‘THE FOLKS HERE ARE COMMITTED’ Dr. Lisa Toms joins MSSU as Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs
T
he importance of higher education can be looked at from both individual and societal perspectives, according to Dr. Lisa Toms. “From an individual perspective, I believe it’s the key to pulling people out of poverty,” she said. “I believe it’s the key to improving the quality of life, and I believe it’s the key to improving the quantity of life … More than that, it gives people a purpose and a sense that they’re contributing to society. “From a societal perspective, all the improvements that have come along – economic and technological – would not be what or where they are without higher education.”
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For Toms, who joined MSSU in February as the new Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs, the “individual perspective” is deeply personal. When asked if she’s seen firsthand the difference higher education can have in a person’s life, she raises her hand. “Me … I was a first-generation college student,” she said. “My parents were both from rural, southern Arkansas and life then was hard. They made sure (my siblings and I) did our best in school, but there wasn’t a lot of emphasis put on college.” “But because I did very well in high school, they really wanted me to go to college, but I chose not to. I got married
CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
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SPRING 2022
