Annual Conference

6:00pm

MAC Attendees Reception
Westin Hotel
407 S Congress Street
Jackson, MS 39201

8:00am

Conference Registration

8:45am

Conference Welcome, Purpose, and Objectives
Blake Thompson
Mississippi College
2024 MAC Chairman

9:00am

Opening Remarks
Governor Tate Reeves

9:15am

Postsecondary Education System Discussions

This session will be moderated by MAC Chairman Dr. Blake Thompson, President of Mississippi College. The leaders of Mississippi’s public university, community college, and private college systems will provide their insight and perspective on the top issues facing their systems today.

Blake Thompson, Ph.D., Moderator

2024 MAC Chairman
President, Mississippi College

Al Rankins, Ph.D., Commissioner
MS Institutions of Higher Learning

Kell Smith, Executive Director
MS Community College Board

Jason Dean, Ph.D., Executive Director
MS Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities

9:45am

General Session I

“AI in Higher Education: Workforce, Teaching, and Research”

The future of AI in higher education offers a promising future that includes transformative advancements in student recruitment, personalized learning, administrative tasks, and providing analytics leading to better student retention and success. These AI-driven tools will enable professors and instructors to tailor curricula, adapting to individual learning styles and needs. Virtual tutors and chatbots will offer round-the-clock support, while predictive analytics will help identify at-risk students early. This session will examine some of the impact AI is already having in postsecondary education while looking to what the future could bring.

10:30am

Vendor Visits and Networking

10:45am

Breakouts

Session I: Information Technology

This session will catalog many of the state’s remarkable IT sector advantages ranging from its nation leading High Performance Computing (HPC) capacity to supporting physical infrastructure like the MissiON network. Using the Skills Foundation of Mississippi’s recently published “IT Skills Gap in Mississippi”, the audience will be presented with some of the challenges the state faces in this sector and how the state’s postsecondary education community can be a part of the solution.

Session II: Health Care Services

The recent COVID crisis highlighted some of the healthcare workforce challenges faced by Mississippi. These include shortages of medical professionals, high turnover rates, and access to adequate resources. Additionally, disparities in healthcare access and outcomes contribute to a cycle of poor health and workforce instability, making comprehensive healthcare reform and investment crucial for improvement. By far and away, Mississippi’s colleges and universities are positioned to provide access to training and education opportunities is the key to the development of skilled workers to support this sector.

Session III: Financial Aid Updates

This session will cover important updates from the Office of State Student Financial Aid including those related to FAFSA, the state of financial aid programs and recent efforts to modernize HELP, MTAG, and MESG grants.

Session IV: Incarcerated Citizens, Higher Education, and Career Credentials

The evidence is convincing: prisoners who receive workforce skills that lead to a career certificate or other postsecondary training are 80% less likely to be reincarcerated. In recent years, policies have begun to align to provide resources to facilitate this movement. This session will look at some of the programs in Mississippi that are supporting prisoner workforce training and what the implications may be for the future.

11:45am

Vendor Visits and Networking

12:00pm

Lunch

The Halbrook Award Ceremony
Keynote Remarks

1:15am

Vendor Visits and Networking

1:30pm

General Session II

“The Ascent to 55% Report”

The objective of the "Ascent to 55%" plan in Mississippi is to increase the number of working-age residents with postsecondary degrees or credentials to 55% by 2030 and 60% by 2035. This goal was originally established by the Mississippi Education Achievement Council in 2020. The Mississippi Economic Council’s Public Education Forum was selected by the Woodward Hines Education Foundation to develop and implement a strategy to make progress towards this goal. This general session will establish the baseline plan around the five A’s: Alignment, Affordability, Awareness, Accessibility, and Accountability.

2:30pm

Affinity Group Breakouts

4:00pm

Adjourn