Tag Archives: Fireside Chat

Fireside Chat

Posted on by

President LaForge welcomes the audience to the first edition of Fireside Chat in 2015 and wished the Delta State Nation a Happy New Year.

“I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday break and is feeling invigorated for the semester ahead. 2014 was a successful year for Delta State, and the forecast for 2015 looks even brighter,” said LaForge.

The announcement of the university’s reaccreditation is a great way to begin the new year.

“In December, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges announced that Delta State’s accreditation would be reaffirmed for the next 10 years.

“This means that Delta State meets the high standards established by the higher education community, and we are programmed to address the needs of our students and society.”

The SACSCOC’s stamp of approval is vital to the integrity and rigor of our academic programs. It is critical to our reputation as a quality university, and we have upheld this standard since 1930.

“Thank you to the many professionals on campus who worked very hard to reach this goal.”

Another case of hard work and service regards former Delta State head women’s basketball coach Lloyd Clark who was honored this past Saturday with the dedication of the court at Walter Sillers Coliseum in his name.

Coach Clark guided the Lady Statesmen to the NCAA tournament 16 times out of the 19 years he coached. He led Delta State to becoming  the first school in NCAA history to win a national title on its home floor court.

Lloyd Clark has been inducted into the Mississippi and Delta State Sports Hall of Fame, named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year 5 times, and NCAA Region Coach of the Year 3 times.

Also this weekend, Coach Clark was inducted into the Legends of Delta State University program, which is our most distinguished and prestigious program recognizing lifetime achievements, service, excellence, and success in serving Delta State. He is a member of the inaugural class along with Coach Margaret Wade, H.L. Nowell Jr. and President Emeritus Dr. Kent Wyatt.

President LaForge reminds the audience of the basketball schedule, registration, and observance of the Martin Luther King Holiday.

“I will see you back here on Tuesday, January 20th for another edition of Fireside Chat.”

Fireside Chat

Posted on by

President William N. LaForge hosts another Fireside Chat to announce Delta State’s most distinguished and prestigious program recognizing lifetime achievement, service, excellence and success in serving the university. The new program is called “Legends of Delta State University.”

“It is the highest public honor which may be conferred by Delta State,” said LaForge. “Recipients of this recognition will have earned the individual and collective respect of people throughout the university.”

The Legends of Delta State University recognition is bestowed in a most selective manner. Awards are bestowed only to former employees of the university, living or deceased, who have long embodied the essence of the meaningful purpose of the award, and who have repeatedly demonstrated the high moral character so symbolized with the award.

There are five members of the inaugural class.  Three of these initial honorees were announced this weekend during 2014 Homecoming festivities. The names of the remaining two members will be revealed at a later date.

“The establishment of this program is a great day for Delta State,” added LaForge. “This select group of heroes and all-stars from throughout Delta State’s storied history has a legendary record of success, excellence, achievement and distinction.”

The first Legend to be granted the award was the late coach Margaret Wade, who was also recognized Friday along with the dedication of her statue on the campus of Delta State.

Second to be granted Legend status was the late H.L. Nowell, who was honored at the Kappa Alpha Chapter Room on Saturday.

The third recipient honored during Homecoming weekend was one of Delta State’s most revered leaders — President Emeritus Kent Wyatt. The university had the opportunity to pay tribute to Wyatt and former First Lady Janice Wyatt on Saturday for their 50 years of service to Delta State.

Featured in today’s filming is Wyatt, who discusses more about this honor he received.

Wyatt relays how it feels to be the in the inaugural class of Legends of Delta State, and why the program is so important to Delta State’s past and future.

Other Events/Important Dates:
· Don’t forget to check out gostatesmen.com for information on the NCAA football playoffs schedule and lineup, and to tune in to cheer on the green and white.

“As the holiday season approaches, I want to take this opportunity to send a heartfelt message of thanks to the Delta State family,” said LaForge.  “In my opinion, we have the best students, faculty, staff and alumni — and I appreciate your many contributions to our university.  Thank you for making my job one that I enjoy, and I hope you and yours have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday.”

Fireside Chat

Posted on by

Delta State President William LaForge discusses some career services available on campus with Davlon Miller, director of career services.

Statesmen Connect is an exciting new service available for the campus and community this fall that will not only benefit our current students but also business owners and employers. The system is an innovative way for students to connect with employers to find jobs and gain out-of-classroom experience.

Miller has led the development of the online system and tells the audience how hiring a Statesmen is now easier than ever. He explains that Statesmen Connect is an online service that allows employers to post jobs and register for career fairs. Students can log on to Statesmen Connect to view all of the most recent job listings and apply for jobs. They will receive snapshots of recent job postings via OkraMail. The jobs available are not only jobs for after graduation, but there are jobs for right now.

Students and employers can access the site by visiting deltastate.edu/statesmenconnect and stay connected with updates by following the Twitter and Facebook accounts.

An off-campus, work-study program called Okra Works has been developed over this past year. The program is similar to campus work-study, but it provides funds for students to be able to apply to their tuition as well as involves a stipend for the work being done with area businesses. Students will work about 15 hours per week throughout the course of a semester to gain hands-on experience with a financial benefit.

LaForge speaks about the Statesmen Football team, which kicks off the season Saturday on the road at Fort Valley State University in Georgia at 1 p.m. Fans are able to tune in to gostatesmen.com for live stats and audio.