The University of Mississippi

Office of the Chancellor

Letters from the Chancellor

Hotty Toddy and welcome to a new year at Ole Miss!

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

Dear students,

Hotty Toddy and welcome to a new year at Ole Miss! On behalf of our professors, staff, and the Ole Miss community, we are all excited to see you here where you belong — on America’s most beautiful campus, in the greatest college town.

This fall is special for a couple of reasons. For the second straight year, we have a record number of first-year students! In addition, we are celebrating a milestone as the university marks its 175th anniversary since welcoming our inaugural class of 80 students on Nov. 6, 1848.

As we start a new academic year, I want to encourage you to make your well-being a priority by designing a support system that enables you to succeed academically. College is fun, and it can also be stressful. Keep in mind:

Check out the welcome letter from the Student Affairs team for more information about the resources available to you and important details about upcoming events and activities. I hope you will also seek out guidance from your professors, advisors, and student leaders — they are all in your corner and are here to help you be successful. Additionally, our entire university leadership team is invested in your bright future, and we’re eager to hear your thoughts and ideas.

To gain the most from all your years here at Ole Miss and grow your personal legacy, get involved, build relationships, and seize leadership opportunities. I challenge you to follow this advice, and I promise you that the year ahead will be an amazing journey. Are you ready?

Glenn F. Boyce

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor

Welcome to a new academic year!

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

Dear faculty and staff,

Welcome to a new year on America’s most beautiful campus! It is an exciting time at the University of Mississippi where, for the second year in a row, we are welcoming our largest freshman class ever. The significant growth in enrollment reflects our success in offering a vibrant, nurturing community and our appeal as a college of choice. I can’t wait to see how this new class makes its mark on Ole Miss.

I also recognize and appreciate that having more students requires greater investments in time, support, and guidance by our faculty, staff, and administration. I’m profoundly grateful for your commitment to our mission, and I’m inspired by how you encourage, uplift, and empower our students.

This fall, we will celebrate a major milestone as we mark 175 years of delivering education, research, healthcare, and service. Our longevity demonstrates the timeless value of our mission to provide access to higher education, prepare graduates for meaningful careers, and offer great value to our students and their families across generations.

The theme for the anniversary celebration, “A Legacy of Calling,” aligns with this year’s Common Reading Experience selection, “Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work” by Dave Isay. The book draws on Isay’s inspirational work as the founder of the StoryCorps oral history project, which he will discuss in his address to Fall Convocation in The SJB Pavilion on Tuesday, August 22 at 7 p.m. I encourage you to reflect on the moving and thoughtful vignettes in the book, and I hope you’ll join Convocation or some of the events to come later this fall.

While we have a history of making history at the University of Mississippi, I’m most proud of how we always look to the future. I’m excited about new programs, facilities, and talent that will debut this fall to advance our campus and grow our transformational impact.

Your tremendous level of achievement and remarkable dedication exemplifies our culture of caring and empowers our students to thrive, pursue passions, and build bright futures as critical thinkers and leaders. I look forward to another fantastic year together, and I wish you the best with your professional goals and ambitions.

Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor

Celebrating 175 Years of Excellence at the University of Mississippi

Letters from the Chancellor, Uncategorized, Welcome

175th Anniversary, University of Mississippi

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

This coming fall, our beloved university will hit a landmark in our trajectory. The University of Mississippi opened its doors to its first students on November 6, 1848, making this fall our 175th anniversary. This milestone represents 175 years of delivering education, research, healthcare, and service to the people and the state of Mississippi. It demonstrates the tremendous staying power of our mission to prepare graduates for meaningful careers, provide access to higher education, and offer great value to our students and their families across generations. 

Our university has achieved much since its founding, and we are even more excited about our future. A committee is already hard at work planning the celebration and commemoration, and we want to thank the members for their service in what will be an important and highly visible event for the university. The members of the committee are listed below, and additional details of the celebration will be shared in the coming months. 

The theme for the anniversary celebration, “A Legacy of Calling,” is reinforced by the title of next fall’s Common Reading Experience selection, “Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work” by Dave Isay, a celebrated radio broadcaster and creator of the StoryCorps oral history project. 

For 175 years, our university has empowered students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other stakeholders to define and pursue their personal callings and lead lives of purpose. That essence of our university is what we want to celebrate, and we want to learn more about your experiences. 

In support of the 175th anniversary campaign, we invite you to share your stories, experiences, and reflections in response to one or more of the following prompts: 

  • How has Ole Miss helped you build your legacy or define your calling? 
  • Share a story about a specific person or program on campus that made a difference in your life. 
  • What is one word to describe the university’s impact over the past 175 years? 
  • What is an amazing accomplishment you witnessed or played a role in at Ole Miss?

We’re excited for the university’s anniversary this fall and all the ways we will celebrate our legacy, highlight our future, and put on full display our talents and passions to make a difference in the world. Stay tuned for exciting things planned for this significant event.
Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor

 

Noel E. Wilkin signature
Noel Wilkin
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

175th Anniversary Planning Committee 
Noel Wilkin, Committee Chair, Office of the Provost 
John Adrian, Administration and Finance 
Premalatha Balachandran, Staff Council 
Nikki Neely Davis, University Development 
Dan Durkin, Faculty Senate 
Emily Ferris, Division of Outreach and Continuing Education 
Phillis George, School of Education 
Julie Glasco, Office of the Provost 
Stefanie Goodwiller, University Marketing & Communications 
Jason Hale, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs 
Andrea Hickerson, School of Journalism and New Media 
Paul Johnson, School of Business 
Annette Kluck, Graduate School 
Jiwon Lee, Graduate Student Council 
Amy Lowe Lewis, Federal Relations 
Adrienne McDill, Admissions 
Neal Mead, Ole Miss Athletics 
Shawnboda Mead, Division of Diversity and Community Engagement 
Charlotte Pegues, Division of Student Affairs 
Rebecca Phillips, Special Events 
Kirk Purdom, Ole Miss Alumni Association 
Joy Schideler, Administration and Finance 
Doug Sullivan-Gonzalez, College of Liberal Arts 
Sara Austin Welch, Associated Student Body 
Jim Zook, University Marketing & Communications

Salary and wage increases for FY 2024

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

Dear faculty and staff,

We recently celebrated another successful academic year at the University of Mississippi, and I attribute our success to the difference that our people make. I’m very grateful for the incredible efforts and contributions of our faculty and staff. It is why I’m pleased to share that, for the third consecutive year, the university has allocated funds to support salary and wage increases for the upcoming fiscal year, effective July 1, 2023. Additionally, the university will provide funds to further support graduate students and student workers and increase our minimum wage to $14.00 per hour, a 30% increase of the university’s minimum wage since 2019.
 
As a campus community known for its talented and dedicated people, the university continues to enjoy great momentum. I’m deeply appreciative for how our combined efforts move our institution forward.

Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor

Memorial Day Message

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

Memorial Day is an incredibly important time to remember our military heroes who have laid down their lives in sacrifice for our nation. They were selfless and brave with an enduring love of country. We are grateful for their noble dedication to protecting freedom and securing a world with greater peace and safety for all. Today is certainly an opportunity to reflect on the many blessings we share as Americans because of their sacrifices.

As a university community with more than 1,700 military-connected students, Memorial Day is also a time to extend our profound appreciation to the dedicated members of the Ole Miss military family — those who have served, those who continue to serve, and those who have answered the call to serve. These individuals risk their lives for this great nation and its citizens, and we are grateful for their heroic courage and commitment.

One way to remember those who died in service to our nation is to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance, a minute of silence observed at 3 p.m. local time each year on Memorial Day. To all those who have lost a service member, please know that our thoughts are with you.

Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor

Celebrating Commencement

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

Dear students, faculty and staff,

I’m thrilled that the culmination of the academic year is approaching — our 170th Commencement! We’re excited to celebrate our graduates and welcome their families and friends to campus May 10-14. I extend my deepest gratitude to the faculty and staff who helped our graduates reach this moment, and I hope all graduates will take a moment to express their gratitude as well.

We’re honored to welcome alumna Stephanie Hickman (JD 91), president and CEO of Trice Construction Co. in Chicago, as our Commencement speaker during Convocation on Saturday, May 13 at 8 a.m. in the Grove. Stephanie has a fascinating story of transitioning from an attorney to buying and transforming her construction company that now serves Fortune 500 companies, public entities, and more. Our graduates will learn a lot from her story and the legacy she has built with her life. We look forward to her address, and we’re excited to welcome Stephanie home to Ole Miss.

As we welcome the families and loved ones of our students to Oxford next week, we want to make sure everyone enjoys a wonderful celebration. To prepare for the ceremonies, please read this article about Commencement  with lots of information, including:

Most of this year’s ceremonies will be hosted in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion and the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Parking will be available in lots around the SJB Pavilion and the Ford Center, and shuttles will run to and from these venues and to Convocation in the Grove. More information about parking is available on the Commencement website, including information about ADA-accessible parking and shuttles.

Learn more about some of our extraordinary graduates by reading their stories in the 2023 Journey to Commencement series featuring profiles of members of the graduating class that showcase their tremendous accomplishments and plans for the future.

Congrats to all our graduating students! We’re excited to honor and celebrate you, and we can’t wait to see your bright, smiling faces at Commencement!

Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor