Chancellor
Pathways to Equity: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Institutional Strategic Plan 2021-2026
Chancellor
Dear faculty, staff and graduate students,
Paul Caffera will resume his responsibilities as the University Ombuds, effective immediately. I look forward to him once again serving the UM community.
I want to thank William W. Berry III, Montague Professor of Law in the University of Mississippi School of Law, for his service as Acting University Ombuds since December.
As I shared in a previous message, the university is committed to maintaining this important function on our campus as a neutral, independent and informal place to seek assistance voluntarily to bring forth and resolve campus-related concerns.
Sincerely,
Glenn F. Boyce
Dear faculty and staff,
Thank you! Two simple words, but filled with so much meaning, especially today on National Employee Appreciation Day 2021. We were motivated to share this note of gratitude with our faculty and staff because you inspire us. On a daily basis, we have a front-row seat to how our university is fueled by your commitment to serving our students, our state and our future.
We commend you for the dedication, talent and hard work you bring to your roles year-round. It is impressive, but not surprising, because at the University of Mississippi, our people are the foundation of our caring culture and our successes. Because of you:
We are the Red & Blue because of you!
Your incredible commitment and selfless service to the university reflects the greater mission we all believe in: to build a better world through higher education. Your efforts are the backbone of how we will continue to do this and cement our legacy of excellence. Thank you — we are all truly grateful for your many contributions and extraordinary service.
Sincerely,
Senior Leadership Group
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor
Noel Wilkin
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Keith Carter
Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics
Josh Gladden
Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs
Steven Holley
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Shawnboda Mead
Interim Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement
Charlotte Parks
Vice Chancellor for Development
Charlotte Fant Pegues
Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Kirk Purdom
Executive Director of Alumni Affairs
Perry Sansing
Interim General Counsel and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Governmental Affairs
Jim Zook
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Dear students, faculty and staff,
In light of the new state and local orders issued this week, we have reviewed our guidance and protocols and are issuing the following updates.
The university will continue to require all people to wear a cloth face covering or mask for the rest of the Spring 2021 semester in classroom settings and office settings. In addition, masks continue to be required while traversing public spaces in residence halls, dining facilities, the Student Union, Campus Rec, retail spaces and other on-campus facilities. We continue to promote good hand hygiene and distancing protocols for indoor spaces.
In outdoor areas of campus, social distancing of at least six feet continues to be strongly recommended as well as wearing a mask when you cannot maintain distance unless the protocols for the outdoor venue differ.
The implications of the orders for off-campus student events will be forthcoming and will be communicated directly to Registered Student Organizations.
Our community has done a tremendous job of adopting and adhering to our university protocols to limit spread of the virus, and those protocols continue to work effectively. We look forward to getting vaccines on campus to administer to faculty, staff and students, which may offer future opportunities to reevaluate our approach.
Sincerely,
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor
Feb. 26, 2021
Dear students, faculty and staff,
We have seen a return this semester of much of the vibrancy and vitality for which our campus is beloved and so well-known.
As we look ahead, priority registration for Fall 2021 begins on April 12. We will offer the Fall 2021 semester as a full in-person, campus experience. We will continue to monitor the health and safety of our campus community and adapt if necessary to government orders and public health guidance.
The growing adoption and distribution of multiple vaccines against the COVID-19 virus enables us to plan for a full resumption of in-person classes for Fall 2021 and fully return our campus to pre-COVID-19 operations. As we remain committed to doing all we can to operate similar to Fall 2019, we will monitor the distribution of the vaccine closely as well as other relevant indicators.
While we do not have an update yet regarding summer session and intersession, we are working on that now and hope to have an update for you soon. As we shared earlier, we look forward to hosting the Class of 2021 and Class of 2020 for in-person Commencement ceremonies on consecutive weekends in early May. Full details about Commencement can be found here.
Thank you again for all of your efforts and contributions to our campus community, and for your continued commitment to keeping our campus safe and healthy. Like you, I’m very excited and looking forward to returning fully to the academic, operational and campus atmosphere that we all know and cherish. We will continue to share updates, and I encourage you to monitor our COVID-19 website for more information.
Sincerely,
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor
Dear students,
As we settle into the rhythm of the spring semester (despite this week’s weather disruptions), I’m excited to share information below about the wide range of current events and activities, how you can stay plugged into campus life and our next steps for expanding engagement opportunities safely for the remainder of the semester.
We’re so proud of the way our students have found creative ways to host events while following our campus protocols. We now have more than 380 registered events scheduled across our campus this semester, and we expect to add many more before the term ends. We’ve already had our first Flagship Friday, Welcome Week on the Student Union Plaza and are looking forward to Engagement Week featuring our registered student organizations, free food and giveaways. You can see the entire list of registered student events in The ForUM.
Events and activities are an incredibly important part of campus life, and I’m committed to the university doing all we can to help you make the most of your college experience through this period. I’m grateful to you, our students, for all that you have done to help us navigate this pandemic to date. We appreciate your continued patience and commitment to do your part to protect all in our community.
Sincerely,