East Central College’s Sarah Haines, Career and Technical Education program assistant, is being recognized nationally for maintaining a high-quality “student-centered approach” in all of her endeavors.

Haines is a recipient of the 2020 NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Award, which is presented to college employees who do extraordinary work on campus.

According to her nominator, Haines has been actively engaged with ECC’s budget committee, including a subcommittee appointment.

“She has strong relationship building skills which is often demonstrated in her working capacity with the (Career and Technical Education) division’s faculty,” her colleague noted.

“Her credibility with faculty is predicated on her deep understanding of course design that lends to effective instruction in classrooms and labs, while recognizing the diverse pools of learning styles and technical education.”

Haines’ colleague added that her critical thinking and problem solving skills are demonstrated through her responsibilities, including data collection related to program accreditation and Technical Skills Assessments (TSA).

Her colleague further added that Haines’ personal and career journey is reflective of her excellent work ethic. In 2008, Sarah, a single mother, was laid off from work and began her college journey.

“Sarah started her post-secondary education working to complete her Associate of Arts. She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree and submitted an application for a graduate degree.

“She is truly a center of excellence and an example of dedication.”

The NISOD Excellence Awards is an opportunity for member colleges to recognize individuals doing extraordinary work on their campuses.

Each Excellence Award recipient receives a unique silver medallion engraved with The University of Texas and NISOD insignias and adorned with a burnt orange ribbon.

The overarching statement expressed through the award is that teaching and leading on the front lines of the community college mission rest on the shoulders of these outstanding individuals.

Students in the East Central College Nursing and EMT/Paramedic programs will have access to state-of-the-art technology later this fall, thanks to a $180,704 grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business Development grant program.

The grant dollars will cover the expenses to purchase new manikins, equipment, and software for the lab, which is utilized by Nursing and Emergency Medical Technician students to prepare them for the healthcare workforce.

“Technology is advancing quickly, and we want to be sure we have the most up-to-date simulation equipment in our labs to prepare our students in the patients care setting,” said Nancy Mitchell, Dean of Health Sciences. “The eight manikins simulate real-life responses to the student’s medical intervention by displaying symptoms and reactions to a health care students care.”

The USDA Rural Business Development Grant Program is a competitive grant designed to support targeted technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas.

“This grant better positions the college to expand our existing programs and create innovative solutions to address the regional skills gap,” said Joel Doepker, Vice President of External Relations, “We appreciate the USDA’s program that recognizes East Central College as a good investment.”

The College was awarded the grant based on evidence showing job creation at local businesses, economic need in the area to be served and consistency with local economic development priorities. During the grant application process, ECC received several letters of support for the project from local health care systems.

During a time when clinical space can be a challenge for Nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the simulation lab provides the ability to educate and train students.

“Our clinical partners at the health care systems in our region provide excellent learning experiences for our students. A high-fidelity simulation lab provides the students real-life scenarios in a safe place to hone their skills and potentially make mistakes without harm to an actual patient. Simulation proves to be an excellent learning strategy to help prepare our students to enter the workforce,” Mitchell said.

Purchase of the equipment is expected to take place in September with expectations of having it installed later in the 2020 fall semester.

East Central College English instructor Dr. Gregory Stratman has taught students “Tolstoy to Dr. Seuss” during his career.

Now, the longtime educator and ECC adjunct is shifting his focus from full-time instructor to putting pen to paper.

Stratman, of Rolla, recently submitted two poems that were published in the literary and visual arts magazine, Burgundy Balloon. The poems are titled “Maze” and “Out of Place.”

Stratman has been teaching English Composition I and II courses at the ECC Rolla Main site since January. He previously was an instructor at ECC from August 1991 to December 1993

“Basically I am a retired educator,” he said. “I am teaching for ECC because I still like to teach.”

Stratman’s poems were featured in the Burgundy Balloon’s first-ever edition, which was published in June.

And now that he has lessened his workload, he will continue to submit poems and creative nonfiction pieces to a variety of publications.

“Between raising a family and making money, I never had much time for writing,” he said. “That is something I can do now.”

Stratman said he writes on a diverse number of subjects.

“I think I have a wide perspective,” he said. “Not just on education but on life — I thought, I am just going to start writing it all down.”

As many writers know, being published can be “hit or miss,” Stratman noted. “I will just continue to put things out there.”

Stratman has been in the realm of education for about 40 years and he has taught a litany of courses to people of all ages.

“Not many people get to do that,” he said. “I have taught Tolstoy to Dr. Seuss. . . and I feel like I have worked with every demographic of students.”

His educational tenure also is leading Stratman toward developing a podcast called “Rethinking Education,” which will address, in part, online teaching, which he has done for 15 years. He plans on launching the podcast soon.

Career in Education

After his first stint at ECC, Stratman was an Academic Coordinator/Faculty at the University of Missouri-Rolla, now called Missouri University of Science & Technology, from 1993 to 2005.

He was hired to establish a new English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

“I am really proud to say that the core approach that I developed is still in use,” Stratman said.

In 2005, Stratman took over at Visitation School in Vienna, Mo., a Kindergarten through eighth-grade Catholic school.

When he went to work at Visitation School, it was in “dire straits” and enrollment was dropping, according to Stratman.

He was just there for two years, but during that time Stratman revamped the school’s curriculum and realigned the grade levels.

Next, Stratman was hired as campus director at Columbia College in Rolla from 2007 to 2014. He noted that was a prosperous time for the school because enrollment doubled during that time frame and revenue was up 70 percent.

Stratman was there while a new Columbia College facility was opened in Rolla and programs were added.

He then moved on to become the associate professor/director of faculty at the American Public University System, where he supervised more than 130 faculty members, overseeing teaching quality, policy adherence, and professional development.

Most recently, Stratman founded Achieve Excellence Institute, a consulting firm for schools, districts, administrators, and educators.

To take a look at Stratman’s work, click the image to visit the Burgundy Balloon website:

Donald Means, one of the original East Central College Trustees passed away Friday, Aug. 28, at the age of 89.

Means served on the ECC Board of Trustees for 24 years, from 1968 to 1992.

“Our sympathy is with his family and many friends,” said ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer. “I am grateful for the leadership, vision, and service he provided to the college, and glad he was able to see the impact of his devotion over these past five decades.”

According to Dr. Bauer, Means was devoted to the growth and success of the college.

“He paid particular interest to the college’s finances and was instrumental in the establishment and maintenance of a college reserve,” he said. “Mr. Means had a long career in financial services, and brought his business acumen to the board. Beyond his interest in East Central, he was very active in the Washington community over many decades.”

In a note to campus Monday and during the monthly Board of Trustees meeting, Dr. Bauer addressed Means’ dedication to ECC.

He noted that Means was involved with the selection of the first president, Dr. Donald Shook, the hiring of the initial faculty and staff, securing temporary facilities for the college, acquiring the site of the main campus at Highway 50 and Prairie Dell Road, and the first four phases of construction (now George Buescher Hall, the Donald Shook Student Center, and two phases of what is now Robert E. Hansen Hall).

 

After retiring from the board, Means was a member of the college redistricting committee, supported various ballot initiatives, and expressed on many occasions his pride in the institution with which he was involved from day one.

“One of the last conversations I had with Mr. Means was about the 50th anniversary of the college. He was planning to attend the celebration last fall, but unexpected oral surgery prevented that from happening,” Dr. Bauer said.

“This weekend I spoke with Dr. Shook and Bob Hansen — the last surviving member of the charter board —and both recalled Don’s devotion and service as a college trustee. The term trustee fits perfectly, as Don viewed his role as holding in trust the community’s college. He took that responsibility seriously and carried it out with integrity and commitment.”

Services from Means are private. His family is being served by Oltmann Funeral Home: www.oltmannfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Donald-R-Means?obId=18153380#/obituaryInfo.

Anyone who would like to make a donation in his memory, can do so here: https://www.eastcentral.edu/give

 

The East Central College Class of 2020 graduates deserve to be recognized for their achievements.

In the video below, ECC President Dr. Bauer applauds their accomplishments as photos of some graduates are featured. An entire list of 2020 graduates is included.

East Central College is second-ranked of all the two-year and community colleges in the state of Missouri according to the financial website WalletHub. WalletHub based its findings on the costs of tuition and fees and the quality of education.

In its 2020 Best & Worst Community Colleges study, WalletHub evaluated nearly 700 two-year and community colleges nationwide, including the 13 in Missouri, on three key dimensions — cost and financing, education outcomes, and career outcomes.

The dimensions were determined through 18 in-depth metrics, such as the average amount of financial aid received, availability of employment services for students, and rates of retention, graduation, and transfers.

The findings show that ECC ranks second among “two-year” colleges, but first among traditional community colleges in Missouri.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by an outside organization for our successes,” said East Central College president Dr. Jon Bauer. “We take pride in offering a high-quality education while keeping costs low compared to four-year colleges and universities.”

“Our students always perform well when they leave East Central College — when they continue their educational journey, or join the workforce.”

According to WalletHub, cost is a major consideration when choosing a college; and community colleges offer students the ability to receive an education without the financial strain.

For example, in 2019-20, tuition and fees for full-time, in-state enrollment at a public two-year college averaged $3,730 per year versus $10,440 at a public four-year institution and $36,880 at a four-year private school, WalletHub reported.

Students who earn an Associate of Arts degree at a community college like East Central College and transfer to an in-state public four-year university can see significant savings.

“At ECC, we already know that our students keep their costs down while getting a top-tier education,” Dr. Bauer added. “It is refreshing that others have noticed this too.”

The study noted that in addition to serving as an affordable option for education, community colleges have several attractive qualities. They often provide more flexible schedules, smaller class sizes and rigorous coursework.

These qualities appeal especially to students who need to balance their studies with other commitments, such as family and work.

To read more about the findings of the study and the metric used to determine ranks, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-worst-community-colleges/15076/.

 

East Central College students have help at their fingertips to keep them on track to meet their educational goals.

Aviso is a an app for mobile devices designed for students to communicate with their advisors and a success coach, part of the the team that supports them on their journey at ECC.

Within Aviso, students can see their schedule, attendance, midterm grades, advisor, success coach, instructor names and more. Through the app, it is easy to make an appointment or email any member of the student’s team without needing to search for contact information.

While instructors are a key component to success, advisors, success coaches and tutors also are invested in students’ success.

Through Aviso, students and their success team will get notifications for high and/or low midterm grades, or if attendance is not where it needs to be to be successful.

Students can set appointments with an advisor, success coach and instructors (if they have activated that feature).

In addition, advisors, financial aid, coaches or instructors may send tasks that need to be completed with links. For instance, if a student is eligible for a scholarship, an advisor might send a task with the link to complete the application.

Visit the Aviso Information page at Student Services.

Click below to download the app:

 

East Central College is welcoming back students next week with snacks, games and ice cream to kick off the Fall semester.

Welcome Week begins Monday with a breakfast and concludes Thursday with a trivia event.

All of the activities and snacks are completely free for ECC students.

Listed below are the events, times and locations of Welcome Week activities:

Monday, Aug. 24

• Grab n’ Go Breakfast — 7:30-10 a.m. The Learning Center Atrium in Buescher Hall.
• Informational Booths — 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. One booth in each building: Hansen Hall, Health and Science building, Donald D. Shook Student Center (DSSC) and Buescher Hall.
• Snacks — 3:30-6 p.m., Theatre Atrium in Hansen Hall.

Tuesday, Aug. 25

• Grab n’ Go Breakfast — 7:30-10 a.m. The Learning Center Atrium in BH.
• Informational Booths — 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. One booth in each building: Hansen Hall (HH), Health and Science building (HS), Donald D. Shook Student Center (DSSC) and Buescher Hall.

Wednesday, Aug. 26

• Yard Games — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the ‘Quad” outside of DSSC.
• “We All Scream for Ice Cream” — 3:30-5 p.m., Theatre Atrium in Hansen Hall.

Thursday, Aug. 27

• ECC Throwback Trivia — 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., ECC Campus Life & Leadership Facebook page. Follow the page to participate and win prizes.

Listen to this message from East Central College President Dr. Jon Bauer on measures ECC has taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 on campus.

 

East Central College will host its Walk-In Weekend Saturday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is an opportunity for current and prospective students to get ready for the Fall 2020 semester.

At the event, students can apply to East Central College, register for classes, take a placement test, receive assistance with financial aid and meet with an advisor. The bookstore and learning center also will be open during the event.

No appointment is needed. Students can walk in at any time during the event.

Walk-In Weekend will be at Buescher Hall, 1964 Prairie Dell Road, Union.

People may call 636-584-6588 or email admissions@eastcentral.edu with questions.