Public and Private Colleges and Universities

Workforce Training / Public and Private Colleges & Universities

Mississippi is home to 13 private and eight public colleges and universities. Each year, more than 120,000 students pursue a wide range of disciplines in Mississippi institutions of higher learning.

With its south central location in the state and less than 45 minute drive to Jackson, Simpson County is within close proximity to several public and private colleges and universities.

College or University	Location	Minute Commute
Belhaven College	Jackson	35
Jackson State University	Jackson	35
Millsaps College	Jackson	35
Mississippi Baptist Seminary	Jackson	35
Reformed Theological Seminary	Jackson	35
University of MS Medical Center	Jackson	35
Tougaloo College	Tougaloo	40
Mississippi College	Clinton	45
University of Southern Mississippi	Hattiesburg	45
William Carey College	Hattiesburg	45
Wesley College	Florence	15

For more information about Mississippi’s colleges and universities, visit the following web site

Mississippi Public Colleges & Universitie

www.ihl.state.ms.us

Copiah-Lincoln Community College and the Workforce Development Center

www.colin.edu

Artist rendering of the new Copiah-Lincoln Community College Simpson County Center. The state of the art $4 million dollar center is currently under construction and slated to be open for classes in the Fall of 2005.Copiah-Lincoln Community College provides academic courses equivalent to the first two years of college or university work that can apply to a baccalaureate or professional degree. The Main campus is located in Wesson, nine miles north of Brookhaven, Co-Lin also offers programs to prepare students for employment and community service programs to update worker skills or learn new ones. Co-Lin also has a campus at Natchez and a facility in Simpson County in the Town Magee.

The Workforce Development Center at Copiah-Lincoln Community College was created by an act of the Mississippi Legislature in 1994 to provide workforce training and support for new, existing, and expanding businesses and industries in the state. The Workforce Development Center offers programs and services designed to assist individuals and companies meet the challenges of a changing workplace. For many businesses and industries these include on-site customized training, industry or firm-related pre-employment training, and basic skills classes.Furthermore, the Development Center is staffed to provide individuals who need training or retraining with assessment, counseling, and referrals to training or jobs; pre-employment training; basic skills training and high school equivalency education; and short-term job skills training.The development of workforce skills through special industrial and adult training classes is viewed as a primary mission of the community college.

Thus, Copiah-Lincoln Community College maintains a team of professionals dedicated to delivering high-quality services to its customers. In addition, the enterprising nature of the Workforce Development Center allows Co-Lin to access the resources of the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, the State Department of Education, the Office of Vocational and Technical Education, and the Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit. The Workforce Development Center at Co-Lin also has the means to access the resources of Career/Skill Tech Centers at the state’s other 14 public community and junior colleges. The Workforce Development Center utilizes a team approach to provide resources and service to its customers. The team includes:Workforce Development CoordinatorsPersonal Development Specialist Small Business Development Center DirectorBasic Skills SpecialistWorkforce Development Center Training Specialist.

Although the Workforce Development Center team works under the guidance of the Dean of Community Services, the team also receives direction from the local District Workforce Development Council. The District Workforce Development Council is responsible for identifying workforce development needs, establishing short-term and long-term goals for industry-specific training, and coordinating all workforce training programs. Members of the Copiah-Lincoln Community College District Workforce Development Council are selected from persons recommended by chambers of commerce, labor unions, industrial foundations, community organizations, and local governmental agencies located in the district. As required by the legislation, one appointee is involved in basic literacy training.

Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges

In addition, the State of Mississippi, through the leadership of the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, funds 15 community or junior colleges throughout the state. Copiah-Lincoln Community College serves many of the residents of Simpson County. The 15 community or junior colleges operate 36 facilities across the state offering a myriad of two-year degrees in host of academic interests. For more information about Mississippi’s community and junior colleges, visit the following web site: Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges www.sbcjc.cc.ms.us Simpson County is less than a 1-hour drive to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

As a Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Extensive and a Four-Year Class 1 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) institution, The University of Southern Mississippi will be a premier, comprehensive, dual-campus university that is distinguished by its established excellence in undergraduate education with nationally known graduate programs, a groundbreaking economic development emphasis, and a demonstrated commitment to improving quality of life.With two campuses and five teaching and research sites across south Mississippi as well as France, Mexico, England, and Spain, The University of Southern Mississippi serves the state, the Southeastern U.S. region, and the nation through its strong, varied undergraduate programs built upon a sound general education curriculum; through its master’s and doctoral programs in the sciences, education, psychology, economic development, the humanities, business, health, engineering technologies, and the arts; and through its faculty’s innovative research achievements.Southern Miss’ academic and research initiatives demonstrate its commitment to knowledge-based economic development and to enhanced quality of life.

The University of Southern Mississippi is committed to its academic programs and student services on the Gulf Coast and to working with community leaders to assure educational, cultural, and economic growth for all citizens who live and work.Simpson County is less than a 1-hour drive to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. As a Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Extensive and a Four-Year Class 1 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) institution, The University of Southern Mississippi will be a premier, comprehensive, dual-campus university that is distinguished by its established excellence in undergraduate education with nationally known graduate programs, a groundbreaking economic development emphasis, and a demonstrated commitment to improving quality of life.With two campuses and five teaching and research sites across south Mississippi as well as France, Mexico, England, and Spain, The University of Southern Mississippi serves the state, the Southeastern U.S. region, and the nation through its strong, varied undergraduate programs built upon a sound general education curriculum; through its master’s and doctoral programs in the sciences, education, psychology, economic development, the humanities, business, health, engineering technologies, and the arts; and through its faculty’s innovative research achievements.

Southern Miss’ academic and research initiatives demonstrate its commitment to knowledge-based economic development and to enhanced quality of life. The University of Southern Mississippi is committed to its academic programs and student services on the Gulf Coast and to working with community leaders to assure educational, cultural, and economic growth for all citizens who live and work in the coastal communities of Mississippi. The University of Southern Mississippi is distinguished by:

innovative research that includes scientific, technological, and societal projects
a commitment to all population groups of our state and society among the student body, faculty, and staff by providing cross-cultural activities
a faculty that is distinctive in teaching abilities, scholarly reputations, and a commitment to the education and achievements of its students
excellent international education programs that contribute to global literacy for Mississippians
leadership in addressing public interest and improving the quality of life
close-working partnerships with government, business, community leaders, and groups who appreciate the contributions of higher education and serve as key advocates for the university
cutting-edge economic development research and education

The mission of The University of Southern Mississippi includes generating new knowledge, applying knowledge in service to humanity, facilitating an appreciation of artistic creations and performances, promoting cultural understanding, and, most importantly, fostering learning among students in ways that prepare them to become contributing citizens and leaders in a global society. Concisely stated, the university is in the business of helping people learn, and this learning occurs through the discovery, transmission, and application of knowledge. Therefore, Southern Miss can be characterized as a not-for-profit institution that is in the learning business.

The Mississippi Polymer Institute at The University of Southern Mississippiwww.psrc.usm.edu/mpi/frontpg.htmThe Mississippi Polymer Institute (MPI) is a full-service resource for polymer-related industries. One telephone call puts you in touch with our experts, whether you're a plastics processor, product designer, tool maker, or a manufacturer who uses polymer components in your products. Our full-time employees represent expertise in the sciences, computer applications, product design, and the manufacturing of polymer materials. We have field agents who provide on-site advice and assistance to your company.

From questions about the quality of raw materials to answers about the quality of raw materials to answers about which materials work best in which application, we supplement our knowledge with direct access to the faculty of the School for Polymers and High Performance Materials at the University of Southern Mississippi, recognized as one of the top 10 Polymer Science programs in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. MPI was created by the Mississippi Legislature and funded to begin operation in 1993.

The Legislature gave the Institute the mission of helping industry solve technical problems, train employees, and improve processes and products so the firms would be prosperous and would grow and contribute to the economic development of the state. In 1996, MPI also began receiving support from the federal government's NIST/Manufacturing Extension Partnership program.

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