The president of Southwest Mississippi Community College is speaking out after a bill was introduced in the Mississippi Legislature to consolidate six community colleges statewide.
House Bill 1284 was authored by Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, and would merge nearly half of the state’s 15 community colleges. Per the text, Coahoma Community College would be absorbed by Mississippi Delta Community College; Meridian Community College would be absorbed by East Mississippi Community College; and Southwest Mississippi Community College would be absorbed by Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
Dr. Steve Bishop, the president of SMCC, is against the consolidation effort and believes what Lamar considers a cost-saving effort would ultimately dilute what, year in and year out, is ranked as one of the top community-college systems in the U.S.
“Over the last two days, Southwest has received overwhelming support. All of this is a reminder that we must always protect our college and the value it holds to so many,” Bishop said. “All 15 community colleges, in their current structure, have allowed Mississippi to be ranked among the best community college systems in the United States. Now isn’t that something to hold on to and celebrate?”
Lamar said his intention with the bill is “to begin the conversation about administrative consolidation at the college level.” He said saving “tens of millions” on administrative costs could result in “significant staff and faculty pay raises.”
“It is important for the public to understand that under this proposal, we would still operate academic campuses on these sites, but they would be under the administration of a larger college,” Lamar said. “This would save those tax dollars that are currently being used on administrative expenses.”
Bishop argues the opposite, saying that SMCC is “not top-heavy” with only seven administrative positions compared to over 250 employees. Other community colleges have around the same number of administrative positions, he said.
Over the past three years, SMCC has received roughly $22 million in state and federal funds for new and renovated residential, academic, and athletics facilities, along with campus improvements. A major concern of Bishop’s is that by consolidating community colleges, local communities will be harmed. He also contends that the notion backtracks on previous state support.
SMCC is considered by Bishop and many others as a “hub” of the Summit community, as it is one of the town’s main gathering places – not just for students but for residents, too. People who live in and around Summit rely on SMCC to watch athletic events, attend concerts and plays, take community classes, participate in festivals, and use campus facilities for events, recreation, and meetings. While the campus would remain, under the name of Copiah-Lincoln Community College, taking away a brand that will turn 100 years old in 2029 would be a blow to the community at large, Bishop argued.
“Southwest has a long tradition of excellence in providing quality academic instruction, career technical instruction, and career training for nearly 100 years. Our alumni are influential leaders within the state and throughout this country,” Bishop continued. “We take pride in being the ‘hub’ of our community while providing a wide range of community services and support. Our college remains fiscally sound, evidenced by over 20 years of [clean] financial audits, and our investments and assets continue to grow.”
As for how the consolidation plan was put together, Lamar said it is based on enrollment size and proximity to other community colleges. Northwest Mississippi Community College, which is located in and serves counties that overlap with Lamar’s district, is not included as it is the third-largest community college in the state, with the closest to it being Itawamba Community College around 80 miles away.
“Few people love and understand our community college system as well as I do. Northwest Community College is a big part of my life. However, Northwest Community College serves a geographic area of 11 counties and over 8,000 students,” Lamar said. “In comparison, Meridian Community College’s district is simply the city limits of Meridian, and Southwest Community College enrolls less than 2,000 students, all while the Mississippi Delta has lost more than 100,000 residents.
“To fund these institutions, state taxpayers are continually asked to increase funding, and landowners in several counties are forced to pay double taxation to support two separate community college districts. Most people don’t understand this, and continuing to turn a blind eye is just not fair to the taxpayers.”
Academic outcomes were not taken into consideration for consolidation, per the bill’s text. SMCC was recently ranked the No. 1 community college in Mississippi and the No. 6 community college in the U.S. by Niche, which considered academic opportunities and outcomes as part of its rankings.
Sources told SuperTalk Mississippi News that Bishop is not the only president against Lamar’s bill, adding that all of the schools included in the consolidation plan are opposed. Presidents from the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges’ 15-member institutions are scheduled to meet on Tuesday.