To Chancellor Vitter
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University of Mississippi eGrove Daily Mississippian 11-12-2018 November 12, 2018 The Daily Mississippian Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/thedmonline Recommended Citation The Daily Mississippian, "November 12, 2018" (2018). Daily Mississippian. 114. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/thedmonline/114 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Daily Mississippian by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE DAILY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2018 | VOLUME 107, NO. 48 MISSISSIPPIAN THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI | SERVING OLE MISS AND OXFORD SINCE 1911 THREE AND OUT Chancellor Vitter’s short time on campus has been defined by a public struggle with the university’s image. SLADE RAND [email protected] PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTIAN JOHNSON n era that was ushered in by a Sugar Bowl victory and following the removal of the state flag. In the meantime, I will remem- a Carnegie academic research honor came to a close on ber yearning for more monumental decisions to continue our progress Friday with the state education board’s announcement on campus — a period where students continued to yearn.” that Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter will step down from Though he said he’s proud of the progress he’s seen on campus, his position in January 2019. Vitter will resign as the Benson views the changes such as the contextualization plaques and Ashortest-tenured Ole Miss chancellor since George Holmes retired diversity programs as slow-coming, and likened them “to a band-aid... from his position as the first head of school in 1849, a year after the or perhaps a type of herbal medicine.” university’s founding. “I am so proud of the addition of the office of the Vice-Chancellor Vitter’s time at the university is often classified as one of change. for Diversity and Community Engagement. I am excited to see a black Beyond the multi-million dollar construction projects and physical woman as the University’s General Counsel,” Benson said. “I see the additions to the university’s landscape he presided over, Vitter led the Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement strengthening school through a time of cultural transition. and expanding. However, the plaques in front of buildings named after In the three years since Vitter became head of the school, the uni- white supremacists and the re-building of monuments glorifying the versity has added two new dormitories and a modern basketball arena. confederacy are a slap in the face. So, the changes that we want to see It welcomed both a new mascot and head football coach, hired the are slow — maybe working, but maybe not.” first Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement and Other Ole Miss community members have been disappointed with installed six contextualization plaques for campus elements. Vitter, like Vitter’s efforts in addressing Confederate symbols on campus, but for many students who first stepped on campus four years ago, will depart different reasons than those Benson cited. from an Oxford campus different than the one he arrived on. A group created earlier this semester named “Stand Fast Ole Miss” “I am gratified that we have grown dramatically in impact, stature has taken a vocal opposition to what its members see as Vitter’s pro- and commitment in the past three years,” Vitter said in the IHL’s gressive agenda when it comes to campus symbolism. press release announcing his resignation. “We are stronger academ- “Our goal is to bring Ole Miss back to a place where the Lyceum has ically, enjoy more support in private giving and research funding, as much regard and respect for defending conservative stances as it has and engage more proactively with the world around us. In addition, demonstrated for more extreme liberal postures,” wrote Hayes Dent, we are a more diverse community with a more visible dedication to the group’s founder. “Our Chancellor must be a strong arbiter of deter- inclusion and civility.” mining when the privileges of ‘academic freedom’ and ‘free speech’ are He adopted a university already on the path to change and oversaw being abused to the detriment of our University.” the implementation of many initiatives that began years before he The chancellor’s decisions when it comes to wrangling in Ole Miss’ took the job. ever-changing identity have left students and alumni on either side of On Oct. 26, 2015, three days before the Institutions of Higher the ideological fold dismayed. Learning voted to unanimously approve Vitter as Ole Miss’ 17th chan- Vitter was the first university official to condemn the racist tone of cellor, the university lowered the Mississippi state flag for the final a Facebook post made by prominent donor Ed Meek earlier this year. time. The state flag’s removal came one week after heated school-wide Vitter urged Meek to delete the post that was criticized for its racist and debate ended in an 33-15 ASB senate vote in favor of removing the sexist implications, and the chancellor later advocated for the state IHL flag from campus. The culture of change had begun to take root on to approve the removal of Meek’s name from the university’s School campus before Vitter was selected and it later came to dominate his of Journalism and New Media. The board voted to approve the name tenure at Ole Miss. change at its October meeting in Jackson. Jarvis Benson, a senior at the university and president of the Black Also in October, Vitter wrote an op-ed to The Daily Mississippian Student Union, said he learned patience through his four years of expe- in response to a report on the school’s racial climate published by four riences with the chancellor and campus administration. UM sociology professors. The report, titled “Microaggressions at the “I will remember this period (under Chancellor Vitter) as one of tran- University of Mississippi,” analyzed more than 13,000 entries from sition,” Benson said. “Chancellor Vitter’s entrance will be marked as Ole Miss students documenting bias related incidents in the university SEE VITTER PAGE 5 PAGE 2 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 12 NOVEMBER 2018 OPINION THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN EDITORIAL STAFF: SLADE RAND A word from DM columnists editor-in-chief [email protected] Chancellor Vitter’s resignation Chancellor Vitter has announced his intent to resign after three years of mixed reactions from the university DEVNA BOSE community. These six columnists have been students on this campus since Vitter’s investiture to his departure. managing editor [email protected] metrics as well as witnessed diversity on campus which, a husband and a son; rather BLAKE ALSUP news editor our university become in reality, sought to further it’s to say that the position of exceptionally divided. consolidate power over a chancellor is not and never TAYLOR VANCE A majority of conservatives vocal majority which wanted was the proper position for BRITTANY BROWN assistant news editors have felt alienated by Vitter’s tenure to end. him to excel in. Vitter’s leadership since the Vitter may have been trying Moving forward, it would [email protected] beginning, with his support of to pursue a third way at a be in the best interests of those who pushed to remove University which finds itself all students, facility and JUSTIN DIAL the flag of the state which hostile; however, he never alumni, regardless of their sports editor pays his salary, encouraging appeared to master the ability backgrounds and beliefs, to BEN MILLER the prohibition of the playing to be all things for all people. see the appointment of a assistant sports editor WILL HALL of Dixie at football games, He often humiliated our chancellor that is Mississippi- [email protected] [email protected] further engaging our school school with his nervous policy made, tried and true, and in a public relations debacle implementation and run-and- understands what it means to CHRISTIAN JOHNSON In the three years since with the selection of a new hide approach to criticisms an Ole Miss Rebel. photography editor Chancellor Vitter took mascot through a show vote, leveled by both students and [email protected] control of the leadership and, lastly, instituting various facility. This is not to say that Will Hall is a senior journalism at our university, we have overreaching programs sold I have any doubts in Vitter’s major from Atlanta. LIAM NIEMAN declined in various positive on the pretext of advancing abilities as a man, a father, arts & culture editor ELIZA NOE assistant arts & culture editor very turbulent term in the department and went on to this chancellor. This, coupled [email protected] position. There were many become the Provost at the with the many issues athletics controversies surrounding University of Arkansas where has suffered, are all reasons HAYDEN BENGE Vitter, as there have been he grew its academic faculty enrollment is down and public design editor around the many chancellors by over 60 personnel. Vitter outlook for the university [email protected] before him. Even with that earned a bachelor’s degree isn’t great. The university was said, why would people in mathematics from Notre indeed set for many setbacks ETHEL MWEDZIWENDIRA celebrate the loss of a leader Dame, a master’s degree in before his arrival. In light of opinion and design editor who has one of the most business administration from this, we should be grateful [email protected] stellar resumes this university Duke University and finally his he’ll stay on as faculty. I look has ever seen? Ph.D at Stanford University.