A Brief History of the MCCB
In 1986, the State Board for Community College Junior Colleges was established as an independent agency, and staff from the State Department of Education was transferred to the new Board Office. . During the 2011 legislative session, House Bill No. 542 changed the name of the “State Board for Community and Junior Colleges” to “Mississippi Community College Board.”
The Board consist of ten members, none of which may be an elected official. The Governor appoints all ten members, two from each of Mississippi’s five Congressional districts as they existed before the 2000 federal census. Initial terms of appointment were from two to five years and subsequent terms are for six years.
The MCCB is a coordinating agency which establishes standards and guidelines for the operation of the fifteen local community college districts in order to qualify for state appropriations. MCCB fosters cooperation and communications with local institutions through the presidents and other representatives of local colleges. The Board exercises its authority as outlined in Sections §37-4-1 and §37-4-3 of the Mississippi Code.