Empowering Educators. Supporting Students.
The Mississippi Community College Board supports a network of professionals and programs dedicated to advancing academic excellence, fostering student engagement, and strengthening collaboration across Mississippi’s 15 community colleges.
Through coordinated leadership, shared resources, and statewide initiatives, Academic Leadership and Student Success helps ensure that every college delivers high-quality instruction, meaningful learning experiences, and the student support necessary for achievement and growth.
Academic Leadership
Strong academic leadership is essential to maintaining the quality, integrity, and innovation of Mississippi’s community college system. The MCCB works closely with academic deans, provosts, and instructional leaders to coordinate statewide priorities and promote continuous improvement.
- Academic Officers Association
The Academic Officers Association (AOA) brings together chief academic officers from all 15 community colleges to share best practices, address emerging academic issues, and foster collaboration across institutions. The AOA supports alignment of academic policies, curriculum development, and instructional excellence statewide.
The purpose of the AOA is to consider academic policies concerning curriculum and instructional matters and to maintain an open channel of communication with other administrative organizations in the State of Mississippi.
Membership in this association shall be open to academic officers of the public community and junior colleges within the state as determined by each college district. There are four regularly scheduled meetings held during October, February, April, and the summer. Other meetings may be called by the Executive Committee of the Association as needed.
Various committees are formed as needed, but the following are standing committees of the Academic Officers’ Association:
- Accreditation
- Articulation
- Calendar
- Curriculum Alignment
- Distance Learning/Technology
- Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit
- Nominations
- Uniform Course Numbering System
- Uniform Course Numbering System
Uniform Course Numbering System (UCNS)
The system ensures consistency in course titles, numbers, and descriptions across all Mississippi community colleges. This alignment simplifies the transfer process and helps students receive full credit as they move between colleges or transition to four-year universities.
The system of identifying courses in all university parallel curricula was adopted in 1971 to become implemented in the fifteen public junior college districts during the 1972-73 school years. The leadership and efforts provided by the Academic Officers’ Association make this course numbering system possible. A general revision of the numbering system is prepared on an annual basis in the fall. This approval process occurs only once during each academic year.
Student Success & Engagement
Academic success is about more than coursework: it’s about engagement, support, and opportunity. The MCCB’s student affairs initiatives help create learning environments where students can thrive academically and personally.
- Mississippi Student Affairs Association
The Mississippi Advising Association (MSAA) provides a forum for collaboration and the exchange of effective academic advising practices across Mississippi’s community colleges. The Association meets quarterly to share updates, discuss challenges, and strengthen advising practices statewide.
Purpose
MSAA will promote and enhance the academic advising profession in Mississippi by:
- Encouraging the professional development of academic advisors;
- Providing Networking opportunities;
- Recognizing advisors and advising administrators for their excellence in the field of advising;
- Supporting the goals and core values of NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising.
Goal:
The primary goal is to provide its members with opportunities for professional development and peer support, ultimately building a network of resources to enhance student success. Equally important is the representation and promotion of the interests of academic advising across the state of Mississippi.
Advising Representatives for Academic Year 2024-2025
Visit the Colleges page and select your institution to find advising representative information on the college’s website for the 2024–2025 academic year.
- Student Organizations
The Office of Student Organizations supports statewide student leadership and engagement through recognized postsecondary student organizations, including:
- Mississippi Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (MOADN)
- Mississippi Community College Student Government Association (MCCSGA)
- Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK)
- SkillsUSA Mississippi Postsecondary
- Mississippi Collegiate DECA
Through leadership training, conferences, and statewide events, these organizations empower students to build confidence, develop career and leadership skills, and represent their colleges across Mississippi.
- Phi Theta Kappa
- Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the official honor society for two-year colleges. It promotes scholarship, develops character, and provides opportunity for the development of leadership and service skills. Membership in PTK can also provide students with access to an abundance of transfer scholarships to assist in the completion of a bachelor’s degree.
Looking for academic publications?
To ensure you are accessing the most current Academic documents, please visit the MCCB Publications page.