Non-Traditional Services

Child Care (Fulton Campus)

Child Care services are offered on the Fulton Campus for the convenience of students, faculty, and individuals living in the community who wish to take advantage of these services. The Child Care Center is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Under the supervision of two professional faculty members, one paraprofessional and students enrolled in the two-year Child Development Technology Program, students engage in a variety of pre-school activities. Full-time Itawamba Community College students pay $8.50 per day and all others pay $9.00 per day for this service which includes lunch and snacks. For additional information, call the Child Development Program at Itawamba Community College, 662.862.8168.

Students with Disabilities

The Student Disability Services Department is the official contact for students with disabilities who request special services or accommodations to provide an equal opportunity for academic success. Students must self-identify to the Student Disability Services office and provide documentation of their disability from the appropriate source. This office serves as an advocate for students with disabilities and assists them in achieving equal access to all college programs and services. For assistance and information call: Fulton Campus, 662.862.8256 (located in Student Services Building) Tupelo Campus, 662.620.5137 (located in Administration Building)

Single Parent Homemaker Program

The Single Parent/Homemaker program at Itawamba Community College networks the programs and services of the college for single, divorced or widowed heads of households interested in returning to college or entering the workforce as well as homemakers. The services provided by this program are available to vocational, technical and academic students who have a need for supportive services to be successful in their endeavors.

Program goals and objectives include but are not limited to:

• Providing preparatory services including academic and occupational skills, career guidance and counseling, pre-employment preparation and vocational training to targeted populations.
• Providing life skills development activities designed to enable participants to support themselves and their families.
• Providing necessary training and support services to enable participants to succeed in training programs and become self-sufficient.
• Providing guidance services in career choices, job placement and lifelong planning.
• Providing activities for students and school personnel to encourage student pursuit of "high wage" jobs, new and emerging occupations and non-traditional careers.
• Providing activities that allow participants to experience the work environment.

Program services are available 12 months a year.

Special Populations Program

Itawamba Community College's Special Populations program provides direct and indirect services to individuals who are members of special populations as defined in P.L. 101-392. Special Populations personnel are available to conduct assessments of student learning styles and aptitudes; serve as a liaison between instructors, students and school officials; facilitate student learning and assist students with the transition from school to work. Under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education and Applied Technology Act of 1990, special populations include:

• Individuals with disabilities who have either a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities, a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.
• Individuals who have economic or academic disadvantages and who require special services and assistance in order to succeed in a vocational or technical education program.
• Individuals who were not born in the United States or whose native language is foreign; who come from an environment where a language other than English is dominant, and who, by reason thereof, have difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding English.
• Individuals who have been denied the opportunity to learn successfully in the classroom where the language of instruction is English.

Special populations program services are available 12 months a year.

Career Planning and Assessment

The ICC Career Planning and Assessment Center and College Information Center provides a wide variety of structured activities for individuals who are members of special populations involved in the vocational planning process. A full range of counseling and assessment tools are available to help members of special populations analyze their interests, abilities, aptitudes, values and learning styles. Career planning and assessment help the staff and prospective student identify the ideal starting point for a Self-Advancement Plan that will guide the individual through a rewarding community college experience.

Upon completion of training, the staff of the Career and College Information Center will assist members of special populations in the transition from career training programs to employment. This assistance may include but is not limited to workshops and seminars in the following areas:

• Job Seeking Skills
• Job Survival Skills
• Time Management
• Employer Expectations
• Employment Applications
• Values and Work Ethic
• Self-Esteem
• Positive Attitude

Skills Enhancement Center

For many individuals, ICC's Skills Enhancement Center is the ideal access point for career-oriented postsecondary education. Three modern classrooms and a unique blend of instructional methodologies provide the ideal environment for a positive experience with basic academics and principles of technology. Staff rely on a mix of instruction that is student-centered, instructor-centered, and computer-assisted to maximize learning opportunities for members of special populations, and instruction can be delivered in traditional semester length courses or customized for classes of a shorter duration.

Topics of study in the SEC include but are not limited to:

• Beginning Algebra
• Basic English Composition
• Microcomputer Fundamentals
• Principles of Technology I
• Principles of Technology II
• Career Enhancement Skills

Resource Network Support

ICC's team of professionals can link students with a broad array of college services, public assistance programs, and private sector resources when special needs exist. The services included in the network include but are not limited to:

• ACT Preparation Courses
• Financial Aid/Scholarships
• Equity Services
• Personal Counseling
• Peer Support Groups
• Tutorial Assistance
• Career Planning and Assessment
• On-Site Career Exploration
• Part-Time Employment Opportunities
• Emergency Assistance
• Mentoring
• Life Management Skills Seminars
• Health/Human Services

Educational Equity Program To Eliminate Sex Bias and Stereotyping

Tupelo Campus

The Educational Equity program is designed to promote educational equity through career awareness, information and exploration. Efforts to eliminate sex bias and stereotyping are presented in lifelong learning and visionary training seminar sessions. The targeted populations to be served by the project are area secondary (junior high/high school/vocational centers), postsecondary (Itawamba Community College) vocational-technical students and other prospective students with a structured program of sex-fair and sex affirmative career counseling and exploration.

Services

1. Career, aptitude, and interest assessment.
2. Guidance materials and activities designed to eliminate sex bias/stereotyping in career guidance, selection, training, and employability skills development.
3. Lifelong learning and planning workshops for area seventh-graders to increase awareness and knowledge of non-traditional careers and training programs.
4. Mentoring partnerships with designated community employers to assist non-traditional students in on-site orientation and exploration.
5. Other counseling services to assist students in overcoming personal limitations imposed by past and continuing stereotyping and socialization.

Non-Traditional Workplace/Job Readiness Training

This program provides assistance to individuals, especially women, entering non-traditional training programs. A broad range of services and support is provided ranging from career orientation to mentor matching for participants in the program. The program operates concurrently or sequentially with the college's JTPA Skills Training activities and is free to eligible individuals.

Rapid Response Program

The Rapid Response Program at ICC serves an eight county area corresponding to the Three Rivers Service Delivery Area. A Rapid Response Coordinator is available to provide quick response on-site service when Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notices are issued. The services include, but are not limited to, providing information and promoting the formation of Labor Management Committees (LMC) to serving as advocator for affected workers, collecting information on available resources from area agencies, distributing information, assisting local communities in developing a coordinated rapid response plan, and providing other technical assistance as needed. Services are available year-round at no cost.

Career Development Services

Itawamba Community College employs a Career Development Specialist to provide assessment and career development planning for individuals wanting to improve their opportunities in the area labor market. This individual works closely with area human resources managers, the Mississippi Employment Security Commission, professional organizations, and ICC program personnel to maximize components of an individual's career development plan. Services are available in individualized and group settings and personalized for each participant.

Work-Based Learning Program

The Work-Based Learning Program at Itawamba Community College is designed to prepare students for current and future career in highly technical workplaces. The program blends classroom instruction (occupational and academic) and structured learning experiences at a worksite related to the student's program of study. The college's WBL Coordinator works with students on a weekly basis to make sure the school-based classes and the work-based learning experiences are:

• bridging the gap between school and the workplace;
• combining theory and practice so that the student knows not only what to do but why; and
• turning the learner into a worker and a worker into a learner.

Students who wish to earn credit toward their diploma may do so and should contact the Work-Based Learning Coordinator for more details.