Faculty Senate Defends Chancellor Dan Jones in Release

Photo courtesy UM Communications

The University of Mississippi Faculty Senate, a group of professors from all departments charged with making recommendations to the chancellor and academic council on university policies, released a statement Wednesday morning regarding the non-renewed contract of Chancellor Dan Jones:

The Senate of the Faculty of the University of Mississippi is shocked and extremely disappointed to learn that the Mississippi Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning decided not to renew the contract of our exceptional leader, Chancellor Dan Jones.

The Senate expresses its utmost confidence in Chancellor Jones and calls upon he Board to immediately reverse its decision and renew his contract.

Since 2009, under the leadership of Dan Jones as the 16th Chancellor of the University of Mississippi, the state’s flagship university has experienced extraordinary success that greatly enhances its national reputation:

The enrollment at the University of Mississippi has increased by 26 percent to more than 23,000 students.

The freshman class in 2014 is 48 percent larger than in 2010, and entering students are academically stronger.

Student-athletes at the University of Mississippi have seen unprecedented success in the classroom and in intercollegiate competition.

Fundraising for the academic and athletic programs at the University of Mississippi has increased by over 70 percent since 2010, totaling $381 million in gifts.

Initiatives to strengthen diversity on campus have made the University of Mississippi a more inclusive place. Among universities in the Southeastern Conference, we are a leader in African-American enrollment, and graduation rates of African-American students have improved by 21 percent since 2010.

The university’s strongest programs have thrived. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College has grown by 42 percent since Fall 2009 and the average ACT of the honors freshmen continues to rise.

Remarkably, the University of Mississippi under Chancellor Jones’ leadership has realized this success during economically challenging times that have forced many universities around the country to cut back rather than grow. Chancellor Jones has positioned the University of Mississippi for sustained success at the national and global level.

Chancellor Jones maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Faculty Senate and is committed to shared governance, openness and transparency. The result is a campus community characterized by academic freedom and a deed dedication to learning.

Chancellor Jones is an exceptional leader for this university and deserves to continue his truly outstanding work for the University of Mississippi beyond the end of his current contract on Sept. 14, 2015.

We teach our students that hard work and demonstrable success will be rewarded. The Faculty Senate of the University of Mississippi calls on the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning to act by those values and affirm its commitment to the future of our students, instutiona and state by renewing the contract of Chancellor Dan Jones.

The Senate of the Faculty of the University of Mississippi, facultysenate@olemiss.edu