The university, located in Cleveland, Mississippi, confirmed a fatality on its Twitter account and asked those on campus to stay inside and away from windows.
The Bolivar County Coroner said the shooting victim was a professor.
The suspect remained on the loose, the Clarion-Ledger newspaper reported, citing the Cleveland Police Department.
A representative for the university's communications office said it had no further comment, Reuters reported.
More than 4,000 students are enrolled in the public university, located 120 miles (193 km) northwest of Jackson.