Dive Brief:
- The decision by the Mississippi College Board not to renew University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones’ contract is continuing to make waves among his sea of supporters.
- The Clarion-Ledger reports the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation has announced it would rescind a $20 million grant if Jones’ contract was not renewed.
- The $20 million has been set aside for a new science building, according to the article.
Dive Insight:
Many in the Ole Miss community are set on forcing a reversal to the board’s decision by coming to Jones’ defense. The strategy has worked in the past to get college presidents reinstated, notably including the 2012 forced resignation of the University of Virginia’s Teresa Sullivan. The Clarion-Ledger highlighted what seems to be the central issue in the surprise decision not to renew Jones’ contract—a disagreement over who would run the university’s medical center after its current leader retires. While the board can’t directly intervene in lower-level hiring decisions, it can replace the chancellor who decides them. So far, the board is not wavering from that choice.