Tianna Jameswhite, Staff writer, MSU Spokesman
Morgan State University President David Wilson addressed students, faculty and staff concerns at his bi-annual town hall meeting held Thursday afternoon, Oct. 30.
Wilson introduced key staff members in the audience followed by the success of homecoming and the achievements of various student groups. He covered tuition increases, the endowment, campus expansion and more. The event ended with a question and answer segment.
“We believe that everyone needs to be aware of what’s happening at the university they decided to conduct their blooming at.”
The Oct. 20 announcement of the 2% tuition increase set to begin in fall of 2026 left many students frustrated. Despite the hike in tuition, Morgan State University’s four year undergraduate program remains the second least expensive public institution in the state, Wilson revealed.
As confirmed by a statement from the university, 90-95% of Mackenzie Scott’s recent $63 million donation is going into endowment. The MSU Foundation holds $103 million in unrestricted funds, mostly from Scott’s 2020 and 2025 donations.
The interest will be used as support for student financial aid, leverage for research centers, university enhancement, to establish more endowed professorships and to enhance technology/infrastructure.
“The expectation that I have is that in a few years I want that to be half a billion dollars, so that 4% [interest], if it’s $500 million, would be $20 million a year! Then we’re talking, about a return that can really, really make a difference.”
For the past five years, Morgan has had record-breaking enrollment numbers, now making it the third largest HBCU in the nation. Wilson plans to pause the number of residential undergraduate growth until there’s enough beds to support them, and shifts focus to graduate and online enrollment.
O’Connell will be demolished and the new O’Connell hall will begin construction. The hall is set to add 400 new beds on campus, gathering areas, and a dining hall, and is projected to open by fall of 2028.
Other campus developments include the 59-acre Lake Clifton property which will host a myriad of facilities, housing and more. The science building with an electric substation to support it ais set to open in fall of 2028 on Stadium Way and East Cold Spring Lane. Wilson also shared the first steps for the first public medical school at an HBCU, which was funded by a $1.75 million gift from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The president then discussed new additions to campus safety including the increase of sworn police officers and the completion of Zero Eyes, an AI technology in cameras that can detect both open and concealed weapons. The university also had plans to launch Ask Benny, a sovereign AI platform to serve the Morgan community.
Scott’s recent donation and consistent campus expansion prompted audience members to ask about accommodations for those affected by the government shutdown and more amenities.
Jabari Cosby, a sophomore business and marketing major, took to the microphone to share his personal story which he felt many students would resonate with. His tuition is covered by a Veteran Affairs (VA) stipend, however the payment they made for the summer semester was not accounted for by the bursar office and his classes were dropped.
“I called the school every day after that. The session started the second week of July and I called everyday until August first and it wasn’t until July twenty-ninth where out of desperation, I called your office and I got the answers I needed,” he said.
Faced with academic hardship, Cosby’s family is now affected by the government shutdown, placing more weight on his shoulders.
“So how do we as students get connected with those who actually make the changes,” he said. “Because I can get taken out of my classes in 24 hours, but it takes two weeks to get reinstated.”
Wilson responded by offering himself and Don-Terry Veal, the Vice President for state and federal relations, as personal mentors to Cosby to put him back on track with his academic career which was derailed as a result of “a failure on part of the university.”
Wilson also referenced the email that was sent to 2,100 handpicked students before the town hall, who’re “experiencing severe financial need,” to which $1 million of Scott’s donation will be used to immediately support.
Michael Spann, a senior political science major, questioned the president on if the university will be using Scott’s donation to support students affected by the pause of SNAP benefits.
The president suggested the university’s food resource center as a solution to students suffering from food insecurity.
“The food resource center is open and you can also make an appointment for a special shop day so that students can get their needs met,” said Letitia Williams, the Vice President for student affairs.
The email for the food resource center is foodresourcecenter@morgan.edu.