Contact: Joe Farris
Lisa Harris
A veteran administrator with enrollment services experience at four major state universities in the Southeast is being named associate vice president for student affairs at Mississippi State.
Lisa Harris, currently at the University of Alabama, will have responsibility for the related areas of enrollment services, admissions, and financial aid and scholarships, along with other duties. She will join the MSU administration around Aug. 1.
The appointment is subject to formal approval by the state College Board.
"We want to see our enrollment grow, and recruitment, admissions and financial aid are all critical parts of the process of attracting students to Mississippi State and assisting them in becoming part of the university family," said Vice President for Student Affairs Bill Kibler.
"The entire enterprise grows more complex each year, but Dr. Harris has great expertise in this area and she has helped four comprehensive institutions achieve their enrollment management goals," he said.
Harris was responsible for undergraduate admissions and financial aid at the University of Alabama 1998-2003. She currently is U.A.'s assistant vice president for academic affairs.
She previously was dean of undergraduate admissions at Louisiana State University, coordinator of high school relations for the University of Tennessee, and assistant director of admissions at Clemson University. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Clemson and a doctorate at LSU.
"Mississippi State is committed to fulfilling its heritage and purpose as the People's University by emphasizing both access and academic excellence," said President Charles Lee.
"Our student recruiters and other student affairs professionals have been successful in the past, as evidenced by our outstanding student body. But we hope that increased emphasis and a broader-based approach to enrollment management will allow them to achieve even more," Lee said.
Kibler also announced that longtime student affairs professional Jimmy Abraham has been promoted to associate vice president and will be the second-ranking administrator in the division that includes housing and residence life, student health services, university police, counseling, recreational sports, student life, and other areas. Abraham served during the past year as interim vice president for student affairs and was previously assistant vice president.
Student Affairs had two administrators at the assistant or associate vice president level until about five years ago, but one of the positions was eliminated in response to declining state budget support.
"Bringing our leadership team in student affairs back up to strength is part of our commitment to ensuring that we are doing all we can to provide the opportunity for a Mississippi State education to all of our state's citizens who have the desire and determination to take advantage of it," Lee said.
Harris has served as president of the Southern Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers and held a variety of leadership positions in regional and national student affairs professional organizations. She is a charter member of the National Education Advisory Board for ACT, the college testing organization.
"Mississippi State has long been known to be student-centered, with state of the art technology-based solutions and a service orientation to the citizens of the state," Harris said. "I am proud to be a new member of such an excellent institution."