Delta State wins approval to split aviation, business colleges

Delta State University won approval from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees to split its College of Business and Aviation into two colleges, a change that could reshape how the Cleveland campus recruits, advises and markets students headed into two of its strongest career tracks.

The move creates a College of Business and a College of Aviation out of the current umbrella unit, which has long housed both areas under one roof. For Cleveland, where Delta State is one of the city’s biggest educational anchors, the split matters because it reaches into the student pipeline that feeds local employers, regional banks, logistics firms, flight operations and other businesses across the Mississippi Delta.

Business is one of Delta State’s oldest offerings. The university says it has provided course offerings in business since 1925, the year it opened for its first regular session after being created by a 1924 state law. Delta State opened on Sept. 15, 1925, with a small original staff that included a president, business manager, dietitian and nine teachers.

A separate aviation college would give more visibility to a program that already carries a distinct professional identity. Delta State’s commercial aviation offerings include a Bachelor of Commercial Aviation in Aviation Management and a Master of Commercial Aviation, programs that help move students from classrooms into cockpits, dispatch, airline operations and aviation management roles.

The university has also been signaling growth in that area. A June 25 Delta State Facebook post said there was “big news coming from Delta State” because of significant growth in the College of Business and Aviation. Delta State’s public leadership page identifies Dr. Joseph Childs as dean of the combined college, a role that could be redefined as the two units are separated.

The aviation program has already been investing in training equipment. Bolivar Bullet reported that Delta State’s Department of Commercial Aviation began training students on new Cirrus TRAC 20 aircraft and purchased five of the planes last summer. Joe Saia, the interim chairman of commercial aviation, said industry professionals view DSU graduates as “highly proficient and professional.”

The reorganization comes with a financial backdrop that underscores why programs tied to enrollment and workforce demand matter. In a May 13, 2024 campus update, Delta State said it spent more than $50 million in FY23 while bringing in $47 million in revenue. With the college split now approved, the school has a clearer chance to present business and aviation as separate pipelines for students, employers and the regional economy.