself.

    Your city or connection to MUW, if you want to share it
    Choose one issue that matters to you personally
    What you want strong leadership to accomplish
    Your specific request. You can use the optional suggestion below, edit it, or write your own.

    Optional request for this stage: share the next steps, explain how April’s feedback will help guide the search, and tell the MUW community when it can take part again

    You can type this in your own words. Your personal request will never be overwritten.

    Your message so far

    Your email will contain exactly the message shown here.
    Fill in the prompts above to see your message here.

    Open your email app to review the draft. The Board’s address and your message will already be filled in. You decide when to send it.

    Open in My Email App

    Using Gmail or Outlook in your browser? Copy your message into a new email.

    To: board@ihl.state.ms.us
    Subject: A message about MUW's presidential search

    This page does not save or send your message. The draft goes to your email app only when you open it.

    Prefer to write it yourself? Jump straight to contact info →

    Contact the IHL Board

    Contact IHL directly using the details below.

    Board of Trustees board@ihl.state.ms.us
    Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr.
    commissioner@ihl.state.ms.us
    Mailing address Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning
    Board of Trustees
    3825 Ridgewood Road
    Jackson, MS 39211
    Phone 601-432-6198
    View the Official IHL Trustee Roster →

    Share the action, not a script.

    After you send your message, invite other people who care about MUW to write their own. Personal stories and individual viewpoints should remain personal.

    Write Your Message