19 October ICC responds to State Auditor's claims October 19, 2021 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College has issued a statement in response to allegations made this week by State Auditor agents about illegal activity regarding workforce training by the institution or its current or former employees. According to the statement, “For over two years, Itawamba Community College has fully cooperated with and been incredibly responsive to the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office in its investigation. In addition, the College hired a former United States Attorney and a well-respected, regional law firm to conduct an internal investigation into allegations made by State Auditor agents. “Based upon that internal investigation, the College strongly denies any and all allegations of illegal activity by the institution or its current or former employees. Throughout all of this, ICC has continued to provide unparalleled workforce training pursuant to state law for both our communities and our state. And, ICC will continue to provide such training to our citizens, to assist employers throughout the state, and to be a driver of economic development for all of north Mississippi. “Itawamba Community College has long been and remains a leader in workforce development training, and looks forward to its day in court in order for the truth to be told, these unfounded allegations be rejected by a jury of its peers and be exonerated of all charges.” Related Articles ICC's Coleman receives Bower-Delta State University Transfer Nursing Scholarship Jasmier Coleman of Pontotoc, a 2025 Itawamba Community College graduate, has received the Bower-Delta State University Transfer Nursing Scholarship of $4,000 from the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation. Students studying to become nurses in Mississippi and planning to transfer to Delta State University are eligible to receive the scholarship. This initiative focuses on strengthening Mississippi’s healthcare workforce to ensure healthier communities for generations to come. “The Phi Theta Kappa Foundation is a dynamic partner in our efforts to improve the health of Mississippians,” said Rebecca Cockrell, program director at the Bower Foundation. “Their strategic initiatives help identify students who demonstrate characteristics necessary to succeed in Delta State University’s nursing program. This collaboration maximizes the Bower Foundation’s funding to impact the education and employment of nurses in Mississippi.” Coleman is among three students who have been named Bower Scholars. Each will receive a $4,000 scholarship, renewable up to five semesters. "The Bower-Delta State University Transfer Nursing Scholarship is a vital step toward growing Mississippi’s nursing workforce,” Amanda Karpinski Gorman, interim director of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation said. “By supporting Phi Theta Kappa ... ICC among state community college enrollment leaders for spring 2024 Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment for the 2024 spring semester, according to figures recently released by the Mississippi Community College Board. With spring enrollment at 4,476 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from spring ‘23 to spring ‘24 show a 7 percent increase in headcount and a 9.7 percent increase in FTE with a second-place ranking. However, ICC had the largest percentage increase than any other community college in the state when reviewing combined FTE increases for fall ’23 and spring ‘24. The increase can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen, including the addition of state-of-the-art Magnolia Hall for honors students and student leaders, an enhanced emphasis on activities, expanded free personal orientation sessions and the transition to the schools of approach to enable student connections both to their field of study and their peers. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to ... ICC leads state in full-time enrollment increase Itawamba Community College ranks first in the state in full-time enrollment increase and in the top three in overall enrollment increase, according to figures recently released by the Mississippi Community College Board. With fall enrollment at 5,034 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from fall 22 to fall 23 show an 8.5 percent increase. The increase can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen, including the addition of Magnolia Hall, a state-of-the-art residence for honors students and student leaders accommodating 246 additional students which opened last fall and an enhanced emphasis on activities. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start for those in our five-county district and beyond.” “Statistics show that the more students are engaged, the more successful they will be in the classroom,” according to ICC Vice President of Student Services Dr. Brad Boggs. “Having an attractive, comprehensive student activities ... ICC enrollment increases again - continues to rank among state's leaders Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment increase, according to figures released this week by the Mississippi Community College Board. With fall enrollment at 4,476 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from fall 2023-fall 2024 show a 4.1 percent increase, nearly double the state average. In addition, enrollment was up 7 percent the last two semesters, statistics show. The continuing increase over the last two reporting periods can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. They include the addition of significant housing opportunities tailored to student needs with the opening of Magnolia Hall last fall and the reopening of Sheffield and Monroe Halls with spaces designed to accommodate the ICC student of today at the beginning of this semester, and an enhanced emphasis on activities. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start ... ICC ranks among state leaders in full-time enrollment increase Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment increase, according to figures released this week by the Mississippi Community College Board. With spring enrollment at 4,774 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from spring 2024-spring 2025 show a 6.7 percent increase, which comes after a multi-year increase in both fall and spring enrollments. The continuing increase over the last two reporting periods can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. They include additional housing opportunities tailored to student needs, including the addition of Magnolia Hall, exclusively for student leaders, and reopening of both Sheffield and Monroe Halls with spaces designed to accommodate the ICC student of today as well as an enhanced emphasis on activities.” “This very exciting news demonstrates a collaborative effort between all areas of the college to allow for continued enrollment growth,” Allen said. “What the figures don’t show is that residence halls remain at a more than 95 percent capacity this spring. The increase in the number of students that ... State of the District Address Itawamba Community College will host a State of the District address featuring U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Representative Trent Kelly, at 1:30 p.m., Oct. 29, at the Davis Event Center on the Fulton Campus. The public is invited to the question-and-answer format event, which is sponsored by ICC’s Political Science Club. Members of the community are encouraged to submit questions to constitutionday@iccms.edu using State of the District in the subject line. Some questions will be selected from those sent in advance. The event is free. For more information, contact Chris Stevenson, Social Science Division chairman, at (662) 862-8169 or email castevenson@iccms.edu. Comments are closed.