Mississippi State University Interim President Charles Lee is settling in well into his new position as last week marked his first full working week as interim president with classes in session. Lee said he was very pleased with all the support he has received since being named to fill the position Nov. 15 of last year.
“I’ve been very gratified by the support that so many people have offered- both in the community and on campus, and I’m very thankful for all their trust,” he said.
Lee said he is “still in learning mode about some divisions of the university,” and is still in the process of determining what areas need the most attention, but one matter that must be dealt with stands out clearly: Mississippi’s reduced education budget.
“There’s going to be a lot written about the role of higher education and its support-especially the impact of budget reductions on higher education,” Lee said. “The budget uncertainties are a key matter of concern because they have the potential to affect everything we do here.
“It is my belief that we have to do everything we can to protect the quality of the instruction here during this interim period, as well as the infrastructure that supports both the instruction and the everyday student life here on campus.”
However, despite his concerns, Lee is still hopeful about the future of MSU. He looks to MSU’s strengths rather than its current difficulties.
“In spite of the budget cloud, we have a lot of things going for us, such as the quality and spirit of our student body and the loyalty and support of our faculty and staff,” Lee said.
“I would also hope we could continue our momentum in improving our national status as a university. This would raise the value of the diploma; it would help us to attract quality instructors, and it would help us to attract resources and support for programs,” he added.
Lee and MSU Vice President Roy Ruby are also working to deal with concerns over academic dishonesty sparked by last semester’s incident of cheating on the Dec. 7 algebra final exam.
“I think we are saddened by what happened here, as well as similar kinds of things happening on other campuses,” Lee said.
“One of our responses to the event here is that we are planning to hold a symposium on academic honesty, and we hope to attract experts that can help our university and perhaps other universities deal with matters of academic dishonesty.
“I hasten to add, however, that ethics and morality are not only a matter of concern to the university communities,” he said.
Lee will continue to serve as interim president until a new president is found. Until that time, Lee has set certain goals that he intends to meet.
“I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure that our students have the very best academic opportunities and the very best opportunities for student life and leadership development that we can provide within the means granted to us,” Lee said. “That is our highest priority.