pearljohn

Message from Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce: Dear university community, Over the last several days, our campus has experienced actions that are diametrically opposed to our values of dignity and respect that we champion, teach and hold ourselves accountable to as an institution of higher learning. All of us work hard to ensure that our students are welcome, safe and valued at our university. This week, members of our team have met and continue to engage with student leaders to listen to their concerns and to understand the impact of these actions across our campus. Our focus has been and will continue to be on supporting our impacted students and ensuring their safety and well-being. Upon learning about the incident on the evening of Friday, Nov. 6, our staff responded quickly, providing care and resources. We met with the students and their families to discuss our processes, and I can confirm that the university investigation is moving forward. We believe in holding students accountable through established processes. Please understand that federal privacy laws limit what we can share about individual students and any disciplinary outcomes. I also want to address the incident of an unaffiliated individual on our campus yesterday, who came here with the sole purpose to disrupt our university community with racist and detestable behavior. As a public institution, we are committed to supporting First Amendment rights. At the same time, we vehemently denounce this person’s behavior, which does not align with our campus values. This individual’s actions were an obvious attempt to antagonize and offend our students, and in the face of bigotry, I am proud of the way our students demonstrated integrity and resolve. The University of Mississippi is an enduring community of welcoming and compassionate faculty, staff and students whose contributions and commitment to our mission and to one another reflect the very best of who we are. Unequivocally, we denounce and condemn actions, whether from inside or outside of our campus, that disparage people because of an aspect of their identity. Students from all backgrounds call our university home, finding opportunities to learn, grow into leaders and build lives of purpose. Every member of our university community deserves to feel safe, to be treated with dignity and respect and to pursue their education without fear of intimidation or harassment. We will continue to uphold these principles and support one another. The University of Mississippi will remain a place where all who come here to learn, teach and serve can move forward with confidence and purpose. Sincerely, Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce