Filed under: MVSU
Happy New Year to MVSU faculty, staff, and students. I am looking forward to a great opening day on January 5!
The 2009 semester begins Monday with new student orientation at 9 a.m. in Carpenter Auditorium. I look forward to greeting all first-time students and their parents.
At 2 p.m., the Faculty/Staff Orientation will be held in the Social Science auditorium. My address will be “Building A Winning Team: Choices, Not Chance, Determine Our Destiny.”
I will be discussing how excellence and integrity will be the mainstay of our choices, how we will continue to positively build on the past with strong academics, increase enrollment and diversity, quality faculty, building partnerships in the community, and having winning programs in every aspect, including athletics.
I invite you to attend the orientation and learn what we have in store for this great institution.
Next week, I looking forward to meeting with students when they hold their first student government meeting. During a pre-holiday visit, I learned about some of the many accomplishments achieved by our students.
I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming days. Again, Happy New Year!
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Congratulations Dr. Oliver,
I am a graduate of Alcorn State University and am proud to see some of your first communication via blog. I, personally, feel that the internet and its various subsets have provided a medium for less financially equipped colleges and universities better opportunities to improve their playing field.
I do feel that these methods of communication have been under-utilized by our historical black colleges & universities thus far. Just imagine how useful it would be if our hbcu’s would provide prospective students “real interviews” of students who are enrolled and their reasons for attending college there.
To see your blog gives me an opportunity to say to you – “You’re on the right track!!! I look forward in seeing you accomplish great things at MVSU.”
Comment by Ronnie Hampton January 3, 2009 @ 02:54Seems as though MVSU, is finally going in the right direction. Great to see a female leader, good luck and hope the alumni, staff and students support you to the fullest.
Comment by Janice Maddox-Howard January 3, 2009 @ 03:42Dr. Oliver,
Allow me to the be the first respondent to your blog by saying Welcome! As a 1997 Comp. Sci graduate of the Valley, I extend a hand of welcome to you and your family. The many academic and social experience I was afforded at MVSU have served to make me the well rounded, professional I consider myself to be. In as much as I value these experiences I challenge you to take the baton that has been passed to you and ensure that many more students have the positive experiences and recieve the quality education that I did.
Again, Welcome!!
Comment by Jamison K. Stokes '97 January 3, 2009 @ 03:56Glad to have you, Dr. Oliver. I know you will do good.
Comment by Elsie Jones January 3, 2009 @ 14:29As an alumnus, I would like to welcome you to the “Valley!” You are a welcome and much needed change at MVSU. I have a daughter that is a freshman at Valley and I am so proud that she attends my alumni. I bleed green and white and look forward to you as our new larder. The atmosphere at valley has always been like a family and I hope it continues to stay that way. I communicate with a lot of alumni and there are a lot of things that we feel needs to be addressed. So, I’m sure you will be hearing from a lot of alumnus.
Comment by Torrence Payton January 3, 2009 @ 21:36On behalf of the Faculty Senate, Happy New Year to you also!
We are pleased to have you join us as our new President, and very excited about the leadership you will provide and the future of Valley. From what I know, 2009 will definitely be a great and exciting year. We look forward to working with you to make things happen—-by choice and not by chance!
See you on Monday!
Comment by Dr. Gwendolyn Catchings January 3, 2009 @ 21:53I look forward to seeing you Monday at orientation.
Comment by Paul Schreiber January 3, 2009 @ 22:05Dr. Oliver, I am so excited to have you as a part of the MVSU team. I just know that we have a lot to look forward to in the future. I hope to have the opportunity to meet you in person.
Comment by Pam Buck January 4, 2009 @ 15:13I am definitely a non-traditional SR at MVSU. I am a single white female, 58 years old, majoring in Business Administration.
Valley has been good to me, and for that I am so grateful. The students have reached out to me and allowed me to be a part of. Being from the deep south, I am amazed at how everyone has accepted me as a part of. The teachers are willing to help in anyway. They are committed to their students learning as to the “get it or get out” mentality.
I would so love for the image of MVSU to be my experience instead of what it is. The scene that occurred when you were nominated for the position does not help our image in the community. I was so relieved when they saw the wisdom of not carrying through their threats.
Thanks for taking the challenge to improve our school and hopefully to give us the image that Delta State and others share.
If I can help you in anyway, please do not hesitate to call me.
Thanks
Pam
Thank you Dr. Oliver for coming to Valley. I hope you will be able to make Valley a better place for learning. I was teaching Arabic at Valley last year, as a Fulbright Scholar. I love Valley
Comment by Elkhdar Abdelmoula January 4, 2009 @ 19:26Happy New Year Dr. Oliver and welcome to the Mississippi Delta. Look forward to being apart of the team vision for MVSU.
Comment by Marilyn Jones-Bryant January 4, 2009 @ 17:46Dr. Oliver, I am so elated to see a woman President at MS Valley State. I look forward to meeting you one day, when I start the Master’s program. Good Luck!
Comment by Melissa Ivory January 4, 2009 @ 20:47Dr. Oliver, I attended MVSU 1993-1995, I hope u pull us back into a winning spirit! I feel you need to create programs that will create and invite the kids of today a positive reason to want to attend MVSU! I try very hard here in Northern Mississippi to open the eyes of kids here to think of MVSU in their quest for higher education. I sometimes get shot down by kids and either old alumni who say the programs there are very weak and they try to enroll in other bigger schools for highlights and end up on the streets of loss of talent when they don’t cut the mustard at these other institutions! I fly my flags, bumper stickers and license plate in support. Can you find a way to recruit or help me recruit this area! I do it now because I love MVSU! please do something about our football team they really have some problems. At the top of my dream is to one day see MVSU band bigger and with more that 1 drum major find a way to help the kids continue with the band. Please find programs to help the kids get an education and encourage them to stay in school AT THE VALLEY. I WILL SEE YOU DURING FOOTBALL SEASON!
Comment by William C. January 5, 2009 @ 04:11MY OTHER DREAM IS THAT ONE DAY WE WILL WIN THE SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP AND BE THE BEST HBCU IN MISSISSIPPI!
Happy New Year President Oliver.
Comment by Barbara Baymon January 5, 2009 @ 00:55Dr. Oliver congratulations. My name is Gerrol Lee Johnson Jr. I bring you greetings from the class of 1995. The decisions that you make will determine the future that you create. I know that the future for MVSU is bright. Do what is necessary. Have a great day.
Comment by Gerrol Johnson January 5, 2009 @ 23:19I know you will bring excellence to the Mississippi Delta.
Comment by Emmitt Y. Riley January 8, 2009 @ 00:31Dr. Oliver Congratulations!! I am a proud 2006 MVSU graduate from the Math, Computer and Information Sciences department. I’m so excited to see a newness come to my school and wish you and the school the best. Please get a PhD. program in Computer Science so I can come back! Again, I want to extend a warm welcome to you.
Comment by John D. Stepney January 9, 2009 @ 23:11Dr. Oliver,
Best wishes on your new journey at MVSU. I am confident that you will be successful through faith in God. Remember always, prayer is the key.
Anthony Owens
Comment by anthony owens January 11, 2009 @ 07:39Dr. Oliver, welcome to Mississippi Valley State University. As a 1958 graduate of MVSU, I feel certain that you have the best wishes of my class as well as the rest of the alumni. It is our hope that Valley will prosper under your leadership and we look forward to meeting you.
Comment by Bessie R. Zeigler January 14, 2009 @ 17:30Dr. Oliver
I want to thank you for jumping right in and being a part of our community. We need all the positive influence we can get.
I want to address an issue that has been a thorn in the side in those of us who have classes in the business building. Last year and for the past 2 weeks the building has been sickingly hot. I had Strategic Management tonight, it was so hot that I got sick at my stomach and almost retched. I had to leave class several times, go to the bathroom and soak a towel to put on my face. Our building is new and wonderful. It is so much better than when we were here and there. I sure don’t know the mechanics of controlling the temperature, but I am sure that there is a way.
Comment by Pam Buck March 4, 2009 @ 21:50Thanks for listening to my gripe session.
Pam Buck