Founded in 1848, the University of Mississippi, affectionately known to alumni, students and friends as Ole Miss, is Mississippi’s flagship university. Included in the elite group of R-1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification, it has a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics and business. With more than 24,000 students, Ole Miss is the state’s largest university and is ranked among the nation’s fastest-growing institutions. Its 15 academic divisions include a major medical school, nationally recognized schools of accountancy, law and pharmacy, and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, renowned for a blend of academic rigor, experiential learning and opportunities for community action.

Vision, Mission and Core Values

Our Vision
The University of Mississippi aspires to be a preeminent public international research university and a leading force for innovation and opportunity in Mississippi, the United States, and the world.

Our Mission
As Mississippi’s first comprehensive, public university and academic medical center, the University of Mississippi transforms lives, communities, and the world by providing opportunities for the people of Mississippi and beyond through excellence in learning, discovery, healthcare, and engagement.

Oxford & Regional Campus Mission
The mission of the University of Mississippi is to create, evaluate, share, and apply knowledge in a free, open, and inclusive environment of intellectual inquiry. Building upon a distinguished foundation in the liberal arts, the state’s first comprehensive university serves the people of Mississippi and the world through a breadth of academic, research, professional, and service programs. The University of Mississippi provides an academic experience that emphasizes critical thinking; promotes research and creative achievement to advance society; uses its expertise to engage and transform communities; challenges and inspires a diverse community of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students; offers enriching opportunities outside the classroom; supports lifelong learning; and develops a sense of global responsibility.

Statement of Institutional Philosophy
In pursuing its mission, the University of Mississippi community:

• Reaffirms its identity and purpose as fundamentally academic,
• Nurtures excellence in teaching, learning, creativity, and research,
• Provides the best, accessible undergraduate education in the state of Mississippi,
• Offers high quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, and
• Devotes its knowledge and abilities to serve the state and the world.

Office of Sustainability

Mission
The mission of the Office of Sustainability is to be a catalyst for environmentally positive change by educating, connecting and empowering the members of our community for the wellbeing of people and our ecological systems.

Core Values

• Inclusivity
  We believe in maintaining an open, safe and welcoming work environment.
• Adaptability
  We understand change is inherent. We embrace adaptability in pursuit of resiliency.
• Environmentally Centered
  We recognize the interdependency of nature and remain environmentally centered in decision making, processes and operations.
• Intentional
  We believe in deliberate and thoughtful work; we work hard on behalf of the greater good.
• Growth Mindset
  We embrace a growth mindset in acknowledging accountability and responsibility for our actions and impacts.
• Wellbeing
  We believe that to best serve our mission we must invest in individual wellbeing.

Community & Service

“The University of Mississippi is dedicated to having positive local and global impact. Scholarly engagement through community service is at the heart of our mission to transform lives, communities, and the world.” – Chancellor Jeffrey S. Vitter

The University of Mississippi is committed to transforming the state through service as outlined in the Strategic Plan. This commitment to transformative service strengthens our community, state, and nation. Whatever your passion for making a difference in the world and the lives of others, you can find many opportunities at the University of Mississippi.