{"id":136956,"date":"2023-11-08T00:04:51","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T05:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=136956"},"modified":"2023-11-07T14:54:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T19:54:05","slug":"ms-auditor-calls-for-universities-to-invest-in-career-ready-degrees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/ms-auditor-calls-for-universities-to-invest-in-career-ready-degrees\/","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi auditor calls for universities to invest in career-ready degrees"},"content":{"rendered":"

University president disagrees with the findings<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Mississippi public universities should reorient degree programs to focus on career-readiness and the legislature should study the issue further, according to a report from the state\u2019s auditor.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlugging the Brain Drain: Investing in College Majors That Actually Work,\u201d highlights job stats for majors like women\u2019s studies, African\/black studies, and German language and literature. These graduates are not securing jobs in the Mississippi economy,\u201d the auditor\u2019s report stated<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf all degree programs placed just 50.1% of its recent graduates in Mississippi based jobs, the state\u2019s payroll activity could increase by over $75 million annually,\u201d Auditor Shad White wrote.<\/p>\n

The report highlighted majors and degrees in fields like engineering and nursing where graduates make well above the median entry-level income for graduates in Mississippi and suggested funding allocation for degree programs should be based on entry job success and wage growth.<\/p>\n

White wrote \u201ctaxpayers should know which graduates experience wage growth before investing dollars into degree programs\u2026 students should do the same.\u201d He called for a task force to study the issue of career-readiness, similar to the one Texas created<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The auditor\u2019s office has not responded to two requests for comment sent by The College Fix<\/em> in the past month that asked for further comment and the motivation behind the report.<\/p>\n

The president of Mississippi State University disputed the claim of a \u201cbrain drain.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fix<\/em> reached out and asked how the university could better suit Mississippi economy\u2019s needs and if there was any additional context to provide.<\/p>\n

The media team directed The Fix<\/em> to President Mark Keenum\u2019s comments<\/a> in the Magnolia Tribune<\/em>, in which he elaborated on the many ways Mississippi State is preparing its graduates for a changing workforce, highlighting its agriculture, engineering, and meteorology programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cRankings, reports, and rhetoric never fully tell the true story of what a university like Mississippi State is doing,\u201d Keenum wrote, in apparent allusion to the auditor\u2019s report.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmployers are actively seeking graduates with technical proficiency, communication skills, and the ability to think critically,\u201d Keenum wrote. \u201cThat\u2019s what a well-rounded, comprehensive higher education is all about, and that\u2019s what we strive to provide on our campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technical programs thrive in the MSU system, \u201c[b]ut MSU, likewise, is proud of our faculty and staff who help our students excel in the humanities,\u201d Keenum wrote.<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> College grads not ’emotionally ready’ for work<\/a><\/p>\n

Keenum also provided a data point overlooked in the auditor’s report.<\/p>\n

\u201c94% of 2021-22 graduates reported being employed or that they are pursuing advanced degrees within the first six months after graduation,\u201d Keenum wrote.<\/p>\n

The University of Mississippi\u2019s media relations office did not respond to two requests for comment sent in the past month.<\/p>\n

The Fix<\/em> emailed the Mississippi State gender studies department and asked if there was anything overlooked by the report and if the cost of pursuing low-salary degrees could be reduced to better match the expected return on investment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot simply equate the value of an education with a graduate\u2019s salary,\u201d Kimberly Kelly, the director of the gender studies program at Mississippi State, told The Fix<\/em> via email on Oct. 24.<\/p>\n

Kelly also said Mississippi State only offers an undergraduate minor in gender studies and acknowledged the reality of the brain drain while providing a few ways Mississippi could address it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the challenges the state of Mississippi faces are deeply gendered,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cAuditor White is right when he notes Mississippi\u2019s brain drain problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if we want our best educated citizens to stay and thrive in Mississippi, we need to do the work,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cWe need to improve access to healthcare, strengthen our schools, pay teachers, social workers, and nurses fairly, address our alarming rate of poverty, craft policies that create appealing jobs, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

The director of University of Mississippi\u2019s Center for Women and Gender Studies did not respond to two requests for comment sent in the past month.<\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> Texas Virtual Academy trains students for jobs out of high school<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Zoran Orcik\/Shutterstock.com<\/p>\n

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