CHANCELLOR’S 3 THINGS TO KNOW
- Upward Trajectory: While official numbers won’t be released by IHL until November, a preliminary review of 2021-22 enrollment figures shows a 19% increase in our freshman class over last year. This represents the largest increase in the number of incoming freshmen from one fall to the next in university history! While the numbers will fluctuate a little until the official announcement in November, our freshman class numbers nearly 3,600 students. We’re also excited that our transfer students grew by 8% and that our overall enrollment has increased. In the wake of nearly two years of change and uncertainty prompted by COVID-19, we’re ecstatic about this growth and see it as validation of our commitment to attracting, retaining and graduating talented and dedicated students from across Mississippi, the country and the world.
- Top of the Ranks: Ole Miss is best in the state, again! I’m so proud that we’ve been named among the top 10% of public universities nationally as one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges.” Not only did we jump 10 spots from last year’s ranking to No. 67 among public universities, but this is also the 11th consecutive year Ole Miss has been featured in the top 100 public universities. The university was also recognized as best in Mississippi and among the top in the nation for tuition value, support of student military veterans, and business and nursing programs. In fact, among “Best Value Schools,” Ole Miss is No. 31 among public institutions, placing us in the top 5% nationally. We were also recognized for our retention and graduation rates, which are also the highest in Mississippi. There is so much to celebrate at Mississippi’s flagship university!
- Honoring an Icon: During an extraordinary and historic day for our university, Dr. Donald R. Cole was celebrated as the newest namesake for the Martindale-Cole Student Services Center. Dr. Cole is an icon on our campus who has served the Ole Miss community for more than five decades as a student, educator, caring mentor, and highly effective administrator who worked tirelessly to advance diversity and equity efforts. Hundreds of family, friends and community members joined the event as well as the building’s other namesake, Larry Martindale, who called for adding Dr. Cole’s name as a symbol of the diversity across our campus. The renaming is a meaningful reflection of what the University of Mississippi represents today.
Until next month, take care!
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor
TOP STORIES
EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE
Through the Ole Miss Wish program, the university provides a perfect Ole Miss experience to military-connected families that are fighting a child’s life-threatening or chronic illness. This year’s Ole Miss Wish kid, Everly Taylor, was recognized at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium by meeting Walkaround Elmo from Sesame Street.
HELPING DELTA FARMERS
Jason Hoeksema, a UM biology professor, is using a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to explore the potential benefits of holding runoff water on agricultural landscapes after crops are harvested.
TOURNEY CHAMP
Ole Miss women’s golf senior Julia Johnson started her 2021 fall campaign with a bang, winning the individual title of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
FLAGSHIP FACTS
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Nurturing Potential Through Graduate & Professional Education