Month: June 2021

High Honors for Top Men’s Soccer Falcons

June 28, 2021 | Campus News

Three East Central College men’s soccer players were recognized with “high honors” following the 2020-21 season.

ECC Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff noted that the Falcons finished the season 8-4 and ended the season ranked No. 16 in the final National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DII Men’s Soccer poll.

“Despite a postponed and shortened season, excitement was proven by hard work and determination by some of the top players on the team,” he said. “Several Falcons were recognized with high-level postseason honors.”

Joseph McInnes, Airdrie, Scotland, was named to the NJCAA DII Men’s Soccer All-American Second Team for the 2020-21 season. He led the Falcons in scoring with 10 goals and five assists.

“His offensive output and tenacity in attacking the opposition’s goal helped garner the honors, with support from a skilled cast of teammates,” Mehrhoff added.

Diego Navia, a sophomore transfer from Lincoln College and hailing from Guayaquil, Ecuador, was named to the United Soccer Coaches, Scholar All-American team.

In addition, Navia and fellow sophomore teammate Guy Baskerville, London, England, were recognized with United Soccer Coaches Distinction Award Players for Junior College in 2020-21.

Photo Credits:

Diego Navia and Joe McInnes – Farhatt Photography

Guy Baskerville – ECC Athletics

Union PTK Chapter Earns Multiple Awards

June 24, 2021 | Campus News

The Chi Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at East Central College in Union recently was recognized for individual accomplishments and the work of the chapter.

Each year the honor society chapter participates in regional and international programs related to research and service projects and then report on their work to the statewide organization, according to Kevin Dixon, PTK advisor of the Chi Delta Chapter.

Once the reports are submitted each year, they are judged by the PTK headquarters staff.

On June 14, PTK Missouri Regional Coordinators Jo and Steve Fritts presented the 2021 Missouri Regional Awards hardware to the award recipients in the Chi Delta Chapter.

Typically, an in-person awards ceremony is held in March to recognize the recipients.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was not an in-person ceremony this year, said Dr. Wendy Pecka, contact advisor for the Chi Delta Chapter.

“We are very proud of the hard work you put into these submissions,” she told the PTK members. “I only wish you all could have participated in the convention in person to understand how exciting it is for your work to be honored with these awards. Not every chapter gets to experience this.”

Chi Delta Awards

Listed below are awards the Chi Delta Chapter received:

Distinguished Chapter Award — one of six awards for Missouri.
Honors in Action Award — one of six awards for Missouri.
Honors in Action Distinguished Theme Award (theme of Perceptions of Progress) — one of three awards for Missouri.
College Project Award —one of six awards for Missouri.

Following are individual awards that members of the Chi Delta Chapter received:

Distinguished Chapter Officer – Lucille Vanek, chapter president — one of six awards for Missouri.
Distinguished Chapter Member – Sarah Murphy — one of two awards for Missouri.
Continued Excellence in Advising Award – Wendy Pecka —one of three given for Missouri.

Dixon explained that the Honors in Action projects involve scholarly research that lead to a service project for the community.

The Union chapter’s 2020 project was “Slicing the Stigma on Community College,” and the students prepared a PowerPoint that was sent to local high schools on the benefits of starting at a community college.

The College Project is focused on providing a service to the campus or college, and last year’s program began a project of revamping the look of trash receptacles on campus to make them more “visible” in hopes campus littering will decrease. That project will be continued into this fall, Dixon added.

PTK membership is by invitation only. Students must have a 3.4 GPA as a full-time student for a semester to join PTK. Once they are inducted into the honor society, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.2.

Membership is open to all majors throughout the college, including anyone working toward a degree or certificate.

Rolla PTK Chapter Project, Advisor Recognized

June 24, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

The Rolla Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter, Beta Omicron Phi, recently was recognized by the state organization with awards presented annually to the honor societies.

The Rolla chapter received an Honors in Action Distinguished Theme Award, one of three awarded in the state. Honors in Action projects involve scholarly research that leads to a service project for the community.

PTK chapters take part in projects to benefit their community or campus, and then file a report with their state or regional PTL organization. The projects are then judged by the PTK headquarters staff.

On June 14, PTK Missouri Regional Coordinators Jo and Steve Fritts presented the 2021 Missouri Regional Awards hardware to the award recipients in the Beta Omicron Phi Chapter.

In addition to the Distinguished Theme Award, Beta Omicron Phi Chapter Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Winters-Rozema was the recipient of the Distinguished Advisor Award.

Advisors with four or more years of service are eligible for this award, which they can only receive one time.

Distinguished Theme Award

The Rolla chapter submitted under the theme Perceptions of Progress. The chapter’s project was titled “Pandemic’s Impact on Rural Area.”

The PTK members compiled national research on the impact of this virus on people experiencing homelessness.

According to the project summary, the chapter determined that disadvantaged people in the Rolla community are significantly impacted by COVID-19.

The project earned the chapter a PTK Honors in Action grant to directly help people experiencing homelessness and inspire future generations to serve the community.

Membership is open to all majors throughout the college, including anyone working toward a degree or certificate.

ECC Baseball Field Will Have Turf Infield

June 23, 2021 | Campus News

A turf infield at the East Central College baseball field is scheduled to be installed before exhibition and scrimmage games begin in October.

That will make ECC the first National Junior College Athletic Association school in Missouri with a turf infield.

The ECC Board of Trustees earlier this month approved the bid by Country Baseball, LLC, Johnson City, Texas, for the purchase of the turf and installation at the cost of $213,700.

The project will be funded by the ECC Foundation’s baseball campaign funds and matched by the Foundation to cover any amount over budget.

Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff said his department planned to use grass seed, sod and install in an irrigation system. However, with recent increases in material costs, bids coming in higher than expected for materials, and future plans to install turf within the next few years, it was decided to move forward with turf now.

He added that there are several benefits to a turf infield, including fewer postponed games.

“We would be able to play in an hour after it stops raining, where before we would have to postpone a game or relocate it.” Mehrhoff said. “This will make it so much easier.”

The turf will be installed mid-September, at the latest, which means it will be available for exhibition and scrimmage games in the fall. The regular baseball season will be in the Spring 2022.

The turf will have an ECC Falcon logo behind home plate, Mehrhoff noted. The outfield will be grass.

Advantages of Turf

The field can also be utilized by other sports when it is not baseball season.

Mehrhoff explained that the athletic department will use a removable mound, making the field usable by the softball team or for soccer practice.

He said temporary fences could by placed to meet softball field size requirements.

Other advantages, Mehrhoff said, is there will be no need to purchase an $8,000 tarp to cover the infield when it is raining, and in the summer the field can be rented by baseball tournaments for high-school-aged teams.

“That could give us some recruiting exposure over the summer,” he said.

Most four-year schools and many high schools already play on turf, Mehrhoff added.

“This is the norm for a lot of high school players,” he said. “They are used to playing on turf.”

Area High School Teachers Recognized by ECC-NEA

June 21, 2021 | Campus News

High school educators have a profound effect on students in many capacities.

That’s why the East Central College chapter of the National Education Association (NEA) is celebrating the positive influence and dedication of those educators with the Inspirers of Excellence Award.

“We can’t accomplish what we aim to do for our students at ECC without the dedication of our high school colleagues,” said Susan Henderson, ECC-NEA vice-president. “We want to recognize that educational partnership in which we build upon the foundation they put in place.”

Each year, ECC students are asked to nominate a former teacher who has had an impact on their education.

This year, the ECC-NEA is recognizing two groups of recipients, those nominated in 2020 and those nominated in 2021. The educators received a certificate in the mail to recognize their contributions to the education of students.

Appreciation

Henderson said educators who received certificates were appreciative and honored to be recognized by former students.

“Thank you for recognizing educators’ positive impact on their students. After a tough year like this one, I cannot express how much I appreciate hearing from former students — It makes the difficult times easier to bear when you feel like what you’ve done matters.”

— Dustin Klenke, Eureka High School.

“Finding this certificate in my mailbox with the student’s note was very uplifting this week. Thank you for supporting our students.”

— Amanda Engelke, Rolla High School

“Thank you so much for giving students the opportunity to recognize teachers, what a happy surprise to receive this.”

— Ellen Domijan, St. Francis Borgia Regional High School

Listed below are the 2020 Inspirers of Excellence Award recipients, followed by the high school where they teach and the student who nominated them:

2020 Recipients

Joe Obermark, Crawford County R-1, Rachael Hollmann

Chris Scheel, Bourbon High School, Krista Licklider

Lucille Behrendt, Cuba High School, Taylor Rives

Desiree Gentle, Dixon R-1 High School, Delaney Plemmons

Dustin Klenke, Eureka High School, Joseph Eilers

Nikki Locklear, John F. Hodge High School, St. James, Venita Kuntz

David Bond, John F. Hodge High School, St. James, Megan Copeland

Terrill Story, John F. Hodge High School, St. James, Megan Copeland

Zack Rogers, John F. Hodge High School, St. James, Kyle Hill,

Michelle Auxier, John F. Hodge High School, St. James, Megan Copeland

Melissa Brumagin, Liberty Christian Academy, Brooklyn Hunt

Angie Combs, Maries R-1 Vienna High School, Cheyenne Murdie

John Kinkead, Maries R-1 Vienna High School, Jaclyn Helton

Ken Wilardson, Maries R-1 Vienna High School, Cheyenne Murdie

Jessica Smith, Mehlville High School, Hannah Baker

Chef Amber Moore, Nicholas Career Center, Andrew Maslen

Kayla Pyle, Owensville High School, Addison White

Shirley Wright, Owensville High School, Tabitha Davis

Adriana Grimm, Pacific High School, Tyler Mueller

Garret Andreasen, Pacific High School, Jarred Snider

Heidi Boyer, Pacific High School, Shelby Flynn

Dr. Keith Peterson, Rolla High School, Courtney Kelley

Dr. Gwendolyn Fleming, Rolla High School; Asst Prin Rolla Middle School, Macie Parsons

Christy Dalton, Rolla Junior High School, Nick Reising

Josh Adams, Saint James High School, Cody Jones

Benjamin Martin, St Clair High School, Adrianna Collins

Benjamin Martin, St Clair High School, Benjamin Schwanitz

Donald Dement, St Clair High School, Sebastian Montowine

Ellen Domijan, St. Francis Borgia High School, Cayden Schall

George McKee, St. Francis Borgia High School, Jacob Brinker

Kayla Eckelkamp, St. Francis Borgia High School, Jackson Broom-Morse

Angela Chamber, Sullivan High School, Patricia Gassner

Sarah Rochleau , Sullivan High School, Madison Rudisill

Sarah Rochleau , Sullivan High School, Sydney Harmon

Brandi Gremaud, Union High School, Brianna Shirley

Danika Novak, Union High School, Hanah Wilbers

Dennis Smith, Union High School, Rachel Dains

Melissa Bestgen, Union High School, Alexander Hanneken

Nathan Hoskins, Union High School, Nathan Hoskins

Tina Kluesner, Union High School, Maddison Hammon

Danika Novak, Union High School, Kaylee Wentz

Jennifer Schwentker, Union High School, Stephanie Sachs

Melissa Bestgen, Union High School, Brianna Cornman

Nathan Hoskins, Union High School, Hunter Triplett

Kerry Holtmeier, Washington High School, Molly Eckelkamp

Michelle Turner, Washington High School, Colton Souders

Rachel Stahl, Washington High School, Jenna Crider

Whitney Crabtree, Windsor High School, Meagan Ross

2021 Recipients

Emily Joseph, Cuba High School, Charley Leonard

Julie Munro, Cuba High School, Kaylah Highley

Cragon McBride, Farmington (Formerly Sullivan), Brandon Royal

Melanie Behrens, Hermann High School, Geena Lee

Patrick Dell, Hermann High School, Geena Lee

Patrick Dell, Hermann Middle and High School, Hannah Gale

Amanda Sikes, Homeschool, Samantha Sikes

Jean Schaible, Homeschool, Anna Schaible

Heather Carlson, Hunter High School, Granite School District, Utah, Vaimoana Moungaafi

Ashley Prawitz, John F. Hodge High School, St. James, Abby Parsons

Lea Hickerson, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Rolla High School, Nick Reising

Kelsey McCroskey, New Haven High School (formerly), Julia Unnerstall

Kelsey McCroskey, New Haven High School (formerly), Lydia Otten

Kelsey McCroskey, New Haven High School (formerly), McKenzie Overschmidt

Amanda Peery, Newburg High School, Riley Jackson

David Peery, Newburg High School, Riley Jackson

Donna Hinson, Owensville High School, Gasconade County r2, Emily Copeland

Christopher Noce, Pacific High School, Chris Noce

Scott Hauser, Pattonville High School, Haylee Bartel

Amanda Engelke, Rolla High School, Nevaeh Skyles

Christy Green, Rolla High School, Janessa Metzen

Christy Dalton, Rolla Junior High School, Nick Reising

Rebecca Bolen, Rolla Technical Center, Angelica Gore

Charles Knipp, St. Clair High School, Sue Seyer

Sgt. Gregory Cohen, St. Clair High School, Kaitlyn Salsman

Jason Harbour, Sullivan High School, Madeline Marks

Jennifer Blankenship, Sullivan High School, Abbie Zelch

Dianne Smith, Union High School, Tina Makic

Michael Underberg, Union High School, Kaitlyn Salsman

Nathan Hoskins, Union High school, Hunter Triplett

Nicole Griffin, Union High school, Jasmyne Bradley

Teresa Springer, Union High School, Gavin Pickard

Nicole Griffin, Union High School, Alex Kuelker

Colin Flynn, Washington High school, Katherine Harrison

Dane Gough, Washington High School, Jena Spreckelmeyer

Grant Young, Washington High School, Emma Von Rump

Michelle Turner, Washington High School, Autumn Osia

Michelle Turner, Washington High School, Abby Riegel

Trustees Extend Contract of ECC President Dr. Bauer

June 21, 2021 | Campus News

The East Central College Board of Trustees at a June meeting voted unanimously to award a contract extension to President Dr. Jon Bauer through the next three years.

Dr. Bauer has served as president of the college for nine years. His contract was extended through June 30, 2024.

“I’m grateful for the board’s support and excited about what lies ahead for East Central,” he said.

“With a strong leadership team, committed faculty and staff, and engaged board, we are poised for a momentous period in our history. I’m honored to lead the college and I am energized for this work.”

Board of Trustees President Ann Hartley commented that Dr. Bauer has provided clear leadership the past 18 months during an unprecedented time.

“Dr. Bauer has a passion for ECC and he always is focused on what is best for the students,” Hartley said. “He continued to keep the students and the community ECC serves as the focal point during the difficult pandemic year.

“ECC is very fortunate to have him,” she added. “Dr. Bauer has continually moved the college in a positive direction with integrity, dignity and accountability to the position.”

Bauer became the college’s sixth president July 1, 2012, succeeding Donald Shook, Charles Novak, Dale Gibson, Karen Herzog and Ed Jackson. On two occasions Fred Davis served as interim president of the college.

Recent Grad Earns Webster Leadership Scholarship

June 18, 2021 | Campus News

Recent East Central College graduate Alexis Kinnison is part of a select group of students who have earned a leadership scholarship and will participate in the WebsterLEADS Program at Webster University this fall.

Kinnison, of Union, is a member of the Class of 2021. She graduated from ECC with an Associate in Fine Arts degree, and she plans to study to be an art therapist.

“At Webster I will continue my fine arts degree with an emphasis in ceramics, and also begin psychology and therapy courses,” she said.

“Being an art therapist is a way for me to help others in my community and connect with them through making art.”

During her time at Webster, Kinnison will be part of the WebsterLEADS (Learn Evolve Apply Develop and Serve) leadership certificate program, which continues for students each year they attend Webster University. The program includes interactive courses, workshops, retreats and practicum work.

To be considered for the competitive program, applicants must have proven leadership involvement.

The leadership scholarship requires a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Applicants also must document extracurricular activities and leadership involvement.

Leadership at ECC

According to Kinnison, she strengthened her leadership skills while a student at ECC.

“During my time at ECC, I was vice president and then president of art club. I was also a student worker in the art department, where I had the best mentors to teach me,” she said.

“Through these experiences, I learned a lot about the importance of community and what it means to be a leader,” Kinnison added. “Leadership is about bringing people together. Especially through the trying times of COVID, having these groups was very valuable.”

She further added that she developed professional habits and practices that will help in continuing her education and in a career.

“I’ve learned responsibility, communication and persistence. Being able to further practice and learn this through the WebsterLEADS program is very exciting,” Kinnison said.

Kinnison admits that she wasn’t always leader among her peers.

“Growing up, I was probably the shyest kid in school,” she said. “My mom had to place a heart sticker in my palm just to get me through the school day.

“You can only imagine how excited she was to get the phone call that I had won the leadership scholarship that I had worked so hard for.”

While president of the Art Club this past year, the club created a wall mural in Hansen Hall. The mural includes a quote by French artist Edgar Degas, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

“The mural project hopefully is the start to what my career may look like in the future,” she said.

Sally Dill to Exhibit at ECC Art Gallery

June 18, 2021 | Art Campus News

New York City artist and former Franklin County resident Sally Dill will be featured this summer at the East Central College Art Gallery.

Dill’s show will be from July 1 through Aug. 27. It is called “Pieces” and the exhibit is dubbed, “Playful Collage Works.”

Dill was born in St. Louis and moved to the Krakow area in 1949 when she was 5 years old. Her family remained in Krakow and Dill graduated from St. Francis Borgia Regional High School before she left the area to attend the University of Saint Mary, Kansas.

She noted that her brother, Tom Dill, is a former teacher and baseball coach at ECC. He also served on the College’s board of trustees. He encouraged her to seek a show at ECC.

Dill worked as an art teacher, on and off, from 1967 to 2001. She first taught art in Blue Springs, Mo., and later Kansas Cit. She moved to New York City in 1995 and took a position as an art teacher at the Claremont Riding Academy.

First Body of Work

Dill began creating paper cuts of human figures in 1988, introducing her into the art world. She utilized the “blind contour line method” to cut directly into paper.

“A focusing of the eyes almost exclusively on the subject as I cut, whereby capturing a gesture — the essence,” she explained. “Later, the cut shapes, positive and negative, move me in unplanned ways to a composition”

Krakow Revisited

Part of Dill’s show at ECC will be her “Krakow Revisited” collection, which are pieces she created while in Krakow, Mo.

“It will be nice to show at ECC because my roots are in Krakow,” Dill said.

“Krakow Revisited” was inspired by the St. Gertrude Church’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1995, and her family’s history in the area. Her great grandfather, Gerhard Voss, settled in Krakow from Germany in the late 1830s.

Dill worked with the sesquicentennial committee to exhibit her Krakow cut photo collages, which included wax and natural elements, such as tree bark from Krakow.

“I used dogwood, pinewood needles and dirt from the church ground,” she added.

Her work was displayed in the St. Gertrude Catholic School lobby in the spring of 1995 and she worked with schoolchildren as a visiting artist during the display.

New York City

While walking around the streets of New York City, Dill noticed gloves of varying styles and sizes in gutters, and on sidewalks and streets.

“I am so interested in lost gloves,” she said. “They are such a metaphor for all of humanity. I found so many kinds of gloves — Children’s, gloves, men’s and women’s, gloves, work gloves. . .”

Dill would collect gloves she found abandoned or misplaced on roads and sidewalks, wash them, and incorporate them into her artwork.

Other Works

Dill also creates mixed media collages of found objects displayed in antique frames that she has collected, and other small-format works of cut photo pieces and other paper.

She has exhibited in 40 states and Montreal, Canada, since 1988 and is a signature member of the National Collage society since 2000.

College to Utilize COVID-Relief Funds for Health and Safety Upgrades

June 18, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College Board of Trustees approved the use of federal COVID-relief funds for technology and furniture purchases, heating and ventilation upgrades, and new remote access door systems.

During its June 14 meeting, trustees agreed to utilize federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund dollars, allocated as part of the CARES Act, to purchase equipment to mitigate the transmission of viruses, as well as technology upgrades to expand broadband for distance learning.

Much of the CARES Act funded furniture, technology and air-quality upgrades will be in place before the fall semester, according to ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer.

“There is going to be a lot of work going on in the next few months,” he said.

Furniture Purchases

Trustees approved two bids for the purchase of furniture at the Union campus and Rolla sites from Krueger International (KI). The college will purchase furniture for classrooms and student gathering areas in Union at the cost of $313,300.50; and furniture for classrooms at Rolla Main and Rolla North for $81,144.

“This will provide more flexibility to configure classrooms for social distancing, and the finish of the furniture is much easier to clean and sanitize,” Dr. Bauer noted.

Technology

CARES Act funds also will be used to purchase new fiber and network switches for the Health and Science and Donald Shook Student Center buildings.

Trustees approved the bid from Link Data Services, Inc. for installation of fiber at a cost of $41,482.35; and the purchase of 15 Dell switches at the cost of $84,105.

‘This will improve the bandwidth for distance learning and Wi-Fi,” Dr. Bauer said.

HVAC System

The $1,437,620 bid from Johnson Controls for a HVAC project also was approved by trustees.

The scope of work includes a heat pump replacement, new ultraviolet lamps, new duct work and ventilation upgrades, and Variable Air Volume (VAV) box replacement in three buildings on campus.

According to Dr. Bauer, the ultraviolet lamps, bulbs, and components can disinfect airstreams and continuously clean surfaces of cooling units and drain pans for maintaining indoor air quality and comfort performance.

“The developed clean air solutions from Johnson Controls help to decrease the risk of infection and create a safer, healthier environment,” he said.

Access Door Control

Another project funded by COVID-relief funds that was approved by trustees is for access door control and ADA touchless entries. TSI Global Companies, St. Charles, was the low bidder for the project at the cost of $165,805.

The access door control and ADA touchless entry project will be an upgrade over the aging automatic door hardware now in place. The touchless entry will help prevent the spread of viruses, improve security and safety, and be ADA compliance.

In addition, Union campus police officers will have remote access to doors and can quickly lockdown the campus if warranted during emergency situations.

Upgrades to access doors will be installed at the Union and Rolla locations.

ECC Receives Funds for Student Career Guidance and Mental Health Support Center

June 17, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College has received $871,761 in state funding to create a new Center for Career Advancement and Student Wellness on the Union campus.

On Wednesday, June 16, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE) approved the college’s request to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Excels funds to renovate the former Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) lab in Hansen Hall for the new center. The HVAC program was moved to the Business and Industry Center in 2016.

The new center will assist students with registration and completion of short-term training programs, with the goal to provide job skills to enter the workforce or continue to enhance their education to obtain a certificate or a two-year degree.

The center will better serve the needs and demands of the local workforce, especially in advanced manufacturing and health care industries, that are in desperate need of qualified and skilled employees.

In additional, short-term training programs for other high-demand industries will also be available including, information technology, HVAC, logistics and early childhood development.

The renovated areas of Hansen Hall will also be used to house the college’s Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program, including office space and class space. The minor demolition work of the former HVAC lab and construction of the new center is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2022 to be completed in late spring of 2022.

“I’m excited to have the funding to create this new center for our students,” said Dr. Jon Bauer, ECC president.

“Increasing career counseling and mental health resources to our students is vital to their success, especially at a time when mental health is so important to a student’s well-being. The enhanced career counseling resources will better prepare our students both personally and professionally. “

Services

Plans call for the 3,560-square-foot area in Hansen Hall to be converted into two classrooms, a training lab and five offices. Within the classrooms, various groups and classes will meet, including AEL students and Certified Nurse Assistant and Certified Medication Technician students.

Five offices will be created for AEL staff, a CNA/CMT instructor, a Career Navigator and a Social Services Navigator.

The Social Services Navigator will support all ECC students and assist those who lack essential resources for success and who may be anxious about returning to classes in person. The role of the navigator is to advocate for those with mental and physical health needs.

With resources in the college and from local service providers, students will be referred to the appropriate services. A social worker will act as an advocate for the student to connect them with the resources they need.

The Career Navigator will work with students through their education experience to help them identify the best Career Pathway for their specific interests and career goals. The Career Navigator services include resume building and job search services, and services to assist students in developing a personal and professional development plan.

It will be the responsibility of the Career Navigator to help students progress through their selected career pathway. This could include helping them enroll in partner programs before and after the short-term training is completed, working with financial aid, and verifying eligibility for other funding sources.

The hiring process of the two navigator positions will begin in July to have the positions ready to assist students for the 2021 fall semester.

Funding

Through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) additional funding was appropriated for the GEER Excels fund, that will allow institutions to continue to provide assistance for recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19, either in terms of meeting specific workforce needs or removing barriers to student success.

The preliminary request for proposals (RFP) was issued on March 1. The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development received 22 applications from the state’s community colleges and universities requesting $19.66 million.