General College Section

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission

The mission of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is to meet the educational and community needs in George, Harrison, Jackson and Stone counties by providing superior instruction through traditional and technological formats. The college embraces lifelong learning, productive citizenship, service learning, and leadership development in a dynamic and innovative learning environment.

Making a positive difference…

Vision

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will be a globally competitive learning community with an entrepreneurial spirit that cultivates student success.

Values

Accountability: An acceptance of responsibility for appropriate actions, obligations and duties.

Collaboration: A process that facilitates transfer of knowledge, skills and attainment of common goals.

Excellence: A motivation where the highest standards are viewed as benchmarks to surpass.

Integrity: A commitment to honesty and ethical behavior in all situations.

Leadership: A process of directing groups of people toward a common goal.

Respect: A feeling of esteem or regard for the unique qualities of all individuals.

Service: An action performed for others without the desire for personal gain.

History

On September 5, 1911, the Harrison County School Board established the Harrison County Agricultural High School, an action that marked the beginning of the present Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. As an inducement to locate the school at the little town of Perkinston, a number of prominent citizens donate 566 acres of land and 626 dollars. Their efforts were successful and, with one building, Huff Hall, the institution began operation on September 17, 1912.

On June 5, 1916, Stone County was formed from the northern part of Harrison County, and the school continued under the dual support of both counties.

Realizing that a new educational concept, the junior college, was ideally suited to the needs of Mississippi, the legislature in 1924 enabled the counties to cooperate with the state in offering education beyond the high school level to all who could profit from it and in their home community. One of the first junior colleges to be organized was founded in conjunction with the Harrison-Stone Agricultural High School. Jackson County added its support to the coming institution in the summer of 1925 and the new institution opened on September 14, 1925, as the Harrison-Stone-Jackson Agricultural High School and Junior College offering the first year of Junior College work. Sophomore classes were added in the 1926-27 session and the first class of one student finished on May 20, 1927. On July 15, 1942, George County added its support to the institution, which then took the official name of Perkinston Junior College.

The institution served the needs of its community endeavoring to fulfill its purpose:

“To develop the cultural, intellectual, and character resources of the people of this area, point the way to an economic livelihood based on natural resources, and promote responsible citizenship.”

In May 1962, 50 years after its organization, the Agricultural High School division was discontinued and local high schools provided for the youth of the community. On May 10, 1962, The Governor of the State of Mississippi signed into law House Bill 597 which created the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College District. This bill wiped out county lines as far as the college was concerned. The District became a single unit in which each taxpayer shared equally to support junior college education for the area. This District was founded in order to bring higher education to the people so that they could train and/or retrain to meet the needs of business and industry; to enable young people to live at home, hold jobs, and go to school, to bring cultural as well as academic enrichment to people of all ages.

In September 1965, Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College became a tri-campus institution when two new campuses were opened on the Gulf Coast – Jefferson Davis Campus in Handsboro and Jackson County Campus in Gautier. In 1965, the Seabee Base Manpower Training Center (founded the previous year) became a branch of the new Jefferson Davis Campus. After its removal to the Industrial Seaway in 1968,this branch took the name Harrison County Occupational Training Center. In 1972, George County Occupational Training Center (renamed George County Center in 2001) opened in Lucedale as a branch of Perkinston Campus. In 1973, Keesler Center opened at Keesler Air Force Base as a branch of Jefferson Davis Campus. In 1985, West Harrison County Occupational Training Center (renamed West Harrison County Center in 2001) opened in Long Beach as a branch of Jefferson Davis Campus.

To clearly reflect the comprehensive nature of the college, the name was changed on October 1, 1987, to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

In spring 1991, the College relocated the Harrison County Occupational Training Center to Intraplex 10 with the opening of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Applied Technology and Development Center. In spring 2007, the center’s name was changed to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center. Established as a partnership among Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Mississippi Power Company, and Harrison County Development Commission, the center was founded to serve as a training facility in support of economic development activities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 1996, a campus without walls concept, was introduced resulting in a fourth campus called Community Campus.

In August 2000, the Naval Construction Battalion Center at the Navy Base in Gulfport was established as part of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Classes began in January 2001, providing even more services to meet the diverse needs of Gulf Coast residents, both military and civilian. The Gulf Coast office at the base is in the Moreell Building, which is just inside the Broad Avenue entrance in Gulfport. 

Chief Executive Officers

At its establishment, the chief executive of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College was designated as the Superintendent.

In 1941, Albert Louis May became the first executive official designated as President.

The following individuals have served as the chief executive officers of this institution:

The emphasis in the organization and operation of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is that it is a single institutional entity with three traditional campus locations, four centers and a non-traditional campus without walls. The relationships of personnel on each of the four campuses to college administrative staff are the same personnel administrative relationships, which would be found on a single campus. The same general policies, philosophies of operations, purposes and objectives, as well as the same procedural methods, apply to all campuses equally, and exceptions can be made only when based on purely local factors.

The relationships of personnel on each of the three traditional campuses should always be close cooperation, articulation, and coordination among the campuses of the college. Individual differences that arise from differing student body characteristics, geographic locations, or purely local factors are respected, and their effects on procedure or policies are recognized as long as local decisions do not alter college administrative policies.

With the exception of certain courses and specialized areas, the three traditional campuses offer essentially the same basic instructional program. Course numbers and descriptions in the catalog, course outlines, textbooks, and supplementary materials apply to all campuses. Close departmental coordination among campuses helps insure all students’ optimum uniformity of instructional quality.

Physical Facilities

Jackson County Campus

The campus is located five miles west of Pascagoula adjacent to a major four-lane highway, U.S. 90 at Gautier. A direct access road to Interstate 10, 3.5 miles north of the campus, makes it easily accessible to the whole Coastal area. Good state and county roads connect with the traffic artery.

Warner Peterson Administration Building: Constructed in 2002 and houses the office of the Vice President, Deans of Instruction, Student Services and Business Services, Assistant Dean of Instruction, Financial Services and Business Services along with two classrooms and a lecture hall.

Science: Originally built in 1964 and fully renovated in 2000, this single-story, circular building, is two hundred forty feet in diameter. It houses science lecture halls and laboratories.

Physical Plant: Built in 1965 and renovated in 1974 and 1978, this building accommodates the central power plant that furnishes heat, air-conditioning, and water facilities for the campus complex is housed in this building.

Drafting/Design Technology & Campus Police: Constructed in 1965 and renovated in 2011, this two-story circular building is home to the drafting and design technology department and the on-line testing lab. Campus Police is also housed in this building.

Career & Technical Education: Built in 1968, this building houses various career-technical education offices, electronics, welding, electrical technology, telecommunications technology, and other career and technical programs and classrooms.

Curtis L. Davis Health/Physical/Aquatic Education: Constructed in 1972, this building houses the health and physical education department along with multi-purpose stage facilities. An Olympic-size, enclosed, heated swimming pool is adjacent to the building.

Fine Arts: Featuring music, art and drama, this building is home to the Fine Arts Department and was constructed in 1993. A 472-seat auditorium with a fully equipped stage for all types of theatrical productions and an art gallery are also part of this building.

Multi-Craft: A career-technical education building erected in 1976.

Allied Health Programs: Constructed in 1992, this building provides instructor offices, classrooms, and laboratories for the associate degree nursing, practical nursing, medical laboratory technology, and radiologic technology programs.

Child Development Technology: This child-care facility was built in 1989 and is used for learning experiences for the Child Development Technology program students, consisting of two rooms for the care of children 2-4 years old, kitchen, and office facilities.

Student Center: Built in 1994, this building houses the cafeteria, bookstore, private dining room, and a conference room. There is also a patio area for outside dining.

Learning Resource Center: Originally built in 1974, the library is on the second floor. In 1990, the first level was enclosed to provide a Learning Resource Center and classrooms. A third addition was built in 1996 on the second level for additional classroom space.

Math and Computer Science: Built in 1995, this building houses mathematics, developmental studies classrooms, instructor offices, and computer science labs.

Admissions and Counseling: Built in 1997, this building houses Admissions and Records, CTE Support Services, Counseling, Recruitment, and Veterans Services.

Business & Office Technology: Built in 1991, this building houses the Business and Office Technology program and Academic Business.

Maintenance building: Completed in 2009 and houses the maintenance, grounds and housekeeping departments.

Estuarine Education Center: The Center opened in January 2008 and serves as an outdoor laboratory to students in Outdoor Recreation classes and biological, environmental, and marine sciences. Facilities in the 33-acre center include the Outdoor Recreation Leadership building, the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies building, Greenhouse building, and a ropes/challenge course. The center serves both students and community organizations.

Jefferson Davis Campus

This campus is comprised of 120 acres of land located one and three-quarter miles north of U.S. Highway 90, midway between Gulfport and Biloxi. The award-winning architectural design of the building complex features 22 structures lay out to include several landscaped courtyards. Covered walks not only provide sheltered passage but also form a visual tie for the complex and carry utilities throughout the complex, including air-conditioning.

Business: Houses fifteen faculty offices, seven lecture rooms, a paralegal law library, and four computer labs.

Computer Center: Houses the District Information Technology Department, which services all campuses and centers.

Music: Actually three buildings, the smaller building contains the Music Department with studio offices, practice rooms, rehearsal hall, work room, storage room, and pottery studio.

Fine Arts: The large building contains a sculpture lab, large multi-purpose room, six general classrooms, theatre with seating for 451 persons, two complete dressing rooms, costume workshop, scene shop, art gallery, and 7 offices.

Arena Theater: The east wing houses a 200- seat arena theatre and 2 offices. Also includes a scene shop and two large dressing rooms.

Science Annex: Houses six offices for instructors, two lecture rooms, and a science computer lab.

Science: Houses eleven offices for instructors, a computer lab, seven large lecture rooms, physics laboratory, inorganic chemistry laboratory, organic chemistry laboratory, general biology laboratory, zoology laboratory, vivarium and greenhouse, a microbiology laboratory, and two anatomy and physiology labs. Each laboratory adjoins spacious storerooms and preparation rooms.

Learning Lab: The Learning Lab is a comprehensive, yet comfortable, academic tutoring facility open to all students that provides one-on-one instruction, small group instruction, and technology-enhanced instruction in English, mathematics and science and Internet accessible computers.

Academic Classroom: This building houses fifteen general classrooms of varying size. Classrooms in this building are used interchangeably for the general education courses.

Library: The library is a pleasant, comfortable, well-lit facility that contains a large reference and general collection. Immediate linking is provided from any campus or remote site to the more than 100,000 books and videos housed in the three campus libraries by the Sirsi system, our automated library catalog. Advanced electronic capabilities through MELO, MAGNOLIA, and our college resources enable our library to provide up-to-date Internet access for online and campus student research. The library is also where the University Transfer Center is located.

Media Services: Media Services provides faculty and students with audiovisual technology, equipment, materials, and support for classroom and academic projects.

Administration: This building houses a large commons area for student lounging, Cyber Café general circulation area, and evening coordinator offices. Administrative offices include offices for the Vice President, Deans of Business Services and Instruction, in addition to two conference rooms and lobby area.

Physical Plant: Contains a large equipment room which houses the boilers, cold generating equipment and water-heating equipment providing air conditioning, heating and hot water for the entire campus.

This building also contains a central control room for monitoring the operation of the central plant and the operation of air conditioning in all buildings on the campus.

Physical Education: Contains two classrooms, five offices, storage and supply rooms, four student dressing rooms, a fitness center, restrooms, a gymnasium playing area which could be used for a full basketball court and/or used for two smaller cross courts, and a stage area which doubles as a physical activities area. An Olympic size heated swimming pool adjoins this building.

Career/Technical Complex — Refrigeration & Air Conditioning: Contains large laboratories and classrooms. In addition, it contains the GED, Adult Basic Skills and English as a Second Language Program.

Career/Technical Complex – Auto Body and Automotive Technology: Contains large laboratories, and classrooms, faculty offices, storage and supply rooms.

Career/Technical Complex — Residential, Commercial and Industrial Electricity: Contains two large laboratories, planning rooms, instructor offices, storage, and supply rooms.

Career/Technical Complex — Construction Engineering Technology: Contains classrooms and computer lab. This building also contains five offices, two restrooms, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms and miscellaneous storage rooms.

Career/Technical Complex — Career and Technical Administration: This building houses the office of the Dean of career Technical and Workforce Education. In addition, it contains a large conference room, general classrooms, storage facilities, four other offices, the Interpreter Training classroom and lab, and Career-Technical computer lab.

Career/Technical Complex — Hospitality and Tourism Management: Contains banquet rooms, kitchen, classroom and complete motel guest room for instruction. This building also contains five offices, two restrooms, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms and miscellaneous storage rooms.

Career and Technical Annex: Houses six faculty offices and eight Computer Information Systems Technology classrooms/labs.

Early Childhood Education Building: This building houses the Early Childhood Education Technology Program, serving as a laboratory for the students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Technology Program. The facility houses a pre-school consisting of an infant room, two year old room, three year old room and a four year old room where students gain practical learning experiences in working with pre-school children.

Eula W. Switzer Nursing/Allied Health: This building houses the Nursing program. The building has four large classrooms, one large skills laboratory, one large storage room, one small skills laboratory, seventeen faculty offices, conference room, workroom, secretary’s office, and administrative office. Allied Health located to east of the Nursing building, houses the Surgical Technical and the EMT/Paramedic programs. The building has 4 large classrooms, 3 large skill laboratories, 7 faculty offices, an amphitheater style classroom, secretary’s office and workroom, student lounge, and storage areas in each skill laboratory.

Hospitality and Resort Management Center: The facility houses Hotel Restaurant Management, Culinary, Baking and Pastry Arts, Banquet and Catering Service, and Business & Marketing Management. The facility contains four kitchens, providing students and community with access to a demonstration kitchen, baking kitchen, production kitchen and teaching kitchen. Space provided includes a mock guest room, front desk operation, faculty and administration offices, student lounge, and lockers. The facility also provides over 5,600 square feet of conference space and over 2,200 square feet of dining space. The Facility also contains 4 computer labs and 6 large classrooms for instruction.

Educational Development: Houses eight offices, academic classrooms, a storage area, two student and two faculty restrooms, and four labs for developmental classes.

Maintenance — One story metal and brick combination building located in the back of the campus. It houses maintenance, shipping and receiving, grounds department, housekeeping and superintendent and assistant superintendent of maintenance and grounds.

Student Services: Multi-story building located on the southwest corner of the campus facing Switzer Road. First floor houses the Admissions-Records office, Counseling and Career Center Lab, the Veterans Affairs Services/Job Placement  Center, and Campus Police. The Dean of Student Services office, the Assessment Center, the eLearning office, Institutional Research, and the Multi-Purpose Room are found on the second floor.

Financial Aid Building: The building is located adjacent to the Student Services Building on the south walkway. The building houses the Financial Aid Office.

Math and Computer Science: Houses ten faculty offices, seven lecture rooms, four computer labs, and a workroom.

Cafeteria: Includes large student dining area, two large banquet rooms, faculty dining room, and a full service kitchen and grill area with large serving area.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Center

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center, formerly the Applied Technology and Development Center, is located in Intraplex 10 of the Bayou Bernard Industrial District. The Center was established as a joint partnership between the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Mississippi Power Company, and the Harrison County Development Commission.

The purpose of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center (AMTC) is to (a) provide advanced manufacturing, industrial, technical, and professional skills training, (b) serve as the headquarters for employee training for Mississippi Power Company, (c) serve as a model for cooperation between education and business for the State of Mississippi, (d) assist and support economic development activities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, (e) serve as a healthcare simulation training center and (f) provide administrative services for the Community Campus.

Keesler Center

The Center is located in Room 221 of the Sablich Building on Keesler Air Force Base (AFB). This center was established in 1973 to serve the active military and their dependents, retired military and their dependents, civilian workers on Keesler AFB, and other civilians in the community on a space available basis. The Center offers evening courses in an accelerated format of two eight week terms in a semester. All academic courses lead to a Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Applied Science degree, or the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Associate degree.

Naval Construction Battalion Center

The Naval Construction Battalion Center is located in the Moreell Building just inside the Broad Avenue entrance to the Navy Base.

In August 2000, the center was established as part of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.  Classes began in January 2001, providing services to meet the diverse needs of Gulf Coast residents, both military and civilian.

The Center welcomes military and non-military personnel, civil service, dependents of the military, and civilians in the community.

Students can apply, register and pick up books all in the same office. Taking classes at the Naval Construction Battalion Center lets you work toward an Associate of Arts degree. Fall and spring classes meet two nights during the week, and summer classes meet one night a week. Short-term classes are also available during the weekend.

West Harrison County Center

The West Harrison County Center is located in the Industrial Park in Long Beach at the corner of Espy Avenue and B Street. The Center offers post-secondary career programs, Adult basic Education, and Workforce Development training, and provides space for economic development efforts.

The Administration building houses eight classrooms, a commercial kitchen with adjoining serving room, computer lab, conference rooms and administrative offices.

The Multi-Purpose building houses six flexible sized classrooms, laboratory space, and faculty offices.

The Career & Technical Education building houses three large laboratories, classrooms, and faculty offices.

The Aquaculture building houses four classrooms and laboratory spaces and faculty offices.

Perkinston Campus

The Perkinston Campus is located on U.S. Highway 49 at Perkinston, thirty miles north of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the heart of the long-leaf pine region of Mississippi. Excellent highways make it readily accessible to all parts of the supporting area. Its proximity to a number of larger towns and cities makes it possible for students to sample a wealth of off-campus, cultural opportunities.

The college owns 508 acres of land at Perkinston, the main campus accounting for approximately 130 acres. The campus buildings are conveniently located, and the grounds are beautifully landscaped.

The A.L. May Memorial Stadium, constructed in 1948 and renovated in 2000, has a seating capacity of 5,000 and includes the George Sekul Field House, a press box, dressing room, storage area for equipment and is completely fenced. In 2008, 160 chair-back seats were added and a football playing field of synthetic turf and new track were installed in 2009.

The Alumni House (formerly president’s residence) has been renovated by the MGCCC Alumni Association and Foundation for Alumni and Foundation functions.

Andrews Hall is a two-story brick residence hall constructed for women students in 1979. This residence hall will accommodate 198 and was refurbished in 2008.

The Athletic Performance Facility was constructed in 2011 and houses training equipment for all college athletic teams.

The Barry L. Mellinger Student Center was constructed in 1982 with additions made in 1993 and 2006. This building houses the bookstore, wellness center, student housing office and a student grill as well as many other student activities.

The Baseball/Softball Complex was constructed in 2009 and provides dressing rooms, locker room areas, coaches’ offices, equipment storage and indoor batting cages for the baseball and softball athletic teams.

The Campus Police Building was constructed in 1955 and houses Campus Police.

The Community Arts Center was originally constructed in 1941 as a dairy barn and was later converted to office space.  In 2014 a major renovation was completed that transformed the facility into a studio and gallery for community education and appreciation of the arts.

Darby Hall is a two-story, brick structure built in 1957. Some of the college administrative offices are housed in this building.

Dees Hall is a split-level, multi-storied building completed in 1968 to house the campus library.  After the completion of the Willis H. Lott Learning Resources Center in 2011, Dees Hall was renovated and now contains, faculty offices, academic classrooms, business office, enrollment center, veterans services, and the campus network infrastructure.

Denson Hall is a two-story classroom building located on the quadrangle. It was built in 1971 and houses the developmental studies and the Language Arts departments.

The Driving Range Facility was constructed in 2014, this facility is located adjacent to the driving range and contains restroom facilities. meeting/locker room, and office space.

George Hall is a two-story brick residence hall constructed for men students in 2007 and will accommodate 80.

The Golf Turf Building is the Horticulture and Golf/Recreational Turf Management Technologies Lab and classroom.

The Gregory War Memorial Chapel was completed in 1947 and provides a place for all types of religious functions. It was completely remodeled in 2001.

Harrison Hall is a two-story residence hall constructed in 1938 and was completely renovated and air conditioned in 1974.

Hayden Hall, constructed in 1987, is a two-story structure made up of one main lobby, spacious courtyards, and 100 rooms, which will accommodate 200. Each room opens into a courtyard area. The hall was refurbished in 2008.

Heidelberg Hall, constructed in 1959, houses the cafeteria and Archives. The main floor of this building houses the cafeteria and private dining rooms. An addition was made including a new kitchen and serving area along with renovations to the old dining area and kitchen in 1997-98.

Hinton Hall is a fireproof structure built in 1959 and was completely remodeled and refurbished in 1983-84. An addition was completed in 2007 and named the Clyde Strickland Science Complex. It houses all areas for the teaching of science, including a modern computer technology and mathematic department and the academic business department.

Huff Hall is a two-story brick residence hall constructed in 1911. It houses the college administrative offices.

Jackson Hall is a two-story brick building constructed in 1915 and houses some of the college administrative offices. It was completely remodeled and refurbished in 2001.

J. E. Bryan Hall is a two-story residence hall opened in the fall of 2005. The building has 25 two room suites that share bathroom facilities. Each room will accommodate two students with a total capacity of 100.

Malone Hall, constructed in 1972, is a fine arts center with the music and drama departments. There is a theatre, which seats 463 persons. Renovations to the building in 1998 include a black box theatre.

The Maintenance/Transportation/Technology Services Center was constructed in 2008 and houses the college transportation services, Perk Campus maintenance services, and the college construction management and technology services.

The Megehee Building, originally occupied in the spring of 1962 as Home Economics Facility, houses the Child Development Technology program.

Moran Hall is a two-story brick residence hall constructed 1970. This residence hall will house 84 and was refurbished in 2008.

The New Women’s Residence Hall is a two-story brick residence hall constructed in 2007. The residence hall will house 80.

Owen Hall is a two-story brick residence hall constructed in 1970. This building will house 88 students and was refurbished in 2008.

The Sam P. Jones, Jr. Band Hall was constructed in 1998 and is used by the Band of Gold and music classes.

Stone Hall, originally constructed in 1915 as a residence hall for male students, was renovated in 1996 to house the Educational Services Center.

The Surplus Property and Printing Building was constructed in 1994.

The Tennis Complex was constructed in 2014, this facility features eight (8) lighted tennis courts and an entrance structure containing men’s and women’s locker rooms, restrooms, office space, and storage space.

Weeks Hall, constructed in 1974, houses some of the career-technical programs for the Perkinston Campus. An addition was made in 1997-98 to house the Funeral Services Technology program and the Nursing Department. Additional renovations have been done to student restrooms and to add classroom space.

The Weathers/Wentzell Center, constructed in 1957 and refurbished in 2006 and 2008, houses the main gymnasium with a seating capacity of 1,500, as well as dressing rooms.

The Willis H. Lott Learning Resource Center, constructed in 2011, contains the library and affiliated offices, media center, and learning lab. The facility also contains a coffee shop with an outside patio.

The Visual Arts Center was constructed in 2009. It houses the art department and includes classrooms, offices, kiln room, darkroom, and data room.

George County Center

The George County Center, located in Lucedale on Hwy. 63 South was constructed in 1972. The Center offers Career and Technical programs, Allied Health, Continuing Education, and Academic courses.

In 2009, the George County Center opened the Academic Building which includes a lecture hall, computer lab and academic classrooms.

Post-secondary programs include Apprentice Electric Lineman, Welding, Nursing, Cosmetology, and Medical Assisting. High School students are bused to and from the Center for Instruction in Welding and Culinary and Related Foods Technology.