1. Dara Meyers

2. Mississippi’s involvement in the junior college movement was spontaneous and sudden. At the time, Mississippi was predominantly rural, agricultural, undereducated, and segregated by race. Most community colleges originated as agricultural high schools with the main campuses of colleges located in small towns instead of cities. Established in 1908, agricultural high schools put emphasis on agricultural for boys and home economics for girls.

3. Background Besides dormitories for boys and girls, the high schools also offered a full curriculum of academic courses including English, history, mathematics, and science. By 1921, fifty-one agricultural high schools were in operation in the state. By the early 21 st century, almost 11 percent of the Mississippi population was educated in some way in the state’s public community and junior colleges.

4. Background Mississippi’s network of 15 community and junior colleges provides excellent opportunities to thousands of Mississippians at a low cost. Community colleges serve over half of all undergraduates enrolled in public institutions of higher education in the state. At present, thanks to the Mississippi Virtual Community College, more than 2,500 courses are accessible to students anytime, anywhere.

5. Students There were 73,328 students enrolled in the state’s community and junior colleges as of Fall 2013. The following were enrollments by classification: There has been an estimated 8.3% increase in credit enrollment from Fall 2007 to Fall 2013. ClassificationEnrollment Academic53,066 Technical11,998 Career3,929 Non-Degree4,335

6. Students In Fall 2013, community colleges were comprised of 96.4% in state students while only 3.5% were out of state students. Female students made up 61.3% of community college enrollment with 38.5% being male students. The average student age at Mississippi community colleges is 24.1 years old.

7. Students The demographic student populations are as follows: Mississippi community colleges offer three general options for students seeking a degree or certificate. Students may choose a university parallel degree (AA or Associate of Arts degree), technical degree (AAS or Associate of Applied Science degree), or a certificate. White 52.7% African-American 39.1%

8. Faculty The Mississippi Faculty Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MFACJC) serves three purposes for all community college faculty: 1) To act as an advocacy agency for the interests and welfare of community and junior college faculty and other non-administrative community and junior college employees who work in direct support of the instructional process. 2) To act in coordination with other organizations to support the interests and welfare of community and junior colleges insofar as those interests are not detrimental to the interest of the members of MFACJC. 3) To serve as a medium of professional and social interaction for the members of MFAC.

9. Faculty The Mississippi Community College Foundation instituted the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy (MCCLA) in the spring of 2009 to address the need for upper-level leaders in the Mississippi community college network. The MCCLA is organized around the realistic needs for future Mississippi community college leaders. Much of the material presented and discussed in the Leadership Academy are relative to the functioning of Mississippi’s community colleges.

10. Faculty Mississippi Community College Board’s office of curriculum and instruction provides online and face-to-face professional learning opportunities to the faculty of Career and Technical Education programs. The Teaching Professor Conference provides higher education faculty the opportunity to learn effective pedagogical strategies and interact with colleagues. The three day conference is filled with learning opportunities designed to enhance the teaching practice.

11. Governance and Administration On July 1, 1986 the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) was named successor to the Junior College Commission. The Mississippi Community College Board coordinates and oversees all community colleges in the state. MCCB Executive Director describes the agency best by saying, “The mission of our agency is to foster an environment of excellence to promote world-class education and job training for a more prosperous Mississippi.”

12. Governance and Administration The State Board institute standards for operation, administers state appropriations, assesses enrollment, authorizes career and technical education programs, accredits schools of practical nursing, approves campuses, centers, and sites, assembles reports, and provides general coordination, support, leadership and advocacy. Currently, there are 38 full-time employees at the MCCB. The agency is divided into seven divisions: executive, finance and administration, programs and accountability, academic and student affairs, workforce training/career and technical education, information services, and research and planning.

13. Governance and Administration Each college district has a local governing board which employs the president and faculty, owns property, establishes budgets for operation and capital improvement, and decides on policies for the general governance of the institution. Cooperation by the various institutions on state-wide endeavors is accomplished through the Mississippi Association for Community and Junior Colleges, a voluntary organization of the institutions represented by their presidents.

14. Finance In FY 2014, the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) was responsible for administering a budget of approximately $64 million. That is an increase of $426,023 compared to FY 2013. The operating budgets of Mississippi’s public community and junior colleges are funded mainly by state appropriations, student tuition and fees, and local property taxes. Community and junior colleges have continually expanded a majority of their funds on instruction (54.1%). Salaries and fringe benefits account for 70.8% of the major object expenditures in FY2014.

15. Finance FY 2014 general funds appropriated were $6,860,325. State general funds accounted for 10.7% of the revenues while 9.3% of the revenues were from federal sources. FY 2014 was the ninth year community and junior colleges received unemployment tax funds for workforce education. Unemployment tax funds comprised approximately 41.9% of the total revenues.

16. Finance The overwhelming majority of expenditures in FY 2014 were in subsidies, loans and grants at 88.2% of total expenditures. The funds in this category went chiefly to community and junior colleges, public schools, community based organizations and other state agencies. Salaries consisted of 5.7% of expenditures while contractual services was close behind at accounting for 5.3%.

17. Finance The community college system experienced severe cuts from FY 2001 to FY2005 and then again in FY 2009 and FY 2010. As a result, the percentage of revenue to total revenue has seen dramatic shifts. The percentage of state funds to total has declined from 55.8% in FY 2000 to 40.9% in FY 2014. The percentage of students fees to total revenue has increased from 17.8% in FY 2000 to 32.2% in FY 2014. The per semester average tuition and required fees for a full time student during FY 2014 was $1,188 compared to $1,121 in FY 2013.

18. Vocational Education Through the Workforce Enhancement Training Fund, community colleges partner with business and industry to design and execute specialized short-term training programs to teach the skills employees need to be valuable and up-to-date in their jobs. The Workforce Enhancement Training (WET) Fund’s goal is to produce a skilled, productive workforce for companies. The training programs, which state and community college officials design in collaboration with the business, ensure a dependable workforce will be equipped with industry skills a company needs.

19. Vocational Education There are three important stages of workforce development: Planning, Training and Support The WET fund aids the company cover expenses at Training and Support phases. In the planning state, company and state officials work together to distinguish: What skills workers need for each available job How applicants will be evaluated What characteristics, attitudes and physical requirements workers need What features will be required for a training facility What equipment will be needed for training How to acquire necessary equipment

20. Vocational Education The community colleges also oversee the Mississippi Career Readiness Certificate (CRC), which determines a job seeker’s ability in three main skills: reading for information, locating information and doing applied math. The ACT, through its WorkKeys™ Occupational Profile Database, selected these skills as imperative for more than 85% of jobs across all industries. Through the CRC, employers can discover individuals best suited for their available jobs. Each student has the opportunity to earn one of four levels of Career Readiness Certification: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. Each certification level signifies a percentage of jobs in a database an individual is qualified to perform.

21. Developmental Education The MCCB has the responsibility for administering the Adult Basic Education Program for the state. The program is designed to provide adult education and literacy services in order to: assist adults to become literate and attain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary to aid in the educational development of their children Assist adults in the completion of a high school education

22. Developmental Education During FY 2014, adult education/basic skills training was offered in 28 adult basic education programs. 437 classes offer a wide range of instruction such as English as a Second Language, GED preparation, lower level literacy tutoring and training, parenting skills, life coping skills, workplace literacy/employability skills, and basic skills training. These 28 programs served 16,897 adults for a total of 782,519 collective student instructional hours at an average cost of $547 per student.

23. Developmental Education The MCCB also administers the GED testing program for the state. The GED testing program offers adults who dropped out of school the opportunity to demonstrate that they have obtained knowledge and skills equal to that of a high school graduate. For FY 2014, 3,088 candidates have taken the GED for the first time. Of the 3,088, 1,817 individuals completed all four parts of the GED tests with 863 receiving a GED credential/diploma. In Fall 2013, there were 6,514 students accepted in community and junior colleges via a GED diploma.

24. Community Education Community colleges often serve as the cultural center of the communities they serve, providing professional development and personal enrichment opportunities for citizens who have no desire or the need to take a course for college credit. Mississippi’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) was passed by Congress in 1998. Primarily funded through a grant from the United States Department of Education, GEAR UP Mississippi operates as part of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Office of Academic and Student Affairs in partnership with the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, and Mississippi Department of Education.

25. Community Education GEAR UP Mississippi services include: Encouraging students to set high academic expectations, stay in school, and take the appropriate courses for post secondary success. Partnering with community/junior colleges, colleges, universities, community organizations, businesses and schools to work with entire grades of students in order to make tutoring services available. Promoting college preparation and financial aid awareness, placing an emphasis on core academic preparation and access to scholarship opportunities Providing long-term mentoring to assist students in staying on track for college. Encouraging partners and other community organizations to partner with the schools to leverage non-federal and private resources.

26. Community Education GEAR UP Mississippi also provides: Family and community outreach Tutoring and mentoring Professional development Technology resources and support ACT testing Summer academies Cultural tours Cultural events GEAR UP Mississippi quarterly parent newsletter Information on scholarship opportunities Dual enrollment opportunities in 10 th, 11 th and 12 th grade. College tours

27. Collegiate Education Academic transfer enrollment continues to be a key part of enrollment in Mississippi community colleges. Academic transfer enrollment accounts for 72.4% of total credit enrollment. Studies have shown that Mississippi community college transfer students perform as well, if not better, than native students at Mississippi’s public four-year institutions.

28. Collegiate Education A student can transfer earned credits to four-year institutions without loss of credit if the student has followed the Articulation Agreement between the MS Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board. The articulation agreement includes programs of courses appropriate for transfer for community/junior college students who attend Mississippi’s eight public universities. Each university will accept courses as listed on the particular transfer program with no loss of credit toward the termination of the four-year degree.

29. Collegiate Education The articulation agreement is intended to be a minimum program transfer for all students moving from the community/junior college to the university system, as well as moving between universities in the system, acting as a “safety net” for transfer students. The agreement’s intention is not to replace any individual articulation agreement between a particular community/junior college and a university which would permit additional courses to transfer into a specific program of study. It is critical that the programs of study be evaluated periodically and adjustments be made where appropriate.