Whereas Tate County Agricultural High School was established in 1915 to provide educational opportunities for the people of North Mississippi and laid the foundation for what would become Northwest Mississippi Community College;

Whereas, for more than a century, the institution has served the educational, workforce, and community needs of North Mississippi;

Whereas, on September 7, 1926, the institution opened its academic year with college-level instruction, marking the beginning of its continuous service as an institution of higher education;

Whereas, during the formative years of the institution, it earned approval from the Mississippi Junior College Committee, expanded its academic offerings, strengthened its faculty, and developed the academic standards necessary to serve as a model for community college education in Mississippi;

Whereas, in 1928, the institution adopted the name Northwest Mississippi Junior College and expanded its academic offerings to include a second year of collegiate instruction;

Whereas, effective January 2, 1988, the institution officially changed its name from Northwest Mississippi Junior College to Northwest Mississippi Community College, reflecting the expanding mission of the institution to serve the educational, workforce, and community needs of North Mississippi;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College serves an 11-county district consisting of Tate, DeSoto, Panola, Tallahatchie, Tunica, Quitman, Marshall, Calhoun, Lafayette, Yalobusha, and Benton counties through a main campus in Senatobia and campuses and instructional sites in DeSoto, Oxford, Batesville, Olive Branch, Water Valley, and Ashland;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has expanded educational opportunity throughout North Mississippi through the establishment and growth of instructional locations across its service area, bringing higher education, workforce training, and local community enrichment closer to the communities it serves, including in—

Whereas, as of the date of adoption of this resolution, Northwest Mississippi Community College serves more than 8,000 students annually and has experienced 13 consecutive semesters of enrollment growth, reflecting the enduring value of the institution and its continued ability to meet the educational and workforce needs of North Mississippi;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has become one of the largest and most respected community colleges in Mississippi, serving thousands of students annually through academic transfer programs, career and technical education, workforce training, health sciences programs, dual enrollment opportunities, and local community enrichment initiatives;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has earned national recognition for student success, enrollment growth, workforce development, academic achievement, and institutional excellence, including selection among the premier community colleges in the United States, while expanding educational opportunities through new facilities, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has expanded educational access and workforce development opportunities through strategic investments in facilities and infrastructure, including the Ranger Center in DeSoto County, the Concourse in Batesville, the Heindl Center for the Performing Arts in Senatobia, and continued improvements to academic, workforce, student, and athletic facilities throughout the district;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College continues to expand high-demand programs in health sciences, workforce education, career and technical education, and university transfer programs to meet the evolving needs of students, employers, and communities throughout Mississippi;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has contributed significantly to the economic growth and prosperity of Mississippi by preparing a highly skilled workforce and fostering partnerships with business, industry, health care providers, governmental agencies, and community organizations;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has earned national recognition for excellence in intercollegiate athletics and student achievement throughout its history;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has consistently competed at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics in the National Junior College Athletic Association, claiming National Championships in football, women’s basketball, women’s soccer, cheerleading, and dance;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College student-athletes have consistently exemplified excellence in competition, leadership, service, and academic achievement, earning national recognition for both athletic success and outstanding team grade point averages, reflecting the enduring commitment of the institution to excellence in academics and athletics;

Whereas Northwest Mississippi Community College has produced generations of All-Americans, national champions, conference champions, regional champions, academic honorees, and community leaders, whose accomplishments have brought distinction to the institution and to the State of Mississippi;

Whereas the faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, alumni, students, and supporters of Northwest Mississippi Community College have built a legacy of service, opportunity, innovation, and achievement that has positively affected hundreds of thousands of lives during the first century of college instruction of the institution; and

Whereas, as Northwest Mississippi Community College begins its second century of service as an institution of higher education, the institution remains committed to expanding opportunity, promoting student success, supporting workforce development, strengthening communities, and preparing future generations of students, workers, and community leaders: Now, therefore, be it