Most College Board voted against chancellor’s contract

Published 12:01 am Monday, March 23, 2015

JACKSON (AP) — The state College Board said Saturday that nine of 12 members voted not renew the contract of University for Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones.

The board released a statement saying the vote came during a closed session Friday; such votes typically aren’t released until minutes are published the next month. Jones will leave the job when his current four-year contract expires in mid-September.

Incoming commissioner Jim Borsig said the decision centered on concerns over management of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. The board has been examining UMMC’s business operations, recently issuing a critical audit.

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“However, we want to make it very clear that the Board has no concerns over the personal integrity or honesty of Dr. Jones or any other employee of UMMC,” Borsig the incoming commissioner of higher education, said in a statement.

Those voting not to renew Jones’ contract were Ed Blakeslee, Karen Cummins, Ford Dye, Shane Hooper, Hal Parker, Aubrey Patterson, Alan Perry, Douglas Rouse and C.D. Smith. Bob Owens and Robin Robinson voted to renew it. Christine Pickering was absent.

Jones, a physician, led the sprawling hospital and medical education operation before being named chancellor over both the Oxford campus and UMMC. He recently returned to work full time on the main campus in Oxford after treatment for lymphoma. He said Friday that his departure is not related to his health. He said board members expressed concerns about his “unwillingness to adjust” to the way they conduct business for the state’s eight public universities.

“Over the last couple of years, I have expressed concern and disagreement with the board in some areas, including the funding allocation plan that distributes state funds to various public universities, business issues at the medical center, and responsibility for managing the selection process for the position of vice chancellor to lead the medical center,” Jones wrote.