Aug 03
0

Delta State discontinues programs at Coahoma County Higher Education Center

By | General | No Comments

Feeling the pressure of nearly $2.2 million in state budget cuts, Delta State University has ended its participation in the Coahoma County Higher Education Center (CCHEC) partnership in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Historically, CCHEC was a partnership between Delta State and Coahoma Community College (CCC) in Clarksdale. It was designed to enhance the outreach capabilities of both institutions by expanding educational and cultural opportunities for the people of Coahoma County and the surrounding communities.

CCC has now taken over program management at the center.

“The essential cause for Delta State to cease its operation at the CCHEC is directly related to the state budget cuts,” said Delta State President William N. LaForge. “We began the new fiscal year on July 1 with $2.2 million less operating budget funding than last July 1. For a university with a budget of our size, that is a huge reduction. This is just one of several strategies that we are employing to offset the budget cuts.”

Delta State enjoyed a 15-year relationship of providing a variety of programs at the center in conjunction with CCC.

“I’ve had the opportunity to speak with a number of Clarksdale and Coahoma County leaders about the need for this change and transition, and I have written the very generous donors who helped make this project come alive a decade and a half ago,” added LaForge.  “We’ve had some wonderful successes along the way, and we have relished our relationship with the Clarksdale and Coahoma County communities.”

LaForge said Delta State intends to continue its longstanding relationship with Clarksdale and Coahoma County by providing a wide array of programs to the local citizens through opportunities at the university’s main campus in Cleveland.

Dr. Charles McAdams, Delta State’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said it was a difficult decision to draw back from the CCHEC partnership.

“Delta State has been very proud of its commitment to Clarksdale through the CCHEC and our partnership with Coahoma Community College,” said McAdams. “Our desire to work with CCC and to support Clarksdale has not changed, but our financial ability to have a physical presence in Clarksdale has changed.”

Follow all Delta State news at www.deltastate.edu.

Aug 03
1

Turf to be replaced at Parker Field-McCool Stadium

By | Athletics, Foundation | No Comments
Delta State University fans, alumni and community supporters remember the excitement around the installation of the new artificial turf at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in the summer of 2014. Over the course of the last three seasons, issues within the substructure of the field, which has undergone numerous repairs, have led to it becoming a safety hazard for student-athletes, coaches and staff.
 
“The safety of our student-athletes, coaches and fans are always at the forefront of every decision we make here at Delta State,” said Ronnie Mayers, director of athletics. “Our goal right now is to aggressively address the field and work on a long-term solution that meets the needs of our program.” 
 
Delta State University’s Foundation is currently in negotiations with a well established Texas-based company to immediately replace the field, its substructure and turf. Construction on the new field should begin the week of Aug. 1 with the hopes of having the project completed by Sept. 2.    
 
“Delta State prides itself on being a family-centered university and we understand how important our alumni and fans are to our successes on the field and in the classroom,”added Mayers. “Your enthusiasm and financial support for the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen have never wavered, and you can rest assured that we are addressing the failures that occurred with the 2014 turf installation. We will keep you informed as we progress through this situation.”
 
Delta State Athletics and University Advancement has already begun a campaign focused on raising the funds to rebuild the field. A special giving page, including information on the project, will be available online at DeltaStateGiving.org later today.
For more information about the campaign, contact University Advancement director Patrick Hundley at 662-846-4704 or Matt Jones in Athletics at 662-846-4284.   
Aug 01
0

Express Registration Day set for Aug. 17

By | Academics, Admissions, Faculty/Staff, Students | No Comments

Express Registration Day will take place at Delta State on Aug. 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students planning to attend the fall term who have not registered for classes are encouraged to check in at Kent Wyatt Hall to take advantage of available student services all at one time.

The first 25 participants to complete their course schedule will receive a free Delta State t-shirt. All students who register during Express Registration Day will be entered to win a book voucher from Barnes and Noble. Refreshments will also be available throughout the day.

“The goal of Express Registration Day is to provide incoming and returning students with the opportunity to take care of any outstanding business before the fall rush,” said Caitlyn Thompson, director of recruiting at Delta State.

Representatives from the Office of Admissions, Financial Assistance, Student Business Services, Registrar, Housing, Graduate Studies, Student Life, Student Success Center and academic advisors will be available to assist students throughout the day.

Students are not required to sign up for Express Registration Day and may come and go at their convenience. Advising is only guaranteed through 2 p.m.

For details about the event, visit www.deltastate.edu/register, call the Office of Admissions at 662-846-4020, or email admissions@deltastate.edu.

The staff in the Office of Admissions works with students to complete the undergraduate admission process, provides campus visits to prospective students, hosts and attends recruiting events, oversees new student scholarships and communicates with students individually. To complete an application or check admission status, visit www.deltastate.edu/account.

Jul 31
0

Alumni to host Greenwood/Leflore County chapter meeting

By | Alumni, Community | No Comments
Pictured are the Leflore Alumni Event planning committee members (left to right): Danielle Morgan ’01, Forrest Hodge ’12, Rebecca Arant ’09, Miller Arant’ 03, and Alumni staff Melissa Love ’04 and Jeffrey Farris ’04.

 

The Delta State University Alumni Association will host the Greenwood/Leflore County chapter meeting at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta on Tuesday. Registration and a social will begin at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the program at 6:30 p.m. Abe’s BBQ will provide catering for the event.

“The Alumni and Foundation Office is excited to bring guests from campus to Greenwood,” said Jeffrey Farris, director of Alumni Affairs. “We look forward to visiting with our alumni, friends of the university and future Delta State students.”

Featured guests will include: President William N. LaForge; Todd Cooley, head football coach; Craig Roden, head women’s basketball coach; Matt Jones, senior associate athletic director of communications and marketing; Rebekah Arant, admissions recruiter; and the Delta State Alumni-Foundation staff.

The cost for the meeting is $10 per person. Prospective students are invited to attend as guests of the Alumni Association. To RSVP, contact the association at 662-846-4660 or visit https://www.deltastategiving.org/alumniassociation/greenwoodalumnievent.

Supporters are asked to consider contributing to the Greenwood/Leflore County Alumni Scholarship Fund and the Delta State University Marketing Dollars Campaign. Donations can be made on the event page.

“This event always promises to be a great time,” said Miller Arant, president of the chapter. “Greenwood and Leflore County DSU alumni are proud of our university and take great pride in promoting current and future endeavors. In addition to the sendoff of our newest Statesmen, we are extremely excited about the opportunity to award scholarships.”

The mission of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta (formerly Cottonlandia Museum) is to collect, preserve, interpret and exhibit tangible artifacts which enable the museum to educate the public about the art, history and natural history of the Mississippi Delta. The collection consists of historical items related to agriculture with particular emphasis on the cotton industry; military history emphasizing the Civil War; a regional art collection; the largest collection of Spanish Colonial trade beads in the Southeast; and an extensive collection of Pre-Columbian pottery.

The museum is currently hosting a vibrant exhibit featuring all new artwork by two Greenwood artists, Angie Crick Cole and Shawn Hodges. “Local Color” will include 20 pieces by Hodges and 28 by Cole. The artwork will range in sizes and will also be available to purchase. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.museumofthemississippidelta.com.

To stay up to date on the Alumni Association’s activities, follow these social media sites: Facebook (Statesmen Graduates), Twitter (@DSU_Alumni), Tumblr (http://www.dsualumni.tumblr.com), LinkedIn (DSU alumni), Instagram (dsualumni) and You Tube (dsualumni1). Save the date for this year’s Pig Pickin’ (Oct. 7) and Homecoming (Nov. 11).

Jul 31
0

LaForge hosts fourth annual Mayors’ Summit

By | Community, President | No Comments
President William N. LaForge (left) recently welcomed local mayors, including Cleveland mayor Billy Nowell, to Delta State’s fourth annual Delta Mayors Summit.

Mayors from across the Mississippi Delta gathered at Delta State University recently for the fourth annual Delta Mayors’ Summit hosted by President William N. LaForge.

The university invited local mayors to engage in discussion about campus and community activities, and to continue forging collaborations and partnerships in the Delta.

This year’s meeting focused on overall campus updates, a summary of university initiatives, an introduction of a new government leadership institute, as well as updates from a number of campus leaders.

Mayors in attendance also had the opportunity to discuss common challenges and successful initiatives in their respective communities.

LaForge was pleased to build on the success of previous summits, a conference he instituted after becoming president in 2013.

“This is a great opportunity for Delta State to showcase its programs, its successes and its offerings to the elected leadership of the Delta,” said LaForge. “It’s also an opportunity for us to hear from them and find out what they need in the way of workforce and programming. It’s extremely important for us to build these relationships because we must all work together for the improvement of the Delta region, and we also want these cities and towns to send us their students.

“We also offer a number of outreach programs in which local municipalities can participate, such as our race relations conference, the blues conference and our annual international business conference. And today, we’re announcing a program designed to provide professional development opportunities for local elected officials.”

The new program, called Local Government Leadership Institute, will assist Delta communities in addressing governance challenges by providing local officials with the information and tools needed to run their municipalities effectively and efficiently.

The program is a partnership with The John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development at Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Municipal League. It is being offered with financial support from the Robert M. Hearin Foundation and Casey Family Programs.

Billy Nowell, mayor of Cleveland,  is thrilled with the summit’s growth each year and with Delta State’s outreach efforts.

“It’s very important we continue this town-gown relationship,” said Nowell. “We really appreciate President LaForge planning this event. It really reminds all the mayors in the Delta that the university is here for them as well as all the students. President LaForge has shown that time and time again.”

Eulah L. Peterson, the recently elected mayor of Mound Bayou, enjoyed networking with university staff and fellow Delta mayors.

“As a new mayor, I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to be here at the summit and to learn about the things we’ll be working on jointly with the university,” said Peterson. “It’s also good to hear what other common concerns the other mayors have. This is a very positive opportunity to share and work together.”

Follow all Delta State University news at www.deltastate.edu.

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