As students of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, we are disappointed with the IHL Board’s recent decision not to renew Chancellor Dan Jones's contract.

Our decision to begin our medical careers at UMMC was shaped in large part by the work of Chancellor Jones and his staff. We are proud to be students at an institution that produces influential research and respected doctors who serve both within our state and beyond, and we believe that the current and continued success of our institution is directly related to Chancellor Jones’s exceptional leadership.

The Board cannot and does not deny Chancellor Jones’s tremendous contributions to the growth and success of our school. The official rationale for non-renewal presented at the IHL’s meeting on March 23—disagreements regarding contract management at UMMC—do not seem to rise to the level of severity that would warrant the Chancellor’s termination. We question whether replacing the chancellor solely to address the minor and vague issues that the board has raised is, in fact, the most efficient or most practical remedy.

We are a diverse team of students training to serve our state and its people. While we cannot speak directly to the state of financial management at UMMC, we want to express our highest satisfaction with our UMMC experiences and with Dr. Jones’s leadership, specifically. We are united in our disagreement with the IHL Board’s actions and implore the Board to reconsider its decision, for the sake of our students, for the sake of UMMC, and for the sake of our great state.