The Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation (MCCA) was created by legislation in 1950, established to authorize colleges and universities to grant academic degrees in Mississippi, all of which are historically included on the official list that MCCA prepares annually to show who can offer degrees in Mississippi. Under MCCA's authority are the following Mississippi-domiciled institutions: fifteen (15) Mississippi Community Colleges; nine (9) Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate level academic programs; four (4) independent colleges and universities, and three (3) Bible colleges.
Kell Smith| MCCA Chair | MCCB Representative
Mr. Smith attended Mississippi Delta Community College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2003 and a Master of Public Policy and Administration in 2005 both from Mississippi State University. While at MSU, he was co-director of Governmental Affairs for the Student Association and served on the Student Association Housing Committee. He served as a member of the Stennis-Montgomery Association and was a Mississippi State Alumni Delegate. He was honored to be selected as a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha Honorary Society as well as a Dean’s Scholar. Mr. Smith serves on the Board of Directors for the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi, is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Council on Economic Education, and is a graduate of the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy.
Dr. Jason Dean | MCCA Vice Chair | MAICU Representative
Dr. Dean is the Senior Vice President of PATH Company based in Jackson, MS. He also currently serves part-time as the Executive Director for the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Previously he worked as policy advisor to Governor Haley Barbour, was a White House Fellow where he was assigned to the U.S. Department of Education, served as Chairman of the State Board of Education, and as a member of his local school board.
Dr. Casey Prestwood | MCCA Secretary | IHL Representative
Dr. Casey Prestwood is the Associate Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in Mississippi. Dr. Prestwood has 26 years of higher education experience at the university, community college, and system levels. Prior to being at IHL, Dr. Prestwood served as Associate Registrar and Director of NCATE Accreditation at the University of Southern Mississippi. She is an alumna of Copiah-Lincoln Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi. She has worked at IHL since 2012 on initiatives such as setting an educational attainment goal for the state, the statewide articulation agreement between public universities and community colleges, Complete 2 Compete, My Way Mississippi website, Finish in Four, reverse transfer associate degrees, dual enrollment initiatives, and aligning the college preparatory curriculum to high school graduation requirements.
Dr. Amanda Hood | MAC Representative
Dr. Hood has been in education for the last 16 years, with experience at the K12 and community college levels as a coach, instructor, and currently as the Director of eLearning at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. A lifelong Mississippian, she is an alumna of Co-Lin and Mississippi College, and she completed her Ph.D. in Community College Leadership at Mississippi State University. In 2020, she served as President of the Mississippi eLearning Association. She is a graduate of the Mississippi Community College Board’s Leadership Academy as well as a fellow of the Community College Policy Fellows Program. She loves serving her college, community, and church, and she enjoys running and traveling with her husband, Charles, and spending time with her step-daughter, Lauren, and grandchildren, Bryson and Lilliana.
Kenneth M. Heard, III, J.D. | MAC Representative
Mr. Heard is currently an employee of University of Mississippi Medical Center (2014-present), where he serves as the Director of Academic Compliance, a role encompassing FERPA compliance, student compliance training, and state authorization. Mr. Heard’s contributions to UMMC’s Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs include supporting the institution’s continued SACSCOC accreditation, multiple committee memberships, and working closely with institutional leadership to guide and support state authorization and issues related to professional licensure. Mr. Heard earned a JD from Mississippi College School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi. Mr. Heard continues to support and serve higher education, focusing on distance education, best teaching practices, and compliance within various regulatory frameworks.
Meet the Executive Secretary
Dr. Sheriece Robinson | MCCA Executive Secretary
Dr. Robinson is the Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Institutions of Higher Learning/Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation. Dr. Robinson has over 17 years of experience in higher education and at a state agency. Throughout her work experience, she served in various roles for institutions in Mississippi and Arkansas. Prior to her current role, she worked at the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) in the Division of Curriculum & Instruction. Dr. Robinson earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Mississippi State University and a doctorate from the University of Mississippi.
Commission Meetings
Meeting Date
Location
Time
July 26, 2023
IHL Conference Room 934
8:30 AM
October 24, 2023
IHL Conference Room 934
2:00 PM
March 2024
TBD
TBD
May 2024
TBD
TBD
*Members of the Commission may participate in the meeting in person, by teleconference, or online meeting platform.
