Many are going nuts over his hire.

Glenn Boyce to be named Ole Miss chancellor, sources confirm

Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the search process have confirmed to the Clarion Ledger that Glenn Boyce will be named the next chancellor at the University of Mississippi.

The official announcement is expected to be made at noon Friday on the Ole Miss campus. 

Caron Blanton, spokesperson for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, had no comment and would not confirm whether an event was scheduled.

The decision was reportedly made at a Thursday Institutions of Higher Learning meeting. The time for the meeting was changed on Wednesday. The 12-member board reportedly conducted interviews of several candidates over two days, a process that IHL officials originally said would take two to three weeks.

'Joke of a process':Twitter reacts to news of Glenn Boyce as Ole Miss' new chancellor

Boyce, 61, served as IHL commissioner from April 2015 through June 2018. Before that, he was associate commissioner of Academic Affairs at IHL. He was president of Holmes Community College for nine years before joining IHL.

Boyce also assisted in the search process that ultimately led to his hiring as chancellor. The UM Foundation, the university's private fund-raising and support organization, contracted with Boyce to meet with influential alumni about what they wanted in a chancellor and to speak with potential candidates for the position.

Immediate reaction online was severe, criticizing the college board for selecting someone who was part of the search and, in some cases, someone who didn't have the same academic credentials as other reported finalists. Word of protests and petitions started almost immediately after news broke of Boyce's selection. 

Ole Miss chancellor: Who did Glenn Boyce beat out?

But former U.S. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, one of Ole Miss’ most famous alumni, was encouraged. 

While Lott said former U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering had been his top choice, “of the ones I heard they were looking at” late in the process, “I thought (Boyce) was the best choice."

Lott said he believes Boyce can satisfy those who want an academician but still navigate politics and other facets of the job. 

“Plus I also love the fact that he appears to be a good ol' boy,” Lott said. “... I’ve heard good things about him all along. I hope he will be able to help with recruiting and in reaching out to faculty and alumni and students alike, some of whom have felt somewhat disenfranchised lately.”

Larry Sparks has been serving as the interim chancellor at Ole Miss since Jan. 4. Sparks took over for former Ole Miss chancellor Jeffrey Vitter, who resigned from his position on Nov. 9, 2018.


SOURCE: Suss, Nick and Pender, Geoff and Hall, Sam R. "​Glenn Boyce to be named Ole Miss chancellor, sources confirm." Mississippi Clarion Ledger, 3 October 2019, https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2019/10/03/glenn-boyce-ole-miss-chancellor-university-of-mississippi/3859695002/

Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.

https://thedmonline.com/students-plan-protest-in-response-to-ihl-appointing-glenn-boyce-as-chancellor/

When hearing UM Solidarity, a "progressive" student organization and Students Against Social Injustice (SASI) are going to protest... I kinda feel like if they hate him, he might be good.  But I agree, the IHL should be dissolved and we should have our own board of regents.

I just heard from a friend in Oxford that the announcement has been canceled.   Apparently some protesters got into the Inn where the announcement was to be made.

What a shit show.  WAOM