Alcorn State University President Tracy Cook is quite optimistic about the future of the university and hopes to continue building on past successes.
“My plans for Alcorn State are simple: build capacity and provide a good quality of life for our students, the best living and learning environment for students and the best customer service,” said Cook during a stop in Meridian Friday night to attend the Meridian/Lauderdale Alcorn State University Alumni Chapter’s Purple and Gold Scholarship Gala.
Cook officially assumed duties as Alcorn State’s 21st president on April 1 after being appointed by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees. He had served as interim president since July 2023.
Joining him in greeting Alcorn State alumni and friends at the Purple and Gold Scholarship Gala, held at the MSU Riley Center, was head football coach Cedric Thomas, who was appointed in December.
Cook is concentrating on growing Alcorn State’s student population while retaining faculty, working with alumni and improving students’ access to academic programs. Toward that effort, he plans to conduct numerous presidential tours throughout the state this year.
“This past year, I did about 40 tours, going into high schools and letting them see the administration face to face,” Cook said in comments before the ceremony. “My deans, other professors, they’re going out and visiting schools to ensure parents and students know they are going to get a bang for their buck.”
Colleges, like Alcorn State, are looking ahead to 2025 and what has been dubbed the “enrollment cliff,” or a significant decline in college-going students due to a drop in birth rates that began 17 years ago, fewer international students and more high school graduates choosing not to go to college.
“We know this ‘enrollment cliff’ is coming about because students have a whole lot of opportunities,” Cook said. “Small and rural areas, especially from the area where I am from, the population’s getting smaller and smaller. So we’re all competing — the community college, the four-year institutions and other universities from out of state — for a smaller population of students.”
Cook, an alumnus and former athlete at Alcorn State, said the university’s executive team is currently studying the academic programs offered at the Clairborne County-based campus to ensure they are meeting the needs of students and the community.
“We’re looking to see how we can grow our footprint in the academic arena, looking through the different degrees,” he said. “We are going back and revamping those degrees and seeing what are the demands for the growing student population.”
He seems unfazed by a recent failed effort introduced in the state Legislature to reduce the number of public universities in the state.
“Each year, a lot of bills will be put out there as far as opening up a discussion. A lot of times, individuals will get into a panic mode,” Cook said.
But, he noted, many of those bills never reach the floor for a vote.
The Meridian/Lauderdale alumni chapter, which has about 60 members, hosts the annual scholarship gala as a way to support the university by raising scholarship money for students. The Alcorn State Concert Choir gave a highly praised performance on the Riley Center stage as part of the event.
“It is because of you that the Meridian/Lauderdale alumni chapter of Alcorn State University has awarded thousands of dollars to students over the last several decades and your continued support will ensure that the chapter is able to continue this strong tradition,” Tammy Shadwick, the chapter’s scholarship chair, told those in attendance.
During the ceremony, the alumni chapter awarded scholarships to four area high school seniors who will attend Alcorn State this fall.
Receiving scholarships were Hannah Hardaway, a student at Newton High School who plans to major in food nutrition and community health sciences; Kendrick Winkfield, a senior at Meridian High School who plans to major in music education; Travis Griffin, a Meridian High student who plans to major in psychology; and Meridian High senior Isiah Ott, who plans to major in computer science. Ott also was named recipient of the Rudolph and Ina Fairley Scholarship.
“These four students have displayed outstanding leadership and scholastic achievement,” Shadwick said.
Alumna Liz Michael, who was in attendance, was recently selected to be inducted into the 2024 Alcorn State University National Alumni Association Hall of Honor on May 10.
Cook said scholarships funded through alumni chapters, like the one in Meridian, help Alcorn State level the playing field to be able to compete against other four-year institutions and community colleges to attract students.
“We thank you for providing the funds for our students so they can have an opportunity to go on and compete in a global society,” he told chapter members.