Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Vice President JD Vance and Erika Kirk, CEO and Chair of Turning Point USA, will be at the SJB Pavilion for a ticketed event hosted by the students of the Turning Point USA chapter at Ole Miss. The university is working directly with event organizers, and federal and local public safety officials on logistics, traffic, parking and security. As with all events on campus, upholding a secure campus environment remains our top priority.

Below is information to provide guidance and keep our campus community informed.

Campus Operations

Campus will observe normal business hours and classes will be held. Traffic and parking will be impacted due to event attendance. Please plan accordingly. 

  • Employees may discuss flexible work options for Wednesday, Oct. 29 with their supervisors. 
  • Instructors who alter course delivery should inform their chairs (or deans) and contact their students with information about class expectations. 
  • Students should monitor their Ole Miss email for information from instructors about class expectations.
  • Priority registration for students will continue through the week.
  • Areas around the Pavilion will be heavily congested with attendees queuing for the event. Drivers and pedestrians are encouraged to plan alternate routes on Oct. 29. 
  • Turner Center operations will continue, however, some doors will be temporarily restricted for use and indicated as such.

Parking and Traffic

To accommodate event logistics and requirements on Oct. 29, some parking lots and roads around the SJB Pavilion will be affected as indicated in this map. Private vehicles, university vehicles including golf carts and pedestrian traffic will be restricted at various times during the day on Oct. 29. Please consider avoiding the area, be patient and allow extra time for campus navigation.

Parking:

  • Several parking lots around the Turner Center as well as the entirety of The Pavilion Parking Garage will close beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28 until Thursday, Oct. 30.
    • Alternative parking options with dedicated shuttles have been communicated directly to permit holders in affected areas.
    • Security will be present to provide guidance and indicate which lots will be restricted.
    • Any vehicles remaining in these areas after 6 p.m. on Oct. 28 will be towed.
  • Alternative parking options for UM permit holders on Oct. 29 include: 
    • South Campus Recreation Center (SCRC) parking lot with a dedicated shuttle dropping off near Paris-Yates Chapel
    • South Oxford Center (SOC) parking garage with a dedicated shuttle dropping off near the Music Building and Gertrude C. Ford Center

Traffic:

  • A section of Hill Drive will close from Big Valley parking lot to All American Drive at 7 a.m. on Oct. 29. Parking will remain available in the Big Valley lot.
  • Eastbound traffic on All American Drive past the Turner Center will be restricted beginning at 11 a.m. on Oct. 29.
  • Beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 29, Oxford-University Transit (OUT) bus routes will run as follows:
    • Green, Teal, Red South, Orange and Hathorn will run from Chucky Mullins, Fraternity Row and Rebel Drive to Paris-Yates Chapel.
    • Gold, SOC, Gold Express and Pearl Express will drop off and pick up at the Union. 

Event-Related Information

The following information is provided from the event organizers:

  • Tickets are required to attend the sold-out event. Individuals must show proper identification matching their ticket before being admitted into the line. 
  • Admission is not guaranteed. Students with tickets will be prioritized and admitted first.
  • There is no reserved parking on campus for the event.
  • No bags of any kind are allowed into the event venue.
  • The event starts at 5 p.m. with doors opening at approximately 3 p.m. Line queues will not be opened until 11 a.m. Any attendees trying to enter the line queue or camp out on campus prior to 11 a.m. will be turned away. 
  • ADA accommodations for event ticket holders will be communicated by the organizers.
  • If you have specific questions about the event itself, please contact the organizers at tours@tpusa.com. 

We hope this information will help you navigate campus on Oct. 29. We understand that there will be some inconveniences, however, it is important to stress that the extensive planning and preparation is to uphold our commitment to safety. Details may continue to evolve, and we will provide updates as necessary. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding as we work to keep our campus community informed.

Signature of Noel Wilkin

Noel E. Wilkin

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Signature of Steven Holley

Steven Holley

Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer

The University of Mississippi

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