The Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Jackson State University is celebrating the extension of its accreditation. This milestone marks the achievement of the only state-accredited urban planning program. The Planning Accreditation Board granted the program a two-year extension, which will extend its accreditation until December 31, 2020. Associate professor Dr. Mukesh K. said that the new downtown Jackson location has made it easier for the department to attract students, faculty, and staff. Planning is a collaborative effort between the local government, county government and the state government. Kumar stated that being in close proximity to them greatly helps the department. According to Kumar, being in their immediate vicinity helps the department tremendously.” The students focus on the issues facing planning professionals and scholars who address the economic development in cities and urban areas across the country. Professor Ricardo Brown, dean of College of Public Service, stated that the three main areas of concentration for graduate degrees in urban design are Community Development and Housing and Environment and Land Use. 49 semester hours of master’s program include community-based learning and practical work in planning studios. The core courses include Introduction to Urban Design, History of Planning, Planning Theory and Practice and Quantitative Analysis and Computers. Program officials responded to the site visit by noting that students and faculty from the department have actively participated in presenting strategies and ideas at meetings of state city councils and boards. They also led discussions on master plans, neighborhood design guidelines, and corridor revitalization plans. Kumar pointed out that students were involved in the development of corridor revitalization plans following the closure of the Kroger on Terry Road in South Jackson. These plans were helpful to the Jackson City Council as well as city planners who looked at how to recover from the closing of the Kroger and create other grocery options in the area. Brown stated that cities are becoming smarter. “The program trains students in how to best help urban and regional managers design their cities to be more sustainable for the people,” Brown said. The department was created as a result a long-running civil rights case, the Jake Ayers higher educational desegregation lawsuit settlement. This lawsuit challenged funding and programs at three Mississippi Valley State University, Alcorn State University, and Jackson State. The state settled the lawsuit by distributing $500 million to different areas in response. This money was used to fund capital improvements, new buildings, increased income and endowment, as well as substantial improvements to education programs. These efforts led to the creation of JSU’s master’s and doctoral Urban Planning programs. In 1998, the Planning Accreditation Board granted the master’s degree program its first five-year accreditation. In 2014, the program was re-accredited to a 4-year term. The department submitted a progress report in May to the Planning Accreditation Board, just halfway through the 2014-18 accreditation term. The report provided details about the program’s actions to address the concerns raised by the accreditation board during its March 2014 site visit. After reviewing the program’s responses, the accreditation board agreed to extend its accreditation term for another two years. The master’s program had 16 students of color, two from abroad and none of them were white. The lack of ethnic and racial diversity in the program was a concern for the board. The accreditation report states that the board was encouraged by recent efforts of the Program to increase enrollment, present on campus and in other places to undergraduates from affiliated disciplines, as well as advertising on the University’s radio station. The accreditation report notes that “The Board is encouraged by the Program’s recent efforts to increase enrollment, presentations on campus to undergraduates in affiliated disciplines, and advertising on the University radio station,” Kumar anticipates that there will be at most 25 students this fall. Two white students from the program have been successfully recruited and will be enrolled in the masters program. People come from all parts of the world and speak many different languages. Brandon Rankin is a student in the masters program. He said that people come from many backgrounds. “Being involved in urban and regional planning, it is impossible to focus on one area. He explained that he focuses on one household and then applies it to an international scale. Many of our alumni are now transportation planners, Habitat for Humanity planners, and senior planners/planners in areas like Memphis, Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida. Many alumni are planners/developers in the City of Jackson Planning Department, and work in various counties throughout the state. Bennie J. Hopkins, Jr., director of Planning and Development, Desoto County, was a graduate of the 2001 master’s class in urban and region planning. Hopkins was the first black director of planning in the county. He remembers Dr. William Harris’ advice. Hopkins said that Harris challenged them to better understand the role of black planners in urban design and environmental land-use issues. Hopkins said, “It’s necessary because we can be left out the loop.” In 2019, the next progress report will be presented. Brown said that until then, faculty, staff, and students will continue to work together to ensure students get the best training. Kumar stated, “It’s always faculty driven.” Kumar stated that it is always a faculty-driven process.