Standard for Non-Duplication of Upper-Level Programs

Standard for Non-Duplication of Upper-Level Programs. The Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) finds and declares, as a matter of public policy, that the public community and junior colleges have an obligation and opportunity to construct, implement and operate needed programs in the field of higher education by working cooperatively with the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning and the eight state public universities. This cooperative opportunity is a function of the MCCB’s duty to avoid unnecessary duplication of higher education programs and services and to assure that the community and junior colleges in no way usurp the responsibilities and prerogatives of the state’s public universities. With this public policy in mind, the MCCB adopts the following Standard, effective immediately: No public community or junior college may enter any agreement or implement any program or deliver any service that will unnecessarily duplicate any upper undergraduate level programs or services that are offered by one or more of the state’s eight public universities within its/their existing programs or services. Any community or junior college that takes any action that the MCCB, in its best judgment, finds to be inconsistent with this Standard shall be so advised as soon as is reasonably practicable after the action comes to the MCCB’s attention. MCCB will afford the college the opportunity to show that its action is not inconsistent with this Standard. Thereafter, if the MCCB remains of the view that the action of the college is inconsistent with this Standard, no funding administered through the MCCB, direct or indirect, will be available for support of such duplicative programs and services.