Chancellor Glenn Boyce told the Associated Student Body in its formal Senate meeting on Tuesday, March 4, that the University of Mississippi is considering capping freshman admissions at 6,300 to 6,400 students.
“The freshmen class next year is exploding again. The applications are up (to) over 40,000. We will probably land in the neighborhood of about 6,300 to 6,500 freshmen for next year,” Boyce said. “We are not slowing down, and there comes a time when we are going to have to cap and stop (accepting applicants). We will probably stop around that 6,300 to 6,400 mark.”
The announcement comes after three consecutive years of increases in enrollment at the university. In fall 2024, freshmen enrollment was 5,973 students, according to the university. Boyce did not give a time for when a cap would take effect.
Boyce also talked about providing more on-campus housing options. In recent years, the university has accommodated the growing student population by housing freshmen and upperclassmen in master-leased, off-campus apartment complexes. Many students also now live in private, off-campus housing.
“When we did our dorm research, we were roughly 3,500 beds short from where we should be, based on our population,” Boyce said. “Our plan is for all our freshmen to get back on campus and for our upperclassmen to have the option to live on campus. Given the cost of living in Oxford, I would live on campus in a heartbeat.”
A July 2024 survey from RentCafe found the average rent for an apartment in Oxford was $1,834 per month. A third of the apartments in Oxford charge more than $2,000 in rent per month, and the remaining apartments charge anywhere between $700 and $1,500 per month.
On campus, the dorm rates range from $2,948 to $4,307 per semester, depending on the dorm and number of roommates.
The university will provide 7,260 bed spaces for the 2025-26 academic year. On-campus residence halls and Campus Walk consist of 5,687 bed spaces. The other 1,573 spaces come from the master leases. Boyce did not give specifics of the university’s plans to increase the number of on-campus bedspaces.
Boyce also said the university plans to implement a new intra bus system next year.
“We’re going to have a new intra bus system this next year,” Boyce said. “The intra bus system is only going to run inside the university and to the apartments.”
Boyce also discussed upcoming campus construction.
“We’re going to have about $500 million worth of construction going on during your time here. That does not make us the prettiest campus like we want to be, but the progress is amazing,” Boyce said. “We have to modernize, so students (will) want to come here.”
According to the Department of Facilities Planning, current construction includes the Data Center Facility, updates to dormitories and a new parking structure.
In addition to Boyce’s comments, two executive positions were filled during the meeting. Caleb Ball, a senior political science major, was confirmed as vice president in a unanimous vote. Riley O’Neal, a senior public policy major, was confirmed unanimously as secretary.
A series of bills was also introduced during Tuesday night’s meeting.
Senate Bill 25-2 introduced a revision to the ASB Constitution and Code to list the qualifications, elections and duties procedures of President Pro Tempore in Titled II, Section 106.
Acting President Pro Tempore Andrew Nichols, a junior public policy leadership and economics major, proposed the bill, which passed with a vote of 16 against and 31 in favor.
“Every other executive qualification has that full-year stipulation in them,” Nichols said. “One important thing when you are writing code is to keep things consistent. Precedents and consistency matter. Trying to change the wording or apply different periods than the other part would not make sense.”
Senate Resolution 25-3 urged the ASB Secretary’s office to disseminate resources for all students on the ASB website to know their rights and freedoms.
Senator Paul Winfield, freshman public policy leadership and economics major, introduced the resolution which listed “religious freedom rights, students’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, protection against discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin or disability, disability policies, the University Bill of Rights, the University Creed and immigration rights.”
The Senate passed the resolution after adding an amendment for it to include the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Mississippi Bill of Rights.
“My goal is to get it disseminated so that people know what their rights are,” Winfield said. “Many international students did not take a high school government class; they do not know the rights that they have.”
Senate Resolution 25-4 urged the university to waive the out-of-state fee for dependents of veterans through a scholarship provided by the Yellow Ribbon Legislation, an educational assistance program for veterans and service members eligible for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, according to the Office of Financial Aid.
Senate Resolution 25-1 was unanimously approved, urging the Department of Student Housing to grow the Hall Council Program.
The Senate also voted unanimously to appoint committee members for ASB OneUM, an initiative led by the ASB Principle of Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement to promote cultural awareness.
For Women’s History Month, Senate Proclamation 25-1 recognized the late Maralyn Howell Bullion, the first female ASB President for her accomplishments at the university during World War II. The proclamation was passed unanimously.
Senate Proclamation 25-2 recognized the honor societies at UM that participated in the Honor Society Fair, and Senate Proclamation 25-3 congratulated the Traditional All-Girl Category cheer team for winning their first national championship.
The meeting concluded with a vote for Senator of the Year. The winner has yet to be determined.
