System Preliminary Enrollment Figures Released For the first time in the state's history, enrollment at Mississippi's eight public universities has surpassed 70,000 students. Preliminary Fall 2007 enrollment figures show an increase of 1.2 percent in the student population, up from 69,941 students in Fall 2006 to 70,800 students in Fall 2007. "For thirteen consecutive years, enrollment at Mississippi's public universities has increased," said Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Thomas C. Meredith. "This continued growth in the number of individuals seeking a university education is a very positive sign for our state and absolutely necessary if Mississippi is going to compete in the global marketplace." Preliminary enrollment figures are unduplicated and count students one time regardless of their campus enrollment. The Fall 2007 unduplicated headcounts per institution are as follows: INSTITUTION Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Change Alcorn State University 3,583 3,668 2.4% Delta State University 4,217 4,091 -3.0% Jackson State University 8,256 8,699 5.4% Mississippi State University 16,206 17,039 5.1% Mississippi University for Women 2,428 2,379 -2.0% Mississippi Valley State University 3,162 3,009 -4.8% University of Mississippi 17,312 17,323 0.1%      University of Mississippi 15,220 15,129 -0.6%      University of Mississippi Medical      Center 2,092 2,194 4.9% University of Southern Mississippi 14,777 14,592 -1.3% SYSTEM TOTAL 69,941 70,800 1.2% Dr. Reginald Sykes Sykes Makes Rounds to Discusses Articulation Agreement IHL Assistant Commissioner for Community and Junior College Relations Dr. Reginald Sykes has been touring the state to promote awareness of the articulation agreement between the state's 15 community and junior colleges and eight public universities. The recently updated articulation agreement outlines the two-year college courses accepted for transfer credit at the universities, and it exists primarily to help community/junior college students take the appropriate courses for transfer. Dr. Sykes met Wednesday with nearly 200 deans, department heads, program advisors, and student services administrators at Mississippi State University to help them better understand how to use the articulation agreement to help students. "We want to see more students transfer into our universities, so we have to make the process easier," he said. "Better communication with the community colleges and consistent, widespread use of the articulation agreement will help us improve our transfer rates." Nearly 70 percent of first-time freshmen in Mississippi are enrolled in the state's community and junior colleges. With hopes of encouraging more of these students to transfer to Mississippi's universities, Dr. Sykes has also visited Delta State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and Mississippi University for Women. Trips to Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Southern Mississippi are being scheduled. For more information, contact Dr. Sykes at (601) 432-6458. Campus Leaders Attend Homeland Security Workshop Representatives from Mississippi's public universities and the IHL Executive Office, along with representatives from the state's community and private colleges, attended a half-day workshop at the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security on Tuesday. The workshop was designed to help participants understand the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security and the relevance of the department's work to higher education. Institutions of higher learning must be involved in homeland security planning, because these institutions often host large entertainment events, house national research facilities, handle nuclear and biological materials, and deal with animal and environmental concerns. Moreover, there are 4,000 higher education institutions in the U.S. that service over 15 million students and employ several million faculty and staff. The workshop helped participants identify areas of potential concern on their campuses, and helped them better understand the principles of incident readiness and response. For more information, visit www.homelandsecurity.ms.gov . IHL Board of Trustees IHL Sept. Board Meeting Next Week in Oxford The IHL Board will hold its regular monthly meeting next Wednesday and Thursday, September 19 and 20, in the Ballroom of the Paul B. Johnson Commons Building on the University of Mississippi campus, Dormitory Row, University, MS, 38677. The Wednesday meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. and the Thursday meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. As part of the two-day meeting, Dr. Joseph Paul, vice president for student affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi, will present the findings and recommendations of the Tuition Task Force, which convened in February 2007 to think creatively about tuition and to consider any and all options for making a university education more affordable to those who want one. Dr. Bucky Wesley, vice president for student services at Mississippi University for Women, will present the findings and recommendations of the Financial Aid Task Force, which convened in March 2007 to assess current state and institutional financial aid policies and programs to determine ways to increase access to universities and improve student success. The IHL Office of Finance and Administration has provided staff support for both task forces, which were comprised of various university representatives System-wide. Various Board committees, including Budget, Finance, and Audit; Educational Policies and Programs; Legal; Real Estate and Facilities; and Governance, will meet as part of the Board meeting. An executive session may be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. #14 - Universities Improve Workforce Flexibility (Top 15 Ways Universities Benefit Mississippi) Mississippi's public universities grant bachelor's degrees and graduate degrees, which afford degree holders increased workforce flexibility. More education means more options for employment. After all, a brain surgeon can always deliver pizzas, but it doesn't work the other way around. Nearly 9 percent of Mississippi's population with less than a high school diploma is unemployed, compared to only 3 percent of those with a bachelor's degree.  View national unemployment rates by education level and race in the recently released report Education Pays 2007 .

Items included in the “University News” section of the System Review are submitted each week by the universities. The news items are listed in rotating alphabetical order by university.

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, & VETERINARY MEDICINE NEWS
Katrina Still Impacts State’s Forest Industry
Hurricane Katrina left 5 million acres of broken timber in its wake along the Gulf Coast. The U.S. Forest Service estimated that the volume of damaged wood across the Southeast was enough to build 800,000 single-family homes. Researchers at Mississippi State University (MSU) are measuring the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the structure, performance, capacity, and future of the region’s lumber industry. “Following Hurricane Katrina, many off-the-cuff observations were made about the regional lumber industry, but tangible data was lacking,” said Thomas McConnell, a graduate student in the College of Forest Resources at MSU. Through a survey of lumber mills, McConnell is clarifying many aspects of Katrina’s impact. The survey showed lumber production was significantly and negatively influenced by Hurricane Katrina. Some mills reduced average production up to 15 percent. The storm’s impact was felt on local markets as almost 3 percent of the mills shut down following Katrina. Learn more.

Rural Safety Days Help Children Teach Adults

Potential Cat Disease Increases Tick Concerns

Tour Takes Producers to Soybean Rust Sites

4-H Technology Program Builds Career Foundations

MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN NEWS
Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss to Headline MUW’s Welty Gala
On Thursday, Sept. 27, presidential historian Michael Beschloss will speak during the 2007 Welty Gala sponsored by Mississippi University for Women's Foundation. The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the Pope Banquet Room on the MUW campus. Beschloss is an award-winning historian and the author of eight books including the acclaimed New York Times best-seller The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945. His latest book, published in May, is Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989, which Kirkus Reviews calls, “Engrossing. . .marvelous. . .and judicious. . .” Newsweek has called Beschloss “the nation's leading Presidential historian.” He serves as NBC News Presidential Historian and is a regular on PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Beschloss’s book Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev and the U-2 Affair, was called “a grand narrative...crowded with well-drawn portraits” by the New Yorker. The Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation is the major sponsor of the Welty Series of events this fall. For more information, contact Mary Margaret Roberts at (662) 329-7151 or email giving@muw.edu . Learn more.

MUW Mathematics Professors Score Big Outside the Classroom

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Valley Experiences Enrollment Increase for First-Time Freshmen
Mississippi Valley State University has 42 more first-time freshmen entering the institution this fall in comparison to the same time a year ago. There are 490 first-time freshmen compared to 448 in the Fall 2006 semester. Overall, MVSU’s enrollment dropped slightly under 5 percent compared to last year. Currently there are 3,009 students compared to the 3,162 students in Fall 2006. During Fall 2005, there were 3,165 students. In January of this year, the University enrolled 3,042 students during the Spring 2007 registration. “The number of students enrolled hits us right where we want to be for the resources we have and for our ability to accommodate the number of students in residential housing,” said Debbie Montgomery, director of public relations. More students are living on campus than in years past, said Montgomery. “We’re in the process of constructing two new residential halls, one for men and one for women, so we can accommodate more students. We’re at capacity as far as on-campus housing,” she said, adding there were approximately 900 students residing on campus. The estimated $10.4 million construction projects are the first residential housing projects in more than 35 years on the 57-year-old campus. “Until we can get to a point where the resources are improved, 3,000 is a good number for Valley,” Montgomery said. Learn more.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Psychology Prof's Animal Model Explores Treatment of Anxiety, Depression
A novel animal model of clinical depression devised by a University of Mississippi research psychologist shows promise for better diagnosis and treatment of the syndrome and may result in a technology patent for the university. "There is certainly room for improvement across the board in treating those who suffer from clinical depression. Researchers are beginning to identify new areas in the brain that we need to target for better drug therapy treatment," said Ken Sufka, professor of psychology and pharmacology. Sufka is also a research scientist at the National Center for Natural Products Research. He has been studying the connection between anxiety and depression for several years, seeking ways to better diagnose and treat clinical depression. Besides developing a novel animal model of this clinical syndrome, Sufka's study suggests that anxiety may be a prelude to a depressive disorder. His research includes work with socially raised chicks, which were monitored in observation chambers and the frequency of their vocalizations automatically tallied. In the December 2006 issue of the journal Behavioural Pharmacology, Sufka presents his novel anxiety-depression continuum model and argues against the conventional belief that anxiety and depression are separate clinical syndromes. In a follow-up article, soon to be published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology , Sufka demonstrates the pharmacological sensitivity of the chick model as a potential drug screening test. Learn more.

Counseling Center Offers New Substance Abuse Programs

Lenoir Hall Dining Program Prepares Students for Restaurant Careers

Pharmacy Students Begin Professional Phase of Program with White Coat Ceremony

Mayo Siblings Surprise Parents with Ole Miss First Scholarship

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER NEWS
"Code Gray" Offers Hope for Stroke Victims
Every second of diagnosis and treatment counts when it comes to the nation’s third-leading cause of death. That’s why several doctors at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC) have come together to redesign “Code Gray,” a protocol that can save lives and prevent permanent disabilities from stroke. According to Dr. Hartmut Uschmann, assistant professor and vice chair of neurology, the arrival or expected arrival of a patient suspected or known to have a stroke, either ischemic or hemorrhagic, must be announced urgently and at the same time to a number of key personnel that will be involved in the immediate care of that patient. “For that reason, a ‘Code Gray’ protocol was instituted at UMC in 1997,” he said. “The system, however, fell out of place when the leading physician left.” Enter Uschmann, who is passionate about educating Mississippians about stoke awareness. “We want to become stroke certified by the Joint Commission,” Uschmann said. “We decided to revamp the ‘Code Gray,’ and now we are back online with the new system.” Learn more.

Physiology Faculty, Students Recognized for Outstanding Research

UMC Receives NMDP Distinction for Bone Marrow Transplant Excellence

Student Outreach Program Introduces Minority Students to Health Care Field

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Davies Participates in Panel on Central High Integration Anniversary
A prestigious panel of journalists and scholars that includes a University of Southern Mississippi administrator will meet tonight to discuss the media’s coverage of the historic integration of Little Rock’s Central High School. Dr. David R. Davies, dean of the Southern Miss Honors College and an associate professor of journalism, will take part in the panel discussion “Covering Little Rock” at the Clinton School of Public Service from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Little Rock. The program coincides with the 50th anniversary of the landmark civil rights event and is a celebration of the publication of Breaking News: How the Associated Press has Covered War, Peace, and Everything Else. “The Central High desegregation crisis was a turning point for the nation's media. It was among the first national stories centered on civil rights, and it gave us both incredible journalism and shining examples of editorial leadership,” Davies said. "I'm absolutely thrilled to be back in Little Rock to reflect on this." Davies covered the Little Rock school desegregation case as it lingered into the 1980s when he was a reporter for the Arkansas Gazette. He is the author of The Press and Race: Mississippi Journalists Confront the Movement and has also signed a contract with Northwestern University Press to do a book on the national press and the civil rights movement. Learn more.

School of Social Work Director Receives Merit Award

Southern Miss Arts Initiative to Showcase Faculty, Student Work

Cochran Center Room Named in Honor of Gold Leaf Society

Ward Serves on State Committee for Redesign of Teacher Preparation

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST NEWS
Wisconsin Volunteers Help Landscape at Southern Miss Gulf Park
Dr. Martha Saunders, president of The University of Southern Mississippi, visited with Stan Milam and Terri Newton under the Friendship Oak at the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus earlier this week. Milam and Newton, who are visiting from Janesville, Wis., are spending several days on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to volunteer at the Gulf Park campus, spreading mulch on the fitness trail, planting ferns near the Friendship Oak, and tackling other landscaping tasks. Janesville is located near the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, where Dr. Saunders previously served as chancellor before coming to Southern Miss. Check out the photo of Dr. Saunders meeting with Stan and Terri under the Friendship Oak at the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Learn more.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delegation from Russian University to Visit Alcorn
Alcorn State University continues to provide students, faculty, and staff with unique and enriching experiences. The School of Agriculture, Research, Extension, and Applied Sciences (AREAS), Global Programs, and the University Relations office organized a visit with a group from one of the oldest Agricultural Schools in Russia, Voronezh State Agricultural University (VSAU). The group will be on campus Wednesday, September 19, and Thursday, September 20, 2007. The group includes the president of VSAU, the vice president of international affairs, two faculty members, and an interpreter. This trip is the follow-up to the recent visit of the group from the School of AREAS to Voronezh, Russia. The primary purpose of the reciprocal visit is to discuss and sign an agreement of cooperation between the two institutions. The mutually beneficial cooperation will include student and faculty exchange and administrators’ collaboration, as well as joint research projects.Learn more.

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delta State's Madison Center to Welcome Justice Lamar, Sept. 18
Each year, Delta State University’s Madison Center honors the U.S. Constitution on or about Sept. 17, the original adoption date of the Constitution in 1787. This year, the Madison Center, under the direction of Dr. Garry Jennings, will welcome back to campus Delta State alumna, Associate Justice Ann H. Lamar. Scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18, Justice Lamar’s presentation will be held in the Henry J. Jacobs Conference Center in Ewing Hall at 12:15 p.m. on campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (662) 846-4675.  A native of Senatobia, Justice Lamar was appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court on May 21, 2007, becoming the third woman to serve on the State’s Supreme Court. Gov. Haley Barbour appointed Justice Lamar to the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Kay B. Cobb.  Learn more.

Pig Pickin' Moves to Statesmen Park

Delta State Wright Art Center Gallery to Host First Exhibition of Year

Statesmen Climb to No. 7 in Latest AFCA Top 25 Poll

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Jackson State University Shows Significant Growth In Student Enrollment
Jackson State University’s (JSU) student enrollment is up 5.4 percent, according to a report released Wednesday, Sept. 12, from Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the school’s governing body. Preliminary numbers show that Jackson State’s enrollment has increased from 8,256 in fall 2006 to 8,699 in fall 2007. “This is a good thing,” says President Ronald Mason, Jr. “Across the board, there is a high level of interest in what we do and how we do it.” Strong student retention and additional graduate students are both contributing factors to the enrollment increase, says Dr. Willie Brown, vice president for information management. “We’ve made a concerted effort to improve retention, particularly through our First Year Experience Program which assesses the strengths and weaknesses of freshman and transfer students. We assist them and continue to monitor them,” Brown says. “It looks like we are seeing the benefits of that.” Velvelyn Foster, vice president of academic affairs and student life, credits JSU faculty, staff, and administrators for improving academic programs and creating an attractive educational environment. “The increase attests to the quality of Jackson State’s programs and the national recognition the university is gaining in the areas of education, the sciences, engineering, and technology. It is also a plus that our engineering programs have recently been notified of accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.” Learn more.

JSU’s School of Engineering Earns Accreditation for Undergrad Programs

JSU Hosting International Symposium on Environmental Health Research

Agreement Allows JSU Students to Intern with U. S. Immigration and Customs

JSU’S Trent Lott Center Hosting Geospatial Data Course

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Mississippi State Announces Record High Enrollment
For the first time in its 129-year-history, Mississippi State is surpassing the 17,000-mark in enrollment. The university announced Wednesday, Sept. 12, a record enrollment of 17,039, including the largest-ever freshman class of 2,281 entering students, as fall 2007 classes get under way. The total includes an all-time high at the MSU-Meridian campus and a record number of graduate students, said President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong. Mississippi State traditionally reports unduplicated enrollment on the 10th class day. "We've really gone out and told the Mississippi State story, and it's clear that students see the value of 'stepping into the Maroon,'" Foglesong said. "We're also very proud of the academic qualifications of our students, with the average ACT score for entering freshmen a very impressive 23.6 this year." Fall 2007 enrollment exceeds the previous year by more than 800 students, with more than 16,200 on the Starkville campus. Learn more.

National Defense Intelligence College Leader to Visit MSU

Book by MSU Grad Student Defines Oktoc, Other Native Place Names

MSU to Formally Open Welcome Center, Clock Museum

Dance, Drama, Music Featured in MSU's Lyceum Series

Sept. 14 - Jackson State University will host the BET Black College Tour and Interactive Fair at Gibbs-Green Plaza. The event will feature career counseling, live entertainment, and free gifts. For more information, call (601) 979-3706.

Sept. 14 - Urkhan Alakbarov, a geneticist from Baku, Azerbaijan, will be a guest lecturer at Mississippi Valley State University. Dr. Azerbaijan will speak at 9 a.m. and at 10 a.m. in the Science Building.

Sept. 14-15 - Parents and family of entering freshmen and transfer students are invited to the University of Mississippi's Fall Parents/Family Weekend, featuring a reception, open houses, faculty presentations, and a telecast of the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt football game. Learn more.

Sept. 17 - Southern Miss string faculty will perform in concert at Parkway Heights Methodist Church at 7:30 p.m.  Learn more.

Sept. 18-19 - Mississippi State University's graduate business programs, MBA program, and Industrial Outreach Service will host the university's Business Leadership Summit, beginning at 11 a.m. on Sept. 18 at the Palmeiro Center's Griffis Boardroom. For more information, contact Barbara Spencer at (662) 325-1891. Learn more.

Sept. 19 - Mississippi State's Instructional Media Center presents "Faces and Spaces: Social Networking Sites," a workshop showing how social networking websites have changed the way people interact on the Internet. The program in Mitchell Memorial Library's Giles Classroom begins at 3 p.m. Learn more.

Sept. 20 - Jackson State University will hold a Graduate and Professional Schools Information Day for juniors and seniors considering graduate school from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the General Purpose Room of the Jacob Reddix Campus Union. For more information, call (601) 979-2477 or email alisa.s.hughes@jsums .

Sept. 20 - Mississippi State University's College of Forest Resources presents its Carlton Owen Lecture Series at 3 p.m. in Thompson Hall Tully Auditorium. MSU alumnus Chris Zinkhan will discuss "The Evolution of Southern Timberland Markets." Learn more.

Sept. 20 - The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast College of Arts and Letters presents the Mississippi Governor's Candidate Debate between Haley Barbour and John Arthur Eaves, Jr., beginning at 7 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre for the Performing Arts on Reynoir Street in Biloxi. Learn more.

Sept. 20-21 - An interactive mobile exhibit that gives visitors a simulated journey into space comes to the University of Mississippi. NASA's Vision for Space Exploration Experience allows patrons to experience a virtual journey to the moon and Mars, surrounded by stars and other planets. Learn more.

Sept. 21 - Cirque Odyssey, part of the Cirque USA tour, performs at the University of Mississippi Ford Center for the Performing Arts. The show, featuring more than 20 acrobats performing physical feats of balance, flexibility, strength, and coordination, is the first of three shows in the Ford Center's new Family Friendly Series. Learn more.

Sept. 25, Oct. 23, and Nov. 7

Oct. 4 - Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine hosts an Ornamental Horticulture Field Day at Poplarville's South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station beginning at 8:30 a.m. Nurserymen, homeowners, and landscapers will get the latest information about the coastal green industry. Learn more.

Oct. 6 - Jackson State will host "High School Community College Day" for prospective students. For more information, call (601) 979-2913. Learn more.

Oct. 8 - The University of Southern Mississippi's DuBard School Lecture Series, featuring "When You and Your Child Can't Communicate: Coping with Language and Speech Disorders” will be presented from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the DuBard School. Learn more.

Oct. 12-13 - Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine hosts the Fall Flower & Garden Fest at Crystal Springs' Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station. The Southeast's biggest gardening and horticulture event features three acres of vegetable, flower, and herb gardens. Learn more.

Oct. 12 - The Ninth Annual Shell Finish Line/Southern Miss Alumni Association Homecoming Golf Tournament will be held at Shadow Ridge. Learn more.

Oct. 18-20 - Mississippi University for Women hosts the Nineteenth Annual Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium, “Amending but never taking back” Hope and Despair as the “Closest Blood” in Southern Literature .   Learn more.

Nov. 8-10 - Delta State will partner to present the first-ever Mississippi Delta Children's Arts & Letters festival, spotlighting the children of the Delta, their books and the authors and illustrators who create them. Learn more.