150 Days January 1 - May 31, 2009
Dr. Donna H. Oliver, President
I was delighted to be named the sixth president and first female to lead the institution. At left is MVSU alumnae Dr. Bettye Neely who serves as vice president of the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees; my husband, James, Dr. Moses Newsome, MVSU’s vice president for Research, Planning, Community & Economic Development, IHL Trustees Dr. Douglas Rouse and Mr. C.D. Smith Jr.
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 administration. Much of January and February were spent in Jackson at the Mississippi Legislature or at the Institutions of Higher Learning offices. Woven between campus meetings were a series of trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with our congressmen 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 Universities and the Mississippi Economic Council. It has been a pleasure to speak before civic groups throughout the state. I have visited alumni chapters in Greenwood, Greenville, Tupelo, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., to name a few. Media coverage for MVSU has been extensive, with interviews 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.
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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 faculty 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 Association, the Mean Green Marching Machine band members and the Delta Devils baseball team, to name a few. Our recent Student Town Hall meeting 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 basketball teams and the NCAA Division I Regionals for the softball team. James and I have been honored to have community leaders host receptions for us in Greenwood and our weekly visits to churches in the Delta have been so fulfilling. The outpouring of support that has embraced us has been both humbling and rewarding. While I have tried to meet as many individuals as possible, if I have not had the opportunity
President’s Report 2009
to meet you, I hope to do so in the near future. It has been an exhilarating and challenging five months. But, you must know that I have thoroughly enjoyed every opportunity to advance the institution. We have been working diligently to advance MVSU’s future through our five-year renaissance strategic plan which we are calling The Valley Renaissance, depicted by an African Adinkra symbol that describes a bird, known by the name Sankofa, that flies with his head facing backwards as he advances forward without getting off track. Today at Valley, we are building on the strengths of the past and advancing forward with purpose for a promising future of distinction, uniqueness and longevity. When I stood in front of the faculty, staff and the community for the first time as president on January 5, 2009, I spoke about our primary goals. I want to list them here as a reminder of our five-year focus:
learning program will be a tremendous asset not only to the University, but the entire Delta area. We will be adding additional programs soon, including a strategic leadership program. We are in the final stages of the 2008-2009 assessment review as part of our Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaccreditation process for 2011. In individual programs, two of our departments enjoyed successful site visits this spring. MVSU’s undergraduate program in environmental 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.
T H E VA L L E Y
RENAISSANCE
• 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 student retention. We have implemented the Renaissance Learning Program with our first concentration – organizational management. Dr. Glenell Lee Pruitt is serving as director and our first classes are scheduled to begin in June at the Greenville Higher Education Center. This accelerated adult
I am pleased to announce that one of our environmental health professors, Dr. Ademola Omishakin, 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 fields 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 Information Science chair, Dr. Constance Bland, were recognized by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Dr. Stevenson was recognized for Outstanding Leadership in Higher Education and Dr. Bland was recognized for Outstanding Faculty
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Research. In addition, Dr. Stevenson is among 24 higher education leaders throughout the country selected for the inaugural class of the 21st Century Leadership Institute for Provosts and Chief Academic Officers. The Institute is sponsored by the American Academic Leadership Institute, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Council of Independent Colleges. 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.
implement the MVSU Mini Medical School with a goal of eliminating health disparities in the Delta. The school will provide healthy lifestyle instructional modules for middle schoolaged 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 Mississippi Medical Center to encourage more students from the Delta to pursue medical school after graduating.
I had the pleasure of hosting more than 30 superintendents, headmasters and principals from throughout Mississippi for a luncheon recently. The University presented each district representative with a scholarship to be awarded to a deserving student in their respective schools. We are strengthening our relationships with districts
We have consolidated the various health initiatives and services on campus under one umbrella. Our newly proposed MVSU Delta Fitness, Health and Wellness Center will house this program as well as all of our health community programs. We are keeping the faith that we will receive the necessary funds to construct this much
Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum and I signed a memorandum of agreement to explore agricultural and environmental partnerships to leverage The Valley’s proximity in the alluvial Delta. throughout the state to improve communication with the K-12 school systems and the local community colleges. This fall, we will be establishing the Men’s College at MVSU, designed for low-income, highrisk males who transfer from local community colleges. This is an exciting program that we have started promoting with our local high school students, including our recent Black Male Conference 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 environmental 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
needed building within two years. Rep. Percy Watson, chairman of the Mississippi House Ways & Means Committee, graciously served as Valley’s 57th Commencement speaker and personally acknowledged the need for the new facility. Our Public Square initiative is now thriving with the University’s corporate membership in the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce. Our plan includes creating more partnerships within our communities. This is important because a university is a public square only when it is integrated and interdependent with the community. Our Sankofa Renaissance Plan promotes the University giving priority to finding solutions to real-world problems Rep. Percy Watson, chairman of the Mississippi House Ways & Means Committee, delivered the by applying its expertise 57th commencement address. in research, scholarship,
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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 conjunction 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 officials including Dr. Marshall Bouldin of the Diabetes Care Associates, Dr. Rick Carlton of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi and Anna Lyn Whitt of the Delta Health Alliance, presented timely information to more than 100 attendees. Dozens of elementary students have received the opportunity to widen their vocabulary with a new program offered through the MVSU Office of International Programs. The Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures includes the study of French, Russian, Arabic and Chinese (FRAC). A major objective of the program is to increase interest in foreign language learning by offering foreign language and cultural instructions to students in third through fifth grades. I was delighted to attend the International 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 expose students to computer applications through the Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers Using Catfish and Their Environment as a Model (ITEST-CEMO) Program, funded through a grant by the National Science Foundation. The ITEST-CEMO summer component will introduce students to 3-D animation using the computer program, Alice. In addition,
students will visit a national fishery service laboratory 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—catfish farming. Students will also be exposed to remote sensing technology at the Stennis Space Center. In the past 150 days, construction has been completed on our newest academic buildings – the Science & Technology Building, the Men’s Residence 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 attend. 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 initiative 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
The Valley has launched a recyclying program that will also benefit the General text book Scholarship Fund.
during the months of June and July as a pilot project to study whether the project will aid in energy conservation and fiscal savings for the University. The University will be open Monday through Friday during regular office hours but employees will stagger their schedules to allow for a four-day, 40hour work week. During the past 150 days, we have held numerous observances and celebrations. Our annual Founder’s Week featured special guests, Sen. Roger Wick-
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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 outpouring of support from the local community, including a warm reception at the home of Lee Abraham (left), shown here with his brother, Sam.
er, Delta Council Executive Director Chip Morgan and motivational speaker and author Abe Hudson Jr. as well as The Manhattans who performed during the annual J.H. White Preeminence Scholarships and Awards Gala. We celebrated International Week with Bishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter, Nontumbi Tutu, as our honored guest. The first 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 fiscal budget was difficult. We were able to make these cuts without a single employee being laid off. However, additional budget 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 filling other vacant positions. Our plans are to
fill 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 absolutely essential. We have asked each department to cut an additional 5 percent from its 2009-2010 annual 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 continuous 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
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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 agricultural 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.
• 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
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 attitude 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 support and involvement. Sincerely,
• 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 first doctoral program in place by our 65th anniversary in 2015.
Mississippi Valley State University
Donna H. Oliver, Ph.D.
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Office of the president 14000 Hwy. 82 W., Box 7272, Itta Bena, MS 38941-1400 662.254.3425
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