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University of Mississippi

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
Office of Admissions
145 Martindale P.O. Box 1848
University, Mississippi 38677
Phone
(662) 915-7211
Email address
admissions@olemiss.edu
School Information
"Founded in 1848, the University of Mississippi, affectionately known to alumni, students and friends as Ole Miss, is Mississippi's flagship university. Included in the elite group of R-1: Doctoral Universities - Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification, it has a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics and business. With more than 24,000 students, Ole Miss is the state's largest university and is ranked among the nation's fastest-growing institutions. Its 15 academic divisions include a major medical school, nationally recognized schools of accountancy, law and pharmacy, and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, renowned for a blend of academic rigor, experiential learning and opportunities for community action." (Source: https://olemiss.edu/aboutum/)
General Information
The University of Mississippi has launched its "Pathways to Equity" social justice initiative. As part of this initiative, a committee will be organized to review "history and symbols", a diversity fund will be established, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion curricular offerings (and trainings) will be expanded. See developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • A reading guide for "How to Be An Anti-Racist" was provided.
  • The university offers the "Achieving Equity Grant" and "Faculty Development Grant."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • "Diversity Education" and trainings will be expanded and available for all students, faculty, and staff.
  • The university offers multiple types of DEI training.
  • Ole Miss invited two speakers in March 2023 to speak on race, racelessness, and building community in an event titled "New Thoughts on Race, Antiracism and the Dream of Beloved Community."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • Curricular offerings in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will increase.
Disciplinary Measures
  • University of Mississippi faculty senate opposed anti-CRT legislation.
  • In contrast with its usual support of DEI and anti-racism initiatives, the university stirred up controversy when it fired anti-racist history professor Dr. Garrett Felber. The socialist Liberation newspaper called this an "unprecedented action" and the "most recent example of the university’s suppression of progressive professors and challenges to UM’s authority and racist donors."
Program and Research Funding
  • A "Chancellor's Diversity Fund" will be established to further "equity-in-action" plans.
  • Fundraising and grant funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be expanded.
  • Ole Miss has an Achieving Equity Grants Program, which is jointly administered by the Office of the Provost, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP), and the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. This seed grant program is intended to support "innovative scholarly and creative efforts at UM that advance knowledge on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion."
  • The Diversity Incentive Fund is a program that provides support for new and creative approaches to raising awareness, engaging learners, and changing behaviors around diversity and inclusion within the university community. Examples of programs that may be supported include lectures, symposia, workshops, conferences, and performances.
  • The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement has a Diversity Innovator Award, which recognizes faculty and staff who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of DEI at the University of Mississippi and beyond. Diversity Innovator Award winners will receive an award package including $750 in professional development/research funding, an engraved plaque, and campus-wide recognition for their efforts.
Resources
  • The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement has a "Stronger Together" dialogue series that seeks to "provide opportunities for healing, effective allyship, and action that creates a better world."
Symbolic Actions
  • A "chancellor’s committee on race, history and symbols" will be organized.
  • The College of Liberal Arts' “10 in 3” Equity Plan includes implementing "systematic and sustained equity training and education at all levels", recruiting and hiring more Black faculty, and "[clarifying] mechanisms for bias reporting and ensure effective follow through."
  • The School of Social Work published an anti-racism statement on October 6th, 2020, where it stated its commitment to "dismantling the system of racism and oppression that perpetuates [state-sanctioned] violence, as well as social, economic, political, and environmental injustice."
Last updated September 16th, 2023
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