The University of Mississippi

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Fall 2022 Message from Chancellor Boyce

Letters from the Chancellor, Uncategorized, Welcome

Dear students,

You did it! We’ve reached the last day of classes of the Fall 2022 semester. I don’t know about you, but it seems as though this semester has flown by. Thank you for all you’ve done to make this an incredibly successful and fun semester. The experiences we all shared made this one of the most exciting semesters in recent memory. And through it all, you never lost focus on what is important and why you are here. I applaud you!

As you prepare for final exams (especially if these are your first finals in college), I want to share a few thoughts to help you finish strong before taking a well-deserved holiday break.
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A Thanksgiving message from the Chancellor

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

Greetings students, faculty, and staff,

We have much to be thankful for during this Thanksgiving season, a time for reflection and gratitude. I’m incredibly grateful to all who contribute to our university and its successes. I’m also thankful for the many ways our shared commitment to excellence advances Mississippi and beyond.Read More

At the Flagship, November 2022

e-Newsletter, Welcome

@TheFlagship November 2022. The City of Oxford held its Annual Christmas Lighting Event on Nov. 8 in front of City Hall.

 

CHANCELLOR’S 3 THINGS TO KNOW

November has been a whirlwind at Mississippi’s flagship university. We welcomed renowned industry and government leaders and the SEC Nation television show to our campus, traveled across Texas to meet with prospective students during the inaugural Hotty Toddy Tour/Academic Roadshow, and enjoyed a visit with the youngest students on our campus — the preschoolers at our Willie Price Lab School. Here are three things to know right now:
  • ENROLLMENT ON THE RISE. The official numbers are in: Our total enrollment grew 5.1% this year, and we welcomed our largest freshman class ever this fall! The numbers buck national trends, and we were the only university in the state to experience growth. Thanks to a community-wide commitment, these great proof points illustrate our success in recruiting, retaining, and — most importantly — supporting our students on their journey of self-discovery. The word is out that Ole Miss offers academic excellence, dynamic experiences, and value. See the special section below for more exciting details.
  • WE HELP MISSISSIPPI COMPETE. More than 60 government and industry leaders gathered on our campus Nov. 8 for the second annual Mississippi Competes Vision Session, a conference focused on strengthening the state’s economic competitiveness. Bill Cook, venture partner at Columbia Capital, president of Cook Consulting LLC and an Ole Miss alum, pioneered the event to explore opportunities for the state’s advancement. We were grateful to be joined by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, state Sen. Nicole Boyd, and state Rep. Clay Deweese. Panelists included representatives from Black Sea Technologies, Butler Snow, Digital Infrastructure, Energize Colorado, Kodiak Robotics, Microsoft, Prysmian Group, Raytheon Technologies, Standvast, and TuSimple. We know this event sparked new ideas and opportunities while expressing our commitment to partner in Mississippi’s growth.
  • FIRST-GEN STUDENTS MATTER. Our first-generation students took center stage during First-Generation College Week (Nov. 7-10), which coincided with the national First-Generation College Celebration. Events included a keynote from author Jennifer Morton, a panel discussion featuring students, staff, and faculty, and more. I’m so grateful for our StudentsFIRST program, which gives first-generation students the academic and social support needed to be successful. Our first-gen students bring an important dynamic to our classrooms with their life experiences, and they are to be commended for their pursuit of life-changing opportunities.
I hope you enjoy a wonderful and joyful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

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In Honor of Veterans Day

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

One of our most honored traditions as citizens of this great country is how we dedicate time to remember and honor those who selflessly served for our freedom and in defense of our nation. On this Veteran’s Day, I hope you will pause to reflect on the tremendous sacrifices made by courageous women and men. We owe these fellow Americans and their families our gratitude for their service to our country and the ways in which they protected our freedoms and risked their lives around the world to keep us safe, all without fanfare.

On our campus, we’re honored to have hundreds of veterans among our students, faculty, and staff. Please let these valued members of our university community know how much we respect and appreciate them, and how we recognize that their service allows us to enjoy a world of greater security, freedom, and liberty. On behalf of the entire Ole Miss family, I’m deeply humbled to thank all of our nation’s veterans and active duty service members for their service, leadership, and bravery.

Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce Signature

Glenn F. BoyceChancellor

 

At the Flagship, October 2022

e-Newsletter, Welcome

@TheFlagship October 2022. Members of the Pride of the South marching band perform on the Oxford Square during the university’s 2022 homecoming pep rally.

 

CHANCELLOR’S 3 THINGS TO KNOW

Welcome to the October edition of @ The Flagship! This month, we celebrated Homecoming, hosted the staffs of Mississippi’s federal congressional delegation, and enjoyed a spectacular Harvest Supper in support of the UM Museum. Here are three things to know right now:
  • LIFE-CHANGING WORK: Our faculty makes amazing contributions to the greater good. Nikki Reinemann, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, recently received a $1.5M Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the NIH to fund research related to cytoskeletal diseases such as cancer and heart disease. This award is Dr. Reinemann’s second award this year! Or, consider the transformative work that our School of Applied Sciences is doing with the North Mississippi Literacy Project. Our students in Communication Sciences and Disorders receive training and experiential learning as they work with schools in Lafayette County and Oxford to implement a multi-sensory structured language program to teach children to read, write, and spell. The program has benefited more than 2,000 children and will soon reach more.
  • HOTTY TODDY: We will celebrate the 2022 baseball national championship Nov. 9-12 by honoring the team during the Alabama football game. We’ll also premiere “Belief,” a documentary film from Ole Miss Sports Productions that gives an unprecedented inside look into the title run. On Nov. 10, the team will travel to Jackson for a luncheon at the governor’s mansion and visit Children’s of Mississippi Hospital. What a great series of events to celebrate our national champs! You don’t have to wait ‘til spring to see the national champs in action. Catch the team’s final fall game Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. against the Blazers of UAB.
  • MANY HAPPY RETURNS: We’re celebrating major anniversaries this year! The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP), which was created to address the severe teacher shortage in Mississippi public schools, has been training high-performing teachers for 10 years. The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts will mark its 20th anniversary throughout the year with a diverse slate of performances, an expanded offering for area school children, a book, and a spring gala featuring Mississippi celebrities and friends. Finally, the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College celebrates 25 years of cultivating academic excellence and outstanding student scholars. See the special section for highlights about this prized academic program.

 

Until next month, take care!

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Message to Campus Community on Student Death

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

To members of the university community,

What had been a beautiful fall Saturday in Oxford ended with a horrendous event that took the life of one of our students. Walker Fielder, a junior from Madison, Mississippi, was killed and another student, Blanche Williamson, a sophomore from Raleigh, North Carolina, was seriously injured after they were struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run just off the Square. It is a painful and distressing development for our campus community, and it is understandable that emotions are high with many unanswered questions about what happened.

Please join me in offering heartfelt condolences to Walker’s family, friends, classmates, and others. Walker was a leader in the Sigma Chi fraternity, and a widely liked member of our campus community. While there are no words that can alleviate the deep sorrow that his friends and family are experiencing, please keep them close in your thoughts and prayers during this time of immense grief.

In addition, please pray that Blanche continues to heal and recovers fully. She needs our support, love, and care.

I am grateful to the Oxford Police Department for its swift response. They are working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate this case vigorously, and two suspects who are not affiliated with our university are now in custody. Our community can help investigators by avoiding public speculation about what happened or why, and share relevant information if you have it. If you have any information that can help, please contact the Oxford Police Department at 662-232-2400, ​the University Police ​Department at 662-915-7234, or CrimeStoppers at 662-234-8799. Since this matter is an ongoing investigation, OPD will share updates with the public as they are able.

We are a tight-knit and welcoming campus and community, which is what makes this act so jarring for us. I urge anyone in need of support to reach out to those around them, or to seek assistance from one of the following university support services:

 

Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor