PJC Regents approve new success course

Published or Revised May 20, 2009

Much of the Paris Junior College Board of Regents' meeting May 18 was taken up with housekeeping chores of updating policies and procedures, as required by changes in state and federal law and with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The Regents also discussed and approved a new mandatory success course to help students successfully complete classes and graduate. The course includes note-taking and studying skills, learning styles inventories, interest inventories and career exploration, personal financial management, and time and stress management. The course must be taken in the first 12 hours a student attends PJC. In other business, the Regents:

• Awarded the depository contract to Lamar National Bank.
• Amended PJC's financial aid policies to reflect changes in the Satisfactory Academic Progress. Effective in 2009-2010, the federal government will allos students to receive full PELL during the summer term.
• Modified the 2009-2010 college calendar so PJC will track along with Texas A&M University – Commerce. This is helpful because PJC teaches developmental math to between 150-200 students there each semester.
• Accepted a data report from Achieving the Dream, showing the statistics of success and failure for PJC students, what courses are giving them trouble, and where they excel.
• Heard the President's Report, including the Fifth Year report just turned in to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which handles PJC's accreditation.
• Accepted the resignations of Greenville Center Advisor Shelby Lowrey and Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Brian Burton, effective May 31, 2009.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the regents will be June 29, 2009.