Two years of collaboration and comprehensive work paid off last week when the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) removed the “on notice” status for East Central College.

ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer said the HLC Board of Trustees removed the sanction June 25. ECC was placed “on notice” in June 2018.

The college has remained fully accredited throughout the process of removing the sanction.

“Many thanks to all who have been involved with our institutional response, planning and actions over the last two years,” Dr. Bauer said. “The collaborative and comprehensive work that has taken place has made ECC a better institution.”

ECC Board of Trustees President Ann Hartley credited the work of the administration, staff and faculty for moving the college forward.

“East Central College is pleased with the decision announced by the Higher Learning Commission, notifying the college that all criteria for full accreditation have been met,” she said. “This is the result of much hard, thoughtful, intelligent work by many faculty and staff at ECC.”

“Their dedication and commitment to the College is evident every day in their attention to the education of students and it is very rewarding to have that recognized by the Higher Learning Commission,” Hartley noted.

The “on notice” designation began a two-year process, which included the college addressing shared governance and communication throughout the college; increasing the number of assessments and evaluations for faculty and staff; providing additional data-driven decision making by the administrative staff; the development of a retention plan, and additional policies and decisions to address the HLC’s concerns.

A primary component to removing the sanction was the development of a strategic plan. That plan, SOAR to 2024, went into effect in August 2019.

Dr. Bauer added that college employees are to thank for the removal of the sanction, and that the leadership of Vice President of Academic Affairs/ECC’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) Robyn Walter, was incredibly valuable during the process.

The HLC is the accrediting body for ECC and about 1,000 colleges and universities in 19 states that stretch from West Virginia to Arizona. HLC is a private, nonprofit accrediting agency.

HLC representatives will be on campus in 2022 for a comprehensive visit.

East Central College is offering former students resources, incentives and a step-by-step guide to finish what they started and earn a college degree.

ECC’s Finish Your Investment (FYI) program is designed to guide students who’ve completed college credits at East Central College to help them complete a degree.

Eligible students who enroll in classes at ECC could be provided financial aid assistance, loan/debt forgiveness and specialized advising.

The College is also providing employment and salary information to potential students, including the average salary of a worker between the ages of 25-29 with a high school diploma, $29,300; compared to the salary of a worker with an associate’s degree, $35,400; and workers with a bachelor’s degree, $46,000.

ECC is reaching out to students to inform them that they could be eligible to participate in the FYI program.

ECC’s degree reclamation program is part of a nationwide initiative of the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP).

Colleges and universities in 20 states are also part of a nationwide reclamation initiative called Degrees When Due.

According to Robyn Walter, ECC vice president of academic affairs, data show that there are 36 million Americans with some college credits, but no degree; and Missouri has around 76,000 residents with some college but no degree.

“Our goal through Finish Your Investment is to help these students identify their barriers to college completion and support them through degree completion,” Walter said.

The national degree reclamation effort is sponsored by the Institute of Higher Education Policy and supported by the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

Union resident Jennifer Harrell is the recipient of the 2020 East Central College Outstanding Student Award.

In the past two years, Harrell has been heavily involved with campus and community organizations, including the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society.

The Outstanding Student Award is voted on by ECC employees.

“I am totally humbled and grateful that the faculty and staff thought me worthy of this prestigious award,” she said. “I endeavor to make everyone feel special and help those around us who need it.”

“I will always feel like ECC is home,” Harrell added.

To be considered for the honor, an ECC student must have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. In addition to academic achievements, participation in campus and community activities is also considered.

Harrell is a 2020 graduate with a 3.516 Cumulative GPA. She received an associate of arts in the STEM pathway, with an emphasis in chemistry. She graduated with PTK honors.

Each year the Outstanding Student Award winner is presented a plaque at graduation and given a $100 award. Harrell will be recognized later this year during a commencement ceremony.

Harrell was the PTK vice president of public relations in 2019-20 and she served as an ECC Student Ambassador from March 2019 to May 2020.

“I would not have been able to accomplish nearly what I did without the unconditional support and love of my family,” she said. ”My husband, Jeff, our six sons, and my mom all played a role in getting me to this point.”

Harrell is taking summer courses at Missouri S&T, Rolla, in the Honors Program where she is working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, with a focus in biochemistry.

“My end goal is to work in pharmaceutical research developing new mental health medications to help alleviate the suffering many of our fellow humans experience.”

Faculty/Staff 

In April, Harrell was named a winner of the 2020 Scott Wright Student Essay Contest from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD).

Her essay From Uncertain to Unstoppable tells how ECC’s Dr. Matthew Monzyk, associate professor of chemistry, inspired, challenged and encouraged her.

Harrell credited Monzyk and many other ECC faculty and staff members who helped her attain her goals, including Phi Theta Kappa Advisors Kevin and Melanie Dixon.

She added that instructor Wendy Pecka encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone, and instructors Anne Estes and Shaun Roberson assisted her in her math courses and increased her “confidence in my academic ability.”

Harrell said that faculty member Sue Henderson encouraged her to “find a room of [her] own,” Dr. Monzyk challenged her with the course load and material, and Linda Arrington tutored her and encouraged her, pushing Harrell to excel, she added.

Community Service

Outside of ECC, Harrell was a First Baptist Church of St. Clair Vacation Bible School teacher in 2019 and 2020.

She is heavily involved with the Boy Scouts of America and served as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout STEM Counselor since 2016. Harrell also is a Cub and Boy Scout SuperNOVA mentor; the Cub Scout Pack 3449 Advancement Chair since 2018; Scout Pack 3449 Public Relations Officer since 2018; and Troop 82 Committee Chair since 2019.

East Central College is preparing for Phase 2 of its Return to Campus plan, which will allow for more on-campus meetings with students while maintaining virtual/remote options.

Beginning July 1, appointments no longer are necessary for current and prospective students to sign up for fall semester classes, meet with advisors or access other student services, according to ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer.

“Campus buildings will remain closed for public use but drop-in student traffic for advising and registration will be permitted,” he said “Virtual appointments can still be offered if a student prefers to meet with student development staff remotely.”

Other offices, such as financial aid and advising, will also be open for students to visit on campus and remotely. An appointment can be scheduled at www.eastcentral.edu/virtual-ecc.

Current and prospective students will be required to wear face masks inside buildings.

Following the closure of ECC to the public in March due to COVID-19, a three-phase plan to reopen before the fall semester was developed.  Phase 2 is scheduled to begin Wednesday, July 1, and end Sunday, Aug. 16.

Library/Learning Center

There will be minor changes to the library schedule. The library will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The library’s chat service is available from 5 p.m. through 8 a.m. during the week and on weekends.  Library materials will be checked out on request; library staff will retrieve the items from the library shelves, which will remain closed at this time.

The Testing Center will remain open until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday through the end of summer courses on July 23, and then operate on interim hours, closing at 4:30 p.m., until the beginning of Fall classes.

Testing by appointment will continue with some slots being available for drop-in testing.

Dr. Bauer noted that a decision on the commencement ceremony will be made in early July.

The first day of 16-week classes for the fall semester is Monday, Aug. 24. This fall, a wide range of courses will be in-person, seated classes on the ECC campuses. There also will be online and remote courses available to students.

The Learning Center (TLC) at East Central College is offering an opportunity for students who have been out of the classroom setting for several months to brush up on their skills.

TLC is extending enrollment in its free JumpStart! Program to anyone in the service region who has been set back in their studies due to COVOD-19.

According to Lisa Haag, the program is an online, self-paced tool for anyone in the region who need math and English help because they have been out of school for nearly 6 months.

“This is a nice program for students who have been out for too long,” she said, “or academically they are not where they need to be.”

The program is geared toward students who are enrolled in college courses for the fall semester. They do not have to be enrolled at ECC, Haag added.

“This is a great opportunity to brush up on their skills for the spring semester,” she explained.

Many of the students who have been utilizing the JumpStart! Programming are high school students experiencing college for the first time.

It is designed to close the skills gap between the end of traditional high school curriculum to the beginning of college, giving students a refresher and jumpstart to college at the same time.

In addition, the program is for students returning to college after they have been in the workforce for an extended period of time.

The program is also ideal for current ECC students who have not adjusted to the transition to online classes and need to repeat a course.

There are two JumpStart! programs available through the ECC Learning Center — JumpStart! English and JumpStart! Math.

The next session begins July 1 and a second session will begin Aug. 1. There is a weekly meeting with participants and tutors via Zoom.

“It is summer and a little slower, so we can tailor the class to fit individual needs,” Haag added.

According to Haag, the program also offers an introduction to incoming freshman to The Learning Center.

It also is a chance for students to learn about Canvass, a learning management platform using a digital learning environment.

JumpStart! English

The JumpStart! English program is geared toward students who have an Accuplacer score of 250-255 in reading.

The English JumpStart! Program has been designed to give students an even stronger foundation in reading and writing, not just for English classes, but also for other general college courses they may be required to take.  To learn more about JumpStart! English, contact Haag at 636-584-6688, or email lisa.haag@eastcentral.edu. Students also can email general_tutoring@eastcentral.edu.

JumpStart! Math

The JumpStart! Math program is geared toward students who have an Accuplacer score of 250-255 in Quantitative Reasoning and higher than 250 in reading on the Accuplacer test.

JumpStart! Math is designed to give students a foundation in math and the study skills essential for college-level courses.

To learn more about JumpStart! Math, contact Alison Tucker at 636-584-6660, or email Alison.tucker@eastcentral.edu. Students also can email general_tutoring@eastcentral.edu.

There are still roster spots and scholarships available for the first East Central College women’s soccer team.

The ECC Falcons women’s soccer inaugural season kicks off this fall under Coach Martin Clayes.

ECC Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff said recruiting for fall sports was stalled earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

To join the team, student athletes must have graduated from high school as an incoming freshman. Sophomore players must have 24 college credit hours over a 2.0 GPA to be eligible.

“The East Central College women’s soccer team plans to compete with a full roster this fall semester,” Mehrhoff said. “As recruiting was slowed due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the team is still looking for players to finish out the roster.”

He noted that all incoming athletes will also need to have a physical examination completed by a doctor and be ready to start meetings on Aug. 4-5 with a start for practices on Aug. 11. Scholarship possibilities still exist for qualified individuals.

Women soccer players can contact Coach Clayes at martin.clayes@eastcentral.edu to discuss the opportunity of becoming a Falcon this fall.

In December 2019, the ECC Board of Trustees voted to add women’s soccer and bring back men’s baseball to ECC’s athletic offerings.

Clayes was named the new, full-time combined men’s and women’s head soccer coach at ECC in February.

He moved from his previous position as head men’s soccer coach at St. Louis Community College, where he won the 2019 NJCAA Region 16 Men’s DI Soccer Tournament in his first year in the position.

A native of Scotland, Clayes came to the United States on a soccer scholarship to Truman State University where he was a member of the Bulldogs soccer squad during their most successful run in school history.

For more information about ECC or to apply, visit www.eastcentral.edu/virtual-ecc.

Click below for a physical exam form.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION FORM

East Central College remains the top performing academic athletic department in the conference for an 11^th straight year.

The Missouri Community College Athletic Conference (MCCAC) honors the highest overall grade point average from the conference with the Harold Oetting Award. ECC’s GPA was 3.18.

The recognition comes on the heels of an unprecedented transition to all on-line classwork and spring seasons that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This marks 11 straight years, 2010-2020, the ECC Athletic Department has posted the highest overall GPA in the conference.

According to ECC Athletic Director Dr. Jay Mehrhoff, the cornerstone to the academic success is the tradition set by the sophomores leading the way for the freshmen to see the path to academic success.

“Our athletic department achievements may not have had some of the championship results this past year, but our student athletes will be winners in the future, he said. “Our student athletes transfer to four year schools, graduate and successfully enter the workforce.

“Athletics are important for teaching life lessons and our student athletes gain an extra step to college completion after attending ECC,” Mehrhoff added.

True dedication to academics by the student athletes along with support provided from numerous areas on campus have been key factors to this success.  A number of student athletes have received NJCAA Academic honors with 17 student athletes receiving awards from the NJCAA with a 3.6 grade point average or higher for the 2019-2020 academic year.

All- American Honors

Listed below are the student athletes and sports they played who were named to the NJCAA Academic All-American Team.

First Team (4.0 GPA)

Kaylee Abney, softball

Makayla Bevfoden, volleyball

Gary Dunne, soccer

Mallory Feldewerth, softball

Arman Kovac, Soccer

Donald Meyer, soccer

Nicole Roper, volleyball

Leonard Sowa, soccer

Second Team (3.8 to 3.99 GPA)

Katie Gaus, softball

Danielle Kimminau, softball

Lily Warrick, volleyball

Guy Baskerville, soccer

Kaylyn McKee, softball

Third Team (3.6 to 3.79 GPA)

Stephen Akot, soccer

Flavio Santi, soccer

Maya Street, softball

Leslee Weddle, softball

Academic All-Region/Conference (3.25 GPA or higher)

Soccer — Jacob Buhr and Tanner Graef

Volleyball —Sophie Parsons, Kaley Roper, Samantha Staab and Mariah Vahlkamp

Softball — Mackenzie Altenthal, Jenna Crider, Kaili Edler, Kristyn England and Jordan Owens

Academic All-Conference (3.0 GPA or higher)

Softball — Sierra Voiles, Madelyn Webb

Volleyball — Macey Morehead

Soccer — Gabriel Pires

The East Central College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend the contract of president Dr. Jon Bauer to run through June 2023.

Trustees conducted Dr. Bauer’s evaluation, which was followed by the decision to extend his contract for an additional three years. The extension was voted on after the board’s monthly meeting Monday, June 8, during an executive session.

His previous contract was awarded in 2019 and was slated to end June 30, 2022. Dr. Bauer’s contract coincides with ECC’s fiscal year that ends June 30.

ECC Board of Trustees President Ann Hartley said the six-member board voted unanimously and “enthusiastically” in favor of Dr. Bauer’s contract extension.

“Dr. Bauer has done an outstanding job of leading ECC through the process of creating a new strategic plan and fulfilling all of the requirements for full HLC (Higher Learning Commission) accreditation,” she said.

“He has also developed and led a team of dedicated faculty and staff to create a positive and effective learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hartley added. “Dr. Bauer has demonstrated his dedication and commitment to East Central College and we feel extremely fortunate to be able to offer him this extended contract.”

Dr. Bauer completed his eighth year as ECC president this spring. He is the college’s sixth president, succeeding Donald Shook, Charles Novak, Dale Gibson, Karen Herzog and Ed Jackson.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue leading the college that I love,” he said. “Despite challenging times right in front of us, I would not want to face those challenges with anyone other than the faculty, staff, and trustees of East Central College.”

SOAR to 2024

A primary focus of Dr. Bauer over the past two years has been the SOAR to 2024 strategic plan.

In 2018, East Central College partnered with CampusWorks to help design a strategic plan. The plan was adopted by ECC Trustees in August 2019.

SOAR to 2024 sets forth five action statements: partnerships, pathways, employees, financial strength and Rolla.

• The “Pathways” strategy focuses on developing clear academic and career pathways with personalized • support to increase enrollment and promote student success.
• The “Partnerships” strategy focuses on strengthening partnerships with local high schools, higher education institutions and employers to drive intellectual and economic development in the region.
• The “Employees” strategy concentrates on creating a culture of collaboration and learning to attract, retain and develop diverse and talented employees at the college.
• The “Financial Strength” strategy puts attention on securing financial strength in order to sustain institutional viability, retain and develop diverse and talented employees.
• Finally, expanding ECC’s presence and offerings in Rolla to enhance the college’s impact throughout the region is the mission of the “Rolla” strategy.

 

In the year 2020, college libraries have become much more than just a place to borrow books. And for East Central College Library Director Lisa Farrell, her job consists of much more than just loaning books to students.

Backed by a new federal grant, Farrell will lead the charge in digitizing ECC documents, yearbooks, newspapers and other media to preserve publications and make them more accessible.

The ECC Library is among nearly 30 in the state to participate in a project to digitize publications using an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant. The grant was awarded to MOBIUS (Missouri Bibliographic Information User System), a consortium of libraries that share information resources, services and expertise.

“We are really excited about this,” she added. “Digitization is something we have talked about often.”

Farrell applied for the grant in February and it was awarded in May. She said ECC will be notified when the funds become available and she can begin moving forward with the project.

According to Farrell, a primary piece in the digitization plan is past editions of Cornerstone, the ECC student newspaper.

She added that she and Leigh Kellmann Kolb, assistant professor and student media advisor, have discussed many times the digitization of the student publications.

“We’ve always tossed around the idea of digitation of Cornerstone because newspaper quality doesn’t hold up,” she said. “Anytime we hear about opportunities to digitize, Cornerstone is always part of the discussion.”

ECC has previously digitized material for the 50^th Anniversary celebrated in 2019, as well as yearbooks.

Farrell explained that materials, such as playbills, commencement programs and other items printed for and by ECC will be digitized for future audiences to view.  Digitization would include only the items in which ECC owns the property rights.

“I see this as a great effort to get materials beyond ECC’s doors,” Farrell said. “We will digitize items specifically with local interest.”

Grant Funds

ECC will receive funding for subscription fees to Vital, a digital repository and management system designed for universities, libraries and other institutions, with the intent to assist colleges that have not been able to digitize materials and make them available to the public.

The exact amount of the grant has not yet been determined, Farrell said.

Farrell explained that the grant will fund digitization equipment, training for staff on how to handle materials and the process to use the equipment. The training will include creating metadata so digitized material can be located online.

She added that a Digital Production Lab mentoring program will be developed to pass the skills and processes onto more ECC staff members.