Mary Beth Blasingame

Mississippi State University

Public 4 year universityA Carnegie Doctoral Research Extensive

institution Classified as a Four-Year 1 SREB institutionAccredited by Southern Association of

Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters, specialist, and doctorate degrees.

Type of Institution

National Land Grant College established in 1878 after Congress passed the Morrill Act of 1862

Began as Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi in Starkville, Mississippi

The College received its first students in the Fall of 1880

By 1932, when the Legislature renamed the College as Mississippi State College

1926 received its first accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

By 1958, when the Legislature again renamed the College, as Mississippi State University,

Mississippi State’s Beginnings

Mission Mississippi State University is a public, land-grant university whose

mission is to provide access and opportunity to students from all sectors of the state’s diverse population, as well as from other states and countries, and to offer excellent programs of teaching, research, and service. Enhancing its historic strengths in agriculture, natural resources, engineering, mathematics, and natural and physical sciences, Mississippi State offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs; these include architecture, the fine arts, business, education, the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, and veterinary medicine. The university embraces its role as a major contributor to the economic development of the state through targeted research and the transfer of ideas and technology to the public, supported by faculty and staff relationships with industry, community organizations, and government entities. Building on its land-grant tradition, Mississippi State strategically extends its resources and expertise throughout the entire state for the benefit of Mississippi’s citizens, offering access for working and place-bound adult learners through its Meridian Campus, Extension, and distance learning programs. Mississippi State is committed to its tradition of instilling among its students and alumni ideals of diversity, citizenship, leadership and service.

Purpose As a Land-Grant institution, Mississippi State University is

dedicated to the three broad purposes learning, research, and service: learning, on-campus and off-campus, to enhance the intellectual, cultural, social, and professional development of its students; research, both to extend the present limits of knowledge and to bring deeper insight, understanding, and usefulness to existing knowledge; and service, to apply knowledge and the fruits of research to the lives of people

Vision Mississippi State University will be a leading public

research university that is globally aware and involved, accessible and responsive to the many constituencies it serves, and fully integrated with the intellectual, social, and economic development of the state, while delivering excellent programs of teaching, research, and service.

8 Colleges 180 plus degrees 14 master’s degrees in 59 programsEducational specialist degree in 8

programs Doctoral degrees in 35 programs

The States only Veterinary School of Medicine

and Architecture program

Degrees Offered

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Agricultural Engineering Technology and Business

Agribusiness Environmental Economics

Animal and Dairy Science Biochemistry

Culinary Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Landscape Architecture Landscape Contracting

Agronomy Horticulture Poultry Science Agricultural Information Science

Agricultural Science Human Sciences

College of Architecture, Art and Design

Building Construction Science Interior DesignArchitecture ArtEconomics (Arts and Sciences) General Liberal ArtsInterdisciplinary Studies Music Anthropology Biological SciencesMedical Technology MicrobiologyChemistry Foreign Language Communication EnglishGeosciences HistoryMathematics PhilosophyPhysics Political SciencePsychology CriminologySocial Work Sociology

College of BusinessBusiness Administration AccountingBusiness Economics FinanceBusiness Information Systems ManagementMarketing

College of EducationEducational Psychology Elementary Ed. Secondary Ed. Special Ed. Industrial Technology Information Technology

Technology Teacher Ed. Kinesiology Music Ed.

College of Engineering Aerospace Engineering Biological Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Biology Certificate Computer Science Software Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Industrial Engineering Manufacturing Certificate Materials Program in Engineering Certificate Mechanical Engineering

College of Forest ResourcesForestry Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

College of Veterinary MedicineVeterinary Medical Technology

To receive a Bachelor’s Degree students must…Earn atleast 36 credit hours in General

Education required curriculum English Composition 6 credit

hoursMathematics and Natural Sciences 15

credit hoursHumanities 6

credit hoursFine Arts 3 credit hoursSocial and Behavior Sciences 6

credit hours

Required Curriculum

Ethnicity Students Instructors

American Indian/Alaskan Native

106 4

Asian 251 63

Black/African American 4,232 49

Hispanic 373 23

International 795 28

Multiracial 216 8

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander

18 2

Unknown/Missing 319 1

White 14,114 918

Total 20,424 1,086

Demographics for Fall 2011

Fall 2011 Female Male

FT PT FT PT Total

Professor 61 3 226 26 316

Associate Professor

77 1 174 4 256

Assistant Professor

140

2 241 2 385

Instructor 97 5 58 1 161

Lecturer 34 104

24 72 234

Total 409

115

723 105 1,352Fall 2011 Female Male Total

Undergraduate

7,855 8,457 16,312

Graduate 1,831 1,958 3,789

Professional 234 89 323

Total 9,920 10,504 20,424

The Dean of Student Support Services oversees this department which is a combination of the TRIO program and Disability Support Services.

TRIO Program: help students overcome environmental, social, cultural, and academic barriers to higher education

Disability Support Services: help students with classroom and testing accommodations

Student Support Services

Authority for governance of Mississippi State University is ultimately the State of Mississippi in the Board of Trustees of the Institutions of Higher Learning

MSU’s President is delegated his authority by the Board of Trustees and exercises that authority through the vice presidents, deans, directors, and other officials of the administration in consultation, as appropriate, with units of the university and with the faculty, professional and support staff, and students

Governance Employed

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs oversees all of eight colleges along with the Meridian Campus, University Libraries, and Academic Outreach for Continuing Education.

Reporting Units: Athletic Academic Advising, Center for Distance Education, Center for Teaching and Learning, Developmental Programs, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, The Office of Graduate School, Office of the Registrar, University Academic Advising Center

Academic Affairs

Academic Administrator TrainingEarly Start ProgramLearning Skills and Support ProgramMaroon EditionNew Faculty OrientationQuality Enhancement Plan

Academic Affairs Initiatives

Mission To support the mission of Mississippi State University by providing

student learning opportunities that promote personal development through engagement in critical thinking, self-awareness, and healthy lifestyle choices in a dynamic and diverse environment that prepares our students to be ethical, responsible, service-oriented citizens.

Vision To create premier learning experiences that instill in our students a

spirit of inquiry, critical thinking, and diversity to become innovative and ethical leaders committed to serving the multicultural, global community.

Departments Admissions and Scholarships, Assessment and Testing Services, Colvard Student Union, Dean of Students Office, Dining Services, Honor Code Office, Housing and Residence Life, MSU Bookstore, Office of International Program Development, Parking Services, Recreational Sports, Student Financial Aid, University Health Services, University Police

Student Affairs