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Commonly referred to as MVSU, Mississippi Valley State University is a historically black university located in Mississippi Valley State Leflore County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta, near Itta Bena. Established in 1950, the institution was originally created by the Mississippi Legislature as Mississippi Vocational College. MVSU is currently a member school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Their house colors are forest green and white.

Mississippi Valley State University Profile

General Information

  • Location: Mississippi Valley State University, 14000 Highway 82 West, Itta Bena, MS 38941, United States
  • Phone: +1 662-254-9041
  • Website: mvsu.edu
  • Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
  • Type: A small, 4 year public university
  • Awards offered: Offers Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree
  • Student population: 3,400
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: 14 to 1
  • Accreditation: Mississippi Valley State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Mississippi Valley University Campus Setting

The campus sits on a 450-acre tract of land adjacent to United States Highway 82 in unincorporated Leflore County, in the Mississippi Delta region, 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Itta Bena. The Mississippi Valley University is about five miles (8.0 km) from Greenwood, about fifty miles (80 km) from Greenville, about hundred miles (160 km) north of Jackson, and about 120-mile (190 km) south of Memphis, Tennessee.

Academics

The Mississippi Valley University offers academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. It is comprised of the following colleges and schools:

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Education
  • College of Professional Studies
  • Honors Program
  • Graduate School

Bachelor’s degrees are offered in a various fields within the various academic colleges. Students can pursue bachelor’s degrees in English, industrial technology, education, mathematics, public administration, biology, environmental health, and more.

Master’s degrees are offered in teaching, criminal justice, environmental health, elementary education, and special education.

Mississippi Valley State University Clubs and Organizations

The nine Greek fraternities and sororities at MVSU include:

  • Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Epsilon Pi chapter
  • Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Zeta Phi chapter
  • Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Eta Alpha chapter
  • Iota Phi Theta fraternity, Eta Kappa chapter
  • Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Zeta Zeta chapter
  • Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Beta Theta chapter
  • Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Delta Phi chapter
  • Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, Kappa Chi chapter
  • Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Psi Gamma chapter

Non-NPHC Greek-letter organizations include:

  • Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Phi chapter
  • Gamma Sigma Sigma service sorority, Zeta Psi chapter
  • Alpha Phi Sigma national criminal justice honor society, Zeta Tau chapter
  • Kappa Kappa Psi national honorary band fraternity, Delta Pi chapter
  • Tau Beta Sigma national honorary band sorority, Gamma Eta chapter

Mississippi Valley State University Athletics

mvsu-sportMen's

  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Golf
  • Track
  • Baseball
  • Football
  • Tennis

Women's

  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Golf
  • Track
  • Soccer
  • Volleyball
  • Softball
  • Bowling

MVSU History

  • MVSU, originally a vocational school, was founded in 1950 in order to enroll African American students while easing the escalating pressure of ending the legal segregation of public schools, which was declared unconstitutional just 4 years later in the historic Supreme Court case Brown v. the Board of Education.
  • It was renamed Mississippi Valley State College in 1964 and the college was granted university status in 1974, when it also received its current name.
  • The University offered its first master's degree in 1976 and now offers the master's degree in environmental health, elementary education, criminal justice, business administration, special education, rural public policy and the master of arts in teaching.
  • Dr. Joe L. Boyer became MVSU's third president in January 1982 and was followed by Dr. William W. Sutton in July 1988. Dr. Lester C. Newman became the fifth president on July 1, 1998. Dr. Donna H. Oliver became MVSU's sixth president and also the first female president on January 1, 2009. On November 6, 2013, Dr. William Bynum took office as MVSU's seventh president.

Source: Mississippi Valley State University

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