22 August Complete 2 Compete August 22, 2017 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College is among Mississippi’s two- and four-year institutions which are collaborating in an initiative to assist adults who have earned some college credit but insufficient hours for a degree to complete the requirements necessary. The Complete 2 Compete initiative has launched a website, www.msc2c.org, to provide information and resources to enable state residents to evaluate their previous coursework to determine a pathway to college completion. “Itawamba Community College is excited about the unlimited possibilities Complete 2 Compete will provide for residents of our region and beyond,” said President Dr. Jay Allen. “We look forward to participating in this initiative to provide an exceptional educational foundation to enhance the quality of life, particularly for the adult learner segment of the population.” “Complete 2 Compete will grow our skilled, educated workforce, in turn growing economic development across the state,” said Gov. Phil Bryant at the recent website launch. “This partnership will ensure Mississippi remains attractive to business and industry looking for a favorable tax climate and a workforce ready to excel on day one. I am grateful to everyone involved in making it a reality.” Statistics demonstrate that with no additional coursework, more than 2,400 former students age 21 or over have enough credits to earn a bachelor’s degree, and an additional 28,000 students, an associate’s degree. More than 100,000 former students can earn either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree with some additional coursework. Through the Complete 2 Compete initiative, Mississippi will increase the number of adults with postsecondary degrees or credentials of value which will positively impact the state’s educational attainment rate and economy as well as the lives of those who complete their degrees. Educational attainment improves the state’s economy as well as the quality of life for college graduates and their families. Complete 2 Compete is available to Mississippi adults who are at least 21 years old, have not earned a postsecondary degree and have been out of college for at least two years. The Pathfinder Application, which has been developed exclusively for the state, will enable individuals to understand how close degree attainment is and provide the best pathway for completion. It can be accessed on a home computer, laptop or smart phone at the initiative’s website. There is no cost for submitting information. Depending on what programs are needed to satisfy an individual’s career and educational interests, the Complete 2 Compete website will match him or her to a list of schools that offer the classes needed to complete a degree. Tuition and fees for enrollment in courses may be assessed according to the established tuition and fee schedule at each institutions. Some incentives, including academic forgiveness, virtual tutoring, adult learner scholarships and tuition assistance, prior learning assessment and repayment plan options may be available at some of the institutions. ICC offers an Adult Learner Incentive scholarship, which provides half-tuition for one semester, to new or returning students, age 23 or older, who have not been enrolled in college for the previous two years. Complete 2 Compete is sponsored by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board. Additional partners are the Mississippi Department of Human Services and the Mississippi Department of Economic Security. For more information, email go2icc@iccms.edu. Related Articles ICC to offer Complete2Compete information sessions Area residents who have earned some college credit but insufficient hours for a degree can receive information about the statewide Complete2Compete initiative during special sessions at Itawamba Community College in January. Dates are Jan. 4 from 5-7 p.m. and Jan. 6 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the Student Support Center on the Tupelo Campus. ICC is among Mississippi’s two- and four-year institutions collaborating in the Complete2Compete initiative, which is designed to increase the number of adults with postsecondary degrees or credentials of value to positively impact the state’s educational attainment rate and economy as well as the quality of life for those who complete their degrees. The program matches adults with a Complete2Compete coach at an institution who reviews prior credit and provides them with a pathway for obtaining a degree. Complete2Compete is available to Mississippi adults who are at least 21 years old, have not earned a postsecondary degree and have been out of college for at least two years. Complete2Compete tuition assistance grants are available to qualifying adult learners. Additionally, ICC offers an Adult Learner Incentive scholarship, which provides half-tuition for ... IHL/MCCB relaunch Complete 2 Compete program; significant benefit to ICC students In 2017, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board launched the Complete 2 Compete program focused on increasing the degree attainment rate in Mississippi. As at Itawamba Community College, the initiative concentrated on removing barriers that keep adult learners from returning to complete their degrees. Within a year, a new university degree program and renewable C2C Grant were established to facilitate adult learners returning to complete their degree. Mississippi’s public community colleges and universities expanded the number of online classes, and many developed student services tailored to provide working adults with greater access. Additionally, teams of coaches were commissioned across all of the institutions providing greater coordination, streamlining the review of transcripts and maximizing application of earned credits. In just over two years, the program assisted more than 2,100 former students in returning to complete their degrees. In addition, more than 4,000 former students, who had not been enrolled in classes for more than two years, were enrolled on a fast path to degree completion. In October 2020, complicated ... Adults can take advantage of increased C2C funds in the spring to complete degree at ICC Beginning in January, adults who have earned some college credit but insufficient hours for a degree may qualify for a Complete 2 Compete grant of $1,000 per semester to finish the necessary requirements at Itawamba Community College. The grant is renewable per semester as long as the recipients remain in good academic standing. “We are excited to be able to continue to assist students with obtaining their first postsecondary degree, and we are confident that the grant increase will further accelerate our ability to do so,” said Amber Palmer, project coordinator for Mississippi Public Universities. ICC is among Mississippi’s two- and four-year institutions which are collaborating in the Complete 2 Compete initiative. “Itawamba Community College is excited about the unlimited possibilities Complete 2 Compete is providing for residents of our region and beyond,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It enables us to provide an exceptional educational foundation to enhance the quality of life, particularly for the adult learner segment of the population.” Complete 2 Compete is available to Mississippi adults who are ... First students complete academic dual enrollment initiative Two New Albany High School students Jill Gafford and Joseph Fennell are the first completers of an academic dual enrollment initiative between the CREATE Foundation, Itawamba Community College and Northeast Mississippi Community College. According to the agreement, the students were selected on the basis of applications, which were evaluated by a joint committee of ICC and NEMCC personnel. Among the eligibility requirements were minimum overall 3.0 GPA on a 4.o scale on all high school courses and with successful completion of at least 14 core high school units or a minimum of a 3.0 GPA on all high school courses and a minimum composite ACT score of 30 or the equivalent SAT score. Both Gafford and Fennell will receive postsecondary credit for their coursework. The initiative offered both health- and computer-related pathway options. Gafford and Fennell, who both chose the health-related path, completed Introduction to Health Professional I at Northeast, and Medical Terminology in Allied Health and Personal Community Health at ICC. They have enrolled every term since the MOU was established in ... ICC's Todd completes Mississippi Academy for Simulation Training Itawamba Community College Associate Degree Nursing instructor Dr. Cathy Todd of Fulton has earned more than 25 hours of continuing education to complete the Mississippi Academy for Simulation Training through the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The Mississippi Academy for Simulation Training provides statewide simulation educator training, access to University of Mississippi Medical Centers through the office of Interprofessional Simulation, Training, Assessment, Research and Safety and communicates a statewide expectation for recognition of the value of pedagogically-advanced training curricula, contemporary educational/workplace communication techniques and the highest ethical standards in the use of simulation in healthcare education. “The MAST course provided me with teaching strategies that I will use to engage students in learning opportunities using simulation,” Todd said. “The knowledge and experience gained by students using simulation can contribute to increased patient safety and positive outcomes.” Todd’s educational background includes the associate’s degree from ICC; bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women; master’s degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the doctoral degree from Samford University, all in nursing. A member of the ICC faculty since 2006, she also serves ... Aspen Institute names ICC as one of nation's top 150 and eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Today, the Aspen Institute named Itawamba Community College as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and to afforded the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty and staff, without whom it would not be possible.” ICC was selected as a top community college in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 and as a semifinalist in 2023. The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community ... Comments are closed.