Spotlight on Calhoun & Talladega: Higher Education

Four higher education institutions offer academic and career programs in these two counties

Students at Jacksonville State University.

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville State University is a comprehensive, public university that offers about 100 academic programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, including more than 40 online programs.

JSU unveiled a revamped general education program that will go into effect this fall with the incoming freshman class that is believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S. It’s known as “Jax MIX: Merging Innovation and eXperience,” which fully embeds badged micro credentials within general education and is designed to empower students to develop key skills valued by employers while collecting new credentials through a colorful badging system.

The key skills were determined by an extensive survey of industries and sectors to identify the skills and knowledge most valued by employers of JSU graduates. Those focused skills include ethics, critical thinking, communication, professionalism, creative problem-solving, leadership, diversity and civic participation. The program is aimed at producing graduates with a diverse skill set. Current students also can look into participating.

In March, 44 Alabama law enforcement officers representing 25 agencies enrolled in the first class of students at JSU’s Southeastern Leadership Command College, a nine-week program dedicated to training police officers to lead departments and agencies. It’s the first program of this kind in the state and is one of several programs and initiatives the school has established over the past decade to support law enforcement. JSU is also home to the Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy.

The university continues to grow, with new enrollment records set for the third consecutive year. Construction projects underway include the North Village Residence Hall, Jax State Dining Hall and the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex. In addition, the Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts (ROC) is underway on the former First Baptist Church of Jacksonville site. The ROC Educational Wing renovation will include a 450-seat recital hall, rehearsal hall, backstage suites, recording studio, educational classrooms and meeting and office space. New construction of the ROC, on the front of the ROC Educational Wing, will house the 1,000-seat Phil and Denise Webb Performance Hall and the Pi Kappa Phi Lobby.

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With an anticipated completion date of early 2026, the new construction and renovated Educational Wing will provide concert, performance and educational space for the College of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, and collaborative learning spaces for the entire university. To date, more than $22 million has been raised toward the $41.3 million project.

Other updates include a $250,000 grant from the Alabama Board of Veterans Affairs, which will fund the Victory Center, serving military members and their families and also provide internships for students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees in social work or clinical mental health counseling. While the location is not yet determined, the center started accepting clients in June.

Several programs have earned kudos recently: accreditation reaffirmation for the College of Business and Industry from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business;
niche.com ranking among the best nursing programs in America for the School of Nursing; and continued accreditation for the respiratory therapy program from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

Jax State is in the Conference USA, and sports teams have set some milestones. In the first year of play in the new conference, the football team became bowl eligible and won its bowl game — marking the first time a team in its first year in that conference has had that success.

And the school’s bowling team, in its first year, won the national championship, marking the first national championship in Division 1, first time to win Conference USA in bowling, and more.

The Savery Library at Talladega College.

Talladega College

The first private historically black liberal arts college in Alabama, Talladega College has been known for academic excellence for more than 150 years. Located in a historic district in the city of Talladega, it offers a close-knit, student-centered environment.

According to the newly released 2023 Washington Monthly college rankings, Talladega College is 36th overall among 242 colleges and 12th for social mobility. The college also ranked 18th among 288 colleges and universities for the “Best Bang for the Buck” ratings in the Southeast, putting it in the top 10% of those institutions.

U.S. News and World Report placed Talladega at 13th for Social Mobility nationwide in its 2022-2023 rankings. And, the Princeton Review’s newly released rankings placed Talladega as one of the best colleges in the top 109, out of the 2,300 colleges and universities in the South. Princeton Review does not assign number ranks within that top 109 category. For the social mobility ranking, U.S. News and World Report assesses graduation rates for Pell Grant students. About 68% of students are Pell Grant eligible and come from families that earn less than $50,000 annually.

Several programs at the college have earned accolades recently. The Great Tornado Band led the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade and was named a Top Five HBCU Band by HBCU Buzz. The Esports Rocket League Team won the 2024 HBCU Discover Bowl. And the school claimed a second-place finish at the 2024 HBCU Battle of the Brains competition at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

In other sports, the women’s volleyball team claimed the 2023-2024 regular season and conference GCAC Championships. Gymnast Krystin Johnson became the first HBCU athlete to win the USAG National Vault Championship, with teammates Kiora Peart-Williams, Alexa Chuy and Alondra Maldonado achieving First-Team All-America Honors. And the men’s baseball team won the 2024 Hope Credit Union GCAC Conference Championship.

A FAME student on the Ayers Campus of Gadsden State Community College.

Gadsden State Community College — Ayers Campus

Gadsden State Community College’s Ayers Campus in Anniston serves approximately 700 students taking academic courses, health science programs and technical training offerings. The campus offers general studies as well as accounting, computer science, office administration and child development.

Students can also choose from three health science programs — nursing, surgical operating room technician and EMT. It offers 12 technical programs including auto collision repair, automotive manufacturing technology, electrical technology, diesel mechanics and welding.

The Ayers Campus is home to two unique programs not offered at other Gadsden State campuses — the Mobility Nursing Program and the Alabama Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, also known as FAME.

The Mobility Nursing Program gives practical nurses and paramedics the opportunity to become a registered nurse. It is taught in three semesters with one nursing course each semester.

FAME is an apprenticeship-style program that combines classroom and lab learning with work experience at local industry partners. There is a selective admissions process for both programs.

In fall 2024, the innovative CoMeT program will begin on both the Ayers Campus in Anniston and the East Broad Campus in Gadsden. The Consortium of Machining Education Training is a hybrid work-based apprenticeship program where students attend classes two days a week while simultaneously working for an industry partner.

The Ayers Campus offers on-campus dual enrollment as well as adult education, English literacy acquisition and the federally funded Veterans Upward Bound, Upward Bound, Talent Search, Student Support Services and the Cheaha Educational Opportunity Center.

Central Alabama Community College/Childersburg Campus, Talladega Center

Central Alabama Community College (CACC) is a multi-campus institution and one of Alabama’s five original community colleges. It offers several academic and career technical programs at its main campus in Alexander City, and at other locations in Childersburg, Talladega and Prattville.

CACC offers more than 40 academic programs plus programs leading directly to careers. CACC recently introduced an artificial intelligence certificate in collaboration with Intel and Manufacturing 4.0 courses. The college’s nursing apprenticeship program is the second largest in the system. The college in 2023 was recognized by the Prattville Chamber of Commerce as Industry of the Year.

CACC just announced a new stand-alone Licensed Practical Nursing program at its Talladega campus, which begins this summer. It is part of the college’s effort to expand programs and help address critical healthcare needs of the region.

CACC recently announced a memorandum of understanding with Dovetail Landing, solidifying a collaborative effort to support workforce training, education and career placement of veterans participating in Dovetail Landing programs.

This article appears in the July 2024 issue of Business Alabama.

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