The furor over the forced departure of Dan Jones as Chancellor at the University of Mississippi has reached into almost every corner of the state, including Columbus.

Dr. Chance Laws, a retired ophthalmologist from Columbus who attained his undergraduate degree from Ole Miss and his medical degree from University of Mississippi Medical Center, said he was caught by surprise when the Board of Trustees of the states' Institutions for Higher Learning voted Friday not to renew Jones' contract, which is set to expire in September.

"I had heard some rumors about their being some disagreements, but I never imagined it would come to this," Laws, who served as Ole Miss' national alumni president in 2006-07, said. "I don't have any insight into what exactly happened, but I'm totally supportive of Dan Jones. From what I know, things are going very well at the undergraduate school and the medical school. I think he's done a great job when you consider that the medical school has grown, a new building is under construction -- all the indicators seem to be very positive. According to Dan, they are meeting all of their budgetary targets and the whole medical school seems to be making real strides. I'm sure the people on the IHL board are certainly wise businessmen, but I have to wonder how well informed they are about hospitals."

While Laws says he has no intimate knowledge of the dispute that led to Jones' dismissal, another physician from Columbus has a far clearly view of the dispute.

Dr. James Keeton, a Lee High graduate who succeeded Jones as vice chancellor and dean of UMMC in 2009 and retired March 1, said the IHL Board's criticism of UMMC's handling of financial issues was unfounded.

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Columbus doctors disappointed with Jones' dismissal