{"id":8007,"date":"2016-11-03T17:15:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T17:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/?p=8007"},"modified":"2016-11-03T17:15:00","modified_gmt":"2016-11-03T17:15:00","slug":"former-u-s-secretary-of-education-named-jsu-interim-president-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/2016\/11\/03\/former-u-s-secretary-of-education-named-jsu-interim-president-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Former U.S. Secretary of Education named JSU interim president"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Deirdra Harris Glover
\n<\/strong>Managing Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning appointed former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige as Jackson State University\u2019s interim president on Nov. 1.<\/p>\n

Paige, a JSU alumnus, will fill the office vacated by Carolyn W. Meyers, whose last day was Oct. 31. Paige, who assumes the interim presidency on Nov. 7, was selected by a unanimous vote, during the IHL meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know (Paige) will lead with a servant\u2019s heart and guide the university well through this transitional phase,\u201d said Doug Rouse, president of the IHL Board of Trustees.<\/p>\n

The Monticello, Miss., native and Navy veteran, once served as JSU\u2019s head football coach from 1964-1968. Paige was inducted into the JSU Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy life has been immensely enriched by Jackson State University, and I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to join the efforts of Jackson State\u2019s many admirers in enhancing the possibility of others receiving the benefits of a great post-secondary education,\u201d said Paige via an IHL web release.<\/p>\n

Paige served as the first African-American Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush, where he oversaw and implemented the No Child Left Behind initiative. He is, along with Elaine Witty, the author of \u201cThe Black-White Achievement Gap: Why Closing It Is the Greatest Civil Rights Issue of Our Time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evelyn J. Leggette, acting JSU president, provost and senior vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, welcomed Paige back to his \u201cdear ole college home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to working with Dr. Paige as we continue to prepare students to become global leaders \u2026 and build on the success of the university in teaching, research and service,\u201d said Leggette in an IHL release.<\/p>\n

Students and alumni reactions were divided.<\/p>\n

Maya Hughes, a senior industrial technology major from Memphis, Tenn. said, \u201cI don\u2019t have a problem with him. He has the credentials and he\u2019s an alumnus. So why not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Greg Smith, a sophomore elementary education major from Jackson, Miss. sees the generation gap between Paige and current students as a detriment.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Paige has an outstanding r\u00e9sum\u00e9, but can he relate to the students that walk the plaza everyday?\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n

Some hope Paige\u2019s appointment signals the end of a turbulent period of JSU history.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s great that he is coming home to JSU. It should do a lot for the morale of students and alumni to have one of our own. The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster, so I hope Dr. Paige\u2019s appointment will bring stability and confidence back to the university,\u201d said Sharon Rosell, JSU class of 1993 and office director of the Mississippi Department of Education.<\/p>\n

Others see Paige as the missing link between the University\u2019s past and its future.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith everything that has transpired over the last few months\u2026the atmosphere on campus, the financial issues across the board, and the disconnect between the university, students and the alumni, I think Dr. Paige was the perfect choice to help bridge the gap,\u201d said J. Jeraude Zigler, class of 2009 and President of the Metro Charlotte Alumni Chapter and JSUNAA SE Regional Board Member.<\/p>\n

Student Government Association Vice President Isaac Gaines, a senior accounting major from St. Louis, MO agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI pretty much felt that right now what Jackson State needed was a person that knew Jackson State… I just hope that we can continue to keep the innovative side that Meyers has developed here,\u201d said Gaines.<\/p>\n

Karanja Norway Matory, a sophomore political science major from Jackson, Miss., doesn\u2019t think he should get too comfortable in the Administrative Tower.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will do for now. He has the credentials and background. Hopefully we can find an ideal candidate to take over for the future of Jackson State after his time here,\u201d said Matory.<\/p>\n

Izreal Cary, a speech language pathologist and class of 1996, agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are always proud for any native son or daughter ascending to such a prestigious post. Mr. Paige has been a steward for education at the national level. However, as an ambassador for the George W. Bush administration and the No Child Left Behind initiative, I am sure I speak for many alumni and Jacksonians by saying we should continue seeking leadership that is inclusive of our specific interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cary added: \u201cWe advocate for a leader whose interests are rooted in the development and expansion of our university, one who works with faculty, administration, staff, and students to comprehensively enhance the Jackson community, and someone who will forge the integrity of Jackson State University to rank among the best nationally, and internationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commissioner of Higher Education Glenn Boyce is confident that Paige is the right selection.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Paige has considerable experience managing large, complex organizations and will bring these skills to bear for the benefit of Jackson State, his alma mater,\u201d said Commissioner of Higher Education Glenn Boyce. \u201cHis story is a shining example of what Jackson State means to its students and can do for its students.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Deirdra Harris Glover Managing Editor The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning appointed former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige as Jackson State University\u2019s interim president on Nov. 1. Paige, a JSU alumnus, will fill the office vacated by Carolyn W. Meyers, whose last day was Oct. 31. Paige, who assumes the interim presidency on Nov. 7, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8007","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-campus-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8007\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}