The controversial Confederate monument at the center of the University of Mississippi’s campus will remain there until at least the middle of next year.

On Friday, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) discussed the statue and unanimously approved the University’s relocation plan, which was announced in August. The MDAH Board acknowledged they had received a lot of public input on the matter of the statue’s relocation, but noted they are only responsible for reviewing, and approving, the relocation plans themselves.

Following the MDAH’s approval, there is only one step left in the process of moving the statue to its new proposed home of in front of the Confederate cemetery on campus. The Institutions of Higher Learning’s Board of Trustees must approve the plans before the University can begin the 90-day relocation process.

Getting the final stamp of approval was anticipated to be received before the end of 2019, but the IHL released a statement on Friday saying they will not be discussing the issue until next year and that they have not received proper paperwork to have the item added to any future agenda’s from Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce’s office.

“To date, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has not been presented with a request from the Chancellor to relocate the Confederate monument located on the University of Mississippi campus,” the statement read. “The Chancellor of the university determines the items concerning UM that will be submitted to the Board for consideration.”

The next scheduled IHL board meeting was set for Dec. 19, but in their statement IHL announced the December meeting had been canceled by IHL Board president Hal Parker during their November meeting. The next Board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 16, which is the earliest the issue of the statue’s relocation can be discussed.

Despite the Board claiming Boyce had not submitted any paperwork to have the matter added to a future agenda, the newly-hired chancellor also issued a statement on Friday saying he intends to continue the process that was started before his arrival.

“With MDAH approval in hand, we will move forward,” Boyce’s statement read.

The January Board meeting will be held in the IHL Board Room located in the Universities Center at 3825 Ridgewood Road in Jackson. The meetings are open to the public unless otherwise noted.