When it was announced Jan. 12 that Hank Bounds would be stepping down as commissioner of Mississippi’s Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) board, a sinking feeling settled over the campus of Mississippi University for Women.
Bounds had been named the new chancellor at the University of Nebraska.
“When Hank was named chancellor at Nebraska, everybody was saying, ‘Oh, no. They’ll be coming after Dr. (Jim) Borsig,'” Nora Miller, vice president for administration and the school’s chief financial officer, said. “It was just rumors, but it made a lot of sense. Dr. Borsig had been Hank’s right-hand man before he came here.”
Thursday afternoon, the rumors became reality.
MUW President Dr. Jim Borsig was named as the IHL’s new commissioner, charged with overseeing the operations of the state’s eight public universities. He will begin his new duties on April 15.
This marks Borsig’s second stint with the IHL. Prior to being named MUW’s 14th president in January 2012, he had served as Associate Commissioner for External Relations and Public Policy at the IHL. In all, his career in education spans 30-plus years.
“I’ll tell you what I’ve been saying about this all day: I’m leaving a job I love to serve a system I believe in,” Borsig said when reached by phone Thursday evening. “Having said that, it was not an easy decision. I love the job that I had as president of The W, but I am absolutely committed to our system of higher education. There were sleepless nights and lots of prayers, but when the opportunity came, I felt it was the right move.”
Miller said Borsig’s decision was simultaneously a blow to The W and a source of pride for the institution.
“Jim was a rock star on campus,” said Miller, who has been at MUW for 12 years. “No other president played mud volleyball with the students. He took such obvious pleasure in being among the students and the staff and faculty. He transformed the campus and has given us all a lot of energy and a sense of optimism about what we can do that we didn’t have before he came.”
Borsig said he was proud of what the university has achieved in his three-plus years as president.
“The first thing I would say is that the work of a university is never done,” he said. “Presidents have just brief moments in the life of a university. But there are some things I’m proud the university was able to accomplish and almost all of them had to do with rallying faculty, students, staff and alumni — things like branding ‘W’ and marketing the university and really getting focused on selling the institution.
“Enrollment is moving up and I’m proud to see the result of seeing more full-time students enrolling and becoming a part of campus life. We’ve also expanded programs and improved facilities. We’ve seen an increase in giving and donor support.
“Maybe I can sum it up this way: We’ve been able to focus on the purpose of this university and what its role should be in 21st century education. I think I’m probably proudest of setting that path out.”
Miller said there is no disputing Borsig’s record as MUW President.
“You could point to so many things,” she said. “But the bottom line is that he’s leaving us much better than we were when he arrived here.”
Borsig will take over his new position in April.
“I’ll be around for a while yet,” he said. “I’ll be happy to help where I can with the transition, but I’m confident in The W’s success. The next president will have a great team and great colleagues to work with, so I’m very confident of The W’s success and I’m grateful and humbled to have played a small part in that.”
Borsig, a Jackson native, is a University of Southern Mississippi alumnus. He earned his doctorate in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University.
In a statement released Thursday, the IHL board said it would announce a timeline for the search for the next MUW president “soon.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.