Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is prominently featured in “Improving Workforce Outcomes for Rural Community College Students,” a new guide from Social Finance and Ascendium Education Group.  The report shares best practices and stories for community college leaders who are wanting to build successful workforce partnerships and is based on six months of research at the nation’s rural community colleges.

“We are very proud to have two of our outstanding programs included in this national report,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “We know that we are doing great things at MGCCC, working with business and industry partners to provide our students the best education and training. Being recognized at a national level is exciting and affirms we are leading the way both locally and nationally.”

The report states that rural community colleges hold enormous potential to yield innovative workforce programs that equip students for gainful career pathways and accelerate the equitable economic recovery our nation needs. Through innovative practices, the community colleges highlighted in the report have found successful ways to build strong workforce partnerships that provide a pipeline for students to get high-paying, in-demand jobs.

MGCCC was recognized for its ability to align on optimal structure of programs, to troubleshoot and adapt, and ensure ongoing sustainability.  The Instrumentation and Controls Academy and Shipbuilding Apprenticeships were the two programs highlighted in the report.

To view the report, visit mgccc.edu/workforce-report or by visiting the Social Finance site at socialfinance.org/improving-workforce.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Process Operations Technology program is hosting a team from the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program to discuss the practices used in the program to recruit a diverse group of students and prepare them for great careers in industry.  The program was recently named winner of the Excellence and Equity in Community College STEM Award as one of only eight programs in the nation. They were recognized for providing outstanding preparation for high-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing and for their intentional outreach and support of diverse populations typically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.

The team is visiting the Jackson County Campus and the Process Operations Technology program virtually November 17-18, holding discussions with college leadership, instructors, institutional researchers, academic advisers, and industry partners. These discussions, along with data and other information provided by MGCCC, will allow the Aspen team to use what they’ve learned at Gulf Coast to help other community college programs across the U.S.

“We are proud of our outstanding programs, like the Process Operations Technology program, and are excited that this program is being recognized on a national level,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “At MGCCC, our goal is to provide outstanding education and training for the diverse population of our four-county district so they have a clear pathway to great-paying jobs and advanced degrees.”

Overall, U.S. jobs in STEM fields are projected to grow at almost double the rate of non-STEM occupations. More than half of all STEM jobs across the United States require no more than an associate degree and pay wages that average more than $50,000 annually.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will kick off the Festival of Lights at the Perkinston Campus on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, with the lighting of the campus that evening.  This year, the traditional Festival of Lights will be celebrated in a different fashion, with the community invited to drive through campus and view the beautiful Christmas lights and displays along Perkinston Boulevard and the President’s Circle.  Additionally, MGCCC is excited to offer Christmas music through a private radio station for our guests to tune in and enjoy during their visit to campus. The lights will be up throughout the holiday season, allowing families to visit when it is convenient or even more than once.

“We are excited to continue offering our traditional holiday experience to the community in a unique and creative way that provides quality entertainment in a safe manner,” said Dr. Ladd Taylor, vice president of the Perkinston Campus. “While we are temporarily forgoing the various rides, food vendors, and other attractions, we have a very special festival planned for the community.”

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and the University of West Alabama signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 18 at MGCCC’s Perkinston Campus. 

The MOU will guarantee admission for all MGCCC graduates who have a 2.0 grade point average or better, will include advising at MGCCC and/or the UWA campus with an academic adviser, and dedicated academic scholarships to MGCCC students with a 3.0 grade point average or better for up to four consecutive semesters.  MGCCC students who receive academic scholarships will also be eligible to apply for housing scholarships.

“MGCCC is pleased to provide excellent academic opportunities for all of our students through university partnerships. We’re excited to work with UWA and to see our students succeed,” said. Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president.  

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Mississippi State University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Agricultural Science major on December 2 at the college’s George County Center in Lucedale.  The MOU will allow Agricultural Science majors to complete an Associate of Arts degree through MGCCC and Bachelor of Science degree through MSU under a dual-enrollment program.

“MGCCC has partnered with Mississippi State University for many years to offer our students the best opportunities for academic success,” said MGCCC President Dr. Mary S. Graham. “Today we signed another agreement with MSU for students interested in majoring in Agricultural Science, providing our students a clear course plan and ease of credit transfer.  We are very excited about the opportunities this creates for not only MGCCC students but our communities as agriculture is a significant part of our economy in South Mississippi, the state and region.”

The four-year pathway begins with two years of classes at MGCCC and continues with two years at MSU. After completing 30 credit hours at MGCCC, students can be dually admitted at both institutions. An MSU advisor will make routine visits to MGCCC to guide students in their academic progress toward the Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree. MGCCC will facilitate a trip to MSU every semester for students in the pathway program to see the MSU campus and learn more about the educational opportunities offered in the field.

Once enrolled at MSU, students can choose from several focus areas for their studies through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. These include agribusiness; agricultural education, leadership and communications; agricultural pest management; animal production; floral management; floriculture and ornamental horticulture; food sciences; integrated crop management; precision agriculture; and soil and environmental sciences.

“We are proud to once again partner with MGCCC to offer new degree pathways for students,” Dr. Mark Keenum, MSU president, said. “This pathway prepares students for a wide range of careers in agriculture, the leading economic sector in our state. It will also benefit our state as a whole as we work together to shape the next generation of the agricultural workforce and its leaders.”

MSU and MGCCC have partnered on several academic programs, including Engineering on the Coast, which allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial, electrical or mechanical engineering on MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus. In February, the two institutions signed pathways agreements for Bachelor of Applied Science and Culinology programs.

For more information about the program, visit mgccc.edu/agscience.

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Sherry McRae of Gulfport was selected as one of only 10 Get2College Corps Scholars in the nation for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Phi Theta Kappa partners with the Woodward Hines Education Foundation and Get2College to administer this opportunity for their members. As a Get2College Corps member, McRae will receive a $5,000 scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

McRae, a sophomore at the Harrison County Campus, is a marine biology major.  She has been working with the Get2College staff in a virtual format as part of the scholarship requirements. Working a minimum of 10 hours per week, she helps high school students throughout Mississippi complete the FAFSA application.

“Scholarships may seem like a one-in-a-million chance but just this one opportunity has gone further than any award value could measure up to,” said McRae. “Receiving this scholarship has opened doors for me and allowed me to help other students reach their academic goals. Get2College has had an incredible impact on my college endeavors and my plans for the future, and I hope that my time with them has impacted the students I’ve worked with in a positive way.”

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Remote learning for Career and Technical Education (CTE) students at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College just received a big boost thanks to the new CTE Student Kits and laptops for remote learning, which was implemented at all of the college campuses during Fall 2020.

During the Fall 2020 semester, students have had the option to check out laptops from the Learning Resources Centers on each campus, but now, CTE students can check out kits that allow them to continue skills-based learning at home.  The CTE Student Kits allow students to complete hands-on objectives.  Examples of such remote learning include the following: electronics kit for Instrumentation and Controls Technology; a portable welding machine for Welding Technology; and marble slabs, mixers, and decorating sets for Baking and Pastry Arts Technology.

“MGCCC wanted to plan for continued rigorous, high-quality instruction in the midst of intermittent shutdowns and reduced classroom capacity in accordance with CDC guidelines,” said Dr. Erin Riggins, Associate Vice President of Teaching and Learning. “In conjunction with classroom technology, the laptops and CTE Student Kits will allow a student to complete many of the hands-on objectives remotely.”

Paid for through CARES Act for Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, the CTE Student Kits were made available for checkout and distribution for use in coursework prior to Thanksgiving break. Funds received through the CARES Act were also used for classroom technology for virtual delivery of instruction.  Some examples of classroom technology purchased through CARES funds include the following: Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technology for virtual training (i.e., EON Reality); HyFlex classroom technology; SmartBoards; laptops; and the simulators for industry-driven training such as the Heavy Equipment Operator training offered Fall 2020.

“Students in career and technical programs are required to demonstrate skills-based competencies in order to complete the CTE programs,” Riggins said.  “That presented a challenge for instructors during the COVID-19 shutdown that began in March.  These CTE Student Kits will help faculty to maintain the rigorous instruction and hands-on skills practice needed for students even when stricter CDC guidelines are in place, whether that means social distancing and reduced class sizes or whether the College experiences another shutdown.”

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Landon Chenevert of Ocean Springs originally wanted to be a marine biologist until he visited MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus on Bulldog Day his junior year of high school.  

“I took a tour of the Precision Manufacturing and Machining Technology lab and fell in love with the program.  That’s what I’ve wanted to do for a career since then,” he said.

Chenevert now works at Specialty Machine Inc. in Gulfport. “We mainly produce heat exchanger units, so my job is a lot of drilling and tapping holes,” he said. “Most of the time there has to be hundreds of holes drilled, so we do it on our CNC drill press. We write the program with all the locations of the holes, load it up in the machine, and let it have at it.”

He credits the college with preparing him for his job.  “My experience at MGCCC prepared me extremely well for going out into the industry. Mr. (Willie) Showah teaches a fantastic program that is focused on industry standards. I recommend anyone looking to be an inside machinist to take his program.”

Chenevert has participated in the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) program, as he is still taking classes at the college to complete his associate degree. “Carla Stout did an excellent job teaching us essential skills as part of the QEP. We did exercises where we were to read a procedure and had to pass the message on to someone else without missing any detail, which helped improve our listening and speaking skills. We also would ‘clock in’ when we got to class, and always tried to be there earlier than class started. We learned that if you’re on time, you’re late.  If you’re 15 minutes early, you’re on time.” 

He said the practice on essential skills prepared him well for his current job. “Learning those things has helped me do a better job, and I think I was maybe more prepared to do the job than a lot of other people starting out.”

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A new women’s residence hall will open this spring at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus.

The 57,331-square-foot women’s residence hall includes 103 rooms with lobbies on each floor, study rooms, and many other amenities. The residence hall contains spacious rooms, a private bathroom, and is conveniently located close to the Bookstore and Student Union Dining Hall.

Students are scheduled to move into the new residence hall beginning January 7, 2021.

For more information on applying, visit mgccc.edu/housing.

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The MGCCC Jackson County Fine Arts Gallery is proud to announce the opening of the exhibit “Mississippi: The French Connection,” featuring the artwork of Frank Janca. The show will open January 4 and will run until February 26. A virtual exhibit and artist interview will complement the show at mgccc.edu/frank_janca. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Entry to the gallery is offered at no cost, and the exhibit is open to the public.

Frank Janca is an artist whose work draws upon his highly developed personal sensitivity toward nature and from his study of the classical tradition of the Old Masters. The artist’s approach to his subject, acquired from over 30 years of painting, is marked by careful study, acute observation, and a particular kind of passion for the physicality of paint and the play of light that animate and illuminate his landscapes, still lifes, and portraits.

Although born in Maryland, Janca grew up in Biloxi before leaving as a young man for New York City to study at the Art Students League, where he worked with Robert Beverly Hale and David Leffel and the School of Visual Arts.

Janca has moved in artistic directions that set him apart from all but a few of his contemporaries. He insists on grinding pigments by hand, cooking his own oil mediums, and underpainting his carefully prepared and gessoed Belgium linen canvases with grisaille, much as artists had done for centuries before commercially prepared paints became available in the mid-19th century….and all this before applying his paint to canvas. This kind of disciplined effort, in and of itself, would be an academic exercise without bringing the kind of talent and artistry that Janca brings to his subject.

The artist’s appreciation for the use of light and shadow found in the works of Velasquez and other Baroque masters of the 17th century have led him to focus on similar concerns in his own work.

“Velasquez composed the light so beautifully that he makes you see more colors than he’s actually put down,” Janca explains. “Designing the light in the painting is my first concern.”

This is readily apparent in his still life works in which objects are enveloped in a warm luminosity that brings out the contrasting surfaces, forms and textures of the vases, teapots, figurines, fruits and flowers that are sensitively arranged for the eye to slowly play across the spaces they inhabit.

The exhibit features more than 40 works depicting landscape, still life, and portraiture in oils, etchings, and giclee prints. For more information, contact Gallery Director Marc Poole at marc.poole@mgccc.edu or (228) 497-7684.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Center and New Entrance Boulevard on the Perkinston Campus December 16.

“We are excited to open this incredible new childcare facility and provide better, more convenient access to our campus,” said Dr. Ladd Taylor, Perkinston Campus vice president.  “The college has continued to expand opportunities for students, employees, business and industry partners, and individuals throughout our four-county district, providing them with the education and training they need to further their careers.”

The ECE Center provides a facility for training students in the Early Childhood Technology program and a daycare for pre-school children of full-time college students.

The New Entrance Boulevard provides access to the Perkinston Campus and Wire Road West from Highway 49 South, allowing students and other drivers to bypass traffic around Perkinston Elementary School as well as the train tracks that run south of the college campus.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has partnered with EON Reality, a global leader in augmented and virtual reality-based knowledge and skills transfer for industry and education, to provide augmented (AR), virtual (VR), and extended (XR) reality technology to enhance remote skills-based learning and to train students in the new Simulation and Game Design Technology program.

Through EON, the college will offer a 32-week program in Simulation and Game Design Technology.  The college plans to continue the program after the partnership ends.

Partnership goals will be reached in part through a grant received by the college through the Governor’s Emergency Education Response (GEER) fund for Essential Emergency Educational Services as part of the U.S. Government’s CARES Act for costs related to implementation of the partnership’s goals.

“MGCCC began implementing EON’s VR and AR technology during the Fall 2020 semester through funding associated with the CARES Act,” said Dr. Jonathan Woodward, Executive Vice President of Teaching and Learning.  “This technology was leveraged to enhance remote learning to maintain the rigorous and high-quality education needed by our students despite intermittent shutdowns and reduced classroom/laboratory capacity. Through the partnership with EON Reality and with the grant provided through the GEER Fund, the college is stepping into a new era of technology-based learning, cutting-edge program development and training, and expanded learning opportunities for workforce training as well as college-level and high school students.

The AR/VR/XR technology and software for enhancement of remote skills-based learning will allow the college to provide training for its students and industry partners that will increase efficiency and specificity in training while drastically reducing both costs and risks.

“Partnering with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College opens the door for EON Reality to help countless students and faculty throughout Mississippi and beyond, so we’re extremely excited to see their recent successes,” said Dan Lejerskar, founder of EON Reality. “We have great things planned together for 2021, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us together.”

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College received a $1.6 million grant through the Governor’s Emergency Education Response (GEER) fund for Essential Emergency Educational Services as part of the U.S. Government’s CARES Act.  The grant will allow the college to expand the deployment of augmented (AR), virtual (VR), and extended (XR) reality technology to enhance remote skills-based learning, to train students in the new Simulation and Game Design Technology program, establish an Interactive Digital Center, and to expand the existing Cybersecurity Technology program.

“Because of COVID-19, MGCCC and other institutions of higher learning have had to rethink the way we provide instruction,” said Dr. Jonathan Woodward, Executive Vice President of Teaching and Learning. “AR/VR/XR solutions can be leveraged to produce and reskill Mississippi’s essential workforce to accelerate an economic restart, as well as position the Gulf Coast to respond to any possible crisis situations in the future. The quick adaptation to deliver education and training utilizing this technology will help ensure uninterrupted education and training for future workers.”

Additionally, by providing training in the new Simulation and Game Design Technology program, the college will help meet the job market demand for AR/VR/XR engineers, which has grown exponentially in the last year for many sectors, including industrial automation, aerospace, construction, education, and health care. This growth in the job market demand has led to an unprecedented need to rapidly train people to develop AR/VR/XR content.

With the addition of technologies such as AR/VR/XR, there has been a drastic increase in cyberattacks, leaving companies exposed for data breaches. Therefore, an additional focus of the grant will be to quickly upscale the workforce to prevent these attacks. In addition to quickly upscaling the pipeline of workers to prevent these types of attacks, there is a need to do so with the consideration of COVID-19 safety guidelines. Software-as-a-Solution (SaaS) is a framework that not only allows for remote access to servers in order to train in cybersecurity, but it also allows for flexibility and scalability not often afforded with traditional software solutions. MGCCC will partner with Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi State University, and other partners to provide SaaS-based cybersecurity training for airmen and Information Systems Technology students.

MGCCC will also expand XR education and training to 11^th and 12^th grade students within the college’s dual credit partnership.  AR/VR/XR will be implemented in programs and courses containing dual credit students in Spring, Summer and Fall 2021.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new 57,331-square-foot residence hall at the Perkinston Campus on Thursday, January 7.

The residence hall, which will open this spring, has an occupancy rate of 206 residential students. Conveniently located near the Student Union Dining Hall and Campus Bookstore, features include lobbies on each floor and study rooms for student use.

“With this new residence hall, which is the eighth, MGCCC can offer housing to 1,078 students on the Perkinston Campus,” said Dr. Ladd Taylor, vice president of the Perkinston Campus and George County Center. “We are pleased to offer quality options for on-campus housing to our students interested in a traditional college experience.”

For more information about MGCCC student housing, visit mgccc.edu/housing or call Office of Residence Life at (601) 928-6220.

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MGCCC fall 2020 President’s List released

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College released the President’s List for the fall 2020 semester. Students who earn 12 or more semester hours with a 4.0 grade point average receive this honor.

MGCCC fall 2020 Vice Presidents’ Lists released

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College released the Vice Presidents’ Lists for the fall 2020 semester. Students who earn 12 or more semester hours with a 3.30 to 3.99 grade point average receive this honor.