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IHL board approves MCARE center, new degrees in environmental studies, sport management, nursing and cybersecurity
Summary
The Mississippi Board of Trustees approved creation of the Mississippi Center for Apprenticeships and Residency in Education (MCARE) at the University of Southern Mississippi and multiple new academic programs at state institutions, citing teacher shortages and workforce demand.
The Mississippi Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning on Feb. 20 approved creation of the Mississippi Center for Apprenticeships and Residency in Education (MCARE) at the University of Southern Mississippi and a package of new academic degree programs across system campuses.
Dr. Casey Presswood, who presented the academic agenda to the trustees, said the MCARE "will centralize multiple novel pathways into the teaching profession through the teacher residency program and teacher apprenticeship," and that its anticipated annual cost is $2,000,000 with funding secured from the U.S. Department of Education, AmeriCorps and the U.S. Department of Labor. Board staff recommended approval and a motion to adopt the item carried by voice vote.
The board also approved a suite of new degree programs proposed by the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi. Among the items approved: a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies (120 hours) at the University of Mississippi; a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management (120 hours) to replace the sport and recreation administration degree; a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education (33 hours, online) aligned to Mississippi Department of Education licensure requirements; and multiple Master of Science in Nursing options at the University of Southern Mississippi providing step-out pathways for students in existing BSN-to-DNP tracks. Dr. Presswood described the Master of Information Technology and Cybersecurity Management at USM as a primarily online program with an estimated five-year cost of $322,670 and projected five-year revenue of $876,645.
Board materials and Dr. Presswood emphasized the connection between the approvals and workforce needs. "Mississippi is experiencing a significant shortage of elementary school teachers," Presswood said, citing the Mississippi Department of Education's 2023–24 educator shortage survey that reported 815 elementary-teacher vacancies and about 2,700 total educator vacancies statewide. Trustees heard that the MAT elementary program specifically aims to provide a route for bachelor-degree holders in non-education fields to earn licensure and a master’s degree concurrently.
The academic package included program design details: the environmental-studies degree offers interdisciplinary specializations; the sport management program was developed after a market analysis and benchmarking; the nursing step-out options are intended for students who cannot or choose not to complete the DNP; and the cybersecurity management degree supports USM's National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence designation ambitions.
Trustees voted on the academic items as a set after board staff recommended approval. There were no roll-call tallies recorded in the public transcript; action was approved by voice vote.
The approvals now proceed to implementation steps at the respective campuses for curriculum finalization, accreditation and licensure alignment where required. The board record shows the items were recommended by board staff and adopted during the Feb. 20 meeting; specifics about implementation timelines beyond the curricular descriptions were not specified in the meeting record.
