Delta State University is a public institution providing a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum to over 4,000 students representing 34 states and 20 countries. Delta State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor, master, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees. It offers 12 baccalaureate degrees in 38 majors and seeks to meet the need for advanced training in certain fields by providing programs of study for nine master’s degrees, the Educational Specialist degree and the Doctor of Education degree.

Acknowledging its beginnings as a teacher’s college, the University sustains excellence in teacher education while continuing to expand offerings in traditional as well as unique programs of study. From the core disciplines such as arts, humanities, and sciences, to unique programs such as Commercial Aviation, the Delta Music Institute, and the nationally-recognized Geospatial Interdisciplinary Technology program, the University is committed to meeting the evolving needs of the students it serves.
Delta State competes in 13 intercollegiate sports as a member of the Gulf South Conference and is the only university in the state with a swimming and diving program. The Statesmen and Lady Statesmen boast nine national championships, 56 regional crowns and 48 conference titles. Delta State athletes have collected 45 Academic All-American honors to rank tenth all time in NCAA Division II history. While the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen are the official mascot, the student-adopted Fighting Okra is a unique mascot that is also present at athletic and other university events.
Serving as the cultural and educational center of the region, Delta State University is located in Cleveland, MS, which was named to Norman Crampton’s “100 Best Small Towns in America.” The Mississippi Delta, a 20-county, northwestern region of the state, rich in various ethnic and cultural groups, provides almost 75 percent of the University’s enrollment. The University identifies the Delta as its primary public service region, while acknowledging the importance of research and service that also benefits the state and nation.

Guiding Principles

COMMITMENT TO QUALITY IN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Acknowledging its beginnings as a teacher’s college, the University sustains excellence in teacher education while also continuing to expand offerings in traditional as well as new areas of study. From the core disciplines such as arts, humanities, and sciences to unique programs such as commercial aviation and community development, the University is committed to meeting the ever-changing and evolving needs of the students it serves. It sustains quality in those programs by maintaining accreditation of all programs for which an accrediting agency exists.
COMMITMENT TO LEARNING, SCHOLARSHIP, & STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Delta State provides programs that cultivate intellectual curiosity and promote scholarship among its students. Through a state-of-the-art library supplemented by a campus network of computer labs, students have access to a full range of information resources in support of learning. The University also acknowledges the importance of student engagement as central to successful learning. Toward that end the University has dedicated its quality enhancement plan as required for regional accreditation to increased student engagement. In support of community engagement and service learning experiences for students, the University has created an office and a faculty role to sustain those efforts.
SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
Delta State recognizes the need for a vibrant creative and performing arts program for its students and the region. The renovation of Jobe Hall provides a state-of-the-art theatre facility for student productions. Through the Bologna Performing Arts Center, the Delta Music Institute, the Janice Wyatt Summer Arts Institute, and a partnership with the Delta Arts Alliance, the University ensures the preservation and enhancement of the arts throughout the region.
ENCOURAGEMENT OF INNOVATION & EXPERIMENTATION
Delta State endorses the principles of innovation and experimentation, and makes them a part of its institutional culture. The University acknowledges the importance of an environment where students and faculty can undertake risks and experiment with new ideas.
RESPECT FOR PEOPLE & IDEAS
Delta State promotes mutual respect, teamwork, fairness, and integrity. The University is diligent in working to create a climate where students, employees, and constituents are valued and nurtured. Through an ongoing re-engineering project the University converts these principles into action.

COMMITMENT TO A STUDENTCENTERED CAMPUS
Delta State promotes a campus culture that fosters student development. From an array of student services to a nationally recognized athletic program, the University is dedicated to ensuring that the full range of student needs and interests are met.
COMMITMENT TO INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Delta State acknowledges its role as a public institution funded largely by the citizens of Mississippi. In recognition of that public trust, the University is committed to high standards of excellence with appropriate emphasis on effectiveness and productivity.
COMMITMENT TO REGIONAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Delta State, in partnership with various organizations, will advance community and economic development in the Delta region to improve the quality of life and raise the educational level of its citizens. Special attention is given to collaboration with our educational partners: Mississippi Valley State University, Coahoma Community College, Mississippi Delta Community College, the Mississippi Department of Education, and the K-12 schools of the Delta. Moreover, the Delta Center for Culture and Learning, the Capps Archives, the Center for Business Research, and the Center for Community and Economic Development provide a structure to ensure University participation in promoting and celebrating the unique heritage of the Delta while also addressing the longstanding social, economic, and cultural challenges that inhibit advancement.
COMMITMENT TO HEALTH
Delta State acknowledges the importance of physical health for its students and the region and extends its resources in support of that goal. Through undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing and preprofessional programs in the sciences, the University provides health care practitioners to serve the State. The University works as the leading partner in the Delta Health Alliance, a collaborative effort with other Delta stakeholders that conducts research and provides education on the health care needs of the region.
COMMITMENT TO TEACHING & FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
The quality of Delta State’s academic programs is central to its educational mission. That quality is affirmed through a dedicated faculty with credentials appropriate to their discipline. The University supports high standards of quality among its faculty and maintains those standards through the Technology Learning Center, a modern faculty development office dedicated to the application of technology to teaching, and through the Kent and Janice Wyatt Faculty Development Program, a University Foundation initiative that provides resources for faculty growth.

COMMITMENT TO LEADERSHIP
Delta State is actively involved in providing programs that train leaders for the twenty-first century. Through partnerships with the Kellogg Foundation, Delta Council, the Delta Regional Authority, and other Delta organizations committed to advancement in the region, the University is confident it can make a difference in the quality and training of the leaders who will serve on behalf of future generations.

Spirit & Traditions

Delta State University’s

spirit exists in the words and music of our alma mater and fight song.  It exists in the chants and cheers of our fans, cheerleaders, and mascots who root the green-and-white on to victory. More importantly, our spirit lives in the hearts of the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen faithful across the country and the globe.  
The goal of Delta State University’s Spirit & Traditions squads are to lead the DSU community at each home game, while promoting engagement between the teams, fans, and community.  Through our D-State Cheer, "Pride of the Delta" Marching Band, "The World’s Most Annoying" Pep Band, Mr. Statesmen, and Fight Okra Mascots Statesmen and Lady Statesmen fans enjoy a lively atmosphere at every athletic event on and off campus.
For our programs to be successful, we need your involvement and support! We can’t wait to see you at our next event!
For more information on our Spirit & Traditions organizations, please click on the links below.  
– Delta State University Cheerleading
– "Pride of the Delta" Marching Band & Delta State University Band Programs
– DSU Diamond Girls
– Delta State Football Gridiron Girls

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY’S MASCOTS
Despite some rowdy student objections, athletic programs at Delta State University do not use the student-chosen sub-mascot, Fighting Okra. The Fighting Okra, the most vicious of all vegetables, was created by a band of students at DSU in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. While some on campus embrace the scary veggie, DSU Athletics does not. Our programs have always been, and will continue to be the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen. If you have a problem with that, take it up with the vegetable in the corner with boxing gloves. He understands… 

DSU Percussion Section

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY ALMA MATER

Oh Delta State we cling to the memory
Of happy days we’ve spent
Of standards high and of friendships dear
Making our life there something to treasure
We have come to sing the praises
Of the old school we love best,
Oh, hail to you, to our dear Alma Mater
Oh, hail to Old Delta State. 

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY FIGHT SONG
Hail to our Delta State in all her glory.
We sing her praises loud and tell her story.
Fight, fight with all your might.
Fight for the green (and the green) & the white
We pledge to the our loyalty & a Delta State victory.

Ferriss Museum

Inning-by-Inning, A Life in Baseball

Matt Jones

Dave "Boo" Ferriss Museum

As the main entrance and exit point for all Statesman baseball games at Dave “Boo” Ferriss Field, the Robert L. Crawford Center has allowed for expanded restroom and concession areas, an umpire’s locker room and a merchandising stand. Most significant, though, the Crawford Center houses the Dave “Boo” Ferriss Museum.

“Inning by Inning: A Life in Baseball, The Dave “Boo” Ferriss Museum” chronicles the former long-time Statesmen head coach’s illustrious career – including photos and personal memorabilia from his early days at Shaw High School, to a young man at Mississippi State, to the height of his career with the Boston Red Sox, to his days at the helm of his beloved Delta State program.

Five large, glass-enclosed display cases will feature much of Ferriss’ vast memorabilia collection, including a wool uniform, gloves and an official Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinal World Series pennant.

University archivist, Emily Weaver has designed the museum space, including case layouts, floor plan and traffic flow. She partnered with University Relations’ graphic designer, Laura Fleeman to design the panels that will hang behind each case.

“We wanted to be very mindful of flow in our designs,” Weaver explained. “We knew this space would attract a lot of attention from several different audiences, and we worked very hard to be sure traffic will flow smoothly without much congestion.

“The cases, themselves, will run in chronological order – inning by inning, if you will,” she continued. “We document Coach’s career just as it happened in real time.”

Not be lost though, current Delta State head baseball coach Mike Kinnison cautions, the facility, itself, would not be possible, if not for his former teammate.

“Without the support of the Crawford family, The Dave “Boo” Ferriss Museum would not be possible. Their generosity will ensure the continuation of this baseball program’s legacy of success for years to come. It is a great facility that will surely enhance the whole baseball operation. More than just baseball fans will want to see Coach’s memorabilia, and we want everyone to know they’re invited to tour the facility…especially on game days.

“The entire facility just makes it a better day at the ball park for our fans. Not many, if any, programs in the nation will be able to claim the facilities we have, and that’s huge for our program – that distinction separates us,” Kinnison concluded.

Crawford’s former head coach, Ferriss offered, “I am so blessed and thankful to have coached John. He was one of the finest guys to ever wear a Delta State baseball uniform, a top player and strong competitor. The Crawfords have been tremendous supporters of our program for years. They have supported us like few others and I am excited this facility bears their name.

“I am honored and humbled by the decision to have a special section in the Crawford Center, and you can bet that there will be a lot of DSU memorabilia in there,” Ferriss promised. “I am glad I have some things of interest to our community, the University family and alumni and baseball fans everywhere. I have been truly blessed with my association with Delta State and the Red Sox, and I am indeed grateful to the Yawkey Foundation/Boston Red Sox for its substantial gift in funding this project.”

A four-year letterman and two-time All-American selection, Crawford was a member of the Statesmen program from 1975-1978. Arguably as modest and humble as his former coach, Crawford stressed, “This gift to Delta State University is from the entire Crawford family. My father was an avid supporter and fan of Delta State baseball, while my mother was a baseball fan of her son.”

Source: Delta State University