Campus Update from President Ennis

My Dear Colleagues:

I have a few items of interest on the eve of what I hope will be for you a restorative weekend.

First, I am pleased to report that Dean Leslie Griffin has accepted the position of Interim Provost of Delta State University. Interim Provost Griffin’s appointment is effective today, September 8, 2023, and is scheduled to end on June 30, 2024, giving us sufficient time for a national search for our next provost. I am thankful for the work of the search committee, which moved quickly at my request to identify nominees, vet candidates, and deliver to me a thoughtful and thorough recommendation. If you see them, please thank:

• Dr. Christopher Jurgenson, Faculty Senate President, Committee Chair
• Dean Vicki Bingham
• Dean James Gerald
• Dean Ellen Green
• Interim Dean Tomeka Harbin
• Interim Dean Joi Phillips

And, if you see Dr. Griffin, please offer words of encouragement. I have held many positions in academic affairs — from chair to director to dean to vice president to provost — and provost was the most challenging. It is almost impossible to balance the needs of the students, the expectations of the faculty, and the imperatives of the administration, especially when the provost must work under a new (and impatient!) president who is also learning on the job. Anyone who takes that role, or has taken that role, on this or any college campus ought to be appreciated.

Academic Affairs will benefit from Dr. Griffin’s time and talents. She is one of the many I have met on this campus who is willing to sacrifice her own comfort and desires in order to improve learning conditions for our students.

Second, on the matter of folks who are willing to sacrifice for DSU, I want to note the efforts of those involved in our SACSCOC reaffirmation process. Today, our Reaffirmation Report will be in the hands of our accrediting body, and meeting this deadline was only possible because so many people worked so hard and so quickly. I’m particularly appreciative of the professionals in the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning, the writing team who composed the report, and the leadership of Associate Provost Josie Welsh. I am proud of the work they’ve done, and this is a major step in our institutional progress. As the old proverb goes, “there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip,” so we’ll remain diligent in the coming months as that report is reviewed by SACSCOC. But, this enormous effort was necessary, and I thank everyone who put in the hours.

Third, I want to tell you how much your work at Delta State is known, remembered, and appreciated by our alumni. I have been delighted to go on the road over the past few weeks, conducting a “meet the president” tour among our graduates across Mississippi. Through the excellent planning of our Alumni Affairs staff, I’ve visited alumni chapters in Southaven, Greenwood, and Jackson, and met with individuals and small groups of alumni here in Bolivar County, in Clarksdale, Greenville, Oxford, Itta Bena, Leland, and a number of other communities blessed with warm Statesman hearts. Later this month I will make my first swing to the lower part of the state, visiting with graduates in Hattiesburg, Biloxi, and points south. Heck, if I learn we have an alum on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, maybe I’ll start paddling when I hit salt water.

I wish everyone reading this email could attend these events. Our graduates remember so much about their time here. They have described to me favorite classes, unforgettable activities, and vivid memories. I can’t claim any credit for this — all this work was done before my arrival — but just know that our alumni reflect with fondness on this beautiful place (so thanks to those who keep it beautiful) and the extraordinary experiences they have had here. Every day, when we interact with current students, we have a chance to create a memory that they will cherish. I’m fortunate to have that opportunity, and I hope you feel the same way.

Lastly, my staff informs me that as of today, I’ve been your president for 100 days. I don’t know what significance that number holds (except that 100 days didn’t go so well for Napoleon Bonaparte!), but it has been a privilege to spend 100 days in this place doing this work. I’m not much for predictions, but I imagine I’ll learn to be a little better at my job in the next 100 days, and improve even more with another hundred, and so on, so that I will eventually deserve the confidence you have placed in me.

Regards,

Dan Ennis