Rodney Bennett Announces He Will Step Down as President of the University of Southern Mississippi

Rodney Bennett, who has served as president of the University of Southern Mississippi since 2013, announced that he will step down from his post at the end of his contract in June 2023. He is the first African American to serve as president of one of the state’s five predominantly White public universities.

“My intention is to begin exploring other professional opportunities later this spring, and I wanted to be transparent with each of you about my plans for the future,” President Bennett said in a statement to the university community.

Before being named president of the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Bennett served as vice president for student affairs at the University of Georgia in Athens. He previously was dean of students and interim provost for institutional diversity at the University of Georgia. Earlier in his career, Dr. Bennett was dean of students at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Just three days after Dr. Bennett had been named the 10th president of the University of Southern Mississippi, a devastating tornado struck the university’s campus in Hattiesburg. Dr. Bennett received high marks for his efforts during the recovery process.

Speaking of his time at the university, Dr. Bennett said “I have learned a great deal — I have grown a great deal — and I have worked with and mentored outstanding individuals, who I am confident will continue to have a positive impact on higher education. The University of Southern Mississippi will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will always be excited to hear about the good things I know are still on the horizon for this institution.”

President Bennett holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and a doctorate in educational administration from Tennessee State University in Nashville.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Three African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Terrence Mitchell was appointed executive director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Faye Belgrave has been named vice president and chief diversity officer at Virginia Commonwealth University and Tammy Bennett is the inaugural vice president for inclusive excellence in philanthropy at the University of Cincinnati Foundation.

Federal Government Calls on States to End Funding Disparities at Black Land-Grant Universities

The federal government sent letters to 16 governors emphasizing the over $12 billion disparity in funding between land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their non-HBCU land-grant peers in their states. Unequitable appropriated funding of the 1890 institutions in the states ranges from $172 million to $2.1 billion.

A Trio of Black Scholars in New Faculty Roles at Universities

The City College of New York has appointed Jervette R. Ward as director of the Black Studies Program. Scotti Branton is a new assistant professor of communication at the University of Arkansas, and professor Danille Taylor was appointed director of the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum.

Shaw University to Expand Its Presence to Research Triangle Park

The collaboration will secure Shaw University a dedicated office space within Frontier RTP innovation campus, located in the heart of the city's new vibrant downtown area. The space will include private offices and an administrative area dedicated to Shaw University, as well as classroom space.

Featured Jobs