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COVER STORY

Steering Ole Miss to Greater Economic and Academic Gains

ChancellorJeffrey Vitter

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Alot has happened in the almostthree years since Dr. Jeffrey Vittertook the helm as Chancellor of theUniversity of Mississippi. Ole Miss

is the Flagship University of the state,considered the best-known college in thestate with the largest enrollment, just over23,258. With an annual budget of $2.5billion, it is also an economic powerhouse.

Recent accomplishments include:• In fiscal 2018, external research

funding on the Oxford campus was uptwenty-three percent, and overall at theuniversity it was up 8.5 percent to a total of$134 million.

By BECKY GILLETTE Photography by Timothy Ivy

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• Total fundraising for the Oxfordcampus in 2018 was up almost 8 percent.Private donations across the university werenearly $117 million, the seventh year ofmore than $100 million, which helped theOle Miss endowment climb to a record highof $715 million.

• About $1 billion in new constructionhas recently been completed, is underway oris planned.

• Ole Miss has been named the twelfthfastest-growing university in the country inthe past decade.

• Economic development throughentrepreneurship and technology

commercialization continues to bear fruit.The nineteen-acre Insight Park is home totwenty-one companies, several based upontechnology developed at the university. Theuniversity has more than 100 commercialagreements with companies.

• At the state’s only academic medicalcenter, the University of Mississippi MedicalCenter (UMMC), new space is beingopened for clinical trials and translationalmedicine in order to take promising ideasand move them into practice. UMMC is atop healthcare provider in the state withmore than one million patient visitsannually.

Vitter is a major proponent of thetransformative ability of higher education toempower students to have meaningful livesand livelihoods while making the world abetter place.

“It all comes down to our mission oftransforming lives, communities and theworld,” Vitter says. “Within the system ofhigher education, flagship universities havespecial responsibilities to lead and serve theirhome state. Serving as Chancellor of theUniversity of Mississippi is an awesomeresponsibility because of the opportunity wehave to raise the standard of living forMississippians through the power ofeducation.”

Under his leadership, Ole Miss hasimplemented the Flagship Forward strategicplan.

“It is our roadmap of excellence,” Vittersays. “We have created amazing programs,and the recognition we are getting is veryrewarding.”

The University of Mississippi has earnedthe Carnegie R1 Highest Research Activitydesignation, held by only the top 2.5percent of colleges and universitiesnationwide. Vitter said that such adesignation means that the university excelsin innovative research, and what isparticularly exciting is when thoseinnovations can be further developed intopractical technologies, treatments, or cures.

“Effective treatments and cures are what

Chancellor Vitter in his office inside of the Lyceum

Celebration of Clancy Collins White’s $1.6M gift to the Ford Center in honor of her parents MaryAnn Mobley and Gary Collins.

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our world desperately needs, and we areleading the way in research on the diseaseslike Alzheimer’s and diabetes that impactMississippians most,” Vitter says.

In addition to the main UMMC campusin Jackson, the university operates hospitalsin Lexington and Grenada, and haspartnerships elsewhere in the state. UMMCis one of only two entities in the country tohave a National Telehealth Center ofExcellence Designation for providingmedical care in rural areas without doctors.UMMC has the only Level One TraumaCenter in the state, is a major organtransplant center, and operates the onlychildren’s hospital in Mississippi, BatsonChildren’s Hospital in Jackson.

In addition to the main campus, OleMiss has satellite campuses in DeSoto,Tupelo, Booneville, and Grenada. Vittervisits the Delta often, and just recently spenttime at the Delta Council and the DeltaHealth Alliance to learn about opportunitiesfor further collaboration. The university isclosely involved with the U.S. ArmyEngineer Research and DevelopmentCenter in Vicksburg on some applicationsof pioneering research done at Ole Miss.

Recent lean budget times for Mississippihave resulted in cuts to higher education.For Ole Miss only one out of every $8 inoperating revenue comes from state

appropriations. Vitter says that Ole Missworks hard to ensure access andaffordability, particularly for Mississippistudents. Its tuition is among the lowest inits peer group.

“The positive approach is that ouruniversity has been entrepreneurial,” Vittersays. “We understand the state has hadrevenue shortages, and we appreciate thestrong support of legislators and statewideleaders who value higher education, butthey don’t have the revenues to fully supportit. We have been proactive in raising otherforms of revenues, for example, attracting

out-of-state students who subsidize theeducation of in-state students. We havenovel programs at the graduate level thatattract students from throughout thecountry and bring revenues to the school.We are expanding our international studentbody to broaden the cultural experiences forour students on the campus, and alsoprovide added financial support to theuniversity.”

It is hard to imagine how much Oxfordand Ole Miss have grown in recent years.Thirty years ago, there wasn’t even aMcDonald’s in town, and only a few

Jeffrey S. Vitter was inaugurated as the 17th chancellorof the University of Mississippi on Nov. 10, 2016 duringan investiture ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Centerfor the Performing Arts. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole MissDigital Imaging Services.

Special moments captured and on display in the Chancellor’s office.

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restaurants. Fueled by Ole Miss, thepopulation of Oxford grew 24.3 percentbetween 2010 and 2017 alone.

With such rapid growth, Vitter says they“tapped the brakes” on student enrollmentto help catch up the infrastructure. Thispresent school year, enrollment dipped bytwo percent. But that has to be contrastedwith enrollment growth of 27 percent overthe past decade.

“That sharp growth trajectory doesn'tcome without challenges, and we have hadour share,” Vitter says. “We have beengrowing at a pace that was not sustainableand were trying to build infrastructure tocatch up. We are looking now to grow at asteady, sustained pace that will allow us tokeep up in terms of our infrastructure andcontinue to provide a stellar learningenvironment.”

A lot of the focus in the strategic plan ison synergies across different academic areas.

“In today’s world, the grand challengeswe face are highly multidisciplinary,” Vittersays. “No one discipline has all the answers.We need a collaborative approach fromacross many fields. Our academic programsreflect that broad approach. For the pasteight years, our programs in accountancyhave been ranked in the top ten in thecountry. We now have a Master ofAccountancy and Data Analytics and aMaster of Taxation and Data Analytics thatcombine the world of big data, dataanalytics, and accounting, providingstudents skills to excel in this technology-

driven world. Similarly, we have programssuch as integrated marketingcommunications that bring togetherconcepts of journalism, new media, bigdata, marketing and business that employersfind highly valuable.”

Another approach is the program MPartner (MPartner.OleMiss.edu), whichinvolves working with community partnersin Mississippi to build a sustainablevibrancy in those communities. It providesstudents the opportunities to practice whatthey learn in the classroom by volunteeringwith communities in collaborative projects.M Partner has projects in its initial cohort ofcommunity partners: New Albany,Charleston and Lexington.

“Recently, we sent 150 students to thethree communities for an active day ofcommunity service,” he says. “Our studentspractice what they preach, and by doing soreally and truly learn so much about how tomake a difference in this world.”

Ole Miss alumna Rose Jackson Flenorl,Manager of Global Citizenship at FedExServices, appreciates the audacious goals setby Vitter.

“Chancellor Vitter has not only set goalsfor academic and athletic excellence, he haschampioned our responsibility to partnerwith Mississippi cities to build healthy andvibrant communities,” Flenorl says. “It is animportant reminder to our students, faculty,staff and alumni about the power ofcollective impact and shared resources tomake a real difference in Mississippi.”

Vitter learned early on the value ofhigher education. A native of New Orleans,La., his parents Audrey and Albert “A.L.”Vitter Jr. managed to earn graduate degreesand raised six children.

“I feel blessed to have grown up in afamily that was very close and loving,” hesaid. “My parents were my role models.Both were tremendously strong advocates ofhigher education. They instilled in mysiblings and myself a real appreciation andpassion for higher education.”

Growing up in New Orleans gave Vitterunique cultural experiences.

“New Orleans is such a rich diversemelting pot,” Vitter says. “I am a huge fanof music, especially traditional jazz and NewOrleans R&B. Growing up in thatenvironment was just so stimulating. It gaveme a great appreciation for history, music,the arts, and cuisine.”

Vitter graduated with a B.S. with highesthonors in mathematics in 1977 from theUniversity of Notre Dame, earned a Ph.D.in computer science in 1980 from StanfordUniversity, and an MBA in 2002 from theFuqua School of Business at DukeUniversity.

Vitter experienced a meteoric rise inacademia. From 1980–1992, he rosethrough the ranks to leadership roles in theDepartment of Computer Science at BrownUniversity. From 1993–2001, Vitter wasChair of Department of Computer Scienceat Duke University. From 2002–2008,Vitter was the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of

Sharon and Jeff Vitter host the Columns Society for an etiquette dinner at the Carrier House.

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the College of Science at Purdue University.In 2008-2009, he was Provost andExecutive Vice President for Academics atTexas A&M University. From 2010-2015,he was the Provost at the University ofKansas.

Alongside him on the journey has beenhis wife of thirty-six years, Sharon. TheVitters are “huge sports fans.” So are theirthree adult children, who, like their dad andeight other members of the Vitter family,graduated from the University of NotreDame.

“They have become big Ole Miss fansand visit often,” Vitter says. “Our oldestdaughter, Jillian, is on the faculty of theUniversity of Colorado School of Medicinein Denver. Our son, Scott, a former ArmyRanger, received his Ph.D. at the Universityof Texas in mechanical engineering andworks for Bain & Company in Chicago.Our daughter, Audrey, received a Master ofProfessional Studies in Supply ChainManagement from Penn State and works atG.E. Aviation.”

Vitter said being at Ole Miss gives himand his wife opportunities to attend greatperformances, go to a variety of athleticevents and to hear a number of stimulatingtalks by our faculty, visitors and otherilluminati in the area.

“And we love getting around meetingand interacting with people,” he says.“Oxford and Mississippi are very socialplaces.”

Mary Donnelly Haskell, former chair ofthe Ole Miss Women’s Council, has workedclosely alongside the Vitters since theyjoined the Ole Miss family.

“We are indeed fortunate to have themas a part of the legacy we build for theuniversity moving forward,” Haskell says.“What I appreciate the most about whatthey bring to the Ole Miss community istheir spirit of service. Through every eventand program that the Ole Miss Women’sCouncil sponsors, both the Chancellor andSharon have been there every step of theway inspiring our student scholars to takeadvantage of every opportunity affordedthem through leadership, mentorship andphilanthropy.”

Sharon Vitter said what impresses herabout Ole Miss is that people are sopassionate, not just about athletics, butabout all aspects of the university.

“I think Jeff ’s broad background and

experience at other universities beforecoming to the University of Mississippigives his supporters confidence that heknows how to move the university forward,”she says. “It also gives the faculty confidencethat he understands the pressures and theissues that they are dealing with. And sinceJeff is on social media, it makes him moreaccessible to students, friends, and alumni.They feel comfortable approaching himwhen we are at events.”

Despite his busy career, he always hadtime for their children when they weregrowing up.

“What I admire personally about Jeff isthat as a husband and father, he is loving,kind, and supportive,” she says. “When ourkids were growing up, he always made the

time to read to them, play with them,attend their school and sporting events, andtake them on a fun outing. He was the funparent! Even now, he’ll take the time to dosomething fun even though it means thathe’ll be staying up late to finish his work.”

She also said he is very passionate aboutmaking a difference through education. Atthe same time, he is methodical and eventempered, which allows him to evaluate anddiscuss challenging subjects and events thattake place on campus.

“He has a great memory and recall forpeople, places, and events,” she says. “Hereminds me of a chess player who plays outevery move to try and produce the bestoutcome.” DBJ

Athletic Director Ross Bjork and Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter throw the 'Fins Up’ sign with formerRebel Black Bear mascot Jordan Richardson at the 2nd Annual University of Mississippi Town Hallon Oct. 11, 2017. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Chancellor Jeffrey S. Vitter poses with a group of students during the 2016 RebelTHON charityfundraiser, where participants raised $112,603 for the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at theUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services