Mississippi College, a private institution, is instituting a name change to Mississippi Christian College. The decision was approved by the Mississippi Board of Trustees on Nov. 18.
The college is also eliminating its Division ll football team in an effort to prioritize its academic offerings. In a statement, the college cited its upcoming bicentennial as the inspiration for the change.
According to President Bake Thompson, Mississippi Christian College wants to lean into its Christian ideology.
“These transformational and necessary changes are extremely important to the
future of this institution. As we look ahead to the institution’s bicentennial in 2026, we want to ensure that MC will be a university recognized for academic excellence and commitment to the cause of Christ for another 200 years.”The college is rededicating itself to creating a space where a Christian education remains the priority.
“The institution will also be restructuring. A new structure will be implemented that consolidates the School of Christian Studies
and the Arts with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Education will be renamed the School of Education and Human Science. The Provost has been charged with evaluating the potential consolidation of a limited number of academic departments on campus.”Mississippi Christian Athletic Director Kenny Bizott reaffirmed his dedication to the former student-athletes.
“We will support our current student-athletes as they seek to continue their education at MC, as well as those who wish to transfer,” added Bizott.
Many may see the changes as extreme, but Mississippi Christian believes each new organizational alteration will help the institution fulfill its core functions.
Another Mississippi institution is also in the news for its failures on the legislative level. BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on the Mississippi State Senate’s failure to pay Legislative Service Office (LSO) attorney Kristie Metcalfe a salary commensurate with her peers.
The Department of Justice filed suit against the Mississippi LSO on behalf of Metcalfe. An investigation into the office found Metcalfe earned half the pay of white LSO attorneys. The investigation also found that Metcalfe is the only non-white employee hired in the office’s 34 years of operation. The race-based discrimination is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
RELATED CONTENT: DOJ Sues Mississippi State Senate For Allegedly Paying Black Staffer Half The Salary Of White Colleagues