Originally called Mississippi Vocational College, Mississippi Valley State University had its origins in the the State Legislature’s enactment of the 1946 House Bill 700, which called for a college to be located in the Mississippi Delta “to train teachers for rural and elementary Negro schools and to provide training for Negro students.”

The need for such a school was evidenced by the growth it experienced in the subsequent years after opening. The primary focus of MVC in these years was indeed teacher and vocational training. However, as times and interests changed, MVC sought, in the early 60’s, to become more of a liberal arts institution. By an act of the 1964 Mississippi Legislature, Mississippi Vocational College was renamed Mississippi Valley State College.

The College’s founder, Dr. James Herbert White, stepped down as president in 1971. It was under the watch of Valley’s second president, Dr. Earnest A. Boykins, that MVSC was again renamed, this time as Mississippi Valley State University, on March 15, 1974. During Boykin’s tenure, MVSU grew rapidly, expanded enrollment and upgraded curriculum offerings as well as faculty and staff.

By the time Newman arrived in July of 1998, MVSU had become a nationally known and highly regarded institution of learning. However, Newman had a goal of moving Valley “from excellence to preeminence” and launched a series of aggressive marketing, recruiting and academic campaigns.

The result has been nothing short of breathtaking. Mississippi Valley State University has seen the highest rate of growth of any college or university in the state. The recruitment and marketing efforts instituted by Newman are paying noticeable dividends, and the University has branches in Greenwood and Greenville.

“Our federal funding has increased more than 104% since I’ve been here,” says Dr. Newman. “Last year—not counting what we have received this year—we were at $11.2 million in federal and state dollars, up from $5.4 million my first year in 1998. Private giving is up tremendously, as well.

The fact that our growth has been so tremendous just over the past few years, along with the notable increase in external funding, has allowed us to keep moving forward in spite of budget cuts that all institutions of higher learning are facing,” Newman continues.

While training teachers is still at the heart of MVSU’s mission (over a third of Valley’s students are in teacher education), Newman says that a new emphasis has been placed on science and technology with cutting edge programs, such as the Automatic Identification Technology (AIT) program.

“Because of such programs, we have entered into partnerships and negotiations with several major private companies who need this technology for their own business purposes,” Newman says. “We can then not only benefit this campus and our students, but also impact economic development in our community.”

While Dr. Newman says he recognizes the high level of overlapping in higher ed, he notes that Valley State is raising eyebrows because of its growth and new programs.
“I do think that our colleagues are beginning to understand and view the quality of our work better,” he comments. “In addition, more and more students are seeing MVSU as their first choice in education. That fact plays into our message of being an institution for all citizens in the state and especially to those in the Delta.”

Newman is quick to praise those around him as a major part of MVSU’s ascendancy. “You know we not only have some committed, brilliant people on our staff, but we also have quality students. The caliber of young people who arrive and graduate from here is getting increasingly higher. I credit that fact to our bringing in both faculty and students who are top notch from our outreach programs. The word is certainly getting out,” he concludes.

Along those lines, F. Perna Carter, Valley’s Vice President for Student Affairs, says that a goal of the University is to try and keep the undergraduates on campus. “These young people are indeed wonderful and bright,” says Carter. “Of course, with the Internet and all of the technological options out there today, we’re also dealing with a different type of student. Their motivations are different and their goals are, too.

My job entails acting as a bridge between the academic life and the hands-on outside activities which are an extension of a student’s learning,” Carter goes on, “and we try to encourage the student to give back, to stay on campus and work in this community.”

Carter says with the growth that MVSU is experiencing, she sees a much more diverse campus in the next five to 10 years. “Valley will certainly continue growing,” she says. “You will see more white and international students on this campus and a much larger offering of opportunities to all of our students based on the partnerships with business and industry we are currently forming.”

Of course, athletics has become a major factor in not only attracting students to any given university, but also in raising funds and school awareness. That fact is not lost on Mississippi Valley State’s campus. For years, people knew Valley only as the “school where Jerry Rice went.” While Rice’s Valley roots have been positive for the University, his legacy has also been hard to surpass, especially for the athletic department. According to Lonza Hardy, Valley’s Director of Athletics, that is changing.

“It’s obvious that the first encounter a lot of folks have with any given university is through the school’s athletic department and what they read in the sports pages,” Hardy chuckles. “And that’s okay. That’s just the way it is. But, these students today are not only super athletes—they’re super scholars, too. These days they have to have their priorities straight. If you don’t show sufficient progress in getting your degree, you won’t be playing sports for long.”

Valley’s athletic teams have made tremendous strides just over the last season as a cursory glance at the local sports page can attest. “From our baseball team to our upcoming soccer team, we have truly raised the bar in our athletic departments,” Hardy says. “I am extremely proud of that. It’s because of our recruitment efforts and because of our growing academic reputation that we are able to get the kind of players who will perform successfully both on and off the field.”

Hardy says that Valley is proud to be associated with legends like NFL great Jerry Rice and current Valley head football coach Willie Totten. But, he adds, there is also pride in the current Valley players and teams that are taking to the field today.

“Our baseball team had the biggest turnaround of any other team in the conference last year,” Hardy says. “Our softball team had the biggest turnaround in the entire nation. That’s the type of improvement we are seeing on this campus. There is a new sense of pride here that everyone can feel.”

Dr. Cassie Osborne, Provost and Acting Vice President for Academics Affairs, concurs with Hardy about Valley’s faculty and staff recruitment efforts. “We’re choosing the best people for the positions and we are able to be much more selective,” Osborne says. “You can’t go forward like we want unless a concerted effort is made to recruit only the best individual for the job at that particular time.”

Osborne credits much of the success in Valley’s recruitment to Dr. Lester Newman. “He really does have a clear vision of where he wants this school to go,” Osborne says. “That’s not saying anything negative about our prior presidents. They all had to deal with different circumstances and various other contexts. But, now things are in line and Lester Newman is the right man at the right time, I believe.”

For Valley’s future, Osborne sees an expansion of graduate programs. “I foresee at least five or six more graduate programs and up to 4,500 students on campus,” he predicts. “I also see a much increased and aggressive outreach effort in economic development with the surrounding communities here.”

Andre Curry, Vice President of Fiscal and Administrative Affairs, handles the University's fiscal operations. "This school is fiscally strong now," he says. "We've gotten more flexibility over the last two years due to the enrollment increase we've experienced. The one downside to this is, as you grow as we have, there is a need for additional state dollars to help increase faculty to keep up with student body size. This at a time when state funding is being cut."

However, Curry says that the Ayers settlement was a much-needed shot in the arm. "MVSU received $3.6 million from Ayers and that has been earmarked to create about 10 new faculty positions for next year," he notes. "In addition, we will be able to offer more competitive salaries." Curry says that every Ayers dollar the University receives is put in a specific budget and is tracked very closely.

"Our growth reflects the many great, positive things taking place here on campus," Curry sums up. "I think that in the future you will see much more development around the institution which, in turn, will help grow this local economy. That is already starting to take place and you will see this trend escalate."

Tonja Johnson, Executive Assistant to the President, says she serves as an “ambassador” for Dr. Newman’s office. Having been at The Valley since the summer of 2001, she has witnessed the huge level of growth the school has experienced firsthand.

“We’re all about access,” Johnson says. “Educational access was limited to a lot of people in this region, not just African-Americans. Non-traditional students have had a hard time finishing their education and we have tried to make it easier and more accessible for them. Single-parent students and older students have found Valley conducive and that’s part of our mission.

We work around the student’s schedules,” Johnson continues. “Whether it’s weekend programs, night courses, or classes at our Greenwood and Greenville locations. These are big selling points for our non-traditional students and Valley State is becoming well known as the institution that will allow people to better themselves in a manner suitable and convenient for them.”

Johnson says that MVSU is also looking at housing for single-parent students, thereby giving them and their children nice living facilities and a place conducive to their academic pursuits.
“This all ties in with Newman’s idea of ‘customer service’” Johnson says. “We want to ensure that all our students—traditional and non-traditional—-have a good experience here on campus. Accessibility is key.”

Johnson’s take on Newman’s philosophy seems to be working: The last major enrollment count at Valley State showed 3,651 students, with some 1,700 enrolled in summer school, a record number for Valley State.

Dr. Moses Newsome, Vice President for Research Planning Community Economic and Development, arrived on campus two years ago. Having had experience at Rutgers and Howard universities, as well Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, Newsome says his time in the Delta has been “enlightening.”

“There is so much potential for growth and change here,” Newsome says. “It is truly amazing. People often forget that we are the youngest university in the state and that, therefore, there is much growth yet to take place. We also have a receptiveness here on campus that is often not found in older, more conservative institutions.”

Newsome says he appreciates the emphasis on outreach that the school practices. “MVSU is concerned about making a difference in the lives of the people in the community,” he says. “That’s a necessity for the Mississippi Delta. To us, the term ‘Valley of Scholars’ means ‘applied’ scholarship. Our hope is that our students will leave here with a sense of commitment to their community and will apply what they have learned to grow the community.”

Newsome says he also respects the forward thinking of the University’s leadership as well as their keen appreciation of the past.

“The Founder’s Week activities really stand out in my mind,” Newsome says. “We bring in celebrities, political leaders and noted speakers to help celebrate our past. It’s a great display of our history and it impressed me immensely. It speaks volumes about this university and the awareness of how far we’ve come.”

One man who has actually been a witness to MVSU’s colorful and rich history is Dr. Roy Hudson, Vice President for University Relations. The Itta Bena native “literally grew up on this campus,” he says. “I first stepped foot on Valley’s campus in 1952 for various events with my high school and enrolled here in 1962.” Hudson chuckles, “I’ve drawn a check from every president on this campus.”

Hudson received his bachelors degree in English from MVSU in 1966, a master’s from Mississippi State in 1969 and his Ph.D. from Rutgers in 1973. He returned to MVSU that year as Director of Field Placement for student teachers and has been there ever since.
“This is really my school, my home, my heritage,” Hudson says. “Valley has given me so much. Growing up here in the days of segregation and the infancy of the Civil Rights movement was difficult. I’ve always said that without MVSU, I never would have seen the inside of a college.”

Over the years, Hudson says that he has witnessed a programmatic, proactive growth on the campus that he loves so dearly. “We’ve gone from starting as a teaching and vocational school with a limited curriculum to the graduate courses we are offering today. We’re serving so many more now and offering them so much more. By touching these people’s lives, we are adding much to this part of the state. It is very gratifying to me.”

Though Valley has ventured into the high tech and scholarly fields, offering diverse courses in environmental science, social work, sociology and human services, Hudson says his sincere hope is that MVSU will always develop the finest teachers for the Delta.

“I still teach English here myself, holding my rank of professor, and love it,” Hudson says. “It’s just one class a semester, but it’s one of my great pleasures.”

Mississippi Valley State University is a unique and inspiring success story, led by people with vision, sincerity and a love for their institution that is rare in the “free agency” culture of higher ed. A recent economic study also indicated that the school is a $43 million industry in the Delta.

“We want to serve as an ‘agent of change’ for those living and working in the Mississippi Delta,” says Renell Franklin, MVSU’s new Public Relations Director, who will be profiled in next month’s Delta Business Journal. “This is evident through the academic and cultural services and programs we are offering, such as the inception of the Boys and Girls Club and the B.B. King Workshop we recently held on campus. With our AIT hardware central information center set to be created, we will be on the cutting edge of technology on this campus, as well.

Extraordinary things are happening on this campus,” Franklin sums up. “That will be the trend for us here at Valley for many years to come.”

“For so long, Mississippi Valley State University was the most limited school in the state in terms of curriculum and funding,” Dr. Hudson summarizes. “We were young, we went through the threat of closure; we overcame a lot of obstacles. But we turned survival into progress. We worked hard to get where we are and out of the adversity came forth triumph. With good leadership and strong support, look at where we are today,” Hudson enthuses. “We’ve not only caught up with everybody else here at Valley State; in many cases, we’ve risen above.”

Dr. Lester Newman’s stated goal of “Excellence to preeminence” is fast becoming a reality. Momentum, time and history is certainly on the side of the university which rose “Up From a Cotton Patch” to become “The Valley of Scholars.” DBJ