Category: Campus News

ECC Rolla Students Recognized at Achievement Night

May 10, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College annually holds a Student Achievement Night, an awards ceremony to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of students.

This year’s event for Rolla students was hosted by Campus Life and Leadership and the Rolla Engagement Council.

Students are nominated for awards by faculty to recognize academic excellence, perseverance and contributions to a culture of student success, both in and out of the classroom.

Organization Awards

Kelsea Smith was chosen as the Outstanding Student Leader for Spring 2022. Smith was nominated by Joannie Blakely, nursing instructor and the club advisor for the Rolla Student Nurses Organization.

Nominations for this award are submitted by club advisors, and the winner is chosen via committee. The award recognizes one student annually from each location for exceptional leadership skills and abilities.

Karli Gordon and Madison Jolly were recognized for their contributions as club officers for S-MSTA (Student Missouri State Teachers Association). They were nominated by Gregory Stotler, club advisor.

Academic Awards

Awards of academic distinction are given to students by faculty members in recognition of academic excellence.

The students chosen for this award demonstrate an understanding of the course material, are active participants in class, and contribute to the larger culture of succeeding and high-level thinking in the classroom.

The following Rolla students were given awards for academic distinction:

Ariana Young, Human Anatomy Physiology I & II
Donna Neulinger, Intro to Human Anatomy & Physiology
Taylor Oldham, Intro to Human Anatomy & Physiology
Yangzhi Wang, Intro to Human Anatomy & Physiology
Bobbie Del Rosario, Paramedic Technology
Trevor Graves, English
Abby Riegel, Radiologic Technology
Morgan Diedrich, Radiologic Technology
Michaelangelo Arnold, Radiologic Technology.

Spirited Falcon Awards

Spirited Falcon awards are given to students by faculty members in recognition of perseverance, a consistent willingness to learn and improve, and measured improvement as deemed appropriate by the faculty nominator.

The award is designed to honor students who, despite any obstacles they may face during their semester, demonstrated a continued commitment to their education and success as a student.
The following Rolla students were given Spirited Falcon awards:

Alyssa Baird, Mathematics/Trigonometry
Morgan Diedrich, Radiologic Technology
Carlos Guzman, Philosophy
Karli Gordon, Philosophy
Reginald Brigham, Philosophy.

Library Director to Speak at AEL’s High School Equivalency Ceremony

May 6, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Scenic Regional Library Director Steven W. Campbell will be the speaker for the East Central College Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) graduation ceremony.

The ceremony will recognize students who have passed the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET). It will be Saturday, May 14, at 2:30 p.m. in the Donald Shook Student Center gymnasium.

Campbell, who has been serving as director of Scenic Regional Library system since 2012, also is an adjunct political science instructor at ECC. He has been an adjunct instructor since 2019.

Before moving to this area, Campbell was the director of the North Kansas City Public Library from 2007 to 2012.

According to Campbell, those being recognized during the AEL ceremony should be very proud of their accomplishment.

“I think people underestimate the difficulty involved in completing a HiSET exam after leaving school,” he said. “Once people have full-time jobs and sometimes families, going back and being able to prepare, and then pass, such an extensive test is a tremendous accomplishment.”

Campbell described the achievement as “pressing the reset button.”

“It also opens up endless possibilities for someone,” he added. “They can go to college or a trade school or really pursue whatever career opportunities they wish.”

About Campbell

Campbell has a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Central Missouri, master’s degree in library science from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a second master’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

He was named the Missouri Library Association’s Outstanding Professional Librarian in 2017.

Currently, Campbell serves as president of the new Franklin County Volunteer Transportation Board of Directors, president of the Franklin County Literacy Council, president of the East Central Area Literacy Council and recently was appointed to the City of Union Planning and Zoning Commission.

In addition, he has been serving on the Missouri Evergreen Board of Directors — a statewide library consortium — since 2014. Campbell was president of the organization from 2016 to 2018.

Campbell previously served on the Four Rivers YMCA Board in Washington and as member-at-large and treasurer of the Missouri Library Association’s Board of Directors in 2019-2020. From 2012-2022, he served on the Union Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and he was president of the Chamber board in 2019-2020.

President Shares Joys of Community College on Twitter

May 5, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Each day of Community College Month in April, East Central College President Dr. Jon Bauer wrote a tweet to share with his followers and the community what it is he loves about community colleges, and specifically ECC.

On April 1, Bauer launched a month-long Twitter campaign to give a glimpse of what is great about community colleges. Throughout April, he tweeted one reason daily in his “30 Days of Why I Love Community Colleges.”

A positive community college tweet each day from the College leader never was an obstacle.

“The challenge was not how to come up with 30 different reasons to love community colleges,” he said. “The challenge was what I would have to leave out.”

The inaugural tweet recognizing Community College Month on April 1 was, “Students with passion!”

Each day he used the hashtag #CCMonth and tagged the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) at @Comm_College; the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) at @CCTrustrees; and East Central College at @ECC_Falcon.

Community College Roots

This July 1 will mark a full decade that Bauer has been the president at ECC. He is the longest serving president of the College behind the founding president, Dr. Donald Shook.

Bauer started at ECC in 1995 and has served in a variety of positions at the College, including vice president of finance and administration, and multiple dean and director positions.

Bauer himself is a community college graduate as he noted on Day 26 in his “30 Days of Why I Love Community Colleges,” when he mentions “New Students.”

“These are wistful days, thinking of my own first day at #communitycollege.”

In addition, in an editorial to local newspapers and online publication, Bauer wrote, “Community Colleges May Be Our Best Idea.”

“As I reflect daily on another reason I love East Central specifically, and community colleges in general, I’m increasingly convinced we are more vital today than we were even two years ago. Our students and communities need us.”

Although celebrating Community College Month started at the top at ECC, it didn’t end there. The college recognized the month with a graphic on its digital sign at the main entrance of the Union campus, as well as social media posts using the #CCMonth hashtag.

When April neared its end, Bauer’s month-long journey of what he loves about community college culminated with a photo — a selfie featuring himself and several ECC graduates on a previous commencement day.

“Commencement represents our core mission. Students come to us with a dream, and we help them realize that dream,” he commented.

“Whether it’s a degree, a skill, a job, or all of the above, our mission is helping them reach that goal. Commencement symbolizes that in a very visible way.”

ECC Students and Grads Recognized at MCCA, PTK Event

May 3, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Four current East Central College students and two graduates were recognized for academics and leadership during the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) Student Leadership and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society Awards Luncheon.

ECC students Donna Hall, Arica Doerr, Brooklyn Hyatt, and Brandon Morrow; and graduates Kya Nilges and Dora Bell, each were recognized during the April 28 event held at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo.

Hyatt, ECC Student Government Association vice president, was a recipient of an MCCA Student Leadership Award. These awards are presented annually to one exceptional leader from each community college.

PTK Honor Society Awards

Each year the PTK Honor Society, along with participating corporate partners, sponsors the Academic All-USA competition for students attending two-year colleges.

PTK ranks applicants nationally, then forwards results to MCCA. The top 40 students statewide are then named Academic All-State award winners, with 10 first-team, 10 second-team, and 20 third-team winners.

Bell and Hall were both named to the All-Missouri Academic First-Team. Doerr and Morrow were named to the All-Missouri Academic Team Third-Team.

Bell also was recognized as a Phi Theta Kappa Coca-Cola Scholar, a distinction only given to students with the top 150 scores from across the country. Bell was a Bronze Scholar, and she received a $1,000 scholarship.

PTK All-Missouri Team

The PTK All-Missouri Team recognizes high-achieving two-year college students who demonstrate academic excellence, intellectual rigor, leadership, and service that extends their education beyond the classroom to benefit society.

Each of the students receives a cash scholarship from MCCA along with a medallion and certificate honoring their academic achievement.

There are two “competition” levels, one for transfer-track students and one for students who are in workforce preparation programs (AAS and certificate-level programs). ECC is allowed to nominate up to two students for each pathway from both Union and Rolla.

To be eligible, students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and be on track to graduate or complete their programs by the end of the fall semester. Students also are required to submit a lengthy application that involves writing essays and getting letters of recommendation to support their applications.

Art & Design Student Exhibition Winners Announced

May 3, 2022 | Art Campus News

During a reception for the Annual East Central College Art & Design Student Exhibition, the Best of Show was presented to Manny McQueen for his Self Portrait.

That is in addition to several other Best in Category and Honorable Mention accolades presented at the exhibition reception held April 28 in the ECC Art Gallery.

The exhibit is a celebration of the culmination of the year’s hard work, growth, and learning by the students, according to Jennifer Higerd, ECC art instructor and gallery coordinator.

This is the first reception that was held in person since 2019. For the artists, it is an opportunity for their parents, friends, and family to join the faculty to acknowledge and honor their hard work.

The Art & Design Exhibition showcases the work ECC students accomplished over the course of the academic year. The show closes Wednesday, May 4.

During the award presentations, Sean Barton, graphic design instructor, described that the class of freshman and sophomore students as a “powerhouse,” due to the number of incredible artists in the ECC program.

Students may submit up to five works to be considered for the exhibition. The art faculty selected the works to be on display, and an outside judge – Michael Behle, artist and art professor at UMSL — chose the best works in each category as well as the Best in Show award.

Listed are the show winners and honorable mentions by category, and the names of the works:

Best of Show

Manny McQueen – Self Portrait

Digital Design (Poster Design)

Honorable Mention – Caleb Brinker, Visit Rothyll travel poster

Best in Category – Parker Williamson, Labyrinth, have a cup of tea

Digital Design (Page Design)

Honorable Mention – Carolyn Horst, Gerard Way

Best in Category – Blake Rodgers, Critical

Digital Photography

Best in Category – Sage Sparkman, Delicate Daffodils

Graphic Design

Best in Category – Carter Hanse, Wild Advances

Photography

Honorable Mention – Miriam Bondor, Love With Your Life

Best in Category – Joseph McCary, Art School Jesus

Sculpture (3D Design, Ceramics)

Honorable Mention – Madison Barbarick, Humminghorse

Honorable Mention – Manny McQueen, Ugly Tiger

Best in Category – Carter Hanse, Treeli

Functional Ceramics

Best in Category – Manny McQueen, Sake Set

Painting

Honorable Mention – Kylee Vawter, Self Portrait

Best in Category – Emma Lombardino, Self Portrait

Drawing

Honorable Mention – Megan Pritchard, Colanders & Cones

Honorable Mention – Emily Knoppe, Arts n’ Cats

Best in Category – Chloe Eades, Not your hole

Figure Drawing

Honorable Mention – Mary Bequette, Skellyman & the Patient

Honorable Mention – Emily Knoppe, Colorful Figure

Best in Category – Abby Stanfield, Female Figure

2D Design

Honorable Mention – Caleb Brinker, 200 Lines

Best in Category – Lacy Buchanan, Danny 5 Ways

Illustration

Honorable Mention – Emily Knoppe, Aerial Witchcraft

Honorable Mention – Ash Dodson, Vegan Pho Bowl

Honorable Mention – Travis Gatlin, The Harp

Best in Category – Sara Carter, Unreliable

Aimée Appell Named 2022 Commencement Speaker

May 2, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Human rights advocate and community organizer Aimée Appell will address the East Central College Class of 2022 during commencement exercises Saturday, May 14.

This year’s graduation ceremony is at 11:30 a.m. in the Donald D. Shook Student Center in Union.

Appell, pastor of Peace Lutheran in Washington, leads or is heavily involved in, community organizations with strong ties to the College.

That includes Neighbors United – Undoing Racism, which holds an annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at ECC. Appell is the chairperson of that organization.

Appell also is involved in the Equal Justice Franklin County Community Remembrance Coalition, the Juneteenth Celebration and Stories Matter, which all have connections to ECC. She also has moderated a discussion on “Interrupting Racism” on campus.

“I love the presence that ECC has in the community,” she said. “Higher education always brings a lot to the community — that includes music, culture, plays, art and more.”

In addition to organizations like Neighbors United and the Remembrance Coalition, Appell was appointed to the City of Washington’s community relations board in 2020.

She noted that it is important to be active in the community and be part of conversations that positively impact communities.

“Each of us has gifts to bring to our community, and we can use those gifts to build bridges. We may have different opinions about how to get there, but all of us are called to be involved,” Appell commented.

“The more each of us participates, the better our communities will be,” she added. “Whatever our political, religious, or cultural views, we all have something to bring, and we can all work to help others have a voice and a place in society.”

Appell, who originally is from the Washington, D.C., area, lived in Seattle, Wash., and then moved to Washington in 2010. She and her husband, Nelson, have three children — Elinor, Holden and Grace.

Appell earned a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minn.

In the summer of 2019, she began working on a Doctor of Ministry degree at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga. She plans to graduate in 2023

Appell explained that she is studying ways pastors and congregations can better engage in conversations about race from the pulpit and in their communities.

ECC Highest Transfer GPA in State Among Community Colleges

April 27, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College students transferring to four-year colleges and universities in Missouri have the highest Grade Point Average among all community college in the state.

According to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD), students who began taking courses at ECC in the 2019-20 school year, and then transferred to four-year schools, have a median cumulative GPA of 3.44, higher than any other community college in Missouri.

The 3.44 GPA is based only on full-time students who earned 12 or more credit hours at ECC. There are 265 students who fit the criteria.

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.

“This is a testament to our exemplary faculty who, year after year, set our students up for success,” he said. “To see how well our students are performing after transferring to the many other colleges and universities in Missouri also proves the high-quality programming we offer at ECC.”

The DHEWD studies furthers shows that 81.5 percent, or 216, of those transfer students were still enrolled at a four-year as of fall 2021 — also a very strong metric for ECC.

The continued enrollment percentage is the third highest among all two-year colleges in Missouri.

PTK Collects Snacks for Military Units Overseas

April 27, 2022 | Campus News

The Chi Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at East Central College in Union collected snacks and donations to purchase items for U.S. troops serving overseas.

ECC students, employees and community members all generously chipped in to provide snacks, card games, word puzzles and more to the military members. United States. Packages will be sent to three different locations. The packages go to a unit, not just a troop.

“PTK is humbled to be part of this experience and proud of our ECC community for the support that it has shown for our troops,” said Sarah Mier, PTK Chapter president. “This is a small way we can say thank you for the sacrifice that they give for us.

“Thank you to all our service members and veterans,” she added.

In the photo commemorating the collection, PTK members and advisors wore “#22” shirts to raise awareness for veterans, Mier said.

“On average, 22 veterans a day sadly make the decision to take their own life,” Mier commented. “We are wearing these shirts to bring awareness to this devastating issue and let the veterans at ECC know that they are not alone, if they are struggling there is hope and help.”

Any veteran who is struggling can call the veterans crisis line at 800-273-8255 and press 1.

Learn more about PTK and to find contact information for advisors.

Work of ECC Art and Design Students on Display in Gallery

April 25, 2022 | Art Campus News

The work of East Central College art and design students is on display now in the ECC Art Gallery.

The annual showcase is an opportunity for the college staff, faculty, students and the community to see the works of ECC art students, according to Jennifer Higerd, assistant professor of art and gallery curator.

The show began April 20 and will run through May 4. A reception will be held April 28 from 5-7 p.m. in the Gallery.

“The works in the show are chosen from numerous entries and they were selected because of the quality of the works and the ideas engaged in the work,” Higerd said. “We invite everyone to come join us to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our students.”

She added that the art faculty selected the works to be on display, and an outside judge – Michael Behle, artist and art professor at the university of Missouri-St. Louis – chose the best works in each category, as well as the Best in Show award.

The awards will be presented during the reception Thursday.

Students with work in the show are:

Abby Stanfield, Ash Dodson, Blake Rodgers, Bobby Claspill, Caleb Brinker, Carolyn Horst, Carter Hanse, Charity Reynolds, Chloe Eades, Emily Knoppe, Emma Brown, Emma Lombardino;

Joe McCary, Kimberlee Clements-Thompson, Kylee Perriman, Kylee Vawter, Lacy Buchanan, Madison Barbarick, Manny McQueen, Mary Bequette;

Megan Pritchard, Milo Guile, Miriam Bondor, Paige Pelster, Parker Williamson, Sage Sparkman, Sara Carter and Travis Gatlin.

Photo of campus with the text Congrats, Faculty!

Trustees Approve ECC Faculty Promotions

April 20, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Five East Central College faculty members have been promoted in rank.

The ECC Board of Trustees approved recommendations by the college’s rank and promotion committee. The new rank goes into effect in the Fall 2022 semester.

Listed below are the faculty members approved for promotion, their current rank and the rank when the promotion goes into effect:

Ellen Aramburu — instructor, assistant professor
Nathan Esbeck— instructor, assistant professor
Lisa Hanneken — instructor, assistant professor
Dr. Rachel Howard — instructor, assistant professor
Leigh Kolb — assistant professor, associate professor

Faculty members must follow a process to be promoted in rank, including the submission of an application to seek promotion. The application is then reviewed by the ECC Rank and Promotion Committee.

The committee reviews all submitted portfolios and makes a recommendation to the college vice president of academic affairs and the college president for a final decision. The process is rigorous, and promotion is not automatic.