Panola College

October 30, 2020 - The University of Texas at Tyler and Panola College announced a partnership in which students can earn a UT Tyler degree in education at Panola College.

Administrators signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday, October 29 to make the partnership official. It is designed for Panola College students enrolled in the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree program with the intent of earning a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (education) degree from UT Tyler.

“As partners in education, we are committed to student success. By working together to offer this degree, we enhance the educational benefit to the citizens of East Texas, in particular those in the Panola College district, by providing not only a seamless pathway to our bachelor’s degree, but also the convenience of earning it in Carthage,” said Dr. Amir Mirmiran, UT Tyler provost.

Panola College recently announced the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Teaching Scholarship to support students in the AAT program. The scholarship will be awarded annually with a preference to a student intending to earn a baccalaureate degree.

“We are proud that Panola College and UT Tyler are entering into a seamless transfer agreement for our students,” said Dr. Billy Adams, Vice President of Instruction at Panola College. “This agreement will expand opportunities by providing access to earn a baccalaureate degree on the Panola College campus ensuring more learning and growth opportunities for our graduates and our community.”

Texas is currently facing a teacher shortage. As teachers retire, administrators face difficulty finding qualified applicants to fill those vacancies. This partnership will help to meet the needs in Panola County.

“This agreement allows Panola College to grow their own teachers to help meet the needs of its district. By working with UT Tyler, Panola College will make qualified graduates available to local school districts, so they don’t have to search for teachers in other areas or across the state,” said Dr. Frank Dykes, UT Tyler School of Education director.

Students can take all UT Tyler early childhood through 6 grade (EC-6) courses on the Panola College campus. They must be enrolled in the Panola College AAT degree program when they apply to UT Tyler and meet the formal criteria to be admitted into the UT Tyler EC-6 teacher preparation program. The EC-6 program prepares students to teach English, mathematics, science, social studies, music, art, health and physical education at the elementary level.

For more information, Panola College students should contact the Panola College Office of Admissions, 903.693.2038.

A member of the prestigious UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler focuses on student success and innovative research in the more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered to nearly 10,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News and World Report as a National University and Top Public School, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.

October 26, 2020 - The Panola College Rodeo Men’s Team still sit on top of the leaderboard after traveling to Mount Pleasant, Texas on October 16th and 17th to compete at the Northeast Texas Community College Rodeo. With the second place finish behind Hill College, Panola continues to lead the race for the College National Finals with a 192 point spread between Panola and Hill for the top spot. 

Seth Rustin, a sophomore from Nacogdoches, won the bullriding at NTCC with a 77 point ride and moved him into second place in the regional standings. 

Kincaide Henry won the Men’s All-Around for the NTCC Rodeo. He took third in the calf roping, and he and his teammate Brady Blanchard, of Beaumont, TX, took 4th in the team roping. Henry, a freshman from Mt. Pleasant, is dominating the calf roping and extending his lead in the region as the number one man by 139 points. Brady and Kincaide moved up to 8th place in the region in the team roping. 

Kolt Dement, remained on top of the bareback competition with a second place finish at NTCC. Dement, a freshman from Rusk, TX, won the first two rodeos in the Southern Region at Panola and Southwest Texas. Teammate Gauge McBride is right behind Kolt in second place in the standings by only 97 points.

In the calf roping at NTCC, freshman Thomas Wallace, of Cushing, TX, was 2nd moving him to 5th in the season standings. Macon Murphy, the 2019 CNFR Tie-Down Calf Roping Freshman of the Year and a member of the Panola College 2019 National Championship Team, took 5th at NTCC and moved up to the 10th spot for the season. 

On the Women’s Team, Josey Murphy continues to lead the way for the Fillies as she placed 6th in the goat tying at NTCC. Currently for the season Josey, a freshman from Keatchie, LA, is sitting third in the breakaway and 7th in the goat tying. The Panola Fillies are sitting in 7th place in the Region Standings after 3 rodeos.

The Panola Rodeo Team will finish out the fall Southern Region circuit at the Sam Houston State University Rodeo in Conroe on November 13-14. 

Standings as of October 19, 2020

Men's Team (Place, College/Contestant, Total Points)

1. Panola College, 1,450.50
2. Hill College, 1,258.50
3. McNeese State University, 858.32
4. Trinity Valley Community College, 740.00
5. Wharton County Junior College, 728.66
6. Sam Houston State University, 647.00
7. Texas A&M University, 553.66
8. Southwest Texas Junior College, 547.50
9. Texas A&M University - Commerce, 468.50
10. Northeast Texas Community College, 138.00

Women's Team (Place, College/Contestant, Total Points)

1. McNeese State University, 737.50
2. Southwest Texas Junior College, 510.50
3. Wharton County Junior College, 506.16
4. Hill College, 448.50
5. Sam Houston State University, 410.66
6. Texas A&M University, 382.00
7. Panola College, 332.16
8. Texas A&M University - Commerce, 287.50
9. Trinity Valley Community College, 60.00
10. Northeast Texas Community College, 10.00

October 16, 2020 - In December 2019, the Charles C. Matthews Foundation donated $104,461 to Panola College. The funds were used to purchase equipment, including an industrial wiring training system and a SynDaver synthetic human, which arrived this fall.

The industrial wiring training system is double-sided and includes a mobile workstation, service entrance 3-phase power bus, enclosures and conduits, electrical wiring, electrical power distribution, and unlimited electronic curriculum copies.

“We appreciate the Charles C. Matthews Foundation for their support of the School of Energy program,” said School of Energy instructor, Michael Pace. “This equipment will allow students to have a more hands-on training of electrical wiring in commercial and industrial settings, which is crucial for students to be successful after graduating. The success of our program depends on the support of donors like the Charles C. Matthews Foundation. We are grateful to have such a supportive community.”

The synthetic cadaver employs hundreds of replaceable muscles, bones, organs, and vessels that are made from materials that mimic the mechanical, thermal, and physicochemical properties of living tissues. The cadaver will be used by the biology department, primarily for anatomy and physiology courses, and other health sciences. 

“The SynDaver will allow students to explore the overall complexity and interconnectedness of various body systems,” said Kevin Rutherford, professor of biology at Panola College. “We are very thankful to the Charles C. Matthews Foundation for the funds used in purchasing the SynDaver. Panola College is one of only two Texas community colleges to have a full-sized model.”

Additionally, $2,000 of the donation went toward the Feed the Need program, the on-campus comfort closet that assists Panola College students who are experiencing basic living insecurities.


School of Energy students photographed with the new industrial wiring training system.


Charles C. Matthews Foundation board directors observe the new SynDaver.


Charles C. Matthews Foundation board directors photographed with the new SynDaver.

October 12, 2020 - The Panola College Concert and Jazz Bands will present their fall concert on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m. The concert will be presented on the outdoor quad, located between the Martha Miller Administration Building and the M.P. Baker Library on the Panola College campus.

The concert band will perform “Flight of Eagles” by the American composer, Elliot Del Borgo, who wrote the music for the closing ceremonies at the 1980 Olympics. The band will also perform Robert W. Smith’s “Encanto.” Both pieces contain exciting rhythms very suitable for the outdoor event.

The jazz band will also perform “I Feel Good” by James Brown, as well as “I Dreamed a Dream,” and “Here’s That Rainy Day.” The band will feature soloists on “The Way We Were,” as well as “Boogie Shoes” and the Beatle’s hit, “Lady Madonna.”

“We are hoping to provide a safe and enjoyable opportunity for members of the community to come out and take part in an evening of music,” said Dwaine Hubbard, Panola College Band Director.

The concert is open to the public with admission being free of charge. Due to concerns regarding Covid-19 and the health and safety of the audience and musicians, social distancing is required. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to sit on.

October 9, 2020 - The Panola College Rodeo team remains on top of the men’s division of the Southern Region after they traveled to Uvalde, TX on October 2 and 3 to compete in the Southwest Texas Junior College Rodeo.


Kincade Henry


Kolt Dement

Kincade Henry and Kolt Dement continued to dominate calf roping and bareback riding by winning for the second rodeo in a row. Gauge McBride finished second in the bareback riding, behind Dement, for the second rodeo in a row. Others that contributed to the success of the team were Riley Rieken and his team roping partner, who finished third, steer wrestler Hazen Martin, who also finished third, and Isaac Ingram, who finished sixth in the bareback. Others include Michael Womack and Clint Franks, who finished fifth and sixth in the saddle bronc, and Seth Rustin, who finished seventh in the bulls.

Jade Kenney, Abbie Muckleroy, and Neely Grover led the way for the Fillies team as they posted points in their events. Kenney placed sixth and Muckleroy placed eighth in the barrels. Grover ended up fifth in the goat tying to round out the Fillies scoring.

The Ponies remain on top of the Southern Region after winning the Panola Rodeo and the fourth-place finish at the Southwest Texas Junior College Rodeo. The Fillies slipped to fifth place overall in the Southern Region after the win at the Panola Rodeo and the ninth place finish this past weekend. Currently, the men’s division standings include: 1. Panola, 2. Wharton, 3. Hill, 4. McNeese State, 5. Trinity Valley, 6. Texas A&M Commerce, 7. Texas A&M, 8. Sam Houston State, 9. Southwest Texas, 10. Northeast Texas. The women’s division standings include: 1. Wharton, 2. Sam Houston State, 3. Hill College, 4. McNeese State, 5. Panola, 6. Texas A&M, 7. Southwest Texas, 8. Texas A&M Commerce, 9. Trinity Valley, 10. Northeast Texas.

The Panola Rodeo team will be back in action the weekend of October 16 and 17 at the Northeast Texas Community College Rodeo in Mt. Pleasant, TX.

September 30, 2020 - The M.P. Baker Library of Panola College will host an exhibit of photographs created by Dr. Bill Nieberding, Associate Professor of Art Education at Stephen F. Austin State University. The exhibit will open October 1, 2020 and close November 6, 2020 in the Fay Allison Gallery.

The photographs explore a range of East Texas subjects and still-life works that were created using large-format cameras and the antiquated tintype process invented in the 1850s. The wet-plate photographer must coat the plate with chemicals, expose it in the camera, and develop it on location - all before the plate dries out. According to Professor Nieberding, “It’s a demanding process that produces one-of-a-kind photographs on aluminum or glass.”

Nieberding’s photographic work includes traditional silver-based black and white portraits, landscapes and figure studies as well as digital work that explores notions of social identity in public contexts.

Support for the exhibition and the wet-plate-collodion research is funded by a Research and Creative Activities Grant through the Stephen F. Austin Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

The exhibit is free and open to the public during the M.P. Baker Library’s operating hours. Monday - Thursday, 7:30 am to 7:00 pm and Friday, 7:30 am to 12:30 pm. For additional information, call 903-693-2052 or email library@panola.edu.

September 18, 2020 - Panola College at our Shelby College location in Center, is offering Certified Nurse Aide Courses beginning September 28th – November 10th. Classes will be held Monday - Thursday from 10:30 am – 3:30 pm. This class will offer Grant and Self – Pay opportunities. For more information and to register, contact the Shelby College Center at 936-598-9543 or email: tmccann@panola.edu.

September 17, 2020 - Panola College is one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by The Great Colleges to Work For program. Panola College has received this honor for the 9th year in a row.

The results, released Wednesday, September 16 in a special insert of The Chronicle of Higher Education, are based on a survey of 221 colleges and universities. In all, 79 of the 221 institutions achieved “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and policies. Results are reported for small, medium, and large institutions, with Panola College included among the small universities with 500 to 2,999 students.

Panola College was also placed on the Honor Roll as one of only 42 colleges across the nation as a stand out college in its size category. Of those, only 12 are two-year colleges.

Panola College won honors in 10 categories this year:

  • Collaborative Governance
  • Compensation and Benefits
  • Confidence in Senior Leadership
  • Facilities, Workspace, and Security
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Professional/Career Development Programs
  • Respect and Appreciation
  • Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship
  • Teaching Environment
  • Work/Life Balance

“This is a very satisfying affirmation of Panola College, but our real goal is not recognition – it’s being a community that values the needs and contributions of every individual. In that sense, everyone at Panola helps to make this a great place to work,” said Panola College President, Greg Powell.

The survey results are based on a two-part assessment process: an institution questionnaire that captured employment data and workplace policies from each institution, and a survey administered to faculty, administrators, and professional support staff. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received recognition was the employee feedback.

The Great Colleges to Work For program is one of the largest and most respected workplace-recognition programs in the country. For more information and to view all current and previous recognized institutions, visit the Great Colleges program website at http://www.greatcollegesprogram.com.

ModernThink, a strategic human capital consulting firm, administered the survey and analyzed the results.

 

September 16, 2020 - The Road to the College National Finals Rodeo starts here with the Panola College Rodeo, on September 25 and 26, 2020. Hosted by the defending National Champions Panola College Rodeo Team at the Bar None Cowboy Church Arena in Tatum, TX, with the slack beginning Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. and the Performance at 7 p.m.

Admission is free for all fans, however, the seating will be limited due to social distancing requirements of Covid-19.

Panola College would like to thank this year’s corporate sponsor, Calamity Jane’s Boutique Store located in Kilgore, TX, and all other sponsors for this year’s rodeo. “It has definitely been a different year already for the preparations for the rodeo, and we are confident that it will be a safe family environment for all,” says Coach Jeff Collins.

The Panola College Rodeo is the first of ten rodeos in the Southern Region, and is normally one of the largest rodeos of the year. The Southern Region is traditionally known as one of the toughest regions in the country for college rodeo and consist of Hill College, Louisiana State University of Alexandria, McNeese State University, Northeast Texas Community College, Panola College, Sam Houston State University, Southwest Texas Junior College, Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University- Commerce, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Trinity Valley Community College, and Wharton County Junior College.

Coach Jeff Collins and his men’s team at Panola College are still the defending 2019 National Champions entering this season, since the rodeo season was cut short last March. Coach Collins is excited about his men’s and women’s teams for the coming year and is looking forward to defending that men’s national championship. “The kids are definitely ready to compete. We have a very talented group of sophomores and freshmen. They are looking sharp and crisp and ready to compete, and our sophomores are adding great leadership in the arena in all events. I am excited to finally get to see both the men and women teams compete as both will be fighting for the national championship. We would like to thank all of the sponsors for standing behind our team and supporting our program,” says Coach Collins.

September 3, 2020 - Panola College/Shelby College Center is offering Intermediate Yoga. The class begins September 15th - October 22nd, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. The cost of the class is $60 and pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Shelby College Center at 936-598-9543 or email tmccann@panola.edu.

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