Jackson State Alums donate over $2.5m to alma mater

 

The Jackson State University Alumni Association recently contributed more than $2.5 million to the university during an alumni reception last Thursday as part of the inauguration celebration of President Carolyn Meyers.  A late contribution pushed the initial $2,409,233.92 gift to $2,584,233.92.  

Pictured (from l to r) with Meyers (center) are: David Hoard, JSU VP for Institutional Advancement  and JSU National Alumni Association President Terry Woodard.   Meyers, who began work earlier this year, was officially installed during ceremonies on Friday.

Tenn. State upgrades football facilities

Tennessee State football coach Rod Reed set out to improve the school's facilities when he took over the Big Blue Tigers last year.  He's already starting to see the fruits of his labor in the Tigers new locker room  which opened late in the summer, and the $3.7 million indoor practice facility and weight room renovations which were completed last fall. TSU is one of just six Football Championship Subdivision schools that has an indoor practice facility.


The Tigers used the 60,750-square foot indoor facility several times this past season on extremely hot days or when rain kept them from practicing outside.  But its the locker room that Reed is most proud of.   The locker room houses 65 wooden, NFL-style lockers and four flat-screen televisions and were paid for with $125,000 in alumni donations which were matched by $25,000 from the TSU administration.


“Each kid has an individual lock box with a combination lock for their valuables,” Reed said. “We just got in the stools so that they can sit inside or in front of their lockers when they dress. With the flat-screen TVs, we’re finding a lot of the guys are using the locker room now as a hangout. They can come in and watch ESPN. We’ve got DirecTV, so they can pretty much watch whatever they want.”


The locker room previously was used as a football meeting room for the offense.

SC State president resigns amid rampant allegations

South Carolina State University President George Cooper announced his plans to step down at the end on the month, to hundreds of students, faculty and staff this morning.

The announcement came amid wide spread speculation on the nature of an ongoing, but unspecified, internal investigation; a call from faculty leaders that the board remove Cooper, and the recent firings of eight top-level employees. However, Cooper said he was stepping down March 30 to spend more time with his family and to pursue other interests. “Please note my departure is voluntary,” he said.

Cooper also said he would be paid $268,000 from non-state funds, and that he had entered into a “standard mutual legal release.”

“In the last three months, this university has been challenged by many issues beyond my control,” Cooper said.

Cooper has been president since 2008. The Board of Trustees fired him in May 2010, but rehired him two weeks later, when two new members took seats on the board.