OXFORD, Miss. – Here is some reaction from the announcement that Dr.
Daniel Jones has been selected as the 16th chancellor at the University
of Mississippi:
“Dr. Jones comes up and stays here at the Inn very often, so I’ve gotten to know him over the past couple of years, and I’m happy that he’s going to be the new chancellor. He’s very nice and sincere, and I think he’ll do a great job. When you deal with people in this type of setting, you get a chance to see what they’re really like, and with Dr. Jones, he really is a sincere individual. When he says, ‘Hi, have a good day,’ he really means it.”
– Lena Snow, customer service supervisor at The Inn at Ole Miss
“He is very well-spoken. I think he has good vision for the university, and he has the ability to move this school forward in a positive direction. He’s a good leader, he’s amicable, and I think he’ll go a great job as chancellor.”
– Pam Abbott, compliance records specialist for the Department of Athletics
“I felt like we had a big vacuum to fill, and I was concerned about the availability of someone qualified to fill that void. I didn’t know if any such person was available, but I’m greatly relieved and pleased that Dr. Jones is going to be our next chancellor. I think if anybody can come in here after Robert Khayat and keep things going in the right direction, it’s Dr. Jones.”
– Jim McClure, UM alumnus (LLB, 1953) from Sardis
“At this point in history, I think Dan Jones is the right person to take over stewardship of this university and to build on what has been accomplished. I believe he brings integrity, creativity and an intense desire to push the University of Mississippi and the state of Mississippi forward.”
– Larry Sparks, UM vice chancellor for administration and finance
“I’m very impressed with Dr. Jones. He seems to be a good listener, and that’s a good quality for a chancellor. I think he’ll listen to our concerns and take them into account as he moves the university forward.”
– Marie Wicks, UM junior international studies and public policy leadership major from Ocean Springs
“He made some strong comments about openness, and I was very interested to hear that. I hope he means what he said about transparency and listening. I hope he really is interested in sitting down with people in a setting without cameras and everything being recorded and taking time to understand their concerns before making major policy decisions.”
– Betty Crouther, UM associate professor of art
“He’s a proven leader, he understands Mississippi and he is part of the Ole Miss family. He has identified the vision that we have to raise the standards and have our students meet those standards to improve the well-being and economy of the state. And what really made me comfortable with Dr. Jones is that he started off with the statement “A great public university,” and said he believes in it.”
– Rose Flenorl, president of the UM Alumni Association and member of the university’s Search Advisory Committee