About DSU

Students at Delta State University will learn and grow in an environment that fosters discovery and creativity. The institution intends to be the best regional university in America as it combines a heritage of academic strength with a robust commitment to serving people and communities, particularly in the Mississippi Delta.

The mission of Delta State University is to offer exceptional programs and opportunities that are current, innovative, and responsive to the diverse needs of those it serves. The University provides experiences that cultivate intellectual growth and individual enrichment to develop productive members of local, regional, and global communities.

Approved by IHL, June 20, 2024

Delta State University is a community of individuals – faculty, staff, and students – recognizing the institution’s mission and dedicated to its fulfillment. To that end, each member of the community pledges his/her best effort. Integrity, civility, accountability, and a commitment to excellence govern behavior. Compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies is expected and accepted as the standard for the community.

COMMITMENT TO QUALITY IN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Acknowledging its beginnings as a teacher’s college, the University sustains excellence in teacher education while also continuing to expand offerings in traditional as well as new areas of study. From the core disciplines such as arts, humanities, and sciences to unique programs such as commercial aviation and community development, the University is committed to meeting the ever-changing and evolving needs of the students it serves. It sustains quality in those programs by maintaining accreditation of all programs for which an accrediting agency exists.

COMMITMENT TO LEARNING, SCHOLARSHIP, & STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Delta State provides programs that cultivate intellectual curiosity and promote scholarship among its students. Through a state-of-the-art library supplemented by a campus network of computer labs, students have access to a full range of information resources in support of learning. The University also acknowledges the importance of student engagement as central to successful learning. Toward that end the University has dedicated its quality enhancement plan as required for regional accreditation to increased student engagement. In support of community engagement and service learning experiences for students, the University has created an office and a faculty role to sustain those efforts.

SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
Delta State recognizes the need for a vibrant creative and performing arts program for its students and the region. The renovation of Jobe Hall provides a state-of-the-art theatre facility for student productions. Through the Bologna Performing Arts Center, the Delta Music Institute, the Janice Wyatt Summer Arts Institute, and a partnership with the Delta Arts Alliance, the University ensures the preservation and enhancement of the arts throughout the region.

ENCOURAGEMENT OF INNOVATION & EXPERIMENTATION
Delta State endorses the principles of innovation and experimentation, and makes them a part of its institutional culture. The University acknowledges the importance of an environment where students and faculty can undertake risks and experiment with new ideas.

RESPECT FOR PEOPLE & IDEAS
Delta State promotes mutual respect, teamwork, fairness, and integrity. The University is diligent in working to create a climate where students, employees, and constituents are valued and nurtured. Through an ongoing re-engineering project the University converts these principles into action.

COMMITMENT TO A STUDENTCENTERED CAMPUS
Delta State promotes a campus culture that fosters student development. From an array of student services to a nationally recognized athletic program, the University is dedicated to ensuring that the full range of student needs and interests are met.

COMMITMENT TO INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Delta State acknowledges its role as a public institution funded largely by the citizens of Mississippi. In recognition of that public trust, the University is committed to high standards of excellence with appropriate emphasis on effectiveness and productivity.

COMMITMENT TO REGIONAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Delta State, in partnership with various organizations, will advance community and economic development in the Delta region to improve the quality of life and raise the educational level of its citizens. Special attention is given to collaboration with our educational partners: Mississippi Valley State University, Coahoma Community College, Mississippi Delta Community College, the Mississippi Department of Education, and the K-12 schools of the Delta. Moreover, the Delta Center for Culture and Learning, the Capps Archives, the Center for Business Research, and the Center for Community and Economic Development provide a structure to ensure University participation in promoting and celebrating the unique heritage of the Delta while also addressing the longstanding social, economic, and cultural challenges that inhibit advancement.

COMMITMENT TO HEALTH
Delta State acknowledges the importance of physical health for its students and the region and extends its resources in support of that goal. Through undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing and preprofessional programs in the sciences, the University provides health care practitioners to serve the State. The University works as the leading partner in the Delta Health Alliance, a collaborative effort with other Delta stakeholders that conducts research and provides education on the health care needs of the region.

COMMITMENT TO TEACHING & FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
The quality of Delta State’s academic programs is central to its educational mission. That quality is affirmed through a dedicated faculty with credentials appropriate to their discipline. The University supports high standards of quality among its faculty and maintains those standards through the Technology Learning Center, a modern faculty development office dedicated to the application of technology to teaching, and through the Kent and Janice Wyatt Faculty Development Program, a University Foundation initiative that provides resources for faculty growth.

COMMITMENT TO LEADERSHIP
Delta State is actively involved in providing programs that train leaders for the twenty-first century. Through partnerships with the Kellogg Foundation, Delta Council, the Delta Regional Authority, and other Delta organizations committed to advancement in the region, the University is confident it can make a difference in the quality and training of the leaders who will serve on behalf of future generations.