Paris Junior College president Pamela Anglin will be at the school for the forseeable future - but it didn't look that way one month ago.
In October, Anglin announced her decision to leaveto go work for Blinn College in Brenham. But just last week, Anglin announced that she had decided to stay.
Anglin said that she had ambivalence about the possible move during the entire process, and the experience of homecoming weekend in Paris made it clear to her that she needed to stay.
"I struggled .... I became very emotional," Anglin said. "It hit me that I care too much for the people here and the students that we work with that I didn't want to leave."
This year, Anglin says one focus for Paris Junior College will be adjusting to the changes coming as a result of House Bill 5, a measure affecting high school education in Texas that was passed by the last session of the state legislature.
One of those changes will be implementing a dual-credit program to expand vocational training options for high school students.
Anglin also identified three other significant changes in the way junior colleges will operate in the wake of House Bill 5.
Revisions to high school curricula incorporating more flexibility - allowing some specialization with fewer core requirements - will result in junior colleges adapting their course offerings, Anglin said.
Also in the past legislative session, the state made some long-term decisions that will bring predictability to the way Texas helps pay for junior college employee benefits, she said.
Finally, the state is now mandating a certain level of proficiency in basic academic areas before allowing students to enroll in college classes, Anglin said. Paris Junior College will offer non-credit instruction to help students who don't meet the minimum requirements to be able to go to college, she said.
