(Madison, MS) – Jackson State University officially opened its new Madison location on Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew a crowd of JSU faculty, staff, alumni, supporters, elected officials and business leaders.
JSU President Carolyn W. Meyers said the Madison location allows the university to help students reach their goals by offering a convenient site to take courses toward a degree.
“If you want to dream, Jackson State University is the place to come to make your dreams come true,” Meyers said.
JSU will offer 16 courses in an 8,600-square-foot space on the first floor of the building located at 382 Galleria Parkway. The Madison site is an opportunity for the university to continue to address the educational needs of Jackson’s surrounding communities. JSU Madison will accommodate traditional and non-traditional students by offering day classes as well as evening, weekend and online courses.
There will be 11 undergraduate courses offered during the first and second summer sessions and five graduate courses offered during the eight-week graduate session. Students can register for courses in business, criminal justice, education, health care administration, human resource development, philosophy, principle-centered leadership and technology.
Bob Owens, president of the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, said Madison is one of the fastest-growing areas in metro Jackson.
“We understand there will be a lot of full-time working students here. It’s designed to fit those needs,” Owens said, referring to JSU Madison.
A number of elected officials attended the ceremony, including Madison County Supervisors Ronny Lott and John Bell Crosby and State Rep. Rita Martinson of Madison and State Sen. Kenneth Wayne Jones of Canton.
Lott said an economic goal of the community has been to ensure there’s a highly educated workforce in place when companies and industries are trying to decide whether to locate a business in the area. Lott, whose son attends JSU, said the university’s Madison location will help the area reach that goal.
“I feel we’re forming a bond and this bond will only grow stronger as the years go by,” Lott said.
State Rep. Rita Martinson, who attended the ceremony, said JSU offers a premier education. She said the comradery between JSU and the Madison community “is something that tells our young people what they should expect for the future.”
After the ribbon-cutting, visitors toured the site and talked with JSU faculty and staff during a reception. The Madison County Business League, a private economic development organization, presented Meyers will a plaque to welcome the university to the community.
Jan Collins, executive director of the Madison County Business League, said the “university is a fine addition to the county. It’s an awesome opportunity for our citizens to achieve that higher education degree. It’s also a great economic driver for the community.”
Mark Frye, vice president of sales and marketing for Venture Technologies in Ridgeland, toured the site. Frye said he’s glad to see the new location because it will offer courses related to information technology.
“This is a great opportunity for our employees to get training. Most of them live in south Madison. We have quite a few who take night classes. This location will be more convenient for them,” Frye said.