East Mississippi Community College: Empowering Students and Communities

East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), formerly East Mississippi Junior College, stands as a public community college in Scooba, Mississippi. Serving and supported by Clay, Kemper, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Noxubee, and Oktibbeha counties in east central Mississippi, EMCC is dedicated to fostering student success and community development.

A Brief History

Organized in 1927, EMCC's roots trace back to Kemper County Agricultural High School in Scooba. The institution's journey includes:

1927: Kemper County Agricultural High School added the 13th grade, marking the genesis of the present-day college.
1929: John C.
1932: Noxubee County joined in supporting Kemper-Noxubee Junior College, leading to increased enrollment of 155 students.
Mid-1980s: EMJC extended its reach by offering classes in Macon.
1993: East Mississippi Community College established a Workforce Development program.
August 2007: East Mississippi Community College inaugurated the West Point-Clay County Center in collaboration with elected officials from Clay County and West Point.
Fall 2008 to Spring 2009: EMCC's tuition guarantee program was launched in Clay County in October 2008, supported by the CREATE Foundation, the Clay County Board of Supervisors, and local fundraising efforts. In January 2009, with the assistance of an anonymous corporate donor, the tuition guarantee program expanded to include students from Lowndes County.

While the Scooba location has been the primary campus, the Golden Triangle campus has experienced substantial growth since the 1990s.

Campus Locations and Facilities

EMCC operates with two principal campuses in Scooba and Mayhew, Mississippi, and extends its educational services to five other locations.

Scooba Campus

The original campus resides in Scooba, Kemper County. Founded in 1927, it evolved from Kemper County Agricultural High School. Situated at 151 Mississippi Highway 16, Scooba, MS 39358, the campus is accessible via U.S. Route 45 and Mississippi Highway 16, located 35 miles north of Meridian and 50 miles south of Columbus. The college owns 287 acres, with 25 acres comprising the campus.

Read also: Gridiron Glory at EMCC

The central administrative office is located in the Thomas L. Davis Jr. Student Union. Other buildings include the F.R. Young Jr. Administration Building.

The Scooba Campus provides six residence halls and thirty cottages, accommodating nearly 600 students. Residence halls include Gilbert-Anderson Hall for women, Lauderdale Hall, Noxubee Hall, and Sullivan Hall for men.

Golden Triangle Campus

Opened in 1968, the Golden Triangle campus is located in Mayhew, Lowndes County. Situated off U.S. Route 82, it is 10 miles east of Starkville, 10 miles south of West Point, and 12 miles west of Columbus.

Key facilities at the Golden Triangle campus include:

Thomas Douglas Building: Originally a vocational education center, it now houses classrooms for academic and technical instruction. It also hosts the Counseling Center, career-technical program classrooms and laboratories, computer applications, IT, Administrative Computing, ABE-GED, and developmental education.
Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence: Located on the west side of the campus, the CMTE is the home of EMCC's Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Division, which provides workforce training for Golden Triangle area industries.
Math and Science Building: This facility provides classrooms and additional office space for faculty, recruiting staff, and the dean of students. It contains three science laboratories, which are used concurrently as chemistry, physics and biology classrooms.
Humanities and Fine Arts Building: Opened in 2008, this facility includes classrooms and offices for faculty, as well as the campus art studio.
Student Union: A new 76,000-square-foot Student Union is scheduled to open during fall 2016. The building will house a full-service cafeteria with a large open dining room and a much larger bookstore, with lounge areas and additional retail space for online e-books, laptop computers and tablets.

Extension Campuses

EMCC extends its educational reach through several extension campuses:

Read also: Affording ECU

Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB): Opened in 1972, CAFB is located 11 miles north of Columbus. It offers daytime, evening, and online classes, allowing military students to complete associate degrees or transfer credits.
Naval Air Station Meridian: Since 1989, EMCC has offered year-round classes at its Naval Air Station Meridian Extension, located 20 miles north of Meridian. Military students can complete associate degrees or transfer credits through agreements with Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges and the American Council on Education.
Lion Hills Center: Education and training are central to Lion Hills Center's service to the community. The facility houses EMCC's Hotel and Restaurant Management, Culinary Arts, and Golf and Recreational Turf Management programs. It operates as a dining facility and offers culinary camps for children. The center also maintains a golf course, swimming pool, and tennis courts.
West Point-Clay County Center: Opened in August 2007, this center resulted from a collaborative effort among the city of West Point, Clay County, and EMCC. It houses EMCC's Commercial Truck Driving and Residential Carpentry programs. Workforce classes in welding are also offered.

Macon Extension

In the mid-1980s, East Mississippi Community College established extension offerings in Macon, located in Noxubee County.

Academics and Programs

EMCC offers a diverse range of academic, career-technical, and workforce training options, including "stackable" education credentials. A student can progress from a GED to an industry certificate, a vocational certificate, and an associate degree. The highest degree offered at East Mississippi Community College is an associate degree. Students can earn degrees and certificates in 79 different fields.

Popular programs include:

Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
Business/Commerce, General

The school utilizes a semester-based academic year. The student-faculty ratio is 19-to-1. The school has an open admissions policy and offers credit for life experiences.

Career-Technical Programs

EMCC offers career-technical programs at its Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses, as well as Lions Hills Center and the West Point-Clay County Center. Students can earn a vocational certificate or an Associate of Applied Science degree.

Read also: Your Guide to ETSU Academics

Workforce Training

EMCC's Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Division offers workforce training tailored to the needs of the Golden Triangle area's high-tech industries. Students acquire skills, earn certificates and degrees, and prepare for jobs. The Workforce Development program, established in 1993, collaborates with over 70 industrial and business partners.

In 2018, EMCC is scheduled to open a large-scale workforce training center on land adjoining the Golden Triangle Regional Global Industrial Aerospace Park. Known as the "Communiversity," the 140,000-square-foot facility will accommodate EMCC Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Division credit and non-credit courses related to training workers for careers in advanced manufacturing. Non-credit workforce training options include customized programs for individual industries, computer applications, leadership, manufacturing skills, medical technology and health care, construction, electrical work, machining, HVAC, AutoCAD, and welding.

Student Life

The total enrollment is 3,392. In Fall 2022, the full-time enrollment was 2,299 and the part-time enrollment was 1,093. The age distribution is as follows: Under 18 (14%), 18-24 (70%), 25-64 (15%), and Over 65 (0%).

Athletics

EMCC offers men's athletics programs in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, golf, and rodeo. The Lions are affiliated with the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC). EMCC competes at the NJCAA Division I level in football and basketball while participating at the Division II level in baseball, softball, and men's golf.

Over the past decade, EMCC's athletic teams have achieved significant success, including national championships, NJCAA national postseason appearances, NJCAA Region 23 championships, MACJC state championships, and MACJC North Division regular-season titles.

Paying for School

For the academic year 2020-2021, the in-state tuition and fees were $3,740, while out-of-state tuition and fees were $6,740. There is no application fee. The in-state tuition and fees for 2022-2023 are $3,740, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $6,740. Books and supplies cost $1,200.

In 2022-2023, 61 percent of undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid, with the average scholarship or grant award being $5,894.

Notable Alumni

D. J. George Cummings â guitarist and songwriter; founder of Dr. C. J.
Donald C. Simmons, Jr.
Sen.

tags: #east #mississippi #community #college #programs