Author: Teresa McCreery

ELLISVILLE – The University of South Alabama’s “Pathway USA” partnership with Jones College has established more ways for Jones students to earn a bachelor’s degree. South Alabama President, Dr. Tony Waldrop said the partnership benefits everyone involved but most importantly, we’re expanding access to four-year degree options for the residents of South Mississippi and South Alabama.

“Pathway USA will enable more Jones College students to receive a degree from the University of South Alabama and provide these students with an earlier involvement in USA activities,” said Dr. Waldrop. “South Alabama has educated generations of Mississippians who are making positive impacts on their communities. We’re very excited to build on that success by bringing Jones College into our Pathway USA family.”

To ensure the direct admissions process is a smooth transition for Jones students, a University of South Alabama advisor will be assigned immediately upon signing up for the Pathway USA program. Additionally, USA officials announced a financial incentive to help ensure Jones students earn a bachelor’s degree at South Alabama.

“Students who sign up for the Pathway program will receive a South Alabama Pathway ID that will allow them to access resources at the University of South Alabama like athletic events and library privileges…. For those students with a 2.75 GPA at Jones, you’ll qualify for an academic scholarship at the University of South Alabama and they will guarantee in-state tuition,” said Dr. David Johnson, USA Provost and Sr V.P. for Academic Affairs.

The Pathway USA agreement also gives applicants to the USA who are not admitted, the option of enrolling at Jones College. If a Jones College student transfers without an associate degree, they will be eligible for the Reverse Transfer program allowing Jones students to receive an associate degree in the future. Additionally, Jones College graduates of the Associate Degree of Nursing program are eligible for additional perks as a result of the University of South Alabama’s College of Nursing’s first collaborative agreement with a community college, under the new Pathway USA partnership.

“When you get into your 4th and 5th semester of the (A.D.N.) program, you are eligible to take one course online at South Alabama while you’re completing your coursework in that 4th semester. In the 5th semester, you are eligible to take two courses (online). You will then have completed 12 credit hours of the baccalaureate degree prior to completing your associate degree. When you complete your associate degree, including the 59 credit hours of prerequisite coursework and you have completed and passed the NCLEX and are board-certified, you can complete the bachelors of nursing program at USA in one semester,” said Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama, Dr. Heather Hall.

For second semester JC Associate Degree Nursing student, William Russell from Columbia, the early acceptance program for Jones graduates in the A.D.N. program, is very appealing. With aspirations of becoming a nurse practitioner, Russell will have to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing. He said being able to complete most of his bachelor’s degree in nursing online while at Jones is the most rewarding benefit because USA’s new agreement will enable him to realize his dream much sooner.

“This partnership not only decreases my time in school, but it also offers a more affordable route. This opportunity is much cheaper than any other institution in Mississippi. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I hope to participate in it in the future!” said Russell.

Jones College Director of Nursing, Erin Knight is encouraged these opportunities offered at the USA will encourage more nursing graduates to earn bachelor’s degrees and more.  Dr. Jesse Smith, Jones College President encouraged Jones College’s nursing students to take action towards their destiny.

“The opportunity given to you today, in addition to the opportunities Jones offers you are really going to make a profound difference not only in your lives, but it will also make our communities better. We’re going to be able to provide better health care. Take advantage of this tremendous opportunity, students,” said Dr. Smith.

For more information about the Pathway USA program, Jones College students can contact Rachel Jefcoat in the Enrollment Management office by calling 601-477-5446 or email, rachel.jefcoat@jcjc.edu. Also, persons wanting additional information on Pathway USA or the College of Nursing Early Admission Program are urged to contact USA’s Office of Admissions at 251-460-7834 or email, Recruitment@SouthAlabama.edu.

About the University of South Alabama: The University of South Alabama is a global teaching and research university that provides more than 14,000 students with an exceptional education in business, the liberal arts, education, engineering, computing, the sciences and healthcare. USA’s commitment to student success includes small class sizes and hands-on research opportunities in more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs offered through nine academic colleges and schools. South also provides advanced and innovative healthcare through USA Health. For more information, visit the University of South Alabama website, www.SouthAlabama.edu.

ELLISVILLE – Jones College’s faculty and student representatives for Higher Education Appreciation Day, Working for Academic Excellence are being honored for their self-determination and drive to push the “technological” envelope. Electro-mechanical instructor, Cody Robertson of Ellisville and his best student, Donavan Hinton of Petal were selected to represent the college in Jackson for a special day of recognition. They will join 70 outstanding students and faculty members from 34 Mississippi public and private universities and community colleges in Jackson to receive special recognition from the Mississippi Legislature on March 2, at the 33rd annual HEADWAE event as a reward for their excellence in education.

“I’m incredibly honored. The administration and my peers here at Jones have been so generous to give me room to help bring Jones to new levels and to be recognized for that is unbelievable. I’m extremely appreciative. I’m incredibly grateful and I don’t take it for granted,” said Robertson.

Through pancreatic cancer and a surgical attempt to literally save his life and reverse its devastating effects, Robertson rose like a Phoenix with a new purpose. He dismissed a career in education until he returned to Jones to major in industrial electronics technology.  His experience in computer networking combined with his love of wiring things opened new doors of opportunity for him with a new career.

“I told my mom (Sharla Mann) I would never be a teacher because I saw some things she had to deal with. But I knew I loved electronics and I wanted to be like my mom, so I taught the computer classes for workforce college at Jones,” said Robertson. “There’s a moment when you’re teaching someone and that light bulb kicks on; It’s addictive.”

His drive to succeed was insatiable. Realizing he needed to beef up his robotics and programming skills to apply for his retiring college electronics instructor’s job, Robertson taught himself by finding an old Mitsubishi robot and fixing it. Much to his amazement, the now 25-year-old landed his dream job teaching electro-mechanical technology.

“Through his own initiative, Cody has become the Jones expert in Virtual Reality, a tool being used more to enhance the educational experience. Higher education is transforming, requiring forward-thinking faculty like Cody Robertson for institutions to remain relevant in the future,” said Rick Youngblood, JC Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Academic Officer.

Robertson explained, “Being able to incorporate Virtual Reality in Career & Technical Education, along with workforce training and academia is unique. We are one of the few colleges to do this in the U.S. There are few colleges offering VR for video gaming development and even fewer educational institutions attempt to use VR within the sphere of industrial training.”

Robertson’s most “challenging” student is the Jones student representative for HEADWAE, Donavan Hinton.

“Donavan is one of the best students I’ve ever met. I haven’t been here long, but Donavan is one of the reasons why I have to be on the ball. He’s going to ask questions. He’s going to ask every aspect of what we’re discussing that day. If there’s any chance I might be blind-sided, it will be by Donavan. That’s OK because that’s what keeps teachers good, people like Donavan. He is an absolute pleasure to work with,” said Robertson.

While working a full-time job at Green Bay Converting in Hattiesburg, Hinton is also a full-time student, majoring in electro-mechanical technology. The 27-year old’s immediate goal is to be an industrial electrician, pursue a management position and eventually earn a bachelor’s degree in business management. He shared, being selected for the HEADWAE honor seems unreal.

“I never thought anything like this would happen to me. I’m just a regular working guy. I try to stay humble,” said Hinton. “This (honor) is inspiring to me and it could be for others who, like me, might have made some bad decisions as a teenager, but with hard work and dedication, turned their life around. My family never gave up on me; that’s why I really take this to heart,” said Hinton.

After earning his GED and a welding certificate at Jones in 2011, Hinton worked for two local companies. Layoffs at those Hattiesburg companies and working for the railroad throughout the country, inspired him to pursue another line of work and return to Petal. While working as a machine operator at Green Bay Converting, an opportunity in electrical and mechanical maintenance came open.

“Anything that breaks down, I am the only guy there to fix it. I was getting a little bit of knowledge on the job, but I didn’t have a good grasp on the electrical side, which inspired me to come to Jones. I work the swing shift but my maintenance manager, Don Graham, and the company work with me where I can get off early if needed. They pushed me and encouraged me to come back to school,” said Hinton.

Initially, Hinton signed up for the one-year career certificate program, but he decided to push for the three-year, A.A.S. degree and maintained a 3.9 GPA. Now, the honoree is making plans for graduation in May and a future with his fiancé, Taylor McKenzie.

“I strive to be the best I can be. On my job, I would have to ask the electrician questions all the time to try to learn from him, which I still do, but I wanted to know if for myself,” Hinton explained.

After making the President’s List on the Honor Roll and the Letter “J” academic honor, Robertson’s most “challenging” student said he is confident the next step in his career is becoming the maintenance manager or general manager.

“The faculty at Jones are willing to bend over backward to help you succeed,” said Hinton. “They may not be able to teach everything in two or three years, especially in my field because it’s always changing. However, they teach us how to find the information when we need it.”

ELLISVILLE- Mississippi’s 15 Community College presidents gathered at the State Capitol with data proving the two-year college system is valuable to the state in numerous ways. They commissioned an economic impact report by NPSARC, or the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center at Mississippi State University to analyze the more than 100-year old community college system to determine who is served by the statewide network, the outcomes in relation to the labor market and the estimated overall economic impact on the state. Community college leaders discovered the system is overwhelmingly successful. The report found community colleges have a 3.9-billion-dollar impact on the economy, serving more than 200,000 people annually in academic and workforce training. Additionally, the two-year college system is one of the largest employers with 8,100 employees.

“Community colleges generate 277 million dollars in state and local taxes,” said Dr. Mary Graham, chair of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) and President of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. “The state’s investment in your community college has an immediate and short-term payback for all the citizens of Mississippi. Imagine if we invest in Mississippi’s community colleges to the fullest extent? What a difference we can make for all of the citizens of Mississippi.”

With more than 52 thousand unfilled jobs in Mississippi, community college leaders believe they are the answer to preparing students to fill those highly skilled, high paying jobs.  In fact, Governor Tate Reeves announced his plan to invest 75 million dollars into community colleges, of the 100 million he has allocated in his plan to equip Mississippians with the necessary skills for a modern workforce and to make Mississippi a “ready to work” state.

“Every class offered at our community colleges is in and of itself, workforce development and workforce training. Jobs or university degrees-it is all opportunity in workforce development,” said Governor Reeves. “I’m committed to helping our community colleges and more importantly, the institutions and the students they serve, to achieve even more together to better our workforce training, and create good-paying jobs for every Mississippian so they can thrive at home.”

That is continued good news to community college leaders with graduation rates at community colleges at an all-time high and 75% of its graduates stay “home” in Mississippi. The Community College Economic Impact Report also revealed the value of an Associate of Applied Science degree within a few years of graduation, is very appealing to residents said MACJC Legislative Co-Chair and President of Jones College, Dr. Jesse Smith.

“The average salary for graduates with an A.A.S. degree is above $40,000 which is equivalent to most university grads with a bachelor’s degree,” said Smith. “For every person who went through workforce training, after one year, they saw their income increase by $2,300. We (community colleges) trained 100,000 people last year. Think of that economic impact in and of itself.”

Some of the benefits the Report revealed didn’t tie directly to the state economy or an individual’s financial success. Dr. Andrea Mayfield, Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board explained employers greatly benefit from workforce training at community colleges.

“There are also some benefits that you don’t hear very often, like lower reliance on public assistance, higher employee retention for companies through workforce training, higher workforce productivity, lower likelihood of being injured on the job due to safety training through workforce services and more. There is a financial impact and a return to the state. All of these things add up and have value. Community College’s truly are the economic powerhouse for the state,” said Mayfield.

Despite the data or empirical evidence discussing the return on the investment of community colleges on the state economically, the President of the Mississippi Faculty and Staff Association and East Mississippi Community College English instructor, Marilyn Ford said the data represents far more to her. She sees her students, their dreams, aspirations and hope for a better future.

“I don’t see the numbers or percentages when I enter a classroom. I see my kids, my students, who have hopes and dreams for our state and for ourselves. Our two-year colleges cannot continue to function with any degree of efficiency; we can’t help the Molly’s, the Lily’s, the C. J.’s, that I see every day, every week. We need your help to continue our mission to serve our communities and those communities are comprised of living and breathing, hopeful Mississippians,” said Ford in her appeal to the Legislature for more funding.

The 15 Community College statewide system offers more than 500 locations throughout the state, including military bases and high schools, for residents to earn college credit and non-credit training.  Providing accessible education and training is one of the many reasons the Mississippi Community College Impact Report indicates to community college leaders they are on the right track. Maximizing the state’s return on its investment in the community college system is helping the state and its residents with more pathways to financial and personal success.