Mississippi State alumna and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Whitney Lipscomb welcomed new students at Fall Convocation in Humphrey Coliseum last week. Lipscomb, along with university leadership, discussed the importance of campus involvement, Mississippi State traditions and creating a memorable college experience. PHOTO: Jonah Holland | Public Affairs
MSU commemorates All-Steinway School status with public ceremony
Music filled the air last Friday [Aug. 30] as Mississippi State celebrated its achievement of the prestigious All-Steinway School status with a public ceremony. Now among an elite group of institutions holding the acclaimed distinction globally, MSU is one of less than 250 conservatories, colleges, universities and schools solely using pianos designed by Steinway & Sons for practice, instruction and performance. “I am incredibly proud of Mississippi State University's commitment to excellence in the arts,” said Teresa Jayroe, dean of the College of Education. “Achieving All-Steinway School status is a testament to our dedication to providing our students and faculty with the finest instruments for their practice and performances. This milestone reflects the generosity of our donors and the hard work of everyone involved in the All-Steinway Initiative."
Writing Center moves to library, enhances accessibility with central campus hub
The Writing Center -- a campus resource dedicated to helping writers of all levels -- has relocated to the second floor of Mississippi State’s Mitchell Memorial Library. The center, facilitated through the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, held its ribbon cutting in Room 2335 last week with MSU President Mark E. Keenum and English department and MSU Libraries personnel in attendance. “We want to provide all of our students with the resources they need to succeed, and the Writing Center and University Libraries are two of our greatest resources when it comes to supporting student success,” Keenum said. “Having the Writing Center here in this central location on the Drill Field enhances access and will help connect more students with everything else Mitchell Memorial Library has to offer.”
MSU Psychology Clinic cuts ribbon on new, expanded Rice Hall location
Mississippi State University’s Psychology Clinic invites the Starkville and university communities to make use of the wide range of mental health services including therapy, assessment and telehealth options at its new location in Rice Hall. At last Friday’s [Aug. 30] ribbon-cutting ceremony, Emily S.H. Stafford, clinic director and an associate clinical professor of psychology, said the new location represents forward momentum for the university’s pursuit of service. The clinic, she said, is committed to making mental health care accessible to all, with services offered on a sliding-scale fee structure. The MSU Psychology Clinic, a nonprofit mental health service, training and research center operated by the Department of Psychology, is staffed by graduate clinicians under the supervision of licensed mental health professionals.
MSU receives $8 million NSF grant to boost Mississippi science, technology capabilities
Mississippi’s leading research university is receiving $8 million from the National Science Foundation to lead transformative science and technology capacity-building efforts across the state. The four-year NSF award to Mississippi State establishes the Mississippi Research Alliance as a central hub for the state’s research ecosystem, leveraging existing strengths, expanding networks, and creating new opportunities to advance research and development. “Our state has some of the best research institutions and most talented researchers, but they have often been disconnected from one another. This grant will centralize the efforts of four Mississippi universities, resulting in a better statewide research ecosystem. I fought to increase the funding stream that made this grant possible, and I am glad Mississippi State University is leading the way on this effort,” U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said.
C Spire Foundation, MSU continue commitment to STEM education in Mississippi through grant for online computer science classes
The C Spire Foundation is continuing its commitment to K-12 students in Mississippi through a $180,000 donation to Mississippi State University that further supports STEM and the development and implementation of online computer science classes. The initiative builds on the C Spire Foundation’s $1 million donation in 2021 to help train more than 3,000 K-12 teachers after the Mississippi Legislature passed House Bill 633, requiring all K-12 public schools in the state to teach computer science by the 2024-2025 academic year. To help schools meet the legislative requirement and fulfill the need for qualified computer science teachers, the C Spire Foundation has partnered with the Center for Cyber Education at MSU to provide high schools with free access to quality computer science courses for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.
Fall general faculty meeting coming up this week
The Office of the President and the Robert Holland Faculty Senate invite all Mississippi State University faculty to the fall general faculty meeting at 2 p.m. on Wednesday [Sept. 4] in Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium. Interested members of the campus community are also welcome. The meeting will feature an update from President Mark E. Keenum. The MSU Television Center will provide a livestream of the meeting for those unable to attend in person or who prefer to watch online. The livestream will be available at https://vimeo.com/event/3997666.
Reminder: University policy addresses employee political activity
With campaigning for elected offices underway this year, Mississippi State's Office of General Counsel offers the following reminder of the university’s policy on political activities. There are several basic guidelines that university employees should keep in mind when engaging in any form of political activity. MSU employees are encouraged to review OP 01.14: Political Activities in its entirety and to understand their rights and responsibilities.
Free learning opportunities via LinkedIn Learning available to faculty, staff and students
Sharpen skills. Explore new interests. Increase professional value. These and other results are now available via no-cost learning opportunities to Mississippi State faculty, staff and students through MSU’s new agreement with LinkedIn Learning. A popular, online education platform, LinkedIn Learning’s 20,000-plus courses are available to campus via a quick login using their MSU NetID email addresses. With self-paced learning, courses are presented in various formats, including bite-sized video, audio only and in-depth content. The platform is directly integrated with Canvas, the university’s learning management system. MSU faculty can use it to supplement course material or even develop and load their own content onto the platform.
Smoke-free policy enhances healthy environment
Mississippi State University is a smoke-free campus. Official policy prohibits the use of any combustible or vapor products anywhere on campus property including university buildings, university grounds, university vehicles, parking areas and sidewalks. The smoke-free campus policy is part of the university's commitment to creating a healthy environment for all members of the campus community. Use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah or other similar devices are prohibited by this policy. The complete policy is available at www.policies.msstate.edu/policy/91301.
The Office of Public Affairs provides Maroon MEMO as a general information
resource for Mississippi State University employees.
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