Morris Stocks will assume the duties of chancellor at the University of Mississippi beginning June 15, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning announced Thursday afternoon.

Stocks, who previously served as associate professor of accounting at Trevecca from 1981 to 1988, has been on faculty with Ole Miss since 1991. In 2009, he was named provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

The Trevecca Class of 1977 graduate is stepping in for the current chancellor, who has worked alongside Stocks during his time as provost and vice chancellor.

“Provost Stocks is responsible for many of the decisions that led to our rapid growth in enrollment and improvement in important metrics such as our freshman to sophomore retention rate,” said Dan Jones, current chancellor at the university.

Stocks says he’s delighted to fulfill his new duties.

“I consider it a high privilege to serve the University of Mississippi in a new and exciting capacity over the next several months,” he said. “In recent years, our university has experienced tremendous progress and wonderful success in providing outstanding educational and research opportunities. I look forward to helping the university maintain that momentum.”

His previous positions at Ole Miss include senior vice chancellor for planning and operations, as well as dean of the Patterson School of Accountancy.

Glenn Boyce, commissioner of higher education, has no reluctance in watching Stocks step up to his new position.

"With 24 years of service at Ole Miss, Dr. Stocks is dedicated to the university and its students," Boyce said. "He is certainly the right person to fulfill this important role for the faculty, staff, students, and alumni.”

On September 15, Stocks will officially become interim chancellor for the university, and will hold that position until the Mississippi College Board appoints the current chancellor’s permanent successor.

--Trevecca Nazarene University