Month: July 2015

English Language Acquisition Class Begins August 11

July 27, 2015 | Campus News

English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes will begin in Washington at the Missouri Career Center on Tuesday, August 11 for the first 10-week session. The free classes will meet Tuesday through Thursday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

“The aim of this program is to provide students, for whom English is not their primary language, with a working knowledge of English in preparation for citizenship tests, the workplace, additional education, and daily living,” noted Alice Whalen, director of adult education and literacy at East Central College.

Whalen said that classes will be conducted in a small classroom style to allow students to receive individual attention from their instructor and tutors. Students studying English will also participate in cultural and social activities in the community. Scenic Regional Library is covering the cost of all new books and testing materials for the ELA program.

The goal of an ELA program is to improve a student’s level of English language skills, depending on a students’ English abilities, interests, and needs in conversational English, grammar, reading, listening comprehension, writing, and vocabulary.

“We expect some individuals will attend our ELA classes to prepare for entry to college. Others will be looking to improve their English for travel, and for social or employment purposes,” stated Whalen.

Individuals who hold an F-1 student visa are not eligible for enrollment.

Adult Education Classes Begin – New Site Opens in Owensville

People wanting to prepare to take the high school equivalency (formerly GED) exam can take advantage of free adult education and literacy classes offered in nine area communities. Owensville becomes the newest site for adult education and literacy classes offered through ECC. Owensville classes will start Tuesday, August 4, at the First Baptist Church at 112 West Lincoln. Sessions will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

The free classes allow people to start at their own level and work at their own pace. “While many of our students come to class to prepare to take the high school equivalency test, we have some high school graduates who attend so they can improve their reading, writing, language, and math skills,” Whalen said. “AEL classes are useful as people transition to post-secondary education or for those individuals who want to increase their work readiness skills.” Books and materials are provided at no charge at all nine locations.

Students must be at least 17 years of age and not enrolled in secondary school to attend adult education and literacy classes.

To register for classes at any of the sites, email ael@eastcentral.edu or call 636-584-6533. Day classes are held at five locations and evening classes are held at nine locations.

DAY SCHEDULE

Franklin County

Gerald – Calvary New Life Tabernacle 140 West Industrial Drive – Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon
Sullivan – ECC Sullivan Site 11 North Clark Street – Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon
Union – ECC Training Center Prairie Dell Road at U.S. Highway 50 – Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.
Washington – Missouri Career Center (Behind Big Lots) 1108 Washington Square – Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon

English Language Classes in Washington – Wednesday and Thursday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Phelps County

Rolla – Missouri Career Center 706 South Bishop Avenue – Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon

English Language Classes in Rolla – First Baptist Church, 801 Cedar St. 2nd floor – Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

EVENING SCHEDULE

Franklin County

Gerald – Calvary New Life Tabernacle 140 West Industrial Drive – Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Pacific – Tri-County Community Senior Center 800 West Union – Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Union – ECC Training Center Prairie Dell Road at U.S. Highway 50 – Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
St. Clair – First Baptist Church 450 East Springfield Road – Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Washington – Missouri Career Center 1108 Washington Square – Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Crawford County

Cuba – First Presbyterian Church 701 West Main Street – Monday and Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Gasconade County

Owensville – First Baptist Church 112 W Lincoln – Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Phelps County

Rolla – ECC Rolla North 2303 North Bishop Ave. (Hwy 63) – Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.
St. James – Caring Center Triplex Building 1 114 West James Blvd. #1 – Monday and Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Student Has Poetry Published

July 23, 2015 | Campus News

A poem written by Heather Luehr, a psychology major at East Central College, has been published in the latest edition of Kaleidoscope magazine. Kaleidoscope is an award-winning online publication that creatively focuses on the experiences of disability through literature and the arts.

Her poem, Leaving Kisses Behind Her, appears in issue 71 along with essays, fiction works, and other poetry by several talented and prize-winning authors whose work has been published in a wide range of literary journals, anthologies, chapbooks, and books. A link to issue 71 can be found on the Kaleidoscope web page with Luehr’s poem on page 10.

Luehr, a freshman from Union, found that writing poetry was a great way to express herself and her feelings. This poem was inspired by her late mother. Luehr completed a creative writing course with Josh Stroup, ECC English instructor.

Kaleidoscope has been published since 1979. Fiction, painting, photography, pencil sketches, sculpture, poetry, nonfiction, book reviews, and theater are all featured in various issues.

Bond Refinancing Results in $856,000 Savings

July 23, 2015 | Campus News

Refinancing of a portion of the Series 2008 general obligation bonds will result in a net savings of $856,165 for East Central College.

A resolution authorizing the issuance of East Central College’s Series 2015 General Obligation Refunding Bonds was approved by college trustees at their July 22 meeting.

“Because of a favorable interest rate environment, this is a good time to refinance a portion of the Series 2008 bonds maturing from 2018 through 2026,” noted ECC President Jon Bauer.

The issuance of $15.8 million of general obligation bonds for the construction of classrooms and other facilities for health and science programs was approved by voters in the East Central College District in August 2006.

Greg Bricker with George K. Baum and Company told trustees that the bond resolution authorizes the levy and collection of property taxes to fund the debt service necessary for repayment of the 2015 bonds. “These bonds were designated as bank qualified,” Bricker stated. “That designation opened up the pool of investors to include commercial banks. They were brought to market July 21 and nearly $2 million of the $7,495,000 was purchased by local banks.”

“I’m pleased that we can restructure the debt in such a way that we can keep the same levy,” noted Bauer. “Refinancing these bonds saves money for the taxpayer and enables us to maintain our commitment to voters that we would not increase the debt service levy.”

Bricker stated that early next year the college should be able to refinance the Series 2006 bonds that were also a part of the issue voters approved in 2006. “Refinancing that should result in a savings in the $350,000 range,” noted Bricker.

Trustees also gave approval to a continuing disclosure compliance policy. That policy details ECC’s obligation to provide for disclosure of bond information to investors as required by the Security and Exchange Commission after the issuance of the Series 2015 bonds.

George K. Baum and Company was selected in May to underwrite and finance the bonds. That firm worked with attorneys at Thompson Coburn to prepare the resolution.

Personnel

The promotion in rank for several faculty members was approved by trustees.

This spring a committee met to consider the applications for rank and recommended the promotion of four full-time instructors. Tom Fitts and Dr. Parvadha Govindaswamy were promoted from assistant professor to associate professor. Dr. Jennifer Judd and Dr. Fatemeh Nichols were promoted from associate professor to professor.

The promotions were made based on the criteria established within the rank and promotion policy which includes advanced study, teaching, service to the college, student recruitment and leadership.

Board members approved the appointment of two full-time faculty members and accepted one resignation.

With the start of the 2015 fall semester, Elizabeth Cantrell will teach biology and anatomy/physiology. Cantrell earned a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in biological studies from Saint Louis University. Since 2013 she has worked as a graduate research/teaching assistant at SLU. Prior to that Cantrell worked as a field research assistant at UMC for more than a year.

Tiffany Voss will join the nursing faculty in Rolla this fall. Voss completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and is currently enrolled in the graduate nursing program there. Voss began working as an RN in the labor and delivery unit at Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan in 2012. She previously worked at St. Clare Hospital.

Trustees accepted the resignation of Sheila Driemeyer, associate director of library services for the past three years.

Action Taken on Three Board Policies

Trustees reaffirmed the policies related to conflict of interest and personal financial disclosure statements as they relate to board members. The reaffirmation fulfills the requirements of the Missouri Ethics Commission.

A revision to the policy regarding employee retirement was also approved. The change aligns the policy with the regulations and guidelines of the Public School Retirement System and the Public Education Employee Retirement System which require a minimum of five years of service for retirement benefits.

In 2013 the policy was revised to require administrators, professional staff and teaching faculty to notify the college of retirement at least 90 days prior to the effective retirement date, with support staff giving at least 60 days’ notice prior to the retirement date.

ECC Joins Pearson Vue Network

July 13, 2015 | Campus News

East Central College has signed an agreement with Pearson VUE, the computer-based testing business of Pearson, to test candidates pursuing thousands of key industry certifications. From leading IT programs such as Cisco, CompTIA, EMC, HP, LPI, Oracle and VMware to the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments; certification is now much more convenient for area residents.

Pearson VUE believes testing and certification is at the heart of the learning experience, and East Central College will play its part by offering accessible and secure testing to candidates.

Pearson VUE’s advanced system administers exams on behalf of hundreds of businesses, boards and organizations around the globe through the world’s largest most secure test center network. The system enables candidates to register and reschedule their tests online or through a Pearson VUE call center.

“This is a very significant step in the growth of our Testing Center and we’re very excited about our new partnership with Pearson VUE,” said Jon Thrower, associate director of ECC’s Learning Center. “The Pearson VUE Testing System is the most powerful available and gives us unparalleled control and flexibility over our ability to manage our testing site our way. The agreement means we can easily offer testing for a wide variety of certifications and professions. Same-day testing and taking testing to a client’s location are other great options. We’re pleased to partner with a company whose industry status, technology and passion for excellence will allow us to provide even greater service for our students and the community.”

The list of certification tests available from test sponsors through the Pearson VUE system is continually growing. Test results are quickly transmitted back, ensuring the candidate’s certification status is promptly updated.

Ray Murray, vice president of business development for Pearson VUE said, “We are proud to welcome East Central College to the rapidly growing global network of Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centers. Together, we are providing even more candidates with the opportunity to obtain meaningful certifications and advance their careers.”

Pearson VUE delivery of exams has continued to increase rapidly in recent years, with the company delivering 10 million exams in 2011.

To learn more about testing possibilities at ECC contact Thrower at 636-584-6595 or email: jon.thrower@eastcentral.edu. Visit www.pearsonvue.com/programs for information about registering for a test.

Information Technology Certification Available

July 8, 2015 | Campus News

To meet the growing needs of employers in the information technology field, East Central College is offering free courses for industry recognized CompTIA, Microsoft, and Cisco certification.

The IT training focuses on a wide range of fundamentals and product-specific technology that enhance an individual’s ability to achieve industry-recognized certifications.

“A U.S. Department of Labor grant funds MoSTEM WINs, a statewide initiative that allows Missourians to obtain technical training in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics,” stated Jeremy Goss, project coordinator of MoSTEM WINs at ECC. “At the college we have put together training opportunities for current workers with full-time obligations who want to improve their skills and credentials in IT. The curriculum can also prepare individuals for initial employment in several areas of information technology.”

There is no cost to participants for the training, though students will have to pay for any certification exams they take. Reduced testing fees will apply to all Comp TIA exams.

Goss stated that to meet the needs of all potential students, the program has been designed to enable participants to complete the courses entirely online. “For those with limited computer access or people wanting more of a hands-on approach, evening and weekend lab hours will be offered at the ECC campus in Union.”

Certification will be offered in CompTIA A+; CompTIA Network+; Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching; Microsoft 70-680 & 70-687-Windows Client Pro 7 & 8; CompTIA Linux+; MS Server 2012 Install, Managed and Advanced Services; as well as CompTIA Security+ & SSCP.

Anna Schwein, instructor for the program, noted that students must complete one certification before enrolling in another course. “Many people have years of IT experience that they picked up on the job or without much formal training,” Schwein said. “This is a great way for people to get their industry recognized credentials that are vital to advancement.”

Schwein added that certifications earned through the program can be applied to either an Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Information Systems at ECC.

“To take advantage of the IT training potential students must have a high school diploma or the equivalent, complete the application for admission, take a placement test if they don’t have prior college credits, and submit a resume or letter of recommendation from an employer,” she said.

The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program that brings the state’s public two-year institutions together with the State Technical College of Missouri to improve the way they educate adult learners. MoSTEM WINs builds on Missouri’s two previous TAACCCT grant projects, MoHealth WINs and MoManufacturing WINs, awarded in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

East Central College plans to train over 80 participants during the next two years.

For more information about the IT certification training, contact Goss at 636-584-6661 or email: jeremy.goss@eastcentral.edu. An interest form is available to complete online.

This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License.

High Schoolers Complete STEM Academy

July 2, 2015 | Campus News

Students from four area high schools participated in East Central College’s inaugural STEM Scholars Academy June 22-30.

Funded with a grant from the ECC Foundation, the Academy gave students the opportunity to work with ECC faculty on activities related to science, technology and math.

“We covered a variety of topics each day,” noted Fatemeh Nichols, chair of ECC’s science and engineering division. “We began with lab safety and moved on to wetland ecology, environmental chemistry, terrestrial ecology, biotechnology, plant physiology, mathematics, microbiology and human anatomy.” On the final day, the students selected an ECC instructor who will serve as their mentor as they work on a STEM related project during the upcoming school year.

“I was impressed with the willingness of the students to try different things and not just do what was comfortable for them,” Nichols noted. “They were intelligent, conscientious and not afraid to ask questions. I appreciated their eagerness to learn more.”

Nichols stated that students were asked at the beginning of the academy what field they were interested in the most. “For many of them that choice had changed at the end of seven days because they decided they wanted to push themselves to do more.” The academy was open to students who had completed their freshman or sophomore year of high school.

Participating students included: Thomas Ley, Anna Miller and Kallista Stubblefield from New Haven; Charlie Penrod from St. Clair; Sam Emily, Alex Hanneken and Cole Parsons from Union; and Grace Birk and Madi Deters from Washington.

Nichols plans to offer the Academy next year to new students and also give this original group the opportunity to return for more advanced study.

Nine area high school students at East Central College’s Summer STEM Academy — Nine area high school students participated in East Central College’s Summer STEM Academy June 22-30. ECC faculty members worked with the students on activities and experiments related to science, technology and math.

Couples Workshop July 24-26

July 1, 2015 | Campus News

Couples who want to take their relationship to the next level can register now for a three day workshop that will be held at the East Central College Training Center Friday, July 24 through Sunday, July 26.

Couples attending “Secrets to a Better Relationship” will have the opportunity to connect with each other in heart-centered ways that enhance respect for what each partner brings to the relationship. Couples can expect several benefits from attending: increased self-love, leading to mutual love; better listening and less reacting; enhance communication skills; more support for each other; and greater self-awareness.

Mark and Maria DeGange will lead the highly interactive workshop which will meet from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. Married for 22 years, the couple has taught childbirth for couples, meditation, shiatsu massage, and yoga. They have also done self-development coaching and private energy healing. They have taught in the health and fitness departments at Harvard and MIT while in Boston.

Participants will be introduced to a number of different exercises and methods of self-realization including meditation, journaling, yoga, dancing, hands-on healing and body presencing. The first day will focus on establishing the groundwork for a healthy connection. Day two will be spent delving into areas of the relationship that partners perceive as needing upgrades. On Sunday participants will focus on transforming to a new joint vision of togetherness.

Cost of the workshop is $385 per couple. For more information or to register call 636-584-6528 or email: ce@eastcentral.edu.