Month: May 2021

Trustees Approve New Applied Technology Degree

May 6, 2021 | Campus News

The East Central College Board of Trustees approved a new technology degree geared toward students seeking a broader-based exposure to skilled trade.

On May 3, the board approved a new Associate of Applied Science in Applied Technology certificates and degree, which is designed so students can earn a certificate, or stack certificates, from varying technical areas into a degree.

Completing this program will equip students with the skills needed to get hired and quickly join the workforce.

According to Robyn Walter, vice president of academic affairs, the Applied Technology certificate and degree allows for students to combine a wider variety of courses, such as welding and building construction, to broaden their scope of skills within a manufacturing setting.

“It is very flexible and something local employers are looking for,” Walter said.

The new certificates and degree also will help businesses looking to train their employees.

“There have been many situations where an employer is seeking employees with skills in the areas of HVAC, welding, precision machinery and industrial engineering technology, but not solely in one concentration,” Walter added.

Walter explained that the Applied Technology certificates and degree provide a flexible approach to customized credit-hour training or apprenticeship programs for employers.She said that businesses submitted letters of support, including Mercy hospital, which is looking to expand its field of facility technicians with training in HVAC, computer systems and precision engineering.

ECC will offer the Applied Technology program through the Career and Technical Division, which includes programs such as welding, building construction, automotive technology, precision machining, industrial engineering, business and HVAC.

Dean of Career and Technical Education Dr. Richard Hudanick said the ECC Center for Workforce Development (CWD) can better customize training for local businesses that want their employees trained in multiple technological areas through this new program.

“There is always a lot of interest in our technology courses,” he said. “This gives students a lot of access to the options in the Business and Industry Center.

“Historically degrees and related programming have been concentrated in a specific skill-trade. For instance, HVAC students typically focused on HVAC programming,” Dr. Hudanick added. “This new degree pathway allows for cross-programmatic programming. That same student can now take HVAC and welding, or other courses offered in the advanced manufacturing building.”

For more information about the new program, visit https://www.eastcentral.edu/career-technical-education/.

Businesses and industries can contact Melissa Richards, CWD Apprenticeship & Business Training Program coordinator, at 636-649-5806 or melissa.richards@eastcentral.edu.

College Hires New VP of Student Development

May 6, 2021 | Campus News

The East Central College Board of Trustees recently approved the hiring of a new vice president of student development.

Sarah Leassner will begin at ECC June 1. She comes to the College with more than 19 years working with college students. She most recently was the director of first-year programs at Lindenwood University, St. Charles.

ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer said he appreciates the energy and enthusiasm that Leassner will bring to ECC.

“I look forward to working with Sarah and having her join the leadership team at ECC, and I know from speaking with her that she is enthusiastic and very eager to begin this new role,” he said.

Leassner lives in Pacific and she is familiar with the area. She said she is ready to get started at the College. Prior to working at Lindenwood University, she was the director of first-year experience programs at Webster University, Webster Groves.

“You can tell employees are really committed to this place,” Leassner said. “That was my biggest lean in moment.”

Leassner added that the position at ECC is a perfect fit for the direction she was growing professionally, and she looks forward to getting to know the students.

“My favorite part of this work is getting to know students,” she said. “I want to hear from students about what we do well at ECC, and where we can raise the bar.”

Leassner further added that she has been learning about new programs under way or being implemented at ECC, such as the Early College Academy,

I can’t wait to start and really dig in and hear what work people are doing and the program development at ECC.”

Leassner replaces Heath Martin, who left ECC in 2020. During the search for a new vice president, Paul Lampe, director of advising and counseling, served as the interim vice president of student development, and Steffani McCrary, academic advisor-career services, served as interim director of advising.

Dr. Bauer thanked the committee tasked with interviewing candidates and assisting with the hiring process.

“Many thanks to the search committee that played an integral role in this process,” he said. “Each member brought valued perspective and insight to the search.”

ECC Holds Second Assessment Showcase

May 6, 2021 | Campus News

The East Central College faculty and staff held the second Assessment Showcase April 30 to exhibit the strategic work the College is doing and to share ideas with colleagues.

Sue Henderson, assistant professor of English and Instructional Assessment Committee chair, said the idea for the showcase spawned from the Higher Learning Commission Assessment Academy to reinforce the importance of assessment across the college.

“Assessment allows us to know for sure that we’re doing what we say we’re doing, and that we’re doing it well,” Henderson said. “Assessment isn’t always considered the most exciting work, but it is important — and foundational to our mission.”

During the assessment event, ECC employees interested in learning about various aspects of assessment could visit poster displays in the Health and Science building, ask questions and debate issues at roundtable discussions, and listen to presentations about enrollment and systematic evaluation processes.

In addition to the in-person discussions and presentations, there were virtual programs highlighting areas of the College.

“The showcase provides an opportunity for all of us to share and celebrate that good work,” Henderson added. “We can also get ideas from colleagues about how we might build or refine assessment practices in our own areas.”

Second Event

The first Showcase Assessment was held in October 2019, prior to the COVOD-19 pandemic.

“(This year) we didn’t have as many people in-person for the poster presentation or sessions,” Henderson commented. “But we did end up having better than we’d hoped remote participation. It was great to see all the people who joined during the micro-presentations and roundtables.”

She noted that remote connectivity was key to the success of this year’s event, adding that Andy Kolb, director of web services, set up the event web page to make it very easy to move from one session to the next; and Karen Klos, instructional design specialist, worked with presenters who created recordings.

The ECC Rolla sites were included in the showcase and could view the event virtually.

Next Year

Henderson said there are plans to have the showcase again next year with more in-person sessions and additional time to interact with presenters.

“But there were some great aspects of being able to connect remotely that we might consider continuing,” she added. “We loved that folks could connect readily no matter where they were.”

Henderson said the hope is that the event grows to include the public in communities ECC serves.

“Someday, we hope to make this an event that reaches beyond just the ECC campus. We’d love to become known in the region as an institution that promotes and celebrates assessment.”

To learn more about East Central College’s assessment practices, visit https://www.eastcentral.edu/assessment/instructional-assessment/.

Art & Design Student Exhibition Winners Announced

May 6, 2021 | Art Campus News

The overall Best of Show in the Annual East Central College Art & Design Student Exhibition is “Nocturnal Feast” by Kate Shelton.

Shelton’s piece is one of the many student works that has been on display in the ECC Art Gallery. The student exhibit ends May 6.

Jennifer Higerd, ECC art instructor and gallery coordinator, said the Annual ECC Art & Design Student Exhibition is a celebration of the culmination of the year’s hard work, growth and learning by the students.

Listed are the show winners and honorable mentions by category:

Best of Show Nocturnal Feast – Kate Shelton

Digital Design (Poster Design)

Honorable Mention Whoville – Abi Wheeler
Best in Category Pandora – Madison Barbarick

Digital Photography

Best in Category Lilac – Olivia Berariu

Photography

Honorable Mention                         Nude Figure I – Joe McCary
Honorable Mention                         Paused in Time – Olivia Berariu
Best in Category                                Childhood – Alexis Kinnison

Sculpture (3D Design, Ceramics)

Honorable Mention                         Backyard – Manny McQueen
Honorable Mention                         Mr. Turtle – Joe McCary
Best in Category                                Cornucopia – Alexis Kinnison

Functional Ceramics

Honorable Mention Life is Sweet – Alexis Schmidt
Best in Category Plant Family – Alexis Kinnison

Painting

Honorable Mention Outsider – Sara Carter
Best in Category Hills and Mountains – Madison Barbarick

Drawing

Honorable Mention                         Skulls & Bottles – Emily Knoppe
Honorable Mention                         Holy Trinity of 2020 – Kate Shelton
Best in Category                               Untitled – Sara Carter

2D Design

Honorable Mention 2005 Subaru – Layne Hinds
Best in Category Bees? – Emily Knoppe

Illustration

Honorable Mention Diversity within Unity – Kaitlyn Dodson
Best in Category Abandoned Faith – Kate Shelton

ECC Awarded Pre-Apprenticeship Funding

May 5, 2021 | Campus News

The Missouri Office of Workforce Development (OWD) recently released a list of pre-apprenticeship programs that will be receiving grants of up to $75,000 as part of the Missouri Apprentice Ready initiative.

East Central College is one of just 10 applicants to receive an award that were issued across the state to other community colleges and area organizations. A pre-apprentice receives technical and career awareness skills development through industry relevant training and workplace exposure supervised by a mentor.

The pre-apprenticeship program will cultivate relationships with area job centers, community-based organizations, and employers to ensure that pre-apprentices can easily access tutoring, case management, childcare, mental health supports, transportation, and housing.

“This grant is key to helping our area manufacturers,” says Dr. Ed Shelton, executive director, ECC’s Center for Workforce Development. “Our program is geared to providing workers with the job skills they need to be a successful candidate to fill one of the many vacancies in the manufacturing industry throughout east central Missouri.”

Several area manufacturers support ECC’s program, that include WEG, Clemco Industries, Henniges Automotive, GH Tool and Mold and Cohen Architectural Woodworking.

WEG, specifically, is looking for their pre-apprentices to receive an entry assessment, as well as safety training, computer basics, industrial math, effective communication, team building, quality, lean and manufacturing processes.

Pre-apprenticeship programs will be provided at no cost to the participant and are also designed to prepare workers to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship program.

“We have great success with 12 area manufacturers participating in our Registered Apprenticeship program”, says Dr. Shelton. “The programs train and enhance the job skills of current workers, which leads to the positive retention efforts of a company’s workforce.”

Once completed, a registered apprentice receives a one-year certificate in Manufacturing from East Central College with the opportunity to complete a Manufacturing degree.

For more information about pre-apprenticeship or registered apprenticeships, contact the ECC Center for Workforce Development at 636-649-5800 or email training@eastcentral.edu.

Rolla Nursing Student Finds Time for Education

May 4, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Many people have asked when Carli Nesheim, Cuba, finds the time to eat, let alone attend classes at East Central College.

“I eat in my car on my way to class or on my way back to work from class. I have just enough time to drive to ECC, go to class and drive back to work on my lunch break, so I make it work!” explained Nesheim.

Nesheim attends class while also working full-time at Phelps Health Hospital in Rolla as a licensed practical nurse. Her educational background includes attending ECC directly after graduating high school, going through the LPN program at the Waynesville Career Center, taking classes for a semester at Drury University, and then making her way back to ECC.

“I came to ECC right after high school but ultimately wasn’t ready for college. We had a family tragedy, and I wasn’t in the right mindset yet,” Nesheim stated.

Nesheim’s passion for nursing was sparked by a family tragedy.

“When my Mom was in the ICU, I saw the care the nurses were providing her. That really made me want to go into the field.”

“I want to be one of the nurses that patients or their families remember having a good experience with during their stay in the hospital. I want to have that positive impact on people,” said Nesheim.

Nesheim received her LPN license from the Waynesville career center but her passion for nursing encouraged her to pursue further nursing licensure. She decided to become an RN and wanted to return to ECC to do so.

“After taking a couple of classes at Drury, I decided to come back to ECC. After I finish my prerequisite classes, I hope to do the RN Bridge program. When I graduate from ECC, I want to go for my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing),” Nesheim explained.

Ultimately, Nesheim would like to be a nurse on the surgery/orthopedic floor or an operating room circulating nurse. She is currently working at the general surgery clinic and would like to stay on at Phelps Health after she graduates.

She recognizes she has a lot of hard work ahead of her but knows that coming back to East Central College was a great step in making her dream happen.

“The advisors here at ECC have been really great. They’ve been super helpful in letting me know what I need and what I am missing now that I am back. They have made it a smooth transition for me,” Nesheim declared.

“Seeing my growth as a student this time at ECC and even as a nurse has been eye-opening. I don’t want to say it’s been easy but knowing how to study and plan accordingly has made it a lot simpler this time.”

State Director to Speak at AEL Graduation

May 4, 2021 | Campus News

The East Central College Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) Graduation Ceremony speaker will be Shelly Lamb, the director of the state AEL services.

The graduation ceremony will be Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m. in the gym located in the Donald Shook Student Center. The ceremony will recognize 2020 and 2021 graduates, according to Alice Whalen, AEL director at ECC.

Lamb, with the Office of College and Career Readiness for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), works directly with federal and state leaders, as well as local AEL programs, to expand the educational opportunities for adults in Missouri.

“A goal of the AEL program is for adults to acquire the basic skills necessary to become more employable, productive and responsible citizens,” Said Whalen.

Lamb is also responsible for overseeing the High School Equivalency (HSE) Program which provides students an opportunity to obtain their HSE credential.

She began her career with DESE in 2017 as a supervisor for AEL, then moved to assistant director for HSE, and in August of 2020, she was promoted to director of AEL. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems from William Woods University.

Lamb is married and is the mother of two adult daughters.

Enrollment for Free Summer Course Under Way

May 3, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College is once again offering a free summer class to soon-to-be high school juniors and seniors, but under a new name.

The First Class Tuition Pass, formerly known as Three for Free, is available to the Class of 2022 and the Class of 2023, and it allows for students to take one summer tuition-free course.

This is the third year that ECC is offering a free course to high school students, according to Early College Programs Director Megen Strubberg.

“The college is excited to offer this opportunity again because it allows high school students the chance to get a jump start on their college coursework,” she said. “Affordability is an important consideration for all students and families evaluating college choices, and the ability to take a course for just the cost of fees and books is a real benefit.”

Strubberg added that she hopes the program is as well received this year as it was last year.

There were 122 students participating last year, a 22 percent increase from the 100 students who took part in 2019, the inaugural year of the program.

“The success of this program is due in a large part to our area high school counselors encouraging students to take advantage of the opportunity,” Strubberg added. “The parents of high school and homeschool students also have been hearing about the program, which has contributed significantly to its success.”

The program is for students who have a 3.0 cumulative high school grade point average or higher. Students must sign up before classes begin Tuesday, June 1.

The First Class Tuition Pass program provides students with a chance to take one tuition-free summer course, up to five credit hours.

Students are only responsible for fees and textbooks. The program is available in Union, Rolla and online. For in-person classes, students can expect to pay between $10 to $30 in fees per course. Online course fees are $45. Text book costs are in addition to course fees.

Strubberg noted that the intent of the program is to encourage students to continue taking dual credit classes during the summer. The program is part of an ECC strategic plan goal to increase opportunities for college credit for students in the community.

Sinks, ECC Conduct Second Vaccination Clinic

May 3, 2021 | Campus News

It was another strong showing for the second and final round of COVID-19 vaccinations at East Central College.

And according to Dr. Sandy Mitchell, owner of Medley Pharmacy, Inc. and Sinks Pharmacy, it was also another smooth vaccination clinic for her team.

There were nearly 1,400 people who received their second shot of the Moderna vaccine on April 27 during a clinic held in the college’s Donald Shook Student Center gymnasium. The first round of vaccinations was held March 30 at the same location.

Checking people in and administering the shots for both rounds of vaccines were Sinks employees, with the assistance of ECC Allied Health students and faculty — including paramedic and nursing students and instructors. In addition, there were ECC employees who volunteered for various duties during both clinics.

“We are tickled with how it turned out,” Mitchell said. “The students and staff who helped are part of why it was so successful — we did not need as many (Sinks) staff members. That was huge.”

She added that there were about 1,380 people who received their first vaccination and then 1,340 who received their second shots during the clinics at ECC.

Benefitting the Community

According to Dr. Michelle Smith, the college’s COVID point person, ECC’s goal was to provide vaccines to employees, and members of the community.

“Vaccines protect everyone in our community, and we are glad to be part of that,” she said. “Not only have the clinics improved the health and wellbeing of the community they have provided real-world health care experiences for our nursing and EMT/Paramedic programs.

“The Sinks Pharmacy staff has been professional and courteous,” Smith added.

She noted that 85 percent of ECC employees have been, or will soon be, vaccinated for COVID-19.

“Our team has worked tirelessly to make the vaccination process easy and efficient for everyone involved,” Mitchell said. “We would like to especially thank Michelle Smith, EdD, the instructors and students in the Nursing and EMT/Paramedic programs as well as other faculty and staff that volunteered their time — It couldn’t have gone better.”

The pharmacy has been in the forefront providing vaccines to schools in the region.

Once vaccines became available to schoolteachers, Mitchell explained, Sinks Pharmacy staff began holding vaccinations events in the areas where the 14 locations are. As more vaccinations became available, the state would send them to Sinks to administer shots to school districts in the St. Louis area.

Mitchell noted that her staff has held vaccination clinics for area school districts, including Union, Sullivan, Washington and Owensville, and districts further away, such as Clayton and Parkway.

“The team has worked very hard to fine tune the process,” she said. “We have ways to mitigate an influx of people, so when several come through the door at once, they don’t have to wait long.

“We believe we are here to serve and care for our communities,” Mitchell added.

Medley Pharmacy, Inc. has 14 locations in seven Missouri counties. To learn more visit https://sinkspharmacy.com/.