The purpose of this study was to analyze the general education faculty members’ perspectives on the internationalization of the general education curriculum in Mississippi community colleges. The participants in this study included all full-time instructors of general education courses at 2 of the 15 public community colleges in the state of Mississippi. The study used a survey Analysis of Faculty Perception: Factors Affecting the Internationalization of General Education Curriculum in Mississippi Community Colleges to examine factors that included a) importance of internationalization, b) institutional success with internationalization efforts and c) importance and existence of administrative support for internationalization. No studies were found that analyze nor investigate the importance of internationalizing the general education curriculum in Mississippi community colleges. Quantitative data were collected using Survey Monkey online instrument that was sent to full-time general education faculty members teaching at the 2 community colleges in the State of Mississippi. The data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Mann-Whitney U Test tables and descriptive statistics were reported. Results showed that a large number of the educators recognized the need for a partner institution in another country. Many of them also recommended that there should be a designated administrative office to coordinate and support international education initiatives, and they also saw the need for their college to have a plan designed to increase international/global understanding among students and to have general education courses with an international/global focus available to all students. Some differences in perceptions were observed in the teachers’ perceptions of internationalization based on years worked in higher education, country of birth, gender, international experience, and level of education. The educators believed that internationalization activities on their campus was a positive movement towards expanding their offerings to students by helping to develop an educational environment where they can become more globally competitive and more professionally effective. Many of the educators in this study support the expansion of programs that support study abroad or student exchange programs.

Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Co-Lin CC), from its beginning, has been a product of and provider of service to its local and regional communities, from its economic impact through increased tax base and revenue, to its educational impact through graduates of academic and technical programs, to its workforce training impact through cooperation with local industry to promote economic development. It is imperative for the continued growth and stability of the communities it serves and the state of Mississippi that Co-Lin CC and the other Mississippi community colleges continue to carry out their mission of providing the best possible opportunities for students. The purpose of this study was to place one institution into the larger historical narrative about community colleges. This study attempted to describe the factors that led to the establishment of an agricultural high school that developed into a junior college. The study also described the original mission and how it evolved during the 100 year history of the institution, including the continuing economic impact of the college on the local community. Historical data were mined from a variety of primary sources such as documents, letters, legislation, school records, board meeting minutes, and images; pertinent secondary sources and interviews from pertinent college leaders were collected; and existing economic impact data were referenced to identify emerging trends. Results indicate factors leading to the establishment of the agricultural high school and junior college included access, affordability, and quality of education. The implementation of the mission of the college, throughout its 100 year existence, evolved along with the changing needs of the community. The needs of the students and the community changed and the wording of the mission changed, but the mission did not change. Along with the educational impact, the economic impact is an integral part of the effect that Co-Lin CC has on the local communities it serves.