PRCC receives foundation grant for Honors Instititute

POPLARVILLE – Pearl River Community College today received a grant of $120,000 from the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation for the college Honors Institute.A portion of the money will be used to support the Honors Institute Lyceum speaker series.Through the generous financial gift of the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation, the Honors Institute at Pearl River Community College will be able to provide a lecture series on our campus over the next three years, said Dr. Stephen Black, Institute director. Students and the community will benefit immensely from presentations delivered by nationally_known speakers. Lecture topics will focus on contemporary issues that impact students and the community.The grant will also be used for furnishings in the Honors Institute Library. The library will be located in White Hall, which is being renovated as the Honors Institute building. Completion is expected in December 2013.Support from the grant will include physical furnishings as well as the purchase of print and electronic resources. The library also will be an appropriate setting for receptions for visiting speakers, Black said.The continuing support of the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation has created many unique and beneficial opportunities for students and the public that could not be provided otherwise, said Dr. William Lewis, PRCC president. We are most appreciative of these opportunities to expand the College programming through the support given by the LPRVF.The Honors Institute was established in the spring of 2011 to provide intensive and innovative classes for academically-advanced students. The first classes began in the fall of 2011.PRCC has long been known as an institution that provides opportunities for academic excellence above and beyond the norm, said Dr. Ted Alexander, chief executive officer of the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation and past president of PRCC. Once again, the foundation partners with the college to assist in the development of this unique and worthy endeavor.Up to 30 students are accepted annually for the Honors Institute on the Poplarville campus and up to 20 at the Forrest County Center in Hattiesburg.Honors Institute applicants must have a minimum composite ACT score of 25 and a minimum GPA of 3.4. For more information, contact Black at 601 403-1274 or mailto:sblack@prcc.edu.”>sblack@prcc.edu.