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MSU and MDCC Enter into Agricultural Education Agreement
Pictured left to right: Bubba Pilgrim (MDCC, Department Chair for Career-Technical Education), Barry Corley (MDCC, Field Crops Technology Instructor), Dr. Keith Coble (MSU, Vice President for the Division of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine), Dr. Tyrone Jackson (MDCC President), Teresa Webster (MDCC, Vice President of Instruction), Dr. Scott Willard (MSU, Interim Dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), Dr. Angus Catchot (MSU, Administrative Faculty Intern in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)
MOORHEAD, Miss. (Nov. 18 2021) – Mississippi State University (MSU) and Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) recently to formalize partnership programs for students enrolled in technical education programs.
The agreement outlines a pathway for MDCC students to complete an Associate of Applied Science degree in Field Crops Technology at MDCC and transfer seamlessly into MSU’s Agricultural Science program and earn a Bachelor of Science.
The partnership leverages the strengths of both institutions to provide more opportunities in technical education and meet current and future workforce demands.
MDCC Vice President of Instruction Teresa Webster sees the signing of the agreement as a great step forward for MDCC
“The signing of a 2+2 agreement with MSU for our agriculture students to advance their education through a bachelor's degree represents a great day in MDCC history,” said Webster “We are ecstatic that our students are now afforded this seamless transition to fulfill their educational goals. Dean Suzanne Thompson and Instructor Barry Corley should be commended for their efforts in bringing this agreement to fruition.”
MDCC's Dean of Career-Technical and Adult Education Suzanne Thompson explained that the MOU has been in the works for several years.
“This is something that we have been striving to achieve,” said Thompson. “To see it come to fruition is a great accomplishment for our students, Mississippi Delta Community College and Mississippi State University. The administration, faculty and staff at MSU have been a joy to work with as we have moved forward. Our hope is that this is just the beginning and other 2+2 pathways will evolve quickly.”
The “2+2 pathway” that Thompson and Webster reference is the understanding that a student will have the option to spend his or her first two years of post-secondary education at MDCC before transferring seamlessly to MSU to complete the second two years.
Interim Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dr. Scott Willard feels similarly to Thompson. He sees the benefit to the students that this partnership provides and also hopes that it’s just one of many.
“This new pathway agreement will further stream-line the articulation process for students that matriculate from Mississippi Delta Community College to Mississippi State University in Agricultural Science. Specifically, we welcome the opportunity to engage students along their academic journey to not only prepare them for a variety of career entry points, but also to support agricultural enterprises in the state with a trained workforce,” said Willard. “We appreciate the partnership with Mississippi Delta Community College, and we look forward to exploring more pathway programs in other fields of study in the near future.”
MDCC Field Crops Instructor Barry Corley, who was integral in bringing the new MOU to fruition, was motivated by the benefit that the students will receive from this partnership.
“We have been working with different departments at MSU since I got here in 1991. I’ve been sending my students into their agricultural science program for years because they would give the most credits to them, and I saw my students succeed from there,” explained Corley. “Now that the partnership is official, it’s a win-win for both institutions.”
MDCC President Dr. Tyrone Jackson sees the partnership as an opportunity for many students to accomplish a life-long dream.
“MDCC is excited about the opportunities that this partnership with Mississippi State University will afford our students who receive their Associate of Applied Science degree from Mississippi Delta,” said Jackson. “Many of our students will not only earn a degree in Field Crops Technology but will now be able to further their career pathway by completing a Bachelor of Science degree from MSU. The ability to fulfill a dream of acquiring a bachelor’s degree is a chance of a lifetime for many of our students.”
The agreement between MSU and MDCC outlines which courses must be completed at each institution to fulfill degree requirements, as well as library and campus resources that can be used by students dually enrolled at each institution.