Mississippi State

A landscaping fiasco has caused Vance Watson to resign as interim president of MSU. Watson had applied to become the next president of the university. But in 2007, Watson had sent MSU landscaping students to do landscaping work for Higher Education Commissioner Thomas Meredith. Meredith has asked Watson for a recommendation for soil testing and landscaping. Watson did repay the state $12,000 for the landscape work done with MSU equipment, students, and supplies. Watson said that he did not want this issue to bring down MSU, so he stepped down.

Roy Ruby, former MSU vice president for student affair, has been named interim president while the search continues for a new president.