Keenum thanks lawmakers, College Board for additional MSU program investments during 2026 legislative session

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The recently-completed 2026 regular session of the Mississippi Legislature saw encouraging gains for ��APP, the state’s leading research university, as lawmakers invested in the land-grant institution’s core missions and in the university’s world-class faculty and staff.

“While the bulk of our operations saw level funding, I’m extremely pleased that the Mississippi Legislature and the Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning chose to invest in a long-needed pay increase primarily for our academic personnel and provided funds to cover rising health insurance and public employee retirement costs,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “We are also grateful for increased operating funds for each of our five separate agriculture units, with a raise pool for instructional faculty in that division that mirrors that provided for the main campus.”

A faculty member teaches in front of a large classroom full of students. — Faculty salaries have been among top university priorities. (OPA Photo)

Keenum had made university-wide faculty salaries and stabilizing funds for the agricultural units in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine (DAFVM) key priorities in the university’s legislative requests.

A $32 million state investment in the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine is propelling the school toward major upgrades to its equine and small-animal hospitals. The appropriation will help the CVM better meet growing demand for veterinary care in the state and region.

The university’s existing veterinary teaching hospitals were built in the 1970s, and Keenum said that updated facilities with state-of-the-art features will ensure the CVM delivers world-class veterinary teaching and service for decades to come.

MSU President Mark E. Keenum (OPA Photo)

“Mississippi ��APP is well known for meeting needs and providing solutions, and the College of Veterinary Medicine exemplifies how we fulfill our mission to serve the entire state of Mississippi. Our CVM faculty, staff and students provide vital care for our beloved pets and they also play essential roles in Mississippi’s robust agricultural economy by supporting large-animal producers, our rural communities and industry,” Keenum said.

“We are addressing real needs in our state and nation by enhancing our focus on rural veterinary practice. Our CVM students receive an exceptional education, and we also want to support them with ongoing professional development and business management training as they advance in their veterinary careers,” he said. “We are grateful for the Legislature’s investments in CVM and for the work we are doing to meet these critical statewide needs.”

CVM’s equine hospital will provide 24/7 emergency care with new operating rooms and stalls. A new space will be dedicated to evaluating lameness in horses.

The project also addresses the increased demand for small-animal care, including general, critical, and specialty healthcare. With expanded space to increase capacity, the small animal hospital will include additional client consulting rooms, specialty services and a larger intensive care unit for critically ill patients. An expanded Community Veterinary Services unit will prepare students for small-animal general practice by giving them more opportunities to see common diseases and to provide wellness care.

This new funding builds on a previous $18 million investment from the state in 2024 that supported the college’s new cattle handling facility, new inpatient farm animal hospital and the establishment of a Center for Rural Veterinary Practice to increase the number of veterinarians serving in rural areas.

Keenum outlined additional major capital projects funded by lawmakers and the College Board for MSU during the 2026 session:

$18 million for the completion of funding for the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center located at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. This funding completes an overall investment of $55 million from the ��APP of Mississippi to complete the new home of the Mississippi Cyber Initiative, which serves as a training, research and educational hub for academia, the military, law enforcement, federal and state agencies and the private sector on opportunities and challenges in the ever-growing cybersecurity and technology fields.

$20 million for the South Campus Mechanical Plant. While not the most exciting project, it is vital to the growth and expansion of the western and southern parts of the main Starkville Campus by serving as an extension of the chiller loop that supports HVAC and other mechanical functions across the campus.

$9 million for general repair and renovations (R&R). IHL was appropriated $33.5 million in Senate Bill 3053 to distribute to campuses for general repairs and renovations, using a formula based on in-person enrollment and the square footage maintained by each campus. This money is used to maintain HVAC systems, elevators, ADA projects, and various everyday R&R needs.

$5 million for the Autism Care Initiative. Funding will go into an endowment that will support students through scholarships and graduate assistantships in academic fields associated with the Mississippi Institute of Disabilities, including the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic and the T.K. Martin Center. Proceeds of the endowment may also be used to support certain training conducted by the clinics and MID for their patients and families.

$1.7 million for the continued evaluation of marine mammal health. Research conducted by the MSU CVM. This appropriation was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Security Act (GOMESA) to better monitor the health and well-being of marine mammals and sea turtles in the Mississippi Sound, which scientists have concluded provides a comparable view of the overall health of this vital estuary.

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