1982-1986

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Sm.th inducted as sixth EMJC president School, Dr. Smith received his associate degree from East Cen– tral, his Bachelor of Science and DECATU - Dr. Eddie M. Master of Education degrees Smith was to be formally in- from Mississippi State Universi– ducted as t sixth president of ty and the Doctor of Education East Centra Junior College at an from the University of Southern inaugural c emony today. Mississippi. Dr. Smith who took over the "Certamly this is a most Dr. Smith said East Central said will have to trim its budget by 14 percent, but no faculty members will lose their jobs. Replacement revenues will be generated largely through an in– crease in tuition and through ad– ditional support from Kemper County, he said. i985-86 school year. In addition, Dr. Smith said, the school has a full-time industrial coordinator responsible for overseeing start-up training, upgrade training and advanced training, for several businesses and industries in the area, in– cluding Hughes Aircraft and Peavey Electronics.

Tuition will be raised from $220 per sem~ster to $285 per semester. The state average is $288 per semester. Through an aggressive recruiting campaign, Dr. Smith said, he,looks for enrollment to increase to 1,000 full-time students this fall. There were more than 900 full- time students listed for the

post on July 1, 1985, came from challenging time to serve as a Copiah-Linc ln Junior College at president of a junior college," Wesson, wh e he had served ~~·. ,.. Dr. Smith, said, referring to an administrntor for 14 years. He looming budget cuts. was dean of instruction there the "Education is not the place to last five years. start cutting and trimming the He has al~o been associated state budget. Our entire social with the University of Southern structure, economic base - Mississippi and the Adams Coun- every element of our state's func– ty public schpol system. tioris depends ... on our state in- A graduate of Noxapater High stitutions" of higher learning.

Part-time students involved in those programs increase the head count to 1,600 students, he said. "I'm not at all pessimistic [about the future]," he said. "I'm an eternal optimist. I'm pleased wit~. wha_t we have [at

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Continued from lB the junior college] and what we have to do it with." . A:mong the various dignitaries mv1ted to attend ~he ceremony is Dr . _Richard oyd, state supermtendent o education and Meridian Mayor immy Kemp an ECJC alumnus. '

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