Martindale-Cole Student Services: Enriching the Ole Miss Experience
The Martindale-Cole Student Services center at the University of Mississippi stands as a testament to the institution's commitment to holistic student well-being and its dedication to fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus environment. This article provides an overview of the services offered, the values upheld, and the individuals who have shaped this vital resource for Ole Miss students.
A Holistic Approach to Student Support
Student Affairs at the University of Mississippi enriches the student experience outside of the classroom. Recognizing that student success extends beyond academics, the Division of Student Affairs works diligently to meet the mental, emotional, and physical needs of the campus community. The departments within Student Affairs collectively create a well-rounded support system, ensuring that students have the resources they need to thrive. Whether a current student, prospective student, or a parent or family member, the Division of Student Affairs is there to support you.
Mission, Vision, and Values: Guiding Principles
The Division of Student Affairs operates under a clearly defined mission, vision, and set of values that guide its work.
Mission: To facilitate a holistic, student-centered experience that nurtures the growth, dignity, development, and talents of every student in preparation for a lifetime of learning, leadership, and success.
Vision: To be nationally recognized for excellence and innovation in supporting the success of students, its leadership in the profession, and as a premier destination for student affairs professionals.
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These are the core values upheld by the Division:
- Community: Fostering caring, inclusive, and celebratory communities where all students, regardless of background, identity, or experiences, feel welcomed, valued, and supported. This involves cultivating a culture of campus collaboration and responsibility built on trust, respect, and open communication, supporting the tenets of the UM Creed.
- Respect: Promoting respect by treating members of the community with dignity. This includes valuing the contributions and perspectives of others through behaviors and a sense of shared purpose.
- Excellence: Championing ethics, excellence, and innovation in daily work. This means delivering programs and services with pride and distinction that enhance the student experience and reputation of the University of Mississippi. It also involves striving to be leaders in the field of student affairs through continuously expanding knowledge through active professional engagement and scholarship.
- Empowerment: Empowering students to navigate, actively participate, and problem-solve within the university and their communities so they can advocate for themselves and have their voices heard.
- Development: Committing to the holistic development, learning, and well-being of students and Student Affairs staff by cultivating a supportive environment that fosters self-reflection, self-discovery, and personal development.
Key Services and Departments
The Martindale-Cole Student Services Center houses a variety of departments and services designed to support students' holistic well-being. These include:
- Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct: This office provides a comprehensive array of approaches to support The University of Mississippi’s values of civility, respect for human dignity, and the honoring of community standards. Its purpose is to support students as they overcome mistakes, engage in character development with an emphasis on ethical decision-making and integrity, resolve conflict at the lowest level possible through education, facilitation, and support, foster a safe community, and provide a process to adjudicate possible violations of University policy when appropriate and necessary. The office also serves as a liaison between the University and local resource groups. Certified campus advocates provide confidential, non-judgmental support and options to empower students to create an individualized plan for healing. Staff and peer educators also promote awareness through programming and provide education for students, faculty, and staff concerning these topics.
A Resource for Parents and Families
Parents and families are vital partners in the Ole Miss experience, and the Division of Student Affairs provides resources to help them stay involved and support their students. These resources offer guidance and information to assist families throughout their student's time at the university.
The Legacy of Donald Cole
In October 2020, the University of Mississippi renamed the Martindale Student Services Center to the Martindale-Cole Student Services Center, honoring Donald Cole, a distinguished alumnus, educator, and administrator. Cole dedicated over 50 years to the University of Mississippi. Cole is known for being a tenacious advocate for diversity and opportunity for all students. Cole's legacy can be seen, heard, and felt all across this institution each and every day, so it’s very fitting that his name adorn the very building that so many students go to for support on our campus.
Cole entered UM as a freshman in 1968. Not finding the university welcoming for students of color, he wanted to fix the situation. In 1970, he protested at a campus concert, was arrested and spent two nights in jail. It would have been easy not to return to the university, but Cole had unfinished business. He said that he had not truly failed at anything, and he had come here to get a degree and I had failed to get a degree. Besides his roles as program director, grant writer, mentor and mathematics professor, Cole also served as a university administrator. He’s found a home in Oxford. He and his wife, Marcia, have been married for more than 40 years, and have three children: Donald II, Mariah and William. He’s also a deacon and trustee of New Hope M.B. The university and its students have benefitted from his quest to handle unfinished business that led to a 25-year career of teaching, research and service. He was an essential contributor to this effort and recruited and mentored many of these students.
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The Martindale Student Associates Honors Program
Established in 1980, the Martindale Student Associates Honors Program enables a select group of 12 Lehigh juniors and seniors-from across all Lehigh’s undergraduate colleges-to explore business, economic, and social and public policy issues outside their scope of classroom study. Students will travel to the place of research and will participate in meetings and discussions with thought leaders from government, business, social, academic and research institutions. The 15-month program is fully funded and follows a competitive application process.
Activities begin in February of the students’ junior year and run through graduation. The students are tasked with conducting group and individual research, and with writing top-class academic articles pertaining to the economy and public policy of our country of study for publication as a volume of the Martindale undergraduate research journal, Perspectives on Business and Economics.
The program features on-campus and virtual orientation sessions, a briefings trip in New York City, an intensive 12-day field immersion research trip in the place of study, writing and research workshops, presentation and peer review meetings, and a semester of independent study.
Supporting Student Affairs
The Division of Student Affairs relies on the support of donors to enhance its programs and services. Gifts to Student Affairs help support the holistic well-being of students, creating a flourishing and dynamic campus. Individuals can also maximize the impact of their giving by partnering with the Division of Student Affairs as a member of the Family Leadership Council.
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