Jackson Free Press

The University of Southern Mississippi recently announced plans to condense its fall 2020 semester calendar to limit incoming and outgoing student travel and help prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.

USM will begin the semester on Monday, Aug. 17, and end regular instruction on Monday, Nov. 23, just before the Thanksgiving holiday from Wednesday, Nov. 25, through Friday, Nov. 27. The university will conduct semester exams online from Monday, Nov. 30, through Thursday, Dec. 3. The modified schedule also eliminates the traditional Fall Break for students in mid-October.

University officials will evaluate possible impacts to Commencement ceremonies scheduled for late August for Spring graduates and December for Fall graduates, a release from USM says. The university will communicate decisions on Commencement exercises after officials make them.

USM plans to have faculty and staff return to campuses in phases beginning in early June and continuing into mid-July.

The complete Fall 2020 academic calendar will be available on the Office of the Registrar’s website by June 1. Admitted students should register for a required Orientation session at usm.edu/orientation. The university also encourages prospective students to visit usm.edu/admissions for information about academic programs, scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

For more information on updates to USM's response to COVID-19, visit usm.edu/covid-19.

JSU Students Receive Annie Willie Scholarship

The Jackson State University Development Foundation recently awarded the Annie Willie Scholarship to JSU students Mason Bracely and Andrew Thomas. The Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation awarded $12,000 to JSUDF to distribute evenly between both students for two years.

The Annie Willie Scholarship is exclusively for students at historically black colleges and universities. JSUDF awards one general scholarship and one scholarship to a physically-challenged, mobility-impaired or re-entry student each year.

Students must have a financial need for the scholarship and must maintain a passing grade average at JSU. Both Bracely and Thomas had to reapply for the scholarship and received it based on their academic achievements, a release from JSU says.

MSU Offering Telehealth Psychology Services

Mississippi State University’s Psychology Clinic is providing a new “Telehealth at the Psychology Clinic” service within the university’s Department of Psychology to give community members access to mental-health assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The services use an online format and include individual, couples, group, family and behavioral sleep therapy.

MSU has trained clinicians on telehealth and has started contacting existing clients to restart services, a release from the university says. To be eligible, clients must be physically living in the state of Mississippi.

Faculty within the department and doctoral students within the American Psychological Association-accredited clinical psychology doctoral program are staffing the telehealth services. Student clinicians are second-, third- or fourth-year students in a practicum course. Seventeen doctoral students provide services under the direction of six faculty members and must complete training materials and participate in mock sessions with supervisors.

Potential clients can call the clinic at 662-325-0270 to initiate services. A graduate clinician will return the call and gather basic information about the type of service requested. After a screening process, MSU will assign a clinician and services can begin.

For more information, visit psychology.msstate.edu/clinic/.