The second candidate for the vice chancellor for diversity and community engagement made his case at the open forum Wednesday.
Charles Ross said that since he came to Ole Miss in 1996, he has been a leader and a companion to both students and staff who want to make a difference at the university.
Between 1989 and 1996, Ross earned two masters degrees in history and African-American studies and a doctorate in history at Ohio State University.
He’s been teaching at Ole Miss since then and has directed the African-American studies program here for 15 years.
Ross said he was a major influence in creating the present-day African American studies program and transforming it from the scattered program it was when he was hired.
He said when he first came to Ole Miss, the school only offered a minor in African-American studies and the courses were spread out around different departments without regularly involved professors.
Candidate Charles Ross answers questions during Wednesdays’s vice chancellor open interview session. Ross believes in order to make Ole Miss the strongest and most inclusive, he needs student involvement. (Photo by: Xinyi Song)
“Now, we have an average five to eight students every year graduate with a BA in the program,” Ross said.
Ross pushed to hire more minority faculty across the board, not just within the African-American studies program. He worked closely with many of these professors, ensuring their success.
“I’ve been able to shepherd four faculty members through the tenure process, two more that are close and one who’s actually on a research grant at Princeton,” Ross said.
Ross said he hopes to have a widespread effect on the university if he is chosen for the vice chancellor position. This office has the opportunity to oversee diversity as it affects the entire university, as opposed to just the program he directs, Ross said.
In his 20 years here, Ross said he has seen a lot of change on campus.
“One of the things I’ve seen, however, whether it has been removing Colonel Reb, not playing Dixie, changing our mascot, is that every time we decide to do something like that, we appear to grow stronger as an institution,” Ross said.
Ross said he wants Ole Miss to be the strongest and most inclusive university we can be and said he knows progress starts with students. He said he has gotten to know the student body personally through his classes and understands their needs.
One of Ross’ former students at Wednesday’s session was junior business major Ryan Najim.
“I took his class and can say he has got a lot of passion and is truly committed to seeing everyone treated fairly, not just at Ole Miss but around the world,” Najim said.
Ross said he believes most people at this school want to embrace diversity and that as a school we have clearly made a significant amount of progress in that area.
“Remember, you’re the future of our society. How our campus and how our society is going to look is really based upon what you’re going to do,” Ross said. “Are you willing to come out of your comfort zone and address something that you see is wrong?”
