The University of Mississippi

Office of the Chancellor

Letters from the Chancellor

Message of Gratitude, National Employee Appreciation Day 2023

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

 

Dear faculty and staff,

Dedicated. Successful. Caring. Talented. Generous. Passionate. Accomplished. Supportive.

These are just a few of the words that describe the faculty and staff at the University of Mississippi, and some of the countless reasons why our faculty and staff make this a great university.

Today is National Employee Appreciation Day, and we’d like to share our deep gratitude for how you infuse these qualities into our campus community and work culture every single day. We’re so thankful for your commitment to making our university a great place to live, work and learn. Our faculty and staff are vital to fulfilling our life-changing mission that serves our students, our communities, our state, and our future.

Your unwavering service to our students is inspiring and sets our standard for excellence. And, we recognize that your meaningful contributions go beyond what a job description outlines. You are mentors, advisors, and role models whose spirit of support and care defines this community. The extraordinary thought and attention you give to our important work is noticed and appreciated, and we remain committed to supporting you in all aspects of your work, endeavors and goals.

Thank you for all that you do, and for all you contribute to achieving our shared goals and building upon our legacy of excellence. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you! 

Sincerely,
Senior Leadership Group

Glenn F. Boyce Chancellor Signature

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor

Noel Wilkin Signature

Noel Wilkin
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Keith Carter Signature

Keith Carter
Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics

Josh Gladden Signature

Josh Gladden
Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs

Steven Holley Signature

Steven Holley
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

Shawnboda Mead Signature

Shawnboda Mead
Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement

Charlotte Parks Signature

Charlotte Parks
Vice Chancellor for Development

Charlotte Fant Pegues Signature

Charlotte Fant Pegues
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Eduardo Prieto Signature

Eduardo Prieto
Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management

Kirk Purdom Signature

Kirk Purdom
CEO, Ole Miss Alumni Association

Perry Sansing Signature

Perry Sansing
Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Governmental Affairs

Wendell Weakley Signature

Wendell Weakley
President/CEO, UM Foundation

David Whitcomb Signature

David Whitcomb
Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

Jim Zook Signature

Jim Zook
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

 

Well Done! End of Semester Message from Chancellor Glenn Boyce

Letters from the Chancellor, Welcome

Dear faculty and staff,
 
As we put a wrap on a great fall semester, I want to thank you for your dedicated work and passion for serving our students and the mission of higher education. Your tireless efforts are a major reason why the university has experienced such great success and continues to be a vibrant, thriving community.
 
What We’ve Accomplished
This fall, we welcomed our largest freshman class ever and experienced a 5.1% overall enrollment increase. More importantly, we worked together to meet the needs of our growing community. Your commitment to supporting our students contributed to our record-high retention rate, which far surpasses state and national averages. 
Additionally, our supportive, collegial work environment was key to our university earning the “Great Colleges to Work For” designation for the 13th time. In addition to celebrating research and academic achievements, this fall has been a time to commemorate significant milestones including the 60th anniversary of James Meredith’s enrollment and the integration of the university, the 25th anniversary of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, and the 20th anniversary of the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
 
What’s Ahead
As a university on the rise, we’ll continue to embrace our role in building leaders, empowering student success, creating opportunities, and driving progress. We have an incredibly important responsibility in serving this generation and the next. We also have the great honor of serving the state of Mississippi, and I know that we share a sense of awe in understanding the importance of our role and the potential for our hard work to make a deep impact.
 
Enjoy the Holidays
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, enjoying time with loved ones and engaging in activities that bring you joy. I’m inspired by all that you do as a valued member of this extraordinary campus community. 
 
Sincerely,

Glenn F. Boyce signature

Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor

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.
Read More

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

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

 

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