June 3, 2025

East Mississippi Community College is hosting the summer conference for the Mississippi Association of Community College Academic Officers’ Association (MACCAO) in conjunction with members of the Career Technical Officers Association.

The conference ran June 2-3 at The Communiversity at EMCC and the college’s Golden Triangle campus. Comprised of representatives from each of the 15 public community colleges in Mississippi, the purpose of the MACCAO is “to consider academic policies concerning curriculum and instructional matters and to maintain an open channel of communication with other administrative organizations in the state of Mississippi,” according to the Mississippi Association of Community College’s website.

Topics of discussion at the conference included instruction and policies concerning curriculum, accreditation matters, faculty development strategies, university updates, and work-life balance and conflict management.

EMCC Vice President of Instruction Dr. James Rush will serve as president of the MACCAO for the 2025-26 school year.

 “I am both grateful and humbled by this opportunity to serve as president of the MACCAO,” Rush said. “It is my pleasure to work alongside a great group of educators from across the state who are dedicated to ensuring that Mississippi’s community colleges are among the best in the nation.”

Typically, the college of the incoming president hosts the MACCAO’s annual summer conference. Other EMCC representatives in the MACCAO are Golden Triangle campus Associate Dean of Instruction Dr. Kelly Cantrell and Scooba campus Dean of Instruction Dr. Jairus Johnson.

Various committees for the AOA are formed as needed. Standing committees include those for accreditation, articulation, calendar, curriculum alignment, distance learning/technology, dual enrollment/dual credit, nominations and uniform course numbering system.

Representing EMCC for the Career Technical Officers Association are Rush, Johnson, Vice President of Career Technical and Workforce Education Dr. Michael Busby, Associate Dean of Career and Technical Education Patricia Corrigan and EMCC Director of Nursing Program /Associate Dean of Health Sciences Jamonicia Johnson.