Three years ago, Ole Miss embarked on a journey through uncharted waters: fundraising from parents of out-of-state students. Since that date, the Ole Miss Parents Association (OMPA) Parents Leadership Council (PLC) has become an organization dedicated to serving the needs of parents of all students, specifically those who live out of the state of Mississippi. The university recognizes that more students are coming to Ole Miss each year from outside the state, and that most of these students’ parents are not alumni.

At the same time that we are obtaining all of these out-of-state students, more and more parents are expressing interest in being more involved in the lives of their students and with the university as a whole. This incredible organization consists of a many committed parents who believe that they can give back to the university that has given their student so much. As parents with means, they, in a sense, extend their role as provider for their own to provider for many of the other students here at Ole Miss.

The Parents Leadership Council has enabled some of Ole Miss’s students to attend college through grants and scholarships; they have provided more computers in the computer labs, more books and research material in the library, and have created an overall better learning and educational environment for all students at Ole Miss. We would like for you to consider becoming one of these extraordinary parents.

Membership in the PLC requires a minimum gift of $2,500. This contribution is tax-deductible, can be restricted to a specific area of the university and guarantees membership for one year.

For more information about joining the Parents Leadership Council, please contact Josh Whelan, parent development officer, by e-mail: joshw@umfoundation.com or by phone: 662-915-6678.