The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is the only Southern Miss vice president assigned direct administrative responsibility by the IHL Board of Trustees, being delegated an administrative purview under the direction of the University President that includes all financial matters of the University. In this capacity, the CFO prepares and monitors the University budget and supervises the receipt, custody, and disbursement of funds; accounting and financial reporting; auxiliary enterprises; the maintenance and improvement of the University's physical plant; the procurement of essential services, supplies and equipment; and property inventories. The CFO also administers the University's personnel program for non-academic employees.

Morgan graduated from Southern Miss in 1975 with a degree in accounting and has been at the university for nearly 20 years. Prior to working for the university, Joe worked in a variety of accounting positions for 10 years and served in the U.S. Navy. His first position at Southern Miss was as assistant director of Purchasing and he has been serving as the director of Procurement Services since July 2003.