FedEx Student-Athlete Success Center gets $5 million

OXFORD - FedEx Corporation and an anonymous donor have contributed $2.5 million apiece to support enhancements to the FedEx Student-Athlete Success Center.

“We are extremely grateful for these major gifts, which will enable us to construct additional one-on-one tutoring rooms, small-group and large-group tutoring rooms and counselor and student lounges within the FedEx Center,” athletic director Ross Bjork said in a news release.

“Our student-athletes are expected to put in the hours and hours of practice it takes to be successful on their respective teams while also keeping their grades high, so they can be successful in life after collegiate sports. The center gives them a home base where they can study and receive any academic and life skills support they may need.”

The FedEx Student-Athlete Success Center is a 24,500-square-foot building that houses an academic counselor, learning specialist and life skills offices, a large conference room, 12 large- and small-group tutoring rooms, two large Mac and Dell computer labs and a micro study lab area, a math and writing lab, and a 150-seat multimedia classroom called the FedEx Auditorium.

Ole Miss’ Forward Together campaign was launched in 2011 with a goal of raising $150 million. It achieved its goal in November following contributions from 3,425 honors, raising $155 million, and has since extended its goal to $200 million.

Contact Daniel Paulling at dpaulling@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @DanielPaulling on Twitter.