Jackson State University recently launched an incentive program called "Thank You for Masking Up" that will give students the chance to win gift cards ranging from $25 to $100 each week through the beginning of May. Brandi Newkirk-Turner, associate provost at JSU, designed the program to reward students for adhering to the university's COVID-19 guidelines.

Each week volunteer administrators, faculty and staff will tour the JSU campus and its facilities to observe students properly wearing their masks. Randomly selected students will receive a raffle ticket requesting their contact information and can deposit the ticket in a raffle bin located at the security station on the first floor of Administration Tower.

JSU President Thomas K. Hudson will hold a raffle drawing every Friday at 3 p.m. through May 7. In his absence, Newkirk-Turner or provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs Alisa Mosley will draw the winning name. The winner will receive an email from a staff member in the Office of the President or another designated office and can pick up their gift cards from Academic Affairs on the seventh floor of Administration Tower.

For more information visit jsums.edu.

MSU Supporting Students Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

Mississippi State University plans to use $8.9 million in federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funding to directly support students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federal funds are intended to help students with exceptional financial need or emergency costs due to the ongoing pandemic, a release from MSU says. Covered costs include tuition, food, housing, healthcare and childcare. The deadline to apply is March 21. MSU will send instructions for completing the three-question online application to eligible students via email and text messages.

To comply with guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education and the CRRSA legislation, students must certify that they have experienced financial need or have emergency costs due to the pandemic and that they are a U.S. citizen.

All students enrolled at MSU for spring 2021 are eligible to receive funding, except for students who have fully withdrawn from the university, those who are not U.S. citizens or students who are only enrolled in non-degree or continuing education programs. Students will receive funds via direct deposit or paper checks, or may choose to apply the funds to their student account to cover any outstanding balance.

Students with COVID-19 related financial concerns are also eligible for assistance from the Student Relief Fund. For information about the Student Relief Fund, email [email protected].

For information about CRRSA fund eligibility and applications, call the MSU Office of Student Financial Aid at 662-325-2450 or email [email protected].

MSU Faculty Members Receive Mississippi Humanities Council Awards

The Mississippi Humanities Council will recognize three Mississippi State University faculty members for their work in conveying insights of the humanities to public audiences during an online program on March 26. Originally scheduled for March 2020 but canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MHC is combining its 2020 awards ceremony with this year’s virtual program.

Toby G. Bates, associate professor of history at Mississippi State University-Meridian, will receive the 2021 MHC Teacher of the Year award alongside 2020 MHC Teacher of the Year Mark Edward Clark, associate professor in MSU’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.

James C. “Jim” Giesen, associate professor in MSU’s Department of History, will receive MHC's 2020 Humanities Scholar Award for his work as the official scholar for the Mississippi tour of the Smithsonian Institution exhibit “Waterways.”

MHC will stream the event on its Facebook and YouTube channels on Friday, March 26, at 7 p.m. For more information, call 601-672-5907 or email [email protected].

For more information on the MSU honorees and a full list of MHC awardees, visit http://mshumanities.org/program/public-humanities-awards/.