Mississippi News
USM President Rodney Bennett to step down
USM President Rodney Bennett to step down
Rodney Bennett, who made history as the University of Southern Mississippi’s first Black president, announced his intent to step down in June 2023.
“The time is coming for me to step aside for another individual to chart the path for the next chapter in our Southern Miss Story,” Bennett wrote in a campus-wide email Friday afternoon.
Bennett, 55, wrote that he intends to explore new professional opportunities this spring. He said he will work closely with the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees to “develop a strong transition plan.”
“I am excited about what lies ahead for me and for my family, but this transition will certainly be bittersweet,” he wrote.
The Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees selected Bennett to lead USM, a predominately white institution, in 2013, when the university was struggling financially. Bennett downplayed the significance of his selection, according to a report from Gulf Life.
“I don’t know what message it sends, other than don’t let any barrier that other people may place in front of you, and label that people place on you, stop you from pursuing your dream,” Bennett said at the time. “Race wasn’t going to be an issue for me.”
Bennett started his resignation email by listing USM’s accomplishments under his administration, from “facilitating tremendous growth all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast” to “stabilizing the University’s overall financial position.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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The post Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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The post Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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The post Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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