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East Mississippi Community College Vice President of Finance & Administration/Chief Financial Officer Dr. Tammie Holmes was elected president of the Mississippi Association of Community College Business Managers and took the helm at the Aug. 24 annual meeting of the organization that occurred in Oxford.

East Mississippi Community college’s head count for the Fall 2026 semester is 4,352 students, up from 4,145 students during the same time last year. This follows on the heels of nine consecutive semesters of enrollment growth at EMCC for the spring and fall terms and marks the second time since 2018 that the college’s fall enrollment topped 4,000 students.

Mississippi's community colleges have proposed the Jobs Promise Performance Program, a new performance-based workforce investment initiative that would tie state funding to workforce outcomes, aiming to prepare 5,500 additional workers annually for high-priority careers. The $41.5 million proposal, part of MACC's 2027 legislative agenda, ties college funding to program completion and job placement rather than enrollment. EMCC president Dr. Scott Alsobrooks co-chairs the effort. The article also details EMCC's existing industry partnerships (Huber Engineered Woods, Steel Dynamics, Aluminum Dynamics, Yokohama Tire, Global Cellulose Fibers) and apprenticeship, internship and workforce training programs at The Communiversity and via WIOA Career Services.

EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks announced pay raises effective July 1: eligible faculty got a $2,000 annual raise and eligible staff got a 3% increase, funded by state appropriations and college general funds. This continues a streak of annual raises; Mississippi community college faculty pay still trails the national average by about $24,619 per NEA data. The article also cites EMCC's recent national rankings (Niche, USA/Statista, SmartAsset) and notes nine consecutive semesters of enrollment growth.

Profile of Andrew Nichols, a computer networking technology instructor at EMCC's Scooba campus for 10 months. He teaches IT foundations, data communications, network security and forensics, previously taught middle-school computer science and worked in education IT for a decade. He holds three degrees from Mississippi State and is pursuing a doctorate, and is a Cisco certified instructor. He emphasizes building student confidence and meeting students where they are, drawing on his experience as an adoptive father.

EMCC Dean of eLearning Dr. Coranette "Chris" Calhoun completed the 2025-26 Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program, which included legislative advocacy meetings in Jackson and Washington D.C. on issues like Pell Grant eligibility for workforce training, and was named to Marquis Who's Who in America. She recently earned her doctorate from Liberty University with a dissertation on incorporating AI into higher education, and has worked at EMCC since 2006.

EMCC is building a nearly $2.5 million student housing project on its Scooba campus, adding two apartment buildings with a combined 24 beds, each unit housing two students with shared kitchen/living space. College officials say the project will give students a more independent living option and ease pressure on older housing like Gilbert Anderson Hall, which is slated for renovation. Completion is tentatively expected by the end of December 2026; eligibility rules haven't been finalized.

EMCC announced several administrative changes effective June 1: Dr. James Rush was named executive vice president and provost (now also overseeing athletics), Sharon Thompson was appointed dean of the Scooba campus in addition to her dean of students role, and Gina Cotton took on expanded Foundation fundraising duties following Tony Montgomery's retirement. The article gives detailed career histories for each: Rush's rise from TRIO counselor to provost, Thompson's basketball coaching/athletic director career, and Cotton's alumni/fundraising work since 2008.

EMCC mathematics instructor Dr. Subhash Subedi was named a 2026 Moody Institute Fellow, receiving $1,500 to attend a national math education conference in Philadelphia focused on innovative teaching, including responsible use of AI in online math courses. Subedi, who has taught at EMCC's Golden Triangle campus since 2020, previously taught in Nepal and at U.S. universities and holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics; the fellowship is limited to instructors at Mississippi's public two-year colleges.

Profile of Mary Warren, named associate dean of instruction and assessment on EMCC's Golden Triangle campus in January, overseeing faculty scheduling, budgets and accreditation compliance. She previously taught public speaking at EMCC and spent 19 years at Copiah Lincoln Community College teaching communications and advising student organizations. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in communications at Liberty University after considering a nursing career earlier in life.