Southern Miss announces major reorganization of Gulf Park campus on the Coast
The University of Southern Mississippi is realigning its Gulf Park campus to focus on areas of study unique to Coastal Mississippi: oceans and ecosystems, coast resilience and support for the blue economy, USM President Rodney Bennett announced in a release Friday.
The academic programs will be realigned under three schools, all of which will be led by a faculty director on the Coast. The new schools and studies are:
The College of Arts and Sciences
- School of Science and Engineering
- School of Arts and Sciences
The College of Business and Economic Development
- School of Coastal Business and Professional Development
University College
- Administrative unit for community pathway programs, student advisory programs, completion programs and student recruiting in the three Coast counties for all available university programs and teaching sites.
The three different schools will include studies in business, Ocean Science and engineering, policy development and humanities, among other areas.
“Our focus will be on strengthening existing programs that support local, regional, national and international demand, and on the development of innovating new academic programs to meet the evolving needs of the coastal maritime sector,” Bennett said.
Bennett provided a list of some of the key academic program growth areas that will be created or expanded under the new operation, saying they will include studies in ocean engineering, logistics, hydrography, cybersecurity and policy analysis. Other academic studies will be available through online classes.
Some of those studies under the old structure, such as the nursing and education schools, are not listed in the new structure for Gulf Park.
“Programming currently on the Coast that falls outside this structure or are duplications of Hattiesburg programs will move to the fully online campus or return to the Hattiesburg campus, although some programming may be delivered at Gulf Park in executive or hybrid format by faculty on the Hattiesburg campus,” the “Approved Framework” realignment document reads.
The realignment “will be implemented over several years, and any changes to programs will not take place before fall 2021,” a school spokesperson said.
The new operation will result in new positions, including faculty directors for the three schools, senior associate vice president for Coastal operations and associate vice president of academic affairs.
“I could not be more excited about this work to advance our Coast-based programs into a future that not only rises to meet the specific needs of coastal business and industry, but that also provides us with a sustainable model in our existing resource realities.” Bennett said.
More information is available on the Coastal operation at usm.edu.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 6:19 PM.
