The Mississippi Public Community and Junior College Story

Mississippi's two-year college system began in the 1920s and was the nation's first statewide community college system. Today it is considered one of the strongest in the nation. More than 125,000 students are enrolled in Mississippi's fifteen community and junior colleges: 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 County Junior College, Meridian Community College, Mississippi Delta Community College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Northeast Mississippi Community College, Northwest Community College, Pearl River Community College, and Southwest Community College. In The Mississippi Public Community and Junior College Story: 1972-2002, these fifteen schools tell their stories. This volume takes readers through an overview of recent histories of the colleges including the impact of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges (SBCJC). The thirty years covered in this book were a period of unprecedented growth that saw these schools serve increasingly diverse constituencies, integrate technology into the curriculum, and advance economic development across the state by providing industry with thousands of well-trained workers. Including dozens of black-and-white and color photos, the book gives readers the successful history of Mississippi's two-year college system. The Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges is a voluntary association of the fifteen Mississippi community and junior colleges working together with the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges to ensure the enhancement of the oldest community and junior college system in America. Ronnie Musgrove graduated from Northwest Community College and went on to become governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2004.