Itawamba Community College Expands Campus as Other Schools Expand Enrollment

Itawamba Community College is expanding its campus.

For just the second time in 60 years, Itawamba Community College is expanding its campus. MPB’s Cari Gervin has more.

Itawamba Community College has two campuses in Fulton and Tupelo. Now, there’s a third – a 250,000 square foot facility on 30 acres in Belden, just west of Tupelo.

ICC President David Cole:

“The college has experienced exponential growth in the last decade. We’ve quadrupled in enrollment.”

And ICC isn’t alone. Eric Clark is the director of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges. He says enrollment has increased more than 10 percent at Mississippi’s 15 community colleges – just in the past year.

“In a recession, people who either lose their jobs, or they’re afraid they might lose their jobs, say, ‘I need more skills. I need to be more valuable in the job market.’ And the community colleges teach job skills.”

ICC’s $1.8 million expansion will be a one-stop shop for those workers, putting the WIN Job Center, GED classes and workforce training programs all in one building.

And that building? It once housed the bankrupt River Oaks furniture company. David Cole says he hopes the Belden Center will help those laid off from the furniture industry find new careers.

“And what better time to go back and complete a degree or earn a national board certification than when your plant has closed?”

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama announced plans to spend $12 billion on the nation’s community colleges. As that money trickles down to Mississippi, the state’s other schools may be following in ICC’s growing footsteps.

For MPB News, I’m Cari Gervin.