To: The Students of the University of Mississippi
Aug. 5, 2014
Cc: Chancellor Daniel W. Jones, Provost Morris H. Stocks
We, the representation of the students of the University of Mississippi, want to acknowledge Chancellor Jones in his efforts to bring our student body together. We encourage the student body to diligently read the entirety of the report to remain updated in the affairs of this University. We applaud many of the efforts outlined in his August 1st Action Plan to the student body on the grounds that they are aimed at cultivating an open and welcoming environment for all students who make up the Ole Miss community. We stand resolute in our inaugural address: there is no more important goal for us, as leaders, than to ensure our students know they are wanted, respected, and treated with dignity at their university.
Firstly, we would like to say that diversity and inclusion are the focus of this body. We plan to be actively engaged in the process of creating the position of Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion, and the employee-selection process; to ensure that the students are represented in the decisions that will affect their day-to-day life at the University of Mississippi. We charge the Chancellor to include the elected leadership of our students in this discussion, to help mold this new position to its full potential.
Secondly, the recommendation for the University to offer more historical context to the symbols and names associated with the University is an initiative that we believe is well-founded. Educating the current and future visitors and members of this great University is important in understanding the challenging past of the Ole Miss community. This increase in knowledge will lead to us moving forward together. It is only by remembering the past that we, as a community, have a chance to look to the future. We congratulate the families of Roy Lee ‘Chucky’ Mullins, Ben Williams and James Reed on the well-deserved recognition of their ground-breaking accomplishments and contributions to the University of Mississippi.
The Associated Student Body is glad to read that the Chancellor’s report underlines the importance of retaining the term Ole Miss as our University’s nickname. Representing our student body, we agree that the overwhelming majority of students of all races see the term affectionately and would be upset with its removal. We believe that the goodwill that the University gains through retaining the beloved nickname is irreplaceable and its removal would be a great detriment to our university. We strongly believe that the decision to change or remove pieces of our University’s heritage is a decision that should not be taken lightly, and the students of our great University should be the ultimate judge of such important decisions.
Moreover, the Associated Student Body is already in the process of creating initiatives to help our university work towards creating and sustaining a more open and welcoming environment. As of Spring Semester 2014, the ASB has passed a bill (14-12) that created the Student Voice Commission, or SVC. The SVC will serve as a caucus tasked with hearing the voice of the student body. The forum is aimed at providing the students with an opportunity to adequately and safely voice their opinions in a non-threatening environment. The SVC is an exciting step forward for under-represented students attending our great university; it will gather information about how the student body feels and will transfer this information over to the leadership of the Associated Student Body and the University administration in an attempt to serve the students in a way that is more representative than bringing in outside experts that do not belong to our Ole Miss family. We have also created a week dedicated to the University Creed; composed of several events encouraging students to live by the creed and pledge to do so by signing the “Creed Book”. You will continue to see initiatives similar to these as we continue to focus our attention on the problems that affect our University.
In conclusion, we believe that the student voice is irreplaceably important in the decisions that the University of Mississippi takes. We insist that the Chancellor and the Provost reach out to the student body through its elected leaders to make sure that these changes are representative of the students and that the new position of Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion is created with input from the students that will be affected by its implementation. Furthermore, we as a University should neither try to erase, nor to forget the history of this remarkable University but rather to acknowledge the tragic events and to educate future generations about them; while embracing the heritage that makes us proud to be Ole Miss Rebels. We ask that the student body continue to promote honest, open discussion about the challenges that face this institution and we look forward to the continued effort to press forward towards open- mindedness together as an Ole Miss community.
Sincerely yours,
The Leadership of the Associated Student Body
Davis Rogers, President
Emerson George, Vice President
