TYCAM - Two-Year College English Association of Mississippi

The Two-Year College English Association of Mississippi, TYCAM, is fashioned after and affiliated with TYCA-SE, the Two-Year College English Association-Southeast, which is a part of The National Council of Teachers of English, NCTE. TYCA-SE has ten states in its region and has been in existence for nearly forty-five years.

Mississippi 's two-year college teachers have an impressive record of leadership within TYCA-SE. The current Regional Chair is Debbie McCollum from Hinds. She is joined on the Regional Executive Committee by Sharon Gerald from Jones and Glynda Duncan from Coahoma.

Both TYCAM and TYCA-SE have yearly conferences; TYCAM meets at various community-college locations in Mississippi, and TYCA-SE rotates its February meeting among the ten states in the region. The Mississippi conferences have been generously supported by our community college presidents and by the State Board of Community and Junior Colleges (SBCJC).

Conferences for both TYCA and TYCAM center around pedagogy and collegiality. Many find the fellowship at these conferences invaluable for discovering and sharing teaching strategies.

Beginnings

For nearly two decades, Mississippi's hosting a regional conference was a hotly debated topic at TYCA-SE meetings. For a variety of reasons, including budget constraints and lack of an appropriate venue, no Mississippi school was able to issue an invitation for the conference. Then Dr. Evelyn Webb (our godmother) interceded. At that time, she was a staff member at the SBCJC and was able to enlist the help of the two-year college presidents. With their support and our work, we hosted a very successful regional conference in Jackson in 2005. We were even able to have Morgan Freeman as part of the panel on film and literature.

Though TYCAM was initially conceived to host just one meeting, the organization has grown from a good idea into a thriving state organization that meets several times every year. In the fall, we have our official annual meeting. In the spring, we are hosted by the English Department at Mississippi College for seminars that transform us into students again.

For each annual fall conference, which is hosted on the campus of one of the sponsoring schools, TYCAM provides seminars, roundtables, and speakers. The conference focuses on improving teaching methods and fostering professional relationships.

Conference locations around Mississippi:

Hinds in Raymond in 2003
Holmes in Ridgeland in 2004
Mississippi Gulf Coast in Gulfport, hurricane cancellation, 2005
Coahoma in Clarksdale in January of 2006, substitute conference
Itawamba and Northeast in Tupelo in 2006
Copiah-Lincoln in Wesson in 2007
Mississippi Gulf Coast in Gautier in September 2008
Northwest in Senatobia in 2009 (preliminary plans)

In 2005 Mississippi Gulf Coast (MGCCC) in Gulfport had prepared a conference but was devastated by Hurricane Katrina days before it was scheduled. Thankfully, Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale hosted a delayed conference. Though no one will forget the incredible fried catfish and spaghetti, the highlight of the meeting was the presentation of a $10,000 scholarship that our organization provided to Coahoma. The TYCAM Arête Scholarship is available to students at Coahoma who major in English or education-related fields.