People show their support for Chancellor Dan Jones at a rally in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, March 29, 2015. (DM Photo | Logan Kirkland)
JACKSON — Nearly 60 faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends gathered on the steps of the Institutions of Higher Learning building in Jackson Sunday to show support for Chancellor Dan Jones.
Between chants led by Madeleine Achgill and Phillip Waller, individuals in the crowd shared why they chose to “Stand with Dan.” Graduate of The University of Mississippi Medical Center Dr. Nina Washington said Jones was a leader who always kept his door opened and found a way to make the tough times in medical school better.
Washington said while she attended UMMC, she served as the president of the Student National Medical Association, which is “the largest organization for medical students of color.” She said any time she asked for Jones’ help, she would receive it.
“He was truly committed to increasing the diversity of The University of Mississippi Medical Center,” Washington said. “This man needs to remain as the chancellor of The University of Mississippi Medical Center.”
Many participants expressed confusion and dismay at the decisions of the college board.
“This is absurd and ridiculous, and there is no basis for the action they’re taking. It’s obviously some kind of power grab or ego trip,” Larry Clark, an attorney from Jackson, said from the steps of the IHL building. “(We) take two steps forward and three steps back.”
Three students came from Millsaps College to show support for the chancellor and led the rally in a chant. Daniel Kees, president of Millsaps Young Democrats, said the students came to the rally to support Jones because they believe what the board has done to Jones is a “travesty of justice.”
“We’ve seen from our perspective that he’s tried to continue to move the college into a place that it needs to be, ideologically and just in all that Ole Miss is doing,” Kees said. “We recognize justice when we see it. We just want to say Millsaps stands with Dan.”
After many men and women had come before the group and given voice to how Jones’ work affected their lives, someone who didn’t graduate from The University of Mississippi climbed the steps.
“I did not go to Ole Miss, and I did not graduate from UMMC. Dan Jones is not my chancellor; he’s my dad,” Jason Jones said.
Jones said there is an ongoing list of successes that his father has accomplished circulating these support events, and that even when decisions were tough, his father stood behind his beliefs of what was right for the state and the university.
“Progress is not more students, progress is more student involvement,” Jones’ son said. “Progress is not money, it’s more support.”
David Nowicki, a prospective student for the university, said the decision to not renew Jones’ contract could potentially impede the growth of the university, especially with donors threatening to pull funding. Nowicki said he does not want to see the well-being of the university suffer and that he and other students have been looking forward to the continuation of progress the university has shown under Jones’ leadership.
“Pulling such a good leader when he’s done so much for all facets of the university, it impacts our future just as much as it impacts current students and current faculty,” Nowicki said.
Some alumni and students, such as Brian Spurlock, came to share what the chancellor had done for them in their time at the university.
“Home was Ole Miss for me for five years, and no one worked harder to make sure that was true than Dan Jones,” Spurlock said.
Paul and Hannah Gay said they were confused as to the reasoning the board had for ousting Jones.
“My impression is that the decisions of the IHL that they’ve been able to express have been garbled,” Paul Gay said. “I’m not sure they want to come forward and say precisely what their reasoning was because it would probably paint them in a bad light more than it would reflect on Dr. Jones.”
As faculty member of The University of Mississippi Medical Center for 20 years, Dr. Hannah Gay said she was happy to have an opportunity to show how the students and faculty felt about this decision.
“We want to stand with Dan,” she said. “I would like the IHL to hear that the faculty and students that have worked and learned under him all support him.”
Seeing the amount of support they had in Jackson reflects the importance of Jones’ impact on the people he encounters through his work, Achgill said.
“I think it just shows how much people care in the state of Mississippi,” Achgill said. “It was great to see them here and hear what they had to say.The variety of voices that we had was real amazing.”
