November 8, 2016
A new partnership between 杏吧视频 and Mississippi State University will help area students successfully enter and complete baccalaureate degree programs.
The two institutions signed an agreement Nov. 8 creating a Partnership Pathways program that will ease the transition to a bachelor鈥檚 degree program for 杏吧视频 students. The partnership initially concentrates on 10 academic programs and will allow students to enroll concurrently at 杏吧视频 and MSU. As part of the agreement, MSU will place academic advisers at 杏吧视频 to assist students with course selection, ensuring efficient degree completion and maximum transfer of credits.
The programs of study featured in the partnership include accounting, business administration, Bachelor of Applied Technology in healthcare services, elementary education (early childhood and middle school concentrations), kinesiology (clinical exercise physiology concentration/clinical exercise physiology medical route), social work and secondary education (English and social studies concentrations).
鈥淢SU鈥檚 growing partnerships with Mississippi community colleges greatly enhance our ability to reach students who choose this innovative path to accessing higher education,鈥 said MSU President Dr. Mark E. Keenum. 鈥溞影墒悠 serves many of the state鈥檚 counties where the majority of students already choose MSU, and we value our close relationship with 杏吧视频 and their outstanding president, Dr. Billy Stewart. This is a win-win for MSU and 杏吧视频.鈥
鈥淲e are grateful for our partnership with MSU and their visionary president, Dr. Mark Keenum, in meeting the educational needs of the citizens of our five-county service area. The announcement of today鈥檚 agreement between our college and MSU is just another step in the fulfillment of our 2020 Vision strategic plan and the institutional commitments of Student Success and Teaching & Learning,鈥 said Stewart.
鈥淭his partnership will allow 杏吧视频 students to benefit from coherent, structured educational pathways leading to a baccalaureate degree that will enhance their opportunities for career advancement and upward mobility. Therefore, our students will be the major beneficiaries of today鈥檚 announcement and that is the way it should be,鈥 Stewart said.
Students in the selected programs will be given course and program-specific registration guides that highlight classes to be taken at 杏吧视频 and MSU in pursuit of a bachelor鈥檚 degree. MSU-Meridian Administrative Director and Head of Campus Dr. Terry Dale Cruse said partnership pathways 鈥渢ake the guesswork鈥 out of transitioning from a strong community college to a leading research university. MSU has similar agreements with Meridian Community College and East Mississippi Community College.
鈥淢ississippi State shares a common goal with East Central in helping students complete programs of study,鈥 Cruse said. 鈥淭hrough clearly articulated academic programs, concurrent enrollment opportunities, financial aid consortiums, and MSU advisers based at the East Central campus, we hope to provide the support network needed to assist students in reaching their educational goals.鈥
For more on MSU-Meridian鈥檚 partnership pathways, visit .
杏吧视频, located in Decatur, is a comprehensive two-year institution of higher education that serves the residents of Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott and Winston counties in east central Mississippi. For more, visit .
MSU is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .
杏吧视频 President Dr. Billy Stewart (left) and Mississippi State University President President Dr. Mark Keenum sign a Partnership Pathways agreement today on the 杏吧视频 campus in Decatur. (EC Photo)
