East Mississippi Community College’s Communiversity, the pinnacle of training in advanced industry, is nestled among fields of cotton, soybeans, and catfish ponds in rural Mississippi. Funding for the project came from federal, state, and local sources, which include the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Mississippi State Legislature, and Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha counties.

The purpose of the Communiversity is to provide individuals with the technical knowledge and skill necessary to work in advanced manufacturing industries. To achieve this goal, the facility was purposely designed with open spaces and glass throughout to foster collaboration and “social collisions.”

The two-story main building has two multipurpose event/exhibit spaces for local manufacturers; dining facilities; 16 classrooms; office space; computer labs; and student lounges. Students will receive training in 21 high-bay training laboratories, most of which are found in two single-story wings that intersect the main building.

The training laboratories are outfitted with the advanced machinery used by area manufacturers and are designed with glass walls that enable anyone walking through the facility to observe the training occurring in each lab.