Military Education Publication Selects MSCC as Top School

Military Advanced Education (MAE) has awarded Mid-South Community College the designation of a Top School in its 2015 Guide to Colleges & Universities which measures best practices in military and veteran education. MSCC is a four-time winner of the recognition.

“We consider it an extraordinary honor to play a part in the educational and career success of our military veterans and their families,” said MSCC President Dr. Glen Fenter. “The men and women who serve our country give their best for us every day, so it’s a privilege of the highest order for us to extend the same courtesy to them.”

“MSCC recognizes the unique learning needs of military personnel, and we are dedicated to assisting them in their efforts to achieve academic success,” added Dr. Barbara Baxter, MSCC Executive Vice President. “We are proud of our long-standing commitment to provide quality educational programs and student support services to the men and women who defend our country and the freedoms we enjoy.”

Mid-South Community College, ASU Boards Approve Merger

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. – Mid-South Community College will become Arkansas State University Mid-South on July 1 under a merger agreement approved and executed today.

The Mid-South Board of Trustees and Arkansas State University Board of Trustees approved resolutions authorizing the merger. ASU System President Charles L. Welch and MSCC President Glen Fenter signed the agreement and transition plan.

“"We are thrilled to partner with the Arkansas State University System," said Mary Toney, chair of the MSCC Board. “ASU and Mid-South share many common goals for higher education and workforce development in the Delta. Working together, I'm confident Mid-South will continue to build on the foundation established by Dr. Fenter and his team.”

Charles Luter, chair of the ASU Board, said Mid-South has been a national model for community colleges and workforce training and will be a welcome addition to a progressive, growing system.

“Dr. Fenter has been a visionary and built a fine institution,” Luter said. “We have tremendous respect for this institution and appreciate the trust its board has placed in us to help continue and escalate its mission.”

“This is a historic day for the ASU System and Mid-South,” Welch said. “Dr. Fenter and his team have made Mid-South a vital workforce training and education connection between students and employers with very progressive ideas. Those efforts are consistent with our system’s goals to enhance educational opportunities and contribute to economic development in the Delta region and throughout the state.”

Fenter, who became the first president of the college in 1992 and will continue as president until July 1, said he looks forward to ensuring a smooth transition. He will become president emeritus of ASU Mid-South on July 1, when he becomes CEO of the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce.

"I'm very proud of what we have accomplished at Mid-South in our service to the Delta, and I'm just as excited about the opportunities ahead with the support of the ASU System," Fenter said. "Our board agrees that this move will help us efficiently increase and improve the delivery of higher education and workforce training in the eastern Arkansas Delta region, while also allowing us to continue a great deal of autonomy."

The merger is contingent upon accreditation approval by the Board of Trustees of the Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association. MSCC and the ASU System will work together on that process during the next few months, Welch said.

MSCC serves 2,000 students in Crittenden County and the surrounding area of the Delta. Originally established as a vocational-technical school, Mid-South Community College became a comprehensive community college in 1992.

The ASU System serves 20,800 students throughout Arkansas and includes Arkansas State University, a four-year research institution in Jonesboro; ASU-Beebe, with additional campuses in Heber Springs and Searcy; ASU-Newport, with additional campuses in Jonesboro and Marked Tree; ASU-Mountain Home; and instructional sites in Paragould and at the Little Rock Air Force Base.

MSCC Offering Late Registration on Monday, Jan. 12

Regular registration for Mid-South Community College’s spring 2015 semester has ended, but students still have the opportunity to enroll in life-changing courses and educational/technical programs.

Late registration will be held on Monday, Jan. 12, 9 a.m.-noon and 3 p.m.-6 p.m., in the Donald W. Reynolds Center on MSCC’s South Campus.

Mid-South’s spring classes are scheduled to begin Jan. 12 and continue through May 4.

MSCC Provides Clothes, Toys to Kids at Three Elementary Schools

Mid-South Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society chapter has made the holiday season much brighter for students at Faulk, Jackson, and Weaver elementary schools in West Memphis.

With a generous response from MSCC students and staff, Phi Theta Kappa provided more than $700 worth of Christmas cheer to children in special needs classrooms at the three schools. PTK collected dollars, spare change, and direct donations for about a month to help put smiles on the faces of more than 50 West Memphis-area children.

Honor society members and other campus volunteers gathered Tuesday, Dec. 16, to wrap presents for the youngsters. MSCC representatives, as well as Santa Claus, went to the schools on Wednesday, Dec. 17, to deliver the gifts. PTK member Laura Buralli participated in the gift distribution, and fellow member Robin Abbott devoted time to the organization’s fund-raising effort at the basketball concession stand and helped to prepare the gifts for the children.

West Memphis Rotary Donates $1,000 to Literacy Council

The Crittenden County Literacy Council, based at Mid-South Community College, has additional funding for educational supplies and promotional efforts thanks to a generous contribution from the West Memphis Rotary Club.

Local Rotarians recently donated $1,000 to the Literacy Council to support efforts to reach out to area residents in need of educational assistance. As many as one in three Crittenden County citizens is considered functionally illiterate, which means they read at or below the fifth-grade level.

“The West Memphis Rotary Club’s donation is a significant blessing for us,” said Jacki Murase, Literacy Council Coordinator. “Our Council has grown to 30 students and 20 tutors in the last three months, so our need for additional supplies and educational materials has increased considerably.”

MSCC’s Adult Ed Overcoming Misinformation, Meeting County Needs

One year ago, Mid-South Community College’s Adult Education department began bracing for a major change that some thought would sink the program.

A new General Education Development® examination had been created, and the cost of the test was expected to go from free to more than $100, effectively ending access for many of those who needed the service and opportunity the most.

Today, however, MSCC’s efforts to help Arkansas citizens earn a high school diploma equivalency are going strong thanks to some last-minute adjustments by the state.

Gov. Beebe Appoints Dr. Barr to MSCC Board of Trustees

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has appointed Marian Barr, M.D., to the Mid-South Community College Board of Trustees. Dr. Barr, whose term runs through July 1, 2019, replaces Milton Nicks Jr. who stepped down after winning election to the Arkansas House of Representatives (District 50).

“We are certainly excited to have Dr. Barr on the board,” said MSCC President Dr. Glen Fenter. “She is a great proponent of higher education, and her roots run deep in Crittenden County. Dr. Barr previously served with distinction on our Foundation Board, and her insight and vision will be invaluable to our efforts to keep the institution moving forward.”