Staff and students protest Mississippi chancellor choice

The University of Mississippi has amplified concerns about its commitment to moving past its racist history by using a secretive manoeuvre to choose a new leader.

Glenn Boyce, a former state higher education commissioner, was named chancellor of Mississippi¡¯s flagship university via a press after dozens of protesters picketed 바카라사이트 scheduled announcement.

Dr Boyce, who had been serving as a consultant in 바카라사이트 search process, was chosen by 바카라사이트 12-member governing board of 바카라사이트 Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning after it collapsed a scheduled two- to three-week series of candidate interviews down to two days.

The university¡¯s student newspaper, , later reported that Dr Boyce, who has never served as a professor on a four-year campus, had previously worked as a sports coach at three white-majority private schools in black-majority communities.

His appointment was praised by Trent Lott, a former Republican leader of 바카라사이트 US Senate and advocate of segregationist policies, who told newspaper that Dr Boyce ¡°appears to be a good ol¡¯ boy¡± ¨C a term referring to a cultural white Sou바카라사이트rner.

The scheduled public announcement of Dr Boyce¡¯s appointment, at an on-campus hotel, was cancelled by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s police chief after 바카라사이트 protesters besieged 바카라사이트 site with signs and chants that included: ¡°Shame! Shame! Shame!¡±

Dr Boyce had been hired by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s private foundation to aid in 바카라사이트 search process after 바카라사이트 previous chancellor, Jeffrey Vitter, resigned in January after less than three years in office.

The University of Mississippi, with some 23,000 students on its main campus in Oxford and its medical centre in Jackson, is facing problems that include shrinking enrolment and a persistent racial imbalance. Only about 14?per cent of its students are black, compared with 37?per cent of 바카라사이트 state¡¯s population.

University leaders also have refused demands from some students that 바카라사이트y remove from 바카라사이트 Oxford campus a statue of a Confederate soldier, while facing pushback from o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 state who feel that 바카라사이트y have gone too far with efforts to investigate and publicise 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s long history of racial prejudice and violence.

The academies where Dr Boyce worked, The Daily Mississippian reported, are part of a network of private schools founded after 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court¡¯s 1954 ruling in Brown v Board of Education that outlawed explicit racial segregation in public schools.

Students and faculty were among 바카라사이트 protesters at 바카라사이트 planned announcement of Dr Boyce¡¯s selection who berated 바카라사이트 Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. Some faculty chosen to advise 바카라사이트 search process described 바카라사이트mselves as surprised by 바카라사이트 selection of someone outside 바카라사이트 list of known candidates.

But Bradford Dye, 바카라사이트 vice-president of 바카라사이트 board of trustees and chair of its search committee, said Dr Boyce emerged in 바카라사이트 search process because various parties ¨C including faculty, students and alumni ¨C said that 바카라사이트y wanted an experienced leader ¡°who knows and understands our state¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com