For 17 Union High School students, next school year will be much more than a start to their junior year — it will also be the beginning of their journey to an associate’s degree at East Central College.

These students are the first class of the ECC Early College Academy. They will attend classes at UHS and on the ECC campus with the goal of earning an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree, as well as their high school diploma.

A kickoff meeting was held last week with many of the students accepted into the academy, as well as parents, ECC Director of Early College Programs Megen Strubberg, ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer, and UHS and ECC staff and administrators.

Under the academy, students will be immersed into college classes and they will attend class with other college students at ECC, all taught by instructors at the college. Students will have access to the ECC Learning Center, library, student clubs and activities.

There is no cost to the high school students to participate in the academy.

“I am beyond grateful and excited to be a part of the program. It will be an equally demanding and rewarding journey for these students,” said Strubberg.

Early College Academy student Sarah Harris said she wants to pursue a career in medicine and surgery, and the academy will give her a head start toward a degree.

“This will help me get a jump start on college and I can begin taking harder classes,” she said. “Then I can focus on classes that go toward a degree.”

Amelia Brock, who will likely study business, said she is very excited to be part of the program.

“I like the idea of starting college early and beginning classes in my major earlier,” she said.

Many of the participants added that two years of college — at no cost to them — is a great opportunity.

Alex Craig said he is interested in studying web design, or related fields.

“This academy is providing us a pretty big head start in life and two years of free college,” he said.

According to Sage Sparkman, who may study journalism, this program could be a chance for her to begin a career earlier.

“We are able to take a step forward and further our education,” she said. “We could get an earlier start on a job and our career path.”

Dr. Bauer added that ECC has been interested in this type of program for area high schoolers for several years.

“I am very excited about the Early College Academy. We have been interested in expanding our offering to high school students in the region for a long time,” he told the students.

“Each one of you is part of history as we formalize our partnership and venture into new territory.”

Markie Lampkin, UHS assistant principal over sophomores and juniors, said she has worked collaboratively with Strubberg with the support of the Union R-XI Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Steve Weinhold and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Scott Hayes to spearhead and roll out the Early College Academy initiative.

“I’m excited about the highly-motivated group of students we have participating,” Lampkin said. “I cannot think of a more qualified inaugural group.”

During last week’s Zoom meeting, Lampkin reminded students that as college students, they are their own advocates.

“I am encouraging all students to self-advocate and exercise their voices,” she commented. “Although high school students, they will soon be full-time college students.

“The ability to exercise their voice is crucial to maintain the best possible UHS and ECC experience,” Lampkin added. “Our hopes are that they are truly able to have the best of both worlds while obtaining a high school diploma in conjunction with their associate’s degree.”

Strubberg noted that in 2022, the students will walk across the stage during the UHS graduation ceremony and the ECC ceremony.

In order to participate in the Early College Academy, students must attend a high school that offers the partnership with ECC, have a 3.0 GPA, and college ready placement test scores.

While enrolled in the program, the grade for every course taken at ECC is transferred back to the high school transcript. Students are required to maintain passing grades — C or better — in all classes.

A virtual information session for anyone interested in East Central College’s new Medical Lab Technician (MLT) program will be held Monday, May 18.

Officials from the Missouri Health Professions Consortium Medical Laboratory Technician Program will hold the information session over Zoom at 7 p.m. It is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the program.

MLTs are an essential function on healthcare teams. They conduct work in the lab to examine blood and other samples, among other responsibilities, to assist physicians with test results for medical diagnoses.

ECC students completing the program will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Medical Laboratory Technician. This program will be administered through the Allied Health Division.

The college will offer the MLT program through the Missouri Health Professions Consortium (MHPC). It will be coordinated through Moberly Area Community College (MACC).

Students would complete the program after taking general education classes their first year and then apply for the program. Those accepted would work toward the MLT degree in their second year at the College.

MLT lectures will be online, however, the labs will be conducted three times throughout the program at the MACC campus in Mexico, Mo., and students will be placed in various clinical sites within 90 minutes of their home campus/residence.

Additional information about the Medical Lab Technician program.

For more information, contact Nancy Mitchell, Interim Dean of Health Science, at Nancy.Mitchell@eastcentral.edu. To learn more about the ECC Nursing and Allied Health Division, visit https://www.eastcentral.edu/allied-health/.

East Central College has been educating nurses for 40 years — and since 1980 more than 1,000 nurses have earned degrees.

ECC has joined the American Nurses Association in celebrating 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse.” In addition, May is National Nurses Month, and National Nurses Week is celebrated from May 6 to May 12, the 200^th birthday of Florence Nightingale, a trailblazer in nursing.

According to ECC Vice President of Academic Affairs Robyn Walter, who is a registered nurse and holds a master’s degree in nursing, those in the profession have proven how valuable nurses are during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The past several weeks have demonstrated nursing adaptability and creativity at its finest during very challenging times,” Walter said. “I am extremely proud of our nursing educators, students and graduates as they meet these challenges without a pause.

“Not only are nurses heroes of the pandemic, but also part of the casualties,” she noted.

Partnerships

ECC has strong partnerships in the community with health care providers, including Mercy Hospital Washington, Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital and Phelps Health in Rolla.

Bethany Westlake, chief nursing officer at Mercy Hospital Washington, congratulated ECC nursing students in the Class of 2020.

“Nursing has transformed throughout the years and has never been more in the forefront of healthcare than it is today, during this time of great need,” she said. “We, at Mercy Washington, celebrate you as you have completed your studies and join the working profession.

“We are proud of you and the work you have completed. To those joining us at Mercy Washington to be part of the Sisters Legacy, we are so very blessed to have you join the team, and we look forward to watching you grow as a Mercy nurse,” Westlake added.

According to Carmen Bartolotta, Missouri Baptist chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services, the Sullivan hospital has served as a clinical site for ECC nursing students for more than 25 years.

“Our mission is to improve the health of the communities we serve — we feel that through this partnership with ECC, we obtain highly skilled and trained nurses to care for our communities,” she commented.

For example, Bartolotta added the apprentice partnership with ECC has “transformed clinical learning by immersing second year nursing students in an ‘earn as you learn’ apprenticeship model of clinical education.”

“This is a win-win for both entities by assisting students to successfully complete their nursing education, remove financial barriers for students and create a seamless transition to practice upon graduation, and a guaranteed consistent talent pipeline to MBSH,” she said. “We truly enjoy working with ECC students and transitioning them into our workforce as nurses.”

Keri Heavin, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Phelps Health, noted that ECC has been a continued partner in health care in the Rolla area.

“East Central College is one of many excellent schools that we are pleased to partner with, and we are proud of the many ECC nursing graduates who choose to work at Phelps Health,” she said.

Nursing Program

ECC offers two programs leading to an associate of applied science degree in nursing. This program prepares students to become registered nurses.

The main campus in Union, as well as the Rolla site, offers a complete pre-licensure program (generic) for those interested in becoming a registered nurse.

An LPN to RN Bridge program also is available at the Rolla location for LPNs interested in becoming registered nurses.

To learn more about the ECC Nursing and Allied Health program, visit https://www.eastcentral.edu/nursing/, or contact Mitchell at Nancy.Mitchell@eastcentral.edu.

East Central College spring semester book buyback will be online only.

Students can visit the ECC Bookstore website at http://bookstore.eastcentral.edu/Home and click on the “online buyback” box at the bottom of the page.

From there, students can enter the ISBN from the bottom of the back of the book and it will tell them the buyback price.

Students can  add more books and then print a shipping label. Shipping will already be paid.

Books can be dropped off at any UPS store or at the ECC drop box on campus outside the Donald Shook Student Center. UPS will pick up from that location and students will receive a check in about two to three weeks.

For rental returns, students will need to write their name, student ID number and phone number on a slip, and put it in the front of the book before placing it in the box. Slips are available at the return box but any blank piece of paper can be used.

Summer Books

Books for summer courses will be purchased either online or at the store.  The store will start accepting online orders May 10 to coincide with financial aid availability.

Tentative plans call for the store to open May 18 by appointment only.  Bookstore staff will limit the number of students in the store at one time to five people.  All customers will be required to wear a mask.  If someone does not have a mask they will be provided with one before they enter the store.

For questions of more information, people may call the bookstore at 636 584-6714 Mondays through Thursdays between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Fridays between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students who transfer from East Central College to the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) are having great academic success.

According to data provided by MU, in 2017, ECC transfer students at Mizzou had an average grade point average of 3.59 after a full academic year, and in the 2018 fall semester the GPA was 3.62 after a full year. In addition, 13 of the 17 ECC transfers to MU in the 2019 fall semester had a GPA above 3.00.

ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer said that is a strong indicator that ECC is preparing students well for the next step in their educational path.

“Students who begin their education at ECC are performing very well after transferring to MU, or to the many other colleges and universities they attend after ECC,” said Dr. Bauer.

He added that there are several financial aid opportunities for students transferring from ECC to four-year colleges and universities.

The 17 students who transferred to MU in the Fall 2019 semester were awarded a total of $59,540 in institutional aid for an average of $3,502 per student.

“We want our students to know that there are scholarship opportunities to help pay for college after ECC,” Dr. Bauer said. “Students can start at ECC and go anywhere.”

He added that ECC also offers a transfer scholarship opportunity for Central Methodist University, Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Articulation Agreement

In October 2019, MU and Missouri community colleges, including ECC, signed an articulation agreement highlighting the shared commitment to increase opportunities for student access and success.

The agreement came on the heels of significant growth in the MU transfer population.

It offers students who have met certain requirements guaranteed admission to Mizzou. Requirements include meeting’s MU’s admissions requirements and having completed an associate of arts (transfer) degree, associate of applied science degrees in nursing or teaching; or completing a 42-hour general education block of courses.

“This agreement further strengthens ECC’s 50-year relationship with the University of Missouri and greatly benefits our transfer degree students,” said Dr. Bauer. “Students have a straighter path to easily transfer from ECC to MU.”

To learn more about scholarship opportunities for ECC, visit www.eastcentral.edu/finaid and search “scholarships.”

For more information about transferring from ECC to a four-year college or university, visit www.eastcentral.edu/transfer/.

The deadline to drop classes as been extended to Thursday, May 7.

Before withdrawing, students are encouraged to discuss the option with a faculty member or an academic advisor.

ECC strives to make sure all students are successful and complete their classes and program.

Follow the link below for information on how to contact academic advisors:

www.eastcentral.edu/advisement

By Jon Bauer, Ph.D., President, East Central College

College has changed drastically in just a few weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic has injected great uncertainty in the minds of students and families, and those of us in higher education have worked quickly to ensure that instruction and support continue in this very different environment.

As we prepare to reopen the economy and slowly begin to recover, thoughts naturally turn to what to do about the upcoming academic year. Many students who were planning to leave home to attend college are trying to determine if that is still the right decision. Others are wondering whether college is an option at all, home or away.

The water is pretty rough right now. But your community college, in a tumultuous sea, is a safe harbor.

East Central College provides an option that can ease some of the anxiety and concern. The path to a college degree is still available, even if that path is different from the one originally planned. As a comprehensive community college, we are well prepared to help students begin the journey to a bachelor’s degree.

Our classrooms are led by experienced faculty who work directly with their students. Data show that ECC students perform extremely well after they transfer to a four-year institution. At the University of Missouri, for example, our transfer students had “A” averages for the past two years.

The quality of the education received at East Central serves students well as they move on, whether that happens after a semester, a year, or upon completion of an associate’s degree.

I can assure you that’s true. As a parent of two East Central College alumni, I know firsthand about the quality of the education received and the preparation of our students when they move on as juniors.

Some students and families may be thinking about a gap year after high school or in the midst of college—a time to take a break until a sense of normalcy returns. I like the suggestion of a “visiting year” instead: an opportunity to study as an East Central student and work in earnest on the fundamental building blocks of a degree with the benefit of small classes, quality faculty, and strong academic support.

When the time is right, the journey to a bachelor’s degree can continue away from home at one of our partner colleges.  Students completing work in the core general education block can be assured that their credits will not only transfer, but that they will be well prepared for what comes next in their academic journey. In fact, this path is one that is well traveled.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center notes that about half of all bachelor’s degree earners began their education at a community college. Many more have obtained community college credit along the way, even if their journey began and finished away from home at a university.

Moreover, in a time of great economic uncertainty, the value presented by East Central is equally important. Not only is our tuition affordable, there are scholarships, financial aid, and the Missouri A+ program. Cost should not be a barrier.

Many students have plans for a career that begins with a community college program. However, it may seem that those plans need to be delayed for a while until things settle down. Once again, I see East Central as a place where those aspirations can be turned into reality, not delayed or even derailed. In health care, skilled trades, technology, and other programs, we are ready to help students begin their journey to a career.

We are taking every step necessary to ensure that our campus is safe. Throughout the summer, most of our instruction will be handled remotely. This fall, we expect to have both in-person and remote classes available. And we are planning now to move quickly if a resurgence of the coronavirus occurs.

We know that many of these careers—nursing being perhaps the most obvious—are essential in our community. This is a time when we need students to enroll, not wait.

We have been serving our community for more than 50 years. In all kinds of weather, we have put the wind in the sails of those looking to make the journey to college. We are here for you today, a safe harbor, and a place where your journey can continue.

East Central College Phi Theta Kappa – Chi Delta Chapter Honor Society members exceeded their fundraising goals to help those in need within the community.

Jennifer Harrell, PTK vice president of public relations, said the officers had set a goal of $500 to purchase toiletries and other necessities to donate to local food pantries, including the ECC Falcon Food Pantry, Union Food Pantry and Second Blessings Food Pantry.

“Due to the generosity of faculty, staff, students, friends and family, we surpassed our $500 goal!” Harrell said.  “This will allow us to make a much needed contribution to those who find themselves in need during this unprecedented time. “

PTK raised $650 through the online fundraiser, and then purchased toiletries and other necessities. PTK Officers led the fundraising effort.

This year’s officer team is: Amber Dietrich, president; Bernadette Comage, executive vice president; Christine Yearwood, vice president of records and finance; and Harrell.

The ECC advisors for PTK are Kevin Dixon, Wendy Pecka and Melanie Dixon.

“We wanted to help those in our community who may be suffering without basic needs, especially during the pandemic,” Harrell added.

ECC Falcon Pantry

To find the request form, students can visit www.eastcentral.edu/current/ and click the “Food Pantry” tab under Support Services. The form can also be found here.

Students will be asked their email address and name which will only be used for the form. No records of the pantry visit are maintained.  Students also will be asked to select a date, time and which campus pantry they would like to visit.

Anyone who would like to donate to the pantry may call 636-584-6583 or email Emily.Durham@eastcentral.edu.

About PTK

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges. Members pursue activities that fall under the direction of the society’s hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship.

Headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States, U.S. territorial possessions and eight sovereign nations.

More than three million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 134,000 students inducted annually.

Pictured above, from left, are Jennifer Harrell, PTK vice president of public relations, her son, David; and Terri Crouch, Second Blessings Food Pantry treasurer; and Mary Kopp, Second Blessings secretary.