IHL trustees approve nursing accreditation, new degree programs, insurance plan, contracts and a campus planning project at April meeting

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning approved a series of academic and operational items at its April meeting, including stage‑3 accreditation for a new nursing program, multiple new degree programs across state universities, amendments to University of Mississippi Medical Center contracts, a student health insurance option for system students and preplanning funds for an athletic training facility.

Board staff described the board’s authority over nursing accreditation and recommended several routine approvals. "The Mississippi code empowers the board of trustees of state institutions of higher learning to establish rules and regulations and promulgate uniform standards for accreditation of schools of nursing," said Dr. Melissa Temple, board staff, at the start of the academic affairs item. Board members voted to approve each recommendation with no recorded roll‑call opposition.

Why it matters: the actions create new degree pathways for students across the state, expand clinical and administrative capacity at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), lock in an employee/student insurance option, and authorize design planning for a Mississippi University for Women athletics training facility. Several items are tied to external accreditation standards or to vendor agreements that affect UMMC operations.

Most significant academic approvals

The board approved stage 3 status to allow Blue Mountain Christian University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to qualify for full accreditation following a site visit and a final CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) report. Board staff reported program outcomes that included a 91 percent completion rate, a 100 percent first‑time pass rate on the NCLEX‑RN and a 100 percent employment rate for graduates; board staff recommended approval and the trustees approved the stage‑3 application.

Trustees also approved a proposed amendment to board policy 602 (freshman admission requirements) to align IHL admission rules with changes to the ACT effective April 2025; under the change the ACT composite will be calculated from English, math and reading only, with science and writing reported separately. Board staff recommended a waiver of first reading and final approval because the ACT change takes effect this month, and trustees approved the policy amendment.

The board approved University of Mississippi’s request to establish an Impact Center for Pharmacy Transformation within the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences on the Oxford and Jackson campuses. Board staff said the center would increase the university’s emphasis on pharmacists as a point of patient care beyond dispensing.

A single grouped motion from the universities approved multiple new degree programs, including (as presented by board staff): Jackson State University — Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (126 credit hours requested as an exception to IHL policy 511) and Master of Science in Public Health Informatics and Analytics (36 hours); Mississippi State University — Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership (120 hours) and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Teaching (120–122 hours) at the Meridian campus; University of Southern Mississippi — multiple standalone bachelor’s degrees (Philosophy, Religion and Law; Strategic Communication tracks in Digital Advertising, Digital Media Sales, Public Relations; Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design; Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood; Bachelor of Science in Forensic Biology; Bachelor of Science in Forensic Chemistry; and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at the Gulf Coast campus). Board staff recommended approval of these program additions and conversions from existing emphases or tracks, and trustees approved the grouped request.

Finance and contracts

On the finance agenda trustees approved several contract amendments and a lease for UMMC and a systemwide student health insurance arrangement. UMMC asked to amend pricing or purchase agreements with medical suppliers to add a new UMMC Madison location: an amendment to its pricing agreement with Becton Dickinson and Company (staff described the existing five‑year contract at $13,200,000 and said the amendment adds a Madison location at no additional cost); an amendment to a solid waste agreement with BFI Waste Services to add Madison that adds $500,000 to raise the related total to $6,400,000; and an amendment with Baxter Healthcare Corporation for IV products at the Madison site that adds no cost to the existing $22,600,000 five‑year agreement. Trustees approved each amendment after board staff and legal review.

The board approved a systemwide student health insurance policy with UnitedHealthcare StudentResources. Board staff said the policy premium is $2,300 per policy per year with an estimated aggregate cost of $6,900,000 and FY 2024 enrollment of 3,017 students; the plan is available systemwide and has principally been used at Mississippi State, Ole Miss and the University of Southern Mississippi.

UMMC also presented and trustees approved a 10‑year medical office lease with Allred Investments for space in Meridian to support pediatric specialty services; board staff reported a total lease cost of $1,000,000 and a rate of $22 per square foot as presented to trustees.

Real estate planning

The trustees approved a request from Mississippi University for Women to initiate preplanning and to appoint Prior + More PC as design professional for an outdoor athletics training facility. Board staff presented a project budget of $200,000 for design fees to be funded through university foundation funds; trustees approved the request.

Recusals, procedure and next steps

The record shows several trustees recused themselves from specific items as noted on the record and as required by the board chair; those recusal statements and temporary exits were reflected before votes on the listed items. Trustees closed the public portion of the meeting to determine the need for executive session at the end of the agenda. The board scheduled its next meeting for May 15, 2025.

Votes at a glance: approved items and outcomes

- Approval: Blue Mountain Christian University BSN stage‑3 application to qualify for CCNE full accreditation — outcome: approved. - Approval: Amendment to IHL policy 602 (freshman admission) to align with ACT changes effective April 2025 — outcome: approved. - Approval: University of Mississippi Impact Center for Pharmacy Transformation — outcome: approved. - Approval: Multiple new and converted degree programs from Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, and University of Southern Mississippi (see body for list) — outcome: approved. - Approval: UMMC contract amendments with Becton Dickinson and Company (add Madison location, no added cost) — outcome: approved. - Approval: UMMC amendment with BFI Waste Services (add Madison location, add $500,000 to total) — outcome: approved. - Approval: Systemwide student health insurance policy with UnitedHealthcare StudentResources (premium $2,300 per policy; estimated aggregate $6,900,000) — outcome: approved. - Approval: UMMC medical office lease with Allred Investments in Meridian (10‑year term, $22/sq ft, total cost presented as $1,000,000) — outcome: approved. - Approval: UMMC amendment with Baxter Healthcare Corporation for IV products (adds Madison location, no added cost) — outcome: approved. - Approval: Mississippi University for Women — initiation of preplanning and selection of Prior + More PC for athletics training facility design ($200,000, foundation funds) — outcome: approved.

All approvals were presented by board staff and moved and seconded as recorded; no roll‑call tallies were recorded in the public transcript for these items. Where trustees recused themselves from specific votes, the transcript records the recusals and temporary exits from the room.

The board’s actions finalize approvals and direct staff and university units to proceed with implementation steps described in the presentations, including pursuit of required external accreditation reviews and vendor contract execution.