Important Dates for 2023

• Applications are due April 17, 2023.
• The 2023 Institute will take place June 4 – June 9 on The W’s Columbus campus.
• Students will receive notice of their acceptance or rejection by April 24.
• Admitted students will be sent a packet that must be completed and returned by May 12.

What does it cost to attend?

Students are responsible for arranging transportation to Columbus, MS on Sunday, June 4 and for their departure on Friday, June 9. Housing, meals, instructional materials, and transportation to and from Jackson, MS are provided at no cost to participants. In addition, a full tuition scholarship covers the cost of each student’s enrollment at The W, so the two hours of college credit are also free to students.

NEW MS is free to students thanks to the generous financial support of The W, the Ascend Fund (a collaborative fund dedicated to accelerating the pace of change toward gender parity in U.S. politics), and private donors.

How do students receive two hours of college credits?

When admitted students are notified of their selection, they will be sent a packet of forms to complete. Some of these forms are registration forms that the program director uses to enroll students at Mississippi University for Women and have their scholarships applied. This also allows students to receive a student ID# and gain access campus wifi and library holdings, so even if you don’t care about the course credit, don’t skip these forms!

On another form (or in an email poll), students indicate whether they wish to register for the POL 365 (political science) or WS 365 (women’s studies) section of a Mississippi Women in Politics course. The course is worth two credit hours, and students complete the course by attending all Summer Institute sessions and working on the Action Project and other learning exercises during sessions. Once they have completed the registration forms and indicated their course section preference, students do not need to do anything else to register for the class.

After MUW’s Summer Term ends (see the Academic Calendar), students can order their MUW transcript and have it sent to their home institution. 

Who is eligible to attend?

NEW Leadership® Mississippi is open to undergraduate students enrolled in any Mississippi college or university and Mississippi residents enrolled in out-of-state schools. We are committed to diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, political ideology, and sexual orientation. We strongly encourage women of all backgrounds to apply.

How are participants selected?

The application process is competitive and all applications received by April 17 will be given full consideration by the NEW MS Admissions Committee, which is composed of the program director and faculty advisors. Each year, the Committee selects students with the intent of creating a class of individuals who represent diverse backgrounds and experiences and who have the potential to increase women’s political representation in the state.

Five primary criteria guide the competitive selection process:

• Individual leadership potential;
• Special interests, unique characteristics and/or diverse experiences which contribute to NEW MS program objectives and learning goals;
• Interest in politics, public service, or public policy;
• Articulated or demonstrated potential to contribute to the goal of increasing women’s political representation and leadership; and
• Commitment to the goal of gender parity in politics.

Where do students live during the Summer Institute?

NEW Leadership MS students and peer mentors live together in Grossnickle Hall on the Columbus campus of Mississippi University for Women for the duration of the institute. Constructed in 1922, the Spanish Revival architecture of Grossnickle Hall earned this residence hall a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and a designation as a Mississippi Landmark. During the fall and spring semesters, Grossnickle home to the Residential Honors Program of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College.

How do I get to Columbus?

The Mississippi University for Women is located at 1100 College Street in Columbus, MS (zip code 39701). If using a driving directions app (like Google Maps), we recommend using the address for Puckett House, which is right across the street from Grossnickle Hall (and home to the NEW MS Faculty in Residence). Puckett House’s address is 205 S 11th St, Columbus, MS 39701.