Mississippi Valley State University's President's Report

Dr. Donna H. Oliver, PresidentDr. Donna H. Oliver, PresidentDr. Donna H. Oliver, President

150 DaysJanuary 1 - May 31, 2009

Mississippi Valley State University 5 President’s Report 2009

Dear Valley Family and Friends:Little did I know when I arrived in Itta Bena, Mississippi on January 1, 2009 that time would pass so quickly! It hardly seems that 150 days have passed since the onset of my administra-tion. Much of January and February were spent in Jackson at the Mississippi Legislature or at the Institutions of Higher Learning offi ces. Woven between campus meetings were a series of trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with our congress-men and senators as well as government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education, and philanthropic foundations. I attended conferences and annual meetings for the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), the Association for American Colleges and Universi-ties and the Mississippi Economic Council.

It has been a pleasure to speak before civic groups throughout the state. I have visited alumni chap-ters in Greenwood, Greenville, Tupelo, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., to name a few. Media coverage for MVSU has been extensive, with in-terviews ranging from the local newspaper, the Greenwood Commonwealth, to the statewide Clarion-Ledger, the Delta Business Journal and numerous others, including radio stations such as the Southern Urban Network and television stations.

I have had the pleasure to meet with faculty and staff as a group on several occasions as well as with the Faculty Senate and the Staff Council. We have a committed and dedicated team of fac-ulty and staff who desire to advance MVSU. In addition, our students have been quite receptive to our goals and initiatives. I have enjoyed my frequent visits to the cafeteria, sharing lunch with members of the Student Government Associa-tion, the Mean Green Marching Machine band members and the Delta Devils baseball team, to name a few. Our recent Student Town Hall meet-ing was just one of many as we ensure that our students are kept abreast of University programs, policies and procedures.

My travels have been extensive with students. I was thrilled to accompany our Honda Team to its competition in Florida as well as to SWAC tournaments for the women’s and men’s basket-ball teams and the NCAA Division I Regionals for the softball team.

James and I have been honored to have commu-nity leaders host receptions for us in Greenwood and our weekly visits to churches in the Delta have been so fulfi lling. The outpouring of sup-port that has embraced us has been both hum-bling and rewarding.

While I have tried to meet as many individuals as possible, if I have not had the opportunity

I was delighted to be named the sixth president and fi rst female to lead the institution. At left is MVSU alumnae Dr. Bettye Neely who serves as vice president of the Institutions of Higher Learn-ing Board of Trustees; my husband, James, Dr. Moses Newsome, MVSU’s vice pres-ident for Research, Planning, Community & Economic Development, IHL Trustees Dr. Douglas Rouse and Mr. C.D. Smith Jr.


to meet you, I hope to do so in the near future. It has been an exhilarating and challenging fi ve months. But, you must know that I have thor-oughly enjoyed every opportunity to advance the institution.

We have been working diligently to advance MVSU’s future through our fi ve-year renaissance strategic plan which we are calling The Valley Re-naissance, depicted by an African Adinkra symbol that describes a bird, known by the name Sankofa, that fl ies with his head facing back-wards as he advances for-ward without getting off track. Today at Valley, we are building on the strengths of the past and advancing for-ward with purpose for a promising future of distinction, uniqueness and lon-gevity. When I stood in front of the faculty, staff and the community for the fi rst time as president on January 5, 2009, I spoke about our primary goals. I want to list them here as a reminder of our fi ve-year focus:

• Enhancing academic curricula; • Enhancing student achievement; • Increasing student retention and graduation rates; • Excelling in all athletic programs; • Planning, assessment and accountability; • Improving deliberate work towards a successful accreditation; and • Achieving greater community building – internal and external to become a public square.

Here are highlights of our first 150 days:We have reviewed the academic offerings at The Valley and are working to provide professional development and training in action research for faculty to improve classroom instruction and stu-dent retention. We have implemented the Renais-sance Learning Program with our fi rst concentra-tion – organizational management. Dr. Glenell Lee Pruitt is serving as director and our fi rst class-es are scheduled to begin in June at the Greenville Higher Education Center. This accelerated adult

learning program will be a tremendous asset not only to the University, but the entire Delta area. We will be adding additional programs soon, in-cluding a strategic leadership program.

We are in the fi nal stages of the 2008-2009 as-sessment review as part of our Commission on

Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

reaccreditation process for 2011. In individual pro-

grams, two of our depart-ments enjoyed successful site visits this spring. MVSU’s undergradu-ate program in environ-mental health, one of the

three accredited HBCU programs in the nation (and

the only one in Mississippi) was reviewed by the National

Environmental Health Science & Protection Accreditation Council. The

graduate program in environmental health is the only HBCU accredited program in the U.S., and one of only seven in the nation. Our outstanding Social Work Department received an exemplary site visit by members of the Council on Social Work Education. The department’s graduates are many and can be found in most social agencies throughout the state.

I am pleased to announce that one of our envi-ronmental health professors, Dr. Ademola Om-ishakin, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to do research at the University of Ibadan, College of Medicine, Ibadan, Nigeria, during the 2009-2010 academic year. Dr. Omishakin will conduct research on HIV/AIDS Preventive Risk Appraisal of Nigerian Women.

While many of our faculty and staff have been elected to statewide and national posts in their respective fi elds of study, I want to mention a few who received awards this spring. MVSU’s new University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Joseph Martin Stevenson, and MVSU Mathematics and Computer Infor-mation Science chair, Dr. Constance Bland, were recognized by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Dr. Stevenson was recognized for Out-standing Leadership in Higher Education and Dr. Bland was recognized for Outstanding Faculty

RENAISSANCET H E VA L L E Y


Research. In addition, Dr. Stevenson is among 24 higher education leaders throughout the country selected for the inaugural class of the 21st Cen-tury Leadership Institute for Provosts and Chief Academic Offi cers. The Institute is sponsored by the American Academic Leadership Institute, the American Association of State Colleges and Uni-versities, and the Council of Independent Col-leges. International Programs Director Dr. Kathie Stromile Golden received the MVSU 2009 Black History Month Award for advancing diversity and represented the University at the statewide meeting in Jackson.

I had the pleasure of hosting more than 30 su-perintendents, headmasters and principals from throughout Mississippi for a luncheon recently. The University presented each district repre-sentative with a scholarship to be awarded to a deserving student in their respective schools. We are strengthening our relationships with districts

throughout the state to improve communication with the K-12 school systems and the local com-munity colleges.

This fall, we will be establishing the Men’s Col-lege at MVSU, designed for low-income, high-risk males who transfer from local community colleges. This is an exciting program that we have started promoting with our local high school stu-dents, including our recent Black Male Confer-ence where more than 125 young men visited the campus. Recently, Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum and I signed a memorandum of agreement to explore agricultural and envi-ronmental partnerships to leverage The Valley’s proximity in the alluvial Delta. Just last Friday, May 22, MVSU staff and I met with Dr. Keenum and his staff over lunch at his home, to explore other possible partnership opportunities for our facilities units and our Information Technology Department.

As vice chair of the board for the Delta Health Alliance, I am pleased that The Valley will soon

implement the MVSU Mini Medical School with a goal of eliminating health disparities in the Delta. The school will provide healthy life-style instructional modules for middle school-aged youth and the aging elderly population in the delta region. As a part of this initiative, the middle school students will be paired with and mentored by exemplary science majors at Valley. Likewise, The Valley students will be mentored by medical students from the University of Mis-sissippi Medical Center to encourage more stu-dents from the Delta to pursue medical school after graduating.

We have consolidated the various health initia-tives and services on campus under one umbrel-la. Our newly proposed MVSU Delta Fitness, Health and Wellness Center will house this pro-gram as well as all of our health community pro-grams. We are keeping the faith that we will re-ceive the necessary funds to construct this much

needed building within two years. Rep. Percy Watson, chairman of the Mississippi House Ways & Means Committee, graciously served as Val-ley’s 57th Commencement speaker and person-ally acknowledged the need for the new facility.

Our Public Square initiative is now thriving with the University’s corporate membership in the Greenwood-Lefl ore Chamber of Commerce. Our plan includes creat-ing more partnerships within our communi-ties. This is important because a university is a public square only when it is integrated and inter-dependent with the com-munity. Our Sankofa Re-naissance Plan promotes the University giving pri-ority to fi nding solutions to real-world problems by applying its expertise in research, scholarship,

Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum and I signed a memorandum of agreement to explore agricultural and environmental partnerships to leverage The Valley’s prox-imity in the alluvial Delta.

Rep. Percy Watson, chairman of the Mississippi House Ways & Means Committee, delivered the 57th commencement address.


and creative activity. I am tremendously pleased with our efforts to unite the corporate citizens and our academic community. Here are just a few of the many activities held on campus for The Valley and the Mississippi Delta:

Valley hosted a statewide diabetes forum in con-junction with the National Institutes of Health and the Jackson Medical Mall in collaboration

with the Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health. Leading

Mississippi health offi cials including Dr. Marshall Bouldin of the Diabetes Care

Associates, Dr. Rick Carlton of the Diabetes Foundation of Missis-

sippi and Anna Lyn Whitt of the Delta Health Al-liance, presented timely information to more than 100 attendees.

Dozens of elemen-tary students have received the op-

portunity to widen their vocabulary with a new program offered

through the MVSU Of-fi ce of International Pro-

grams. The Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures includes the study of French, Russian, Arabic and Chi-

nese (FRAC). A major ob-jective of the program is to

increase interest in foreign lan-guage learning by offering foreign language and

cultural instructions to students in third through fi fth grades. I was delighted to attend the Inter-national Banquet and see these young men and women perform songs and dance in the various languages.

Professors in the Department of Natural Science and Environmental Health this summer will ex-pose students to computer applications through the Information Technology Experiences for Stu-dents and Teachers Using Catfi sh and Their En-vironment as a Model (ITEST-CEMO) Program, funded through a grant by the National Science Foundation. The ITEST-CEMO summer com-ponent will introduce students to 3-D animation using the computer program, Alice. In addition,

students will visit a national fi shery service labora-tory at the Stennis Space Center and interact with scientists and administrators who are utilizing technology which have future implications in the leading industry in the Delta area—catfi sh farm-ing. Students will also be exposed to remote sens-ing technology at the Stennis Space Center.

In the past 150 days, construction has been com-pleted on our newest academic buildings – the Science & Technology Building, the Men’s Resi-dence Hall and the Women’s Residence Hall. We will hold ribbon cuttings and open houses in the near future and I hope you will make plans to at-tend. In addition, several buildings have received new roofs and much of the campus has been landscaped. The Jacob Aron Student Union now boasts a new convenience store and we recently held the grand opening of Checkers Restaurant, an alternative dining area. Campus lighting has been upgraded to improve security and safety for our students and employees.

We began our MVSU GO GREEN 2012 ini-tiative with an Earth Day Celebration and the launching of the electronic recycling efforts. Used ink cartridges, cell phones and other electronic equipment are being sent to a recycling company that in turn purchases these items. All proceeds are placed in our general textbook scholarship fund. Also, we have implemented a four-day work week

during the months of June and July as a pilot proj-ect to study whether the project will aid in energy conservation and fi scal savings for the University. The University will be open Monday through Fri-day during regular offi ce hours but employees will stagger their schedules to allow for a four-day, 40-hour work week.

During the past 150 days, we have held numerous observances and celebrations. Our annual Found-er’s Week featured special guests, Sen. Roger Wick-

the many activities held on campus for The Valley and the Mississippi Delta:

Valley hosted a statewide diabetes forum in con-junction with the National Institutes of Health and the Jackson Medical Mall in collaboration

with the Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health. Leading

Mississippi health offi cials including Dr. Marshall Bouldin of the Diabetes Care

Associates, Dr. Rick Carlton of the Diabetes Foundation of Missis-

sippi and Anna Lyn Whitt of the Delta Health Al-liance, presented timely information to more than 100 attendees.

Dozens of elemen-tary students have received the op-

portunity to widen their vocabulary with a new program offered

through the MVSU Of-fi ce of International Pro-

grams. The Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures includes the study of French, Russian, Arabic and Chi-

nese (FRAC). A major ob-jective of the program is to

increase interest in foreign lan-guage learning by offering foreign language and

cultural instructions to students in third through

The Valley has launched a recyclying program that will also benefi t the General text book Scholarship Fund.


er, Delta Council Executive Director Chip Morgan and motivational speaker and author Abe Hudson Jr. as well as The Manhattans who performed dur-ing the annual J.H. White Preeminence Scholar-ships and Awards Gala. We celebrated International Week with Bishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter, Non-tumbi Tutu, as our honored guest. The fi rst MVSU Music Industry Summit was held in February with a music industry panel geared toward high school students, a free concert, and a music symposium for the general public. We were delighted when featured Jazz musician standout Delfeayo Marsalis surprised the audience with a special performance with his brother, Branford Marsalis.

These are exciting times for MVSU, our Jewel in the Delta, but we do face some stark challenges.

As you may know, I began my presidency with a budget cut that affected all of the IHL institutions by some $38 million. This 5 percent reduction from the 2008-2009 fi scal budget was diffi cult. We were able to make these cuts without a single employee being laid off. However, additional bud-get cuts loom and we are faced with the challenges of maintaining the existing programs and services. The University has been proactive in reducing costs with the elimination of several vacant positions and not fi lling other vacant positions. Our plans are to

fi ll only those vacant positions that are critical to the minimal operation of the University. The same goes for equipment, purchases and consultants. We have and will continue to cut back travel and have not purchased any equipment that was not abso-lutely essential. We have asked each department to cut an additional 5 percent from its 2009-2010 an-nual budget. To overcome these cuts, we are also planning to increase our Sponsored Program awards and to increase our annual fund giving through our foundation, alumni giving, and corporate and private gifts.

There are other areas that we must ensure continu-ous quality improvement and now have measures in place to do so:

• Increase our declining enrollment from less than 3,000 students to 4,000 students by 2014. • Increase the number of faculty with a terminal degree from 68 percent to a minimum of 75 percent.

• Increase the number and the amount of scholarships given to our athletes.

• Expand our continuing education program and increase enrollment

• Increase diversity

• Increase federal support

I was delighted to share Valley’s story with America’s Favorite Dad, Bill Cosby, when he visited Greenwood (far left). The Manhattans entertained hundreds during our annual J.G. White Preeminence Awards and Scholarship Gala (top right). Mr. Oliver and I have enjoyed a tremendous outpour-ing of support from the local community, including a warm reception at the home of Lee Abraham (left), shown here with his brother, Sam.


• Secure funding to complete the renovations started on the J.H. White Library and the Academic Skills Building.

• Secure additional funding for our Delta Fitness, Health & Wellness Center.

• Complete the Sutton Administration Building renovation repairs by August 2010.

• We can achieve the vision through:

• Enhancing the rigor of our academic

curricula and student achievement

• Increasing the academic standards and competitiveness of the University

• Increasing student retention and graduation rates

• Demonstrating excellence in all academic and athletic programs

• Increasing community building, both internally and externally through our public square initiative and new partnerships; and

• Increasing the number of master’s level degrees and have our fi rst doctoral program in place by our 65th anniversary in 2015.

As I close this report, please be reminded that we are in a moment of time at The Valley where every minute of our work day, every task at hand, every goal we set, every event we sponsor, every potential student, every single action we take, must be entrenched with the at-titude that we determine our destiny by the choices we make – it cannot be left to chance.

We must continue to share The Valley story as we have 58 years of providing quality education to those in the Mississippi Delta with excellence and integrity. We are going to continue to do so – with your continued sup-port and involvement.

Sincerely,

Donna H. Oliver, Ph.D.

Sincerely,

One of the most rewarding exchanges I have experienced at The Valley is with the children of our Child Development Center. I was honored to serve as their graduation speaker (top left). Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum and I signed a memorandum of agreement to explore agricul-tural and environmental partnerships to leverage The Valley’s proximity in the alluvial Delta. (bottom left). Congressman Bennie Thompson received our coveted J.H. White Preeminence Government/Politics/Advocacy Award.


Office of the president 14000 Hwy. 82 W., Box 7272, Itta Bena, MS 38941-1400

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Documents

Mississippi Valley State University's President's Report