Rachel DeVaughan-Partrick

This strategic plan outlines the mission of the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) to advance the community college system through coordination, support, leadership, and advocacy. The plan aims to foster an environment of excellence to promote world-class education and job training for a prosperous Mississippi. Key strategic pillars include providing leadership and guidance, ensuring effective oversight and direction for its divisions, managing financial and administrative responsibilities, and coordinating various educational programs such as workforce training, career and technical education, and adult education. The plan emphasizes leveraging technology and innovation, fostering accountability and continuous quality improvement, and being responsive to stakeholder needs to deliver accessible, world-class education and job training.

Key discussions centered on the Executive Director's report, which included updates on the 2026 legislative session, budgetary priorities presented during Senate appropriation hearings, and a request for judges for post-secondary student organization competitions. The MACC report highlighted plans for Holmes Community College to open a flight school. The Finance agenda involved the unanimous approval of several disbursements, including General Fund, Education Enhancement Fund, and CTE Advantage funds for January and February 2026. Contract approvals included renewals for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) participation and a revision to the Brainfuse tutoring contract to increase hours. Final approval was also granted for curriculum revisions across several technology clusters to be submitted for Secretary of State review. Travel authorizations for board members were approved, and the session concluded with an executive session to discuss an ongoing investigation.

This document presents comprehensive performance report cards for community and junior colleges across Mississippi. It details metrics across various aspects including student enrollment, degrees awarded, student success (graduation, transfer, and retention), academic progress, workforce development, and community engagement. The report also highlights wage gains for graduates and trainees, and college readiness assessments for students.

The meeting included discussions on various subcommittees, including middle school initiatives, early childhood education updates (early learning collaboratives, pre-k programs, family engagement conferences, and leadership institute plans), legislative committee work (transition support and strategic planning for legislative participation), school performance and accountability (districts with high graduation rates but low proficiency rates, and review of state board policy on US history assessment), and student representatives on the state board. A significant portion of the meeting focused on Career and Technical Education (CTE), including the Perkins plan (workforce pipeline, program size and quality, needs assessments, industry partnerships, and performance indicators).

The Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) 2024-2028 Strategic Plan focuses on advancing the community college system through coordination, support, leadership, and advocacy. The plan emphasizes providing accessible, world-class education and job training to Mississippians, equipping them with 21st-century skills. Key areas of focus include improving student success rates (retention, graduation, and transfer), enhancing workforce development programs (job placement, wage gains), and ensuring efficient resource allocation. The plan also addresses infrastructure needs and compliance with accessibility standards. The MCCB aims to foster an environment of accountability, continuous quality improvement, and collaboration with stakeholders (businesses, industries, policymakers, and the public) to meet the evolving needs of Mississippi's workforce and economy.