Learning Commission Grants MSCC 10 Years of Continued Accreditation

The Institutional Actions Council of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has continued the accreditation of Mid-South Community College for 10 years. The next Reaffirmation of Accreditation is scheduled for the 2023-24 academic year.

“Ten years of continued accreditation is another major milestone for Mid-South Community College and everyone who made it possible,” said Alex Coulter, a founding member of the MSCC Board of Trustees and current chairperson.

Crittenden County Schools Set Curve at MSCC Math Contest

West Memphis, Marion and West Memphis Christian high schools and Marion and West junior high schools captured first-place trophies in Saturday’s Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics contest at Mid-South Community College.

WMHS prevailed in Calculus and Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry, and Marion and WMCS triumphed in AP Statistics and Algebra II, respectively. West Junior High swept the Algebra I competition, and Marion Junior High captured the Geometry title.

“This was my second year coordinating this event, and it was another tremendous success,” said Anthony Wilkinson, lead faculty for Mathematics at MSCC, who served as regional director. “The students had a wonderful time with the interactive activity that the University of Arkansas College of Engineering had to offer.

MSCC Manufacturing Instructors Earn 18 Metalworking Certifications

Mid-South Community College manufacturing/machining instructors Gary Giordano and Kelly Bearden recently earned a combined 18 National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) certifications, an important step toward overall program accreditation.

“The first part of accreditation for machining is that the instructors get credentialed,” Giordano said. “To earn program accreditation the instructors must have a total of at least four credentials between or among them.

“Since Kelly and I earned so many certificates, MSCC will have the opportunity to shoot for the highest level of accreditation, Level 1. It’s really exciting for our institution and our region. If we can complete the process successfully, we’ll probably be the only school in this area that has any NIMS accreditation, let alone the Level 1.”

MSCC Speaker Encourages Audience to be ‘Dipped in Destiny’

Courage, hope, and love make a powerful combination, and those who can harness all three can be “dipped in destiny,” says Dr. Brenda L. Caldwell, an internationally-known psychologist, author, program developer, and life coach.

Speaking at Mid-South Community College’s Black History Month program on Wednesday, Feb. 18, Dr. Caldwell presented an inspirational and informational message to a big crowd in the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Educational Excellence.

“We’re here for a very important occasion, and I encourage you to open your heart, your mind, your spirit,” she said. “I am a ‘hope dealer.’ I often talk about being dipped in destiny. You have to know that you have value, purpose, and potential.”

MSCC Math Instructor Earns National Innovation Award

Mid-South Community College mathematics specialist/instructor Stephanie Krehl has been named a John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award winner by the League for Innovation in the Community College.

Krehl, in her fourth year at MSCC, will be recognized for her accomplishment at the 2014 Innovations Conference in Anaheim, Cal., in March.

“I was surprised by the award because I just feel like I’m doing what I always do,” she said. “I always joke about how I’m never quite satisfied with things and keep trying to change them for the better.

College Embraces Starfish Story

Mid-South Community College has become the home of the Greyhounds, but the sleek and focused canine logo is not the only easily recognizable symbol on our campus. While you won’t find them emblazoned across the chest of a sweatshirt or embroidered on a hat, you will see more than a few starfish at MSCC. The small, gold-colored pins worn by our employees are much more subtle than the Greyhound logo, but their meaning runs exceptionally deep.

Our adoption of the starfish emanates from a story inspired by the writing of poet and scientist Loren Eiseley. His story is a source of motivation, inspiration, and perseverance for everyone who works at Mid-South Community College. Here is the version of the story we provide (with a pin) to every new employee:

Nichols Family Establishes Bessie Dobbs Scholarship at MSCC

Dr. Larry Nichols and his wife Trisha have established a Mid-South Community College scholarship in memory of a grandmother who positively impacted his life in numerous ways.

The Bessie Dobbs Memorial Scholarship provides funding for full-time students with demonstrated financial need. The fund is administered by the Mid-South Community College Foundation.

“My grandmother was a really influential woman in my life and gave me a lot of direction, self-confidence, and self-esteem,” Dr. Nichols said. “She also taught me people skills and good basic core values in life. She was really a Christian-principled person.”