Presidential Search

CONTACT: Annie S. Mitchell, APR

Director of Media Relations, Communications and Marketing

Institutions of Higher Learning

(601) 432-6493

amitchell@mississippi.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

BOARD NAMES

DR. DONNA OLIVER 6TH PRESIDENT

OF MVSU

Jackson, Miss. – In a unanimous decision, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced in a press conference today that Dr. Donna Oliver, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida, will serve as the 6th President of Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). The announcement was made following day-long interviews with various campus and community constituency groups at Mississippi Valley State University, during which those participants had the opportunity to evaluate Dr. Oliver.

“Dr. Oliver is an outstanding choice for President,” said MVSU Board Search Committee Chair Dr. Bettye Neely. “I am confident that her leadership will allow Mississippi Valley to reach even greater heights.”

With a distinguished 30-year career in education, Dr. Donna Oliver has served as a K-12 public school biology and chemistry teacher, a college professor, and a K-16 administrator. She began her studies at Elon College, where she completed her undergraduate degree in biology and education. After teaching five years at the high school level, Dr. Oliver earned a master’s of education degree in biology and curriculum and instruction, followed by a Ph.D. in curriculum and teaching, both from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. Oliver will begin her service at Mississippi Valley in early January, 2009. A full biography and photo can be found here: www.mississippi.edu/ieo/downloads/donna_oliver_bio_081021.pdf.

IHL’s institutional executive officer search process allows Mississippi to be on the consideration list of the highest caliber professionals in higher education. The process is open, transparent and representative-based, and works in accordance with today’s recruitment standards for high-level institutions of higher learning. For more information on the MVSU institutional executive officer search processes, including timelines of events, visit www.mississippi.edu.

Under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, IHL governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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IHL BOARD NAMES DR. DONNA OLIVER AS PREFERRED CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OF MVSU

JACKSON - The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced in a press conference today, Oct. 13, that Dr. Donna Oliver, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Fla., is the preferred candidate for the position of President at Mississippi Valley State University. The announcement was made following a meeting of the Board of Trustees, representatives of the Mississippi Valley State University Search Advisory Committee, and search consultants Dr. Jan Greenwood and Ms. Marion Frenche.

"The Board and the MVSU Search Advisory Committee have worked diligently to identify the best person to take Mississippi Valley to the next level of excellence," said MVSU Board Search Committee Trustee and MVSU Alumnae Bettye Henderson Neely. MORE

MVSU BOARD SEARCH TO RECEIVE REFERENCE INFORMATION

JACKSON - On Wednesday, Oct. 8, beginning at 10 a.m., the Board Search Committee for the next President of Mississippi Valley State University, chaired by Trustee Bettye Neely, will meet in the IHL Board Room in the Universities Center, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211, for the purpose of hearing results of candidate background and reference checksw. Board Search Committee members will be joined by MVSU's Interview Search Advisory Committee, a subset of the original campus Search Advisory Committee formed to review all resumes and recommend candidates to the Boeard Search Committee. A listing of the members of the Interview Search Advisory Committee can be found here: http://www.mississippi.edu/ihl/newsstory.asp?ID=639. An executive session may be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. MORE

BOARD SEARCH COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE CANDIDATE RECOMMENDATIONS

Jackson, MS—Members of the Board Search Committee for the next president of Mississippi Valley State University, chaired by Trustee Bettye Henderson Neely, will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 10, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the IHL Board Room in the Universities Center, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS, for the purpose of receiving candidate recommendations from the MVSU Search Advisory Committee.

IHL's institutionsal executive officer search process allows Mississippi to be on the consideration list of the highest caliber professionals in higher education. The process is open, transparent and representative-based, and works in accordance with today's recruitment standards for high-level institutios of higher learning. For more information on the MVSU IEO search, including timelines of events, visit www.mississippi.edu.

MINUTES FROM MEETING WITH MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE CONSTITUENCY GROUPS

Jackson, MS—The Board Search Committee for the next president of Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU), chaired by Trustee Bettye Henderson Neely, has released the minutes from the listening sessions held on campus.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED

Jackson, MS—Commissioner of Higher Education Thomas C. Meredith announced May 29 the members of the Mississippi Valley State University Search Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC members will assist the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) with its search for the next president of MVSU. Search Advisory Committee members were chosen based on recommendations by university constituencies and reflect key members of the University community as well as the public and private sectors. The MVSU Search Advisory Committee is charged with identifying the most capable and qualified applicants and nominees to be presented to the Board Committee for review.

The Mississippi Valley State Search Advisory Committee members include MORE