- Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges
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The Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, known informally as the SBCJC, is a statutory coordinating board tasked with oversight of Mississippi's public community and junior colleges as part of the state government of Mississippi in the United States. The state's public university system is governed by a separate constitutionally established board known as the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, or IHL informally.
Contents
Institutions
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
East Central Community College
East Mississippi Community College
Mississippi Delta Community College
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Southwest Mississippi Community College
There are several conditions for enrollment to these colleges i.e. dual, early admit, occupational, college transfer, high School diploma, GED, and those requiring high school units. Additionally, students have access to the Mississippi Virtual Community College which enables to students to take courses, via distance learning, at any of the 15 community colleges and receive support from a nearby college.
History
The Legislature created the board in 1986 to receive and distribute funds from the state, federal government, and other sources to the community and junior colleges. The initiation of the SBCJC can be traced back to the 1920s. Senate Bill 131, Laws of 1928, approved April 26, 1928, authorized the establishment of junior colleges, and also created a State Commission for oversight of these institutions. The first action of the Commission consisted of identifying its authority, establishing standards by which existing junior colleges must meet to qualify for state aid and develop criteria required of agricultural high schools seeking junior college status. This action of the Commission constituted the birth of Mississippi State System of Public Junior Colleges, giving Mississippi the distinction of having the first state system of comprehensive two-year colleges in the nation. The Commission had no staff but was served by personnel within the State Department of Education. In 1968, a separate operational division for junior colleges was created in the State Department of Education, which provided state services and oversight until 1986.
Governance
The Board has 10 members appointed for staggered terms by the Governor to oversee 15 schools: fourteen community colleges and one junior college. The following are the current Board Members: George Walker (Chairman); Johnny Crane; Patricia Dickens; Henry Hudspeth; Donald Max Huey; Bruce Martin; Napolean Moore; Edwin Perry; Robert Steinriede; and Brenda Yonge.
Mississippi Virtual Community College
The Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) is a consortium of the 15 physical community colleges in the Mississippi system that allows students to take classes over the Internet from any community college located in the state. After almost three years of research and planning, MSVCC was inaugurated in January 2000 under the SBCJC Distance Learning program, and currently serves over 20,000 students each semester.
As an example of how the consortium works, a student from Northwest Community College (acting as host college) can take a class on the Internet offered from Pearl River Community College (acting as provider college). The host college supports the student with any other resources that they may need—including academic advising and counseling, financial aid, and campus network access—and the course credit from the provided class is subsequently awarded through the host college. Through this mechanism, the virtual community college provides an opportunity for students take classes that are not offered at their "home" college. Additional learning support is provided by the Mississippi Electronic Libraries Online (MELO), a shared resource hosted by the SBCJC that is made available to students and instructors through their respective campus networks and administered under the Distance Learning program.
The mission of the Mississippi Virtual Community College is to provide educational opportunities to constituencies who live within the various community and junior college districts in Mississippi and to others beyond those boundaries. The mission includes providing access to instructional offerings through advanced technologies for those individuals who currently cannot take advantage of the offerings of the community and junior college through traditional means and to those individuals who are seeking alternative educational delivery systems.
The MSVCC maintains an articulation agreement amongst all of its constituent community colleges that is explicitly designed to avoid drawing any distinction between online and traditional lecture courses in order to facilitate a unified curriculum systemwide. Accreditation of the MSVCC is maintained under the oversight of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Divisions of the Mississippi State Board
State Board Members
The State Board is currently made up of 11 members: Dr. Eric Clark (Executive Director), George Walker (Chairman), Johnny Crane, Patricia Dickens, Henry Hudspeth, Donald Max Huey, Bruce Martin, Napolean Moore, Edwin Perry, Robert Steinriede, and Brenda Yonge.[1]
Dr. Clark was appointed as Executive Director in 2008. He earned a bachelor's degree from Millsaps College, a master's from the University of Mississippi and his doctorate from Mississippi State University. He previously taught history and government at Jones County Junior College and Mississippi College for 7.5 years and 5.5 years respectively. Dr. Clark was also a member of the Mississippi Legislature for 16 years.[2]
Mr. Walker was appointed Chairman of the SBCJC in 1991 by Governor Ray Mabus. He is now in his third, six-year term, having served 11 years. Mr. Walker is originally from Massachusetts, but has been living in Mississippi since 1978. He has received multiple awards including the National Governors' Association Distinguished Service Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Public Education Forum of Mississippi.[3]
Accountability and Support Services
In 1995, the SBCJC adopted the accreditation standards as set forth by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The board uses these standards for quality, accountability, and financial adequacy.
Adult Basic Education and GED
The Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges participates in the administering of the Adult Basic Education Program. This program is beneficial to adults because it allows them the opportunity to take a second chance at earning and education. To be competitive in today's society, one must possess basic literary competencies (i.e. areas such as math, reading, writing, communication, teamwork, and computer skills. The Adult Education Program offers assistance to adults in need of gaining these skills. In addition, the program provides adults with sufficient basic education to enable them to benefit from job training and to retain productive employment so that they might more fully enjoy the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship, and enables adults who desire, to continue their education to at least the level of completion of secondary school.
Athletics and Activities
All fifteen of the Mississippi Community and Junior Colleges have athletics at their school. Fourteen of the institutions are affiliated with the Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges athletic conference.(MACJC) The only exception is Meridian Community College (MCC), which athletically participates independently since 2008. MCC decided to drop from the MACJC due to recruiting districts which they have to share with East Mississippi Community College and MCC felt they were at a disadvantage when it came to recruiting. The MACJC is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Region XXIII is compromised of the MACJC as well as the MISS-LOU Junior College Conference, which are only schools in Louisiana. Aside from sports, schools have bands and dance teams. Sports played in the MACJC:
Football
Basketball (Men and Women)
Baseball
Softball
Golf (Men and Women)
Soccer (Men and Women)
Tennis (Men and Women)
Track and Field (Men and Women)
Cheerleaders
Career and Technical Education
The Career & Technical Division Education is responsible for working with Community/Junior College Deans and other Community/Junior College personnel to assist with evaluation of programs, the reimbursement process for state upgrade equipment, salaries for Career-Technical personnel and reviews their requests for new programs, deletions or modifications to existing programs and serves as liaison between Community/Junior College Deans, the Mississippi Department of Education and the Research and Curriculum Unit.
The Career & Technical Education division works directly with the community and junior colleges to ensure that curriculums and courses are adequate for the various career and technical programs offered. There are currently 97 programs of study available to the students enrolled in Mississippi Community Colleges. This board ensures that college personnel are informed of the various governing policies and program requirements. Additionally, the Career and Technical Education division assists Community/Junior College personnel in developing and reviewing the following: Qualifications Manual for Career-Technical personnel, Practical Nursing Accreditation Manual, the Practical Nursing Self-Study Process, and the Equipment Manual.
Dr. Shawn Mackey: Director of Career Technical Education - Phone: (601) 432-6351: Email:smackey@sbcjc.cc.ms.us Contact information for the SBCJC: Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges - www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us/CareerTechEdu/
Distance Education
Distance learning responsibilities of the SBCJC include coordination of the Mississippi Virtual Commumity College and online course offerings for workforce training. The Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) is a consortium of 15 of Mississippi's community colleges. Through the MSVCC, students may take courses from community colleges anywhere in Mississippi while getting support services from a local college. Also, an active partnership with Mindleaders opens the door to skills training courses in information technology, management, and other valuable areas at an affordable cost in support of workforce training initiatives.[4]
The fifteen members of the Mississippi Virtual Community College include: Coahoma Community College, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Hinds Community College, Holmes Community College, Itawamba Community College, Jones Junior College, Meridian Community College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Mississippi Delta Community College, Northeast Community College, Northwest Community College, Pearl River Community College, and Southwest Community College. Each of the 15 member schools provides a Distance Learning Coordinator (DLC) who handles local MSVCC operations. The DLC at each campus serves as local support for students who are enrolled in MSVCC classes. Some of the local Distance Learning Coordinators also serve as Directors or Deans for the system at large.[5]
Finance and Personnel
As of April 2009, the Finance Division (FD) of the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges (SBCJC) is responsible for allocating over $158 million to the state’s 15 community and junior colleges. The FD oversees financial activities and prepares financial reports to the legislature, SBCJC college presidents, and other stakeholders, including Mississippi taxpayers and agencies. Each community or junior college provides budget information to the FD and the FD consolidates this information and prepares the annual budget request. Other routine financial management activities of the FD include payroll, personnel, accounts payable, purchasing, and asset management.
The SBCJC Finance Team includes the following staff: • Associate Executive Director of Finance and Administration, • Director of Accounting, • Accountant • Technical Specialist—Finance, and • Technical Specialist—Purchasing and Records.
Contact information for the SBCJC FD: Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges Finance Division 3825 Ridgewood Road Jackson, MS 39211 Phone: 601-432-6337 Fax: 601-432-6365 www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us/finance/
Information Services
The information service division is responsible for identifying implementing technology initives within the agency as it responds "to the changing needs of the community and the citizens of Mississippi". Their services provide information to all of the community and junior colleges in the state of Mississippi. This team will constitute the agency's leadership for suggesting, requesting and implementing technological needs as it strives to fulfill its mission. The information service consists of training and support services, network management, and application development. Ray A. Smith is the director of information services. There is a head in each of the three departments under the information services. Tina Bradley is the support services manager for the training and support services. Ive P. Burnett is the application development manager for the application development department. There is no named head for the network management area. These department heads all have areas of expertise in their field and are at the disposal of the community and junior colleges in the state of Mississippi.
Programs
Workforce Education Division
The Workforce Education Division is responsible for facilitating the Boards’ goals of using state resources to provide workforce education to the citizens of Mississippi giving them the skills needed to be more productive and have an improved quality of life, and to provide the employers of our state a better trained and educated workforce.
Their philosophy for carrying out this responsibility is service and provision of resources to the Community and Junior Colleges in our state so that they are equipped to provide the services necessary to meet the stated goals.
Mississippi Community Colleges with Workforce Centers:
Coahoma Community College Copiah-Lincoln Community College East Central Community College East Mississippi Community College Hinds Community College Holmes Community College Itawamba Community College Jones Junior College Meridian Community College Mississippi Delta Community College Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Northeast Mississippi Community College Northwest Mississippi Community College Pearl River Community College Southwest Mississippi Community College
Contact Information: Email: workforce@sbcjc.cc.ms.us Phone: 601-432-6481 Fax: 601-432-6365
Current Statistics
In state fiscal 2008, there were 71,490 full time equivalent students and 93,978 non-duplicate total credit: 63.9% female, 55.2% white, and 97.1% in-state.
Institution Enrollment Academic Technical Career Coahoma 2,144 69.4% 15.6% 15.0% Copiah-Lincoln 3,161 73.1% 19.2% 7.7% East Central 2,228 68.9% 28.8% 5.3% East MS 4,010 81.0% 15.5% 3.5% Hinds 9,828 67.4% 24.4% 8.3% Holmes 5,108 75.2% 22.1% 2.7% Itawamba 5,864 76.4% 21.9% 1.8% Jones 4,559 76.0% 19.3% 4.6% Meridian 3,536 69.3% 24.7% 6.0% MS Delta 2,888 76.2% 17.1% 6.6% MS Gulf Coast 8,858 69.1% 24.5% 6.5% Northeast 3,342 67.4% 28.5% 4.2% Northwest 6,436 79.6% 16.4% 4.0% Pearl River 3,917 76.5% 20.0% 3.5% Southwest 1,843 65.6% 24.6% 9.8% TOTALS 67,719 72.9% 21.6% 5.6% External links
- Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning [1]
- Mississippi Virtual Community College [5]
- Mississippi GED Online [21]
References
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