The University

Jackson State University, a coeducational institution, is supported by the State of Mississippi. It is controlled by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, appointed by the governor. The University is supported by legislative appropriations supplemented by student fees and federal and private grants.

Jackson State University is located in Jackson, Mississippi, the capital and largest city of the state. Jackson State University has a distinguished history, rich in the tradition of educating young men and women for leadership, having undergone seven name changes as it grew and developed. Founded as Natchez Seminary in 1877 by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York, the school was established in Natchez, Mississippi “for the moral, religious and intellectual improvement of Christian leaders of the colored people of Mississippi and the neighboring states.” In November 1882, the school was moved to Jackson, MS; in March 1899, the curriculum was expanded and the name was changed to Jackson College.

The state assumed support of the college in 1940, assigning to it the mission of training teachers. Subsequently, between 1953 and 1956, the curriculum was expanded to include a graduate program and bachelor’s programs in the arts and sciences; the name was then changed to Jackson State College in 1956. Further expansion of the curriculum and a notable building program preceded the elevation of Jackson State College to university status on March 15, 1974. In 1979, Jackson State University, a public, coeducational institution, is supported by legislative appropriations supplemented by student fees and federal and private grants.

Jackson State University Presidents

1877-1894: Dr. Charles Ayer
1894-1911: Dr. Luther G. Barrett
1911-1927: Dr. Zachary T. Hubert
1927-1940: Dr. B. Baldwin Dansby
1940-1967: Dr. Jacob L. Reddix
1967-1984: Dr. John A. Peoples, Jr.
1984-1991: Dr. James A. Hefner
1991-1992: Dr. Herman B. Smith (interim)
1992-1999: Dr. James E. Lyons, Sr.
1999-2000: Dr. Bettye Ward Fletcher (interim)
2000-2010: Ronald Mason, Jr., Esq.
2010-2011: Dr. Leslie Burl McLemore (interim)
2011-2016: Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers
2017:          Dr. Rod Paige (interim)
2017-2020: Dr. William B. Bynum, Jr.
2020-2023: Thomas K. Hudson, Esq.  
2023-Present: Dr. Marcus L. Thompson                                                                                                                                                           

Vision Statement

Building on its historic mission of empowering diverse students to become leaders, Jackson State University will become recognized as a challenging, yet nurturing, state-of-the-art technologically-infused intellectual community. Students and faculty will engage in creative research, participate in interdisciplinary and multi-instructional/organizational collaborative learning teams and serve the global community.

Mission Statement

The mission of Jackson State University, an HBCU and comprehensive urban research university, is to provide quality teaching, research, and service at the baccalaureate, master, specialist, and doctoral levels to diverse populations of students and communities using various modalities to ensure that they are technologically-advanced, ethical, global leaders who think critically and can address societal problems and compete effectively.

Accreditations

Jackson State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master, specialist, and doctorate degrees. Contact the:

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097

or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Jackson State University.

Specific programs are accredited by the following agencies:

• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
• Computing Accreditation Commission
• Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
• Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
• Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Counseling for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
• Network of International Business
• Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)
• Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)

Professional Licensure

State Authorization

Jackson State University participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), a voluntary agreement among its member states and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. As a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), Jackson State University is authorized to provide online programs and courses to students who reside in a state other than Mississippi. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.

Professional Licensure

Professional licensure/certification requirements vary from state to state, which may affect a student’s ability to apply for a professional license/certification upon completing the program. The U.S. Department of Education regulation, 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v), requires an institution to disclose whether the program will fulfill educational requirements for licensure or certification for each state. SARA approval does not extend to programs that lead to professional licensure.

• Student’s Responsibility: Students who reside in a state other than Mississippi must review the professional licensure disclosures pertaining to the academic program and consult with the state professional licensing board. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the appropriate licensing board in their home state to confirm whether or not the Jackson State University degree program will meet the state’s licensure requirements.
• Relocation: Students who consider relocating to another state, while enrolled in a course or program at Jackson State University, should consult with an academic advisor and the state professional licensing board to discuss licensure requirements. Transferring to a state that is not a member of NC-SARA may affect disbursements of federal financial aid. See NC-SARA portal page – https://www.nc-sara.org/state-portal-entity-contacts
• International Students: Prospective students living and/or working outside of the United States should consult with the appropriate certifying agency to determine if successful completion of any degree program at JSU will meet credentialing requirements of the country in which they intend to seek employment, as to certain types of employment or for advanced/specialized educational programs.

Expected Educational Outcomes

JSU’s mission is to provide quality teaching, research, and service at the baccalaureate, master, and doctoral levels to diverse populations of students and communities using various modalities to ensure that they are technologically advanced, ethical, global leaders who think critically; and can address societal problems and compete effectively. The University’s mission fully informs the Expected Educational Outcomes that the institution views as vital and essential to the competitive advantage of its students. The educational results that JSU expects of its students are listed below: 

• the ability to communicate effectively through both oral and written expression [oral and written communication];
• the ability to demonstrate competence and creativity in a discipline for the purpose of obtaining and maintaining rewarding employment, and/or engaging in entrepreneurial activities [entrepreneurship];
• the ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate ideas and data using logic and quantitative reasoning [mathematics and analytical reasoning];
• a familiarity with, and the ability to effectively use current and appropriate technology [application of technology];
• a social consciousness that will enable one to think critically and responsibly about moral, social, economic, health, cultural, technological, and political issues and to contribute to the improvement of society [critical thinking];
• the achievement of a level of social maturity which will empower one to exercise good human relations skills, informed decision-making, motivation, and persistence [decision-making skills];
• a knowledge and recognition of the value of one’s own ethnic and cultural heritage, and of the similarities and differences inherent in a multicultural society [diversity]; and
• a demonstration of leadership and professionalism through the pursuit of research and educational experiences required in one’s chosen career [leadership].

The Expected Educational Outcomes are the Institution’s expectations of its students across the full educational experience.

General Education Outcomes

Embedded in the Institution’s Expected Educational Outcomes are three Educational Outcomes that are specific to General Education (known as the General Educational Outcomes). These outcomes are:

• Communication: the ability to communicate effectively through both oral and written expression  
• Mathematics and Analytical Reasoning: the ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate ideas and data using logic and quantitative reasoning
• Critical Thinking: the ability to think critically and responsibly about moral, social, economic, health, cultural, technological, and political issues and to contribute to the improvement of society

Technology is integrated throughout the general education curriculum so that each of these General Education Outcomes are targeted using technology including computers, a Learning Management System (i.e., Canvas), digital content, and other digital tools.