The Faculty Senate at the University of Southern Mississippi voted 33-5 to pass a vaccine mandate resolution on Oct. 1.
The resolution serves as a testament of the senate’s firm stance against the Institutions of Higher Learning’s (IHL’s) decision to block individual IHL institutions from instituting vaccine mandates. The resolution, introduced before the mandate, received support by over 86% of the 38 members present in the October meeting.
The Southern Miss resolution follows similar resolutions passed by other faculty senates at IHL Universities, including Jackson State University, Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi. For various people on the senate, like Welfare and Environment Committee Chair Robert Press, this process is overshadowed by a central question.
“Politics or health? It’s a real basic decision here,” Press said. “And in our state, politics is ruling over health.”
Though it can be argued that the resolution is symbolic — even political — in nature, administrators like University President Rodney Bennett have expressed their support for the Senate’s ability to make a statement. However, the administration has not formally supported a vaccine mandate on campus. Prior to and following the IHL’s announcement in September, the Southern Miss administration made no indication that a vaccine mandate would be instituted.
Southern Miss’s Division of Student Affairs mirrored this approach as well. Vice President Dee Dee Anderson expressed doubts about the effectiveness of a fully implemented vaccine mandate.
“I think we’re better off using the tools that we have with our educational pieces, and our support through our SGA, using those things to get students and faculty and staff vaccinated,” Anderson said.
To bolster those efforts, there has been a vaccine incentive program for students running since July 30. However, Anderson admitted that there are no other planned incentive programs beyond the current program’s end on Oct. 15.
Faculty Senate President Brian LaPierre told the Printz that a vaccine mandate could have succeeded and even been fully implemented by the incentive program if adopted by the University. However, the September ruling from the IHL makes it almost certain that this will not occur.
Billy Newman is the coordinator of the legal studies program at Southern Miss and is not a part of the Faculty Senate. He explained to The Student Printz that, because of other legal precedents, the state of Mississippi has the authority to institute vaccine mandates or choose not to.
“Our governor, our other leaders in the legislature have made it clear that they aren’t inclined to do that,” Newman said. “They just want every measure to be voluntary, which experience shows voluntary vaccination programs often don’t work. But whether or not they’re efficacious, that is the law.”
Following the passage of this resolution, LaPierre pledged to share the resolution with Bennett and inform the presidents of other faculty senates within the state of its passage. He also announced plans to be in communication with the media outlet Mississippi Today and to share the new resolution with the IHL.
