Is your student struggling to connect? This weekend Mississippi State will host Putt Putt Golf Friday night, Drive-in Movie Saturday night, and virtual Bingo on Sunday. It's Involvement Week and events can be found by going to Cowbell Connect. The Alumni Association has an App that students can download that provides a list of things to do on-campus on their own during COVID-19.

We had HOPED Bulldog Family Weekend could continue as planned, but based on our current guidance from the state and university, we feel there is no way to offer a quality in-person event. We will be pouring our hearts into planning a Virtual Bulldog Family Weekend, details to follow soon. All refunds have been processed. If you have any questions, please let us know.

662.325.3611 | family@msstate.edu

Thanks to our faculty. I have had so much positive feedback from students about how hard our faculty are working to make their experience the best it can be under the circumstances. This semester faculty are expected to do far, far more than normal, and the workload would be stressful at any time, but especially when added to all of the other stress that goes with a pandemic. So whether you are teaching F2F, some form of hybrid, or online, I cannot express enough my appreciation for the way that you’re showing our students how important they are, and how committed we are to the high-quality education that Mississippi State is known for.

Thanks to our staff. I have had so much positive feedback about how hard all of our staff are working to ensure that academic programs are running smoothly, everyone is being kept safe, and how beautiful the campus is as we welcome students back to our campus. Staff too are working far more than normal, and under very stressful conditions. So thank you!

Thanks to our students. I have had so much positive feedback about the compliance our students are showing when in the classroom and on campus. Whether new or returning students, their lives have been upended at one of the most exciting times of their lives, and we all feel deeply for them. In spite of that, they are showing how important education is for their future lives and careers, and their dedication to both education and safety in this pandemic should be applauded.

The Department of Health Promotion and Wellness understands health and well-being are essential for student success, engagement, and retention, which are all integral to the core business of the university. Education and awareness are cornerstones of prevention and recovery support. Mississippi State has implemented various prevention measures to promote responsible decision-making, reduce the likelihood of harm, and support the creation of a healthier campus culture.

The transition to college life comes with all sorts of challenges, but we are here to create a culture of wellness for our students. Students can contact us at 662.325.2090 for upcoming events or if they need prevention and/or recovery support information.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - Benjamin Franklin

Safe Walk provides our students with a safe walking service at night for students who would like assistance walking to their cars or buildings. Upon request, Safe Walk student employees will be sent to walk students to their destination. They are equipped with two-way radios and wear reflective vests. In addition, they patrol the campus on foot and golf carts in an effort to provide an extra set of eyes and ears for the MSU Police Department (MSU PD) and report any activities that the police need to respond to. Hours of operation vary but typically begin at dark and last through the early morning hours.

Students can contact the MSU PD for this service by calling or texting 662.325.2121.

When the button is activated/pushed or the receiver is lifted, the caller is immediately placed in contact with MSU PD Dispatch Center. In addition to providing voice contact with a police dispatcher, the dispatcher will also know the caller’s precise location. These Emergency Blue Light phones are checked regularly by MSU PD personnel and are for emergency use only.

The MSU PD is committed to helping our students stay safe!

Proctored testing enables Mississippi State to ensure academic integrity, which is core to the success of our students. Therefore, some courses may use an online proctoring system called Honorlock.

Honorlock is a well-respected proctoring system and is used by universities similar to Mississippi State including several SEC institutions. These systems make it easier for students in that they do not have to take the time and suffer the inconvenience of finding an in-person proctor and traveling to a specific location to take the exam. The online proctoring system allows students to take the exam at home or another convenient location. We chose Honorlock because of the array of features for faculty and students, the reviews received from other universities, the support provided for our institution and to students and because it is one of the least invasive, yet effective systems compared to other solutions.

It might be helpful for you to understand a little about how Honorlock works. The Honorlock extension is a small program that modifies the Chrome web browser and not your computer. Nothing is installed on the computer. If they choose, students can remove the Honorlock Chrome extension as soon as their exam is submitted.

Honorlock is FERPA compliant and uses securely encrypted protocols to save and view all test taker assets. Honorlock's certified proctors and Mississippi State’s faculty are able to review test session videos until deleted based on the school's retention policy. (Mississippi State faculty make judgements regarding academic integrity as they would in a classroom setting. More information can be found by visiting Honorlock.)

Maroon Alert is the best way for faculty, staff, and students to stay informed and receive official university instructions during an emergency. Families who wish to stay up-to-date regarding campus emergencies can follow @maroonalert on Twitter or visit the Mississippi State homepage for web banner updates.

Email ready@msstate.edu if you have any questions or need guidance.

Mississippi State has its very own Health Center located conveniently on-campus. Walk-ins are allowed but making an appointment is preferable. However, if a student needs immediate attention, emergencies will always take precedent.

The Longest Student Health Center is not open 24/7. Students who become ill when the Health Center is closed should consider visiting one of Starkville's urgent care facilities or the Oktibbeha County Hospital, if it's an emergency and cannot wait.

If a student has been seen by an allergist and prescribed allergy injections, the Health Center can obtain that information from their allergist and arrange to administer those injections in the clinic. Students can simply call and ask for an appointment in the allergy clinic.

Mississippi State houses one of the most holistic and encompassing Collegiate Recovery Community’s (CRC) in the Southeast and the Nation. The CRC program supports students that are in recovery from alcohol, other drugs and process addictions. With the preventative measures on campus through our Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention team, our highest hope is that a student will never have to suffer the negative repercussions that come with a substance use disorder.

The CRC at Mississippi State hosts a wide array of events to normalize the recovering college experience - anonymous meetings, back to school socials, graduation celebrations, family weekends, sober tailgates, speaking events, de-stressor activities and life skills workshops.

No student should ever feel that they are alone. They can achieve recovery and academic success at Mississippi State. From our family to yours, know that it “takes a family” and that your student is never alone in their collegiate journey. If there is ever any way we can support your student please reach out to us at 662.325.3192 or visit our website for more information at recovery.msstate.edu.

Bully's Closet and Pantry (BCP)

In-Person Appointment Days:

Students will need to visit BCP Shopping to schedule an appointment.

Curbside Pick-Up Days:

The Block by Block Program provides short-term assistance by allocating block meals to students' ID cards when needed. Students can also donate up to three block meals per semester via an online form. Both the form to request meals and to donate meals is available through the MSU Food Security Network.   

Students with a valid MSU ID can access any of these programs directly. Referrals can also be made via blockbyblock@msstate.edu or by calling 662.325.3611. 

Mississippi State Dining Services supports students who have food allergies by providing information and knowledge that is necessary for a student to make informed food choices at each dining location. The dining staff considers each individual student’s personal dietary needs to make every effort in providing helpful information to students with food allergies.

The goal of Mississippi State Dining Services is to provide students with the tools they need to be active in the management of their food allergy or food-related medical condition while eating on campus. Students needing to develop a plan that fits their dietary needs can contact Mississippi State's Dining Registered Dietitian, Jill Hamilton. To set up an appointment, students should email pichardo-andrea@aramark.com.

Virtual Let's Talk is an outreach program that offers students convenient access to brief (15 - 20 minute) informal consultations with a Mississippi State Student Counseling Services Clinician. Virtual Let's Talk may provide insights, solutions, and information about other resources to address concerns such as:

Virtual Let's Talk is not a substitute for therapy but provides students with the experience of meeting with a clinician. Students can access Let's Talk through the TeleMental Health platform by visiting Mississippi State Student Counseling Services.

In an effort to make some of the services provided by the Dean of Students' Office more accessible, students can manage ticket appeals and absence verifications online. Students should visit students.msstate.edu for more details.

All faculty, staff, students, and visitors are required to wear face coverings. Acceptable face coverings include surgical masks, N95 masks, cloth masks, or face shields and are required inside campus buildings when physical distancing (6 feet or more) cannot be achieved. Face coverings must be worn in classrooms, labs, and shared office spaces regardless of physical distancing.

The Learning Center is excited to announce that we are back on the 2nd floor of Allen Hall (Room 267) and that tutoring for students will begin Monday, August 31.

Tutoring is FREE to all Mississippi State students and is available for most of the major subjects offered this Fall. The Learning Center offers different options of tutoring for Mississippi State students as well. These tutoring options include:  

Face-to-face tutoring        

Face-to-face tutoring is the traditional tutoring at The Learning Center where you schedule an appointment and get one-on-one tutoring on specific courses.   

Online Tutoring         

Online tutoring is a new option from The Learning Center. This allows students to get that same one-on-one tutoring session via Webex.

The Learning Center is now using an app called Penji to schedule all its tutoring sessions. We want to make this process as easy as possible for Mississippi State students, and that is exactly what Penji does. You can download the Penji app on your mobile device today. 

Hail State,

The Learning Center

The Mississippi State Writing Center is excited to offer online availability for the Fall 2020 semester. Appointments are available from now until Monday, November 16. Students can book an appointment time online through the Writing Center. 

All online appointments are held in Central Standard Time and students have the option for video chat as long as their webcam is enabled. If the video chat option does not automatically enable when a student logs in, the student should ask the tutor about this feature.   

The staff welcomes the opportunity to assist students transitioning into college life. Our doors are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the semester. To learn more about the services offered, visit the Center of America's Veterans.  

Students who need to register to vote in Mississippi will need to visit the Secretary of State website for information and instructions. Students that are not registered to vote are reminded that, to vote in the State of Mississippi, they must register at least 30 days prior to an election. Voter registration forms are also available for pick up in the Student Financial Aid Office located in Garner Hall.

For more information on how student's from another state can register to vote, please visit Campus Vote Project.

If you or your student has questions, please call the Student Financial Aid Office at 662.325.2450.

For more information, please visit alumni.msstate.edu/classring to keep “ringing” in this special tradition. Please contact the MSU Alumni Association at jramsey@alumni.msstate.edu or 662.325.7000 with questions.

Visit us on social media and at family.msstate.edu. Make sure you mention #MSStateFamily when you make a post.