Mississippi State University–Meridian and Wallace Community College are announcing a new Partnership Pathway to enable WCC students at both the Demopolis and Selma, Alabama, campuses to earn their undergraduate degree from MSU.

The five-year agreement went into effect at the beginning of the spring semester and provides students degree-specific course plans tailored for each of the four degree programs being offered—Bachelor of Applied Technology in healthcare services, BAT in event and hospitality management, as well as Bachelor of Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Administration.

Willy Hill, a Demopolis resident and professor of marketing in MSU-Meridian’s Division of Business, and Blaine Hathcock, director of WCC’s Demopolis campus, initially discussed the possibility of an institutional partnership, and leaders at their respective institutions agreed that pursing the collaboration would be a worthwhile endeavor.

“MSU-Meridian’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for our neighbors in West Alabama began in earnest in 2013 when the university implemented an out-of-state tuition waiver for students who reside in one of the six West Alabama counties of Sumter, Green, Choctaw, Hale, Marengo and Clarke,” said MSU-Meridian Associate Vice President and Head of Campus Terry Dale Cruse. “We feel this new partnership with Wallace Community College will open the door to more and better opportunities in the future.”

According to Hathcock, the community college invested $40,000 at the end of 2020 to install special camera and computer technology at both the Selma and Demopolis campuses to allow synchronous instruction between students on campus and instructors at off-site locations. This technology allows students to connect and interact with MSU-Meridian and other instructors in real time without having to travel for classes.

“We are excited for what this partnership provides for our students,” Hathcock said. “WCC’s President James Mitchell has long been a proponent for strong partnerships with four-year institutions like Mississippi State, and we look forward to working with the university to strengthen and expand this partnership down the road.”

Wallace Community College is online at www.wallace.edu. To learn more about MSU-Meridian, visit meridian.msstate.edu.