Provost heaps praise on Ole Miss
School made transition to greatness, she says
By Jimmie Covington
Commercial Appeal
March 1, 2006
The University of Mississippi has made the transition to the status of a "great public university" over the past decade, the university's top academic officer told DeSoto County alumni Tuesday. "We are in a pretty enviable place right now," said Dr. Carolyn Staton, Ole Miss provost. "I dare say that it is clear to the state, it is clear to the nation, that the University of Mississippi is a great public university."
Staton, a lawyer as well as an educator, spoke to several hundred alumni association members at Bonne Terre Country Inn and Cafe during an Ole Miss Luncheon Series visit to DeSoto County. The academically focused luncheons are held around the state to report to alumni the successes that are being achieved by the university.
Staton, who has been at the university since 1977 and has been provost since 1999, filled in for the scheduled speaker, chancellor Robert Khayat, who canceled because of illness.
She said a call 11 years ago by Khayat for the development of Ole Miss as a great public university was met with skepticism. However, she said the university has achieved that level as a result of the efforts of "everybody who works at the university from the custodians on up."
Stanton outlined gains in the academic programs and offerings, improvement of facilities and enrollment. She described the development of the Honors College as the university has moved successfully to attract a growing number of Mississippi's most outstanding students.
Staton told how the university, through language instruction and other initiatives, is preparing students to play a role in the global environment of today's world. She cited the visits of writer Salman Rushdie, King Abdullah of Jordan and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to the Oxford campus during a brief span of time.
Staton said the university probably had 7,000 to 8,000 students when she arrived in 1977. The total enrollment at the current four campuses is 17,029 and each campus, including DeSoto Center in Southaven, is growing. The DeSoto Center campus has 750 students.
Citing the expansion of programs and enrollment growth in Southaven, Staton particularly praised Dr. Bonnie Buntin, Ole Miss dean at DeSoto Center.
"She has done a tremendous job up here," Staton said.
The 2 + 2 Scholarship Program operated by the university and Northwest Mississippi Community College plays a significant role in providing opportunities for residents to receive college educations without leaving the county, Staton said.
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