The University of Mississippi Faculty Senate may join the Associated Student Body Senate in requesting the removal of the state flag from campus.
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In a vote passed 33-15 with one abstention, the University of Mississippi student senate voted for the removal of the state flag from university presmises on the grounds that it contains the Confederate battle flag.
Mississippi State University’s student government passed a resolution in September that also encourages the state legislature to reconsider the flag, and the student government president at The University of Southern Mississippi said a piece of legislation is in the works regarding the flag, although he did not know the specifics.
The Faculty Senate is an advisory committee and will only be making the recommendation to the senior administration.
On Friday, a rally protesting the state flag held by the student chapter of the NAACP on the Oxford campus was attended by more than 200 people. “We can push our university to take steps toward progress and make our academic environment a much safer place”, Coon said.
A statement on the the faculty senate website says the group is scheduled tonight to “consider joint passage” of ASB Senate Resolution 15-3.
The measure now goes to the university’s chancellor for review.
If the University of Mississippi stops flying the state flag, it would become the fourth public university in the state to do so, alongside Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and Alcorn State University. In order to live in a free society, the possibility to be offended will occasionally occur. Removing symbols, flags, and monuments will do nothing to change the way people feel in their hearts.
Sen. Andrew Soper of Tupelo started an online petition a month ago to keep the state flag on campus, which garnered over 200 signatures within a couple of hours, he said. Ole Miss is betraying the state of Mississippi, they said.
“It’s not just college students”, Coon said.
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In a 2001 statewide election, Mississippi voters made a decision to keep the flag with the Confederate emblem.
