Student Organizations

Student organizations on the UM-DeSoto campus are a vital part of academic life. On-campus clubs and organizations can enhance students’ personal and professional skills while also allowing them to make lasting friendships. UM-DeSoto faculty and staff help offer these experiences by facilitating hands-on training and connections in the community that will aid students as they graduate and move into careers in their chosen professions.

Not only are these groups of UM-DeSoto students coordinating local outreach events, but they are also learning to apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations. Within each of these organizations students can be seen taking the initiative to create proactive involvement in the Mid-South community.

Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society (ASL)

Advisor: Allona Murry, asmurry@olemiss.edu
This unique academic honor society aims to recognize the special achievements of adults who accomplish academic excellence while facing competing interests of home and work. ASL is also dedicated to the advancement of scholarship and recognizes high scholastic achievement in an adult student’s career. Students inducted into the UM-DeSoto ASL chapter meet academic standards that include having no less than a 3.5 cumulative grade point average on at least 24 credit hours from UM-DeSoto. Members are selected from the highest 10 percent of the class who meet these requirements.

UM-DeSoto Student Ambassadors

Advisors: Daniel Christian, dschrist@olemiss.edu, and Kacy Dixon, kdixon@olemiss.edu
University of Mississippi-DeSoto student ambassadors are chosen based on student involvement, grades, character and passion for the University of Mississippi. As representatives for UM-DeSoto, they participate in activities on campus and recruiting events around the community. They welcome guests and prospective students to our campus during orientation, student appreciation day, and the annual Graduation Celebration. Student ambassadors also write letters and postcards to potential students.

If you are interested in applying for an ambassador position, please complete the application. There is a $250 per semester scholarship available for UM-DeSoto student ambassadors for full participation.

ISACA

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lynn Kugele, lpkugele@olemiss.edu
ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) allows its members to connect with fellow students from more than 700 universities worldwide. ISACA serves UM-DeSoto students who are interested in knowledge, standards, networking, and career development for fields of IS audit, accounting, information systems, information security, cybersecurity, enterprise governance of IT/MIS, and IT risk management.

Kappa Delta Pi (KDP)

Faculty Advisor: Amber McCullough, ajmccoll@olemiss.edu
Kappa Delta Pi is an international honor society that recognizes outstanding students in education. It works to foster support and growth for the education profession around the world. Each spring a new group of UM-DeSoto education majors are invited for induction into this organization.

Phi Beta Lambda

Advisor: Kacy Dixon, kdixon@olemiss.edu
Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc. (FBLA-PBL) is the largest career student business organization in the world. Each year, FBLA-PBL helps some 230,000 members prepare for careers in business. The UM-DeSoto chapter of the organization provides multiple professional development opportunities, including the chance to participate in state and national competitive events.

Phi Theta Kappa Alumni

Advisor: Daniel Christian, dschrist@olemiss.edu
Students who were formerly members of Phi Theta Kappa honor society at their two-year institutions can continue their involvement in the organization through the University of Mississippi-DeSoto’s PTK Alumni organization. The group organizes various service projects and community-involvement projects throughout the year.

TOT (Teachers of Tomorrow)

Faculty Advisors: Dr. Andy Cheng, qcheng@olemiss.edu, and Dr. Nichelle Boyd-Robinson, ncboyd@olemiss.edu
TOT is a professional organization that supports tomorrow’s teachers. Student members enjoy many of the same benefits and membership advantages as the active professional member in the classroom. The goal of UM-DeSoto’s TOT chapter is to serve as a support group for the students involved in the organization. TOT works on several community service projects including Read Across America.

Student Social Work Organization

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Desiree Watson, dwatson@olemiss.edu
The Student Social Work Organization is a volunteer group through which students can develop a support network of peers, develop skills in organization, leadership and volunteerism, as well as provide social work visibility within DeSoto County. The organization also works with social work majors from the Tupelo and Oxford campuses. One objective of the group is to organize on-campus activities to raise awareness about social work in the community.