POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River Community College is trending again for the Spring 2022 semester. The 10and Day Report arrived, and PRCC retained its spot as the fourth-largest community college in Mississippi. The college has also had 17 straight semesters of outperforming the state enrollment average. Comparing Spring 2022 to Spring 2021, the PRCC saw an increase of 0.9% to 4,580 students.
“We are honored that a record number of students continue to choose Pearl River Community College,” said PRCC President Dr. Adam Breerwood. “Our goal has always been to provide affordable and accessible educational opportunities. Our growth over the past 17 semesters is the result of a dedicated faculty who continue to work diligently to change the lives of our students every day.
“We remain committed to breaking down barriers that stand in the way of student success and providing clear pathways for our students to succeed in their chosen career field. While we are pleased with our enrollment growth, I believe our best days are still ahead of us. »
The PRCC recorded a slight drop of 0.1% in spring credit hours to 59,340.
ACADEMIC
Offering a variety of courses to students with high caliber instructors is central to PRCC’s approach to academics. Whether you are a college student seeking an associate’s degree before enrolling in a four-year school or a vocational technical education student looking to enter the workforce directly, PRCC is constantly striving to provide the best experience. possible class.
Much of the growth in academics is the continued expansion of online learning. Along with courses delivered exclusively online, instructors in traditional courses are embracing digital. This includes building their lessons in Canvas and then using cameras in the classroom to record each lesson and allow students to travel to class remotely when needed. They can receive training and support for the instructional technology needs of e-learning.
“Enrollment in online learning continues to be robust,” said Senior Vice President for Instruction/Provost Martha Smith. “The college is committed to providing services to students who choose to take courses online. To that end, additional staff have been hired to help with online counseling and test monitoring.
“While there are courses that require hands-on learning, over time instructors have identified information that could be provided through an online format, allowing for smaller groups and social distancing during labs.”
MAKE COLLEGE AFFORDABLE
One of the tenets of Dr. Breerwood’s presidency is to ensure that education at Pearl River Community College is accessible and affordable. As a result, the PRCC has maintained the same tuition rate for the past five years while continuing to add services and opportunities for students.
Making college affordable is done in part through scholarships for students in the academic, paramedical, and career technical streams to help them achieve their educational goals.
For the 2021-2022 school year, the PRCC provided over $4.5 million in institutional scholarships. This includes scholarships and service awards.
Academic scholarships are based on the student’s ACT score or successful completion of a CTE program at the high school level with at least a 3.0 GPA. The past four years have seen a growth of over 50% in the number of CTE scholarships awarded.
Students are also eligible for a variety of service scholarships for students involved in athletic and service activities while in college. Service grants can be combined with university or CTE grants. Service efforts include activities such as The Spirit of the River Band, PRCC Cheer, PRCC Singers, River Navigators, and Resident Assistant.
In addition, the PRCC Development Foundation has hundreds of scholarships students can qualify through a simple application. These scholarships total over $1 million each year and are made possible through the generosity of donors.
“While scholarships play a critical role in recruitment, funding provides support throughout a student’s stay at PRCC and helps ensure retention and graduation,” said Delana Harris, Executive Director of Development Foundation/Alumni Association. “The combination of scholarships, student services and diverse offerings, including online, evening and weekend courses, continues to enable PRCC to serve our communities with training and educational opportunities.
“This helps ensure the growth of our local economies and meet our labor needs.”
DELIVERING GREAT EXPERIENCES
In addition to good classroom experiences, the college is also committed to forward thinking that improves an individual’s overall experience from the moment they express interest in the PRCC.
Both the Business Office and the Financial Aid Office have created processes that prioritize student needs and allow them to complete everything digitally. This includes the ability to view invoices, set up payment plan options, and understand when their financial aids are readily available.
“The college has made great strides across the institution to improve processes, increase digital interaction technology, and improve communications with students to improve service,” said the vice president of enrollment management and of commercial services, Candace Harper. “Moving to have more things online is just one example of the commitment all of our departments are making to put the student experience first.”
Along with the changes in the traditional administrative offices, the PRCC has recently opened Wildcat Hub, a one-stop-shop for assistance. Their customer service agents can be reached via the chat function of the PRCC website, from the college mail phone number and from in-person interactions in their newly created space inside Crosby Hall.
“We are thrilled to offer so many ways for the public, students and future wildcats to connect with us and we are optimistic about what the future holds,” said Amanda Brumfield, co-director of the Wildcat Hub.
Since January they have responded to over 1400 chats and in February they have handled over 700 phone calls. Their hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and then until 4 p.m. on Friday. All email inquiries and chat tickets are answered within 24 hours.
“We are seeing an increase in attempted interactions with the PRCC, compared to last year. We are proud to offer several different ways to communicate with PRCC and hope that having several contact options will help those who need us to feel more comfortable contacting us,” said Hannah Miller, co-director of the Wildcat Hub.
REACHING FUTURE STUDENTS
PRCC recruiters return to the community more often to connect with students who may find The River a good fit for their career goals. In February, three days were spent with more than 800 students visiting technical health or career education programs at campuses in Forrest County and Poplarville.
They also devote more time to school visits, bringing information about the college to local high schools. This included a big “Pathway to PRCC” day held last November at Hancock High School, where students learned about the County Tuition Assistance Program available to all Hancock County residents. .
“In addition to on-campus events, recruiters were once again able to personally guide students through the registration process on their ‘grounds’ as local schools reopen,” said Recruitment and Marketing Coordinator, Kari Eve Valencia. “We have engaged through senior information sessions, application days, CTE & Allied Health class presentations, college fairs, and participated in several sporting events and awards days in hopes to help potential Wildcats seamlessly join the Wildcat family.”
The next big event for prospective students is the second Wildcat Experience to be held Tuesday, April 12 from 1-3 p.m. on the Centennial Court Green on the Poplarville campus. This free event gives juniors and seniors from across southern Mississippi a taste of life at The River. Tickets for the home baseball game against Hinds this afternoon and the PRCC Wind Ensemble Concert Band performance that evening will be distributed to attendees. Interested students should register at prcc.edu/wildcatexperience.
For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS) and Facebook (@PRCCMKTG).