Category: ECC Rolla

Rolla Nursing Student Receives Scholarship

February 22, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College nursing student Tela Connors is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from the Missouri League for Nursing (MLN).

Connors, of Salem, is studying to be a Registered Nurse and is slated to graduate in May.

She will be recognized at the ninth annual Student Nursing Convention April 6-7 in Osage Beach. The scholarship can be used for tuition, books and supplies.

ECC nursing program instructor Joannie Blakely was Connors’ clinical and course instructor last year. She said Connors received an “exemplary performance award” for her clinical performance.

“She is a true advocate for her patient’s and provides quality safe patient care,” Blakely said. “She will be a great asset to the healthcare system.”

According to Julie Chirban, also an instructor in the college’s nursing program, Connors’ personality and work ethic is very well suited for a nursing career.

“Tela is a confident student with years of health care experience that has enhanced her ability to perform at a high level,” Chirban said.

“She is kind to patients as well as to her co-students. She has gone out of her way to help fellow students during this program, and she is a pleasure to have in class and clinicals,” she added.

“Tela will be a wonderful addition to the nursing profession.”

MLN is a not-for-profit organization established in 1953 to support the delivery of quality health care by nurses and other health care providers through education, collaboration and information.

It is the leading organization for promoting excellent health care through programs designed to meet members and health care professional’s continuing educational needs.

MLN is committed to collaboration and networking with other professional organizations and coalitions across the state. It is one of the top constituent leagues in the nation.

East Central College nursing student Tela Connors has been selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Missouri League for Nursing. Pictured, from left, are ECC nursing program instructor Julie Chirban, Connors; and instructors Jon Elias and Joannie Blakely.

Rolla ELA Student Working Hard to Become Citizen

February 21, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Tsiala “Manana” Alaverdashvili began attending English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes in Rolla in 2016.

Her instructor, Jean Craft, said that she studies very hard.

“She studies all the time, especially for the citizenship test. I think she knows all of the answers,” asserts Craft.

In English class, Manana works on reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

“(English) speaking and yes, listening, they are very hard things,” she admitted, with a little laugh.

Manana grew up in Gori, Georgia and then moved to Tbilisi with her husband, Ramaz. Georgian is her native language and she also speaks Russian fluently and can read and write German.

While living in Tbilisi, where her husband worked as a physicist, Manana was the principal librarian for 56 branches of libraries. She held this position from 2004 to 2015.

Prior to this, she worked as a kindergarten teacher and held various positions at Tbilisi State University.

Since moving to Rolla in 2016, Manana has also worked to serve those in need. From 2016-2017, she worked with the Salvation Army.

Since March, 2018, Manana has volunteered at the Rolla Mission.

“There are good people at the Mission – friendly people,” expressed Manana.

At the Rolla Mission she helps serve breakfast and lunch. She washes the dishes for 30-35 people and cleans the facility. At times, she helps sort the items that are donated to the Mission.

Manana genuinely cares about the welfare of others.

“As it is known, there are homeless people at the Mission. Some of them have physical or mental disabilities, therefore they need help. I like very much when I am helping people in need.”

“She is a very kind person and makes friends wherever she goes,” Craft said. “It is very easy to like her.”

Manana has two children, a daughter, Elene, who is a Chemist living in Georgia and a son, Bachana, who is a Physics professor living in Santa Clara, Calif.

She has two grandchildren living in Georgia, Andrea who is 7 and Anastasia who is 4. Although she doesn’t get back to visit them, they often see one another remotely online.

Family ties are very important to Manana. One of the things she likes so much about the U.S. is linked to this.

“American people love family. I love the friendly relations in the USA.”

Ramaz, her husband, works at Missouri State University. He is a physicist who works in Science and Technology.

“He is retired but still works,” Manana added.

She noted that her plan is to become an American citizen.

“This is my dream and goal.”

There are those in the world who inspire and support others’ opportunities to grow and transform. Manana is a great example of that kind of consideration.

Learn more about or sign up for the AEL program.

Trustees Approve Slight Tuition Increase

February 9, 2022 | Campus News ECC Rolla

The East Central College Board of Trustees on Feb. 7 approved a slight increase in tuition costs beginning in the fall 2022 semester.

There will be a $5 credit hour tuition bump for students who live within the district, outside the district and for international students.

ECC Vice President of Finance and Administration DeAnna Cassat said the increase was determined by a subcommittee of the Budget Advisory Committee focused specifically on tuition, which presented its findings to administrators.

She explained the tuition subcommittee’s focus was on intentional, long-range planning and key factors such as a predicted declines in high school population both nationally and in Missouri were considered.

In addition, gradual tuition increases over larger, less frequent increases are preferred by the subcommittee, administrators and trustees.

“Smaller increases over time are easier for our students than larger sporadic increases,” Cassat commented.

She further explained the tuition subcommittee includes staff and faculty from different departments at the college who collaboratively work together to establish a recommendation.

“It is a very collaborative group that put a lot of work into this decision and provided a lot of data and information,” she said.

ECC ranks in the Top 5 in least costly community colleges among the 14 institutions in Missouri regarding tuition. More than half of the community colleges in the state will raise tuition for the Fall 2022 semester.

Cassat noted that the tuition increase is 4.5 percent, which is lower than the 7 percent nationwide inflation rate.

Tuition and fees also are lower than the amount students receive in A+ funds and Pell grants.

“That is really important to us,” Cassat said. “We want to stay under those thresholds for our students.”

ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer added that a full-time student taking 15 credit hours will pay $4,300 in tuition and fees. Students who qualify for Pell grants receive $6,500 in federal aid.

Tuition Tiers

There are three tiers of tuition at ECC. Tier 1 includes most programs, as well as general education classes. Tier 2 consists of classes in culinary arts, industrial maintenance technology, nursing and precision machining programs.

There will be no change to the Tier 3 tuition, which includes health care programs at ECC Rolla, radiological technology, surgical technology and licensed practical nursing (LPN) programs.

The new in-district tuition rates will be $115 per credit hour for Tier 1 classes. In-district rates for Tier 2 classes will be $139 per credit hour.

The cost for dual-credit and dual-enrollment courses in the 2022-23 academic year will be $58 per credit hour, an increase of $3 per hour.

Out-of-district rates will be $161 and $195 per credit hour for Tier 1 and Tier 2, respectively.

The rates per credit hour for out-of-state students will be $235 for Tier 1 and $286 for Tier 2. Tuition for international students will be $241 per credit hour for Tier 1, and $306 per credit hour for Tier 2.

Student Fees

There was a $3 increase per credit hour in student fees also approved by trustees, bringing the total to $30 per credit hour. In addition, there are slight changes in the areas where the fees will be spent. Listed below is the fee breakdown and how it was changed:

• Student Activities $9 per credit hour (previously $8.50).
• Support Services $1 per credit hour (no change).
• Technology $3 per credit hour (no change).
• Facilities $8 per credit hour (no change).
• Security $9 per credit hour (previously $7.50).

Students Inducted into Rolla PTK Chapter

December 1, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Eight students recently took part in a virtual induction ceremony to join the Beta Omicron Phi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at East Central College in Rolla.

The keynote speaker for the event was Stevi Kay Berry, Missouri regional PTK officer and student at Ozarks Technical Community College, in Springfield, Mo.

The following students were inducted during the ceremony:

Adrienne Elizabeth McCane
Makayla J. Mullins
Mariah Mae Daniels
Mark Gibbs Trawick
Alexis Diana Bolich
Andrew Paul Shelton
Jessica Lynn Richardson
Andrea Abigail Hribar

After the ceremony, another member, Samantha Sophia Britton, joined the honor society.

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

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

Those remaining who have been invited to join, but haven’t yet, can still do so through the end of the year.

Students Praise ECC Apprenticeship Program During National Apprenticeship Week

November 17, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

The students enrolled in the Industrial Maintenance Specialization apprenticeship course at East Central College in Rolla have nothing but great things to say about their experience.

“I’m glad ECC does this. It’s nice having the equipment here to physically work on instead of just listening to someone talk about it,” said student Brandon Iske.

An apprenticeship is on-the-job training with job-related instruction intended to develop new skills and to increase employee wages.

“This apprenticeship program is for those in manufacturing who are looking to progress. Our students learn the skills and knowledge necessary for promotion,” Duane Clonts, Industrial Engineering Technology instructor, explained. “One of my students started as a lineman, and after taking last semester’s classes, he was promoted and is now in maintenance.”

ECC Rolla employees are working with Royal Canin, Rolla, and Cohen Architectural Woodworking, St. James, for this apprenticeship program. There are five students enrolled. The specialization takes two years to complete. These students started in January 2021 and are expected to complete the program in December 2022.

“A lot of what I have learned in this program has helped me in my job and will help me in the future,” accounted student Gerald Pulliam.

The program’s instructor has much to do with his student’s success and high praise of the course.

“Duane is very knowledgeable. You wonder how he can keep all that knowledge in his head. It takes a special type of person to teach this class because you have to be so well rounded and know so much,” explained Pulliam. “Duane is very smart and truly one of a kind. I would recommend him specifically because he is such a good teacher.”

Iske had similar sentiments.

“He’s really good. He’s laid back, yet stern. If we need help, he will help us but won’t just come out and say the answer. He guides us there,” he added.

National Apprenticeship Week, Nov. 15-21, celebrates the programs devoted to people evolving their skills in the workplace through an “earn while you learn” model.

For more information on apprenticeships through East Central College, visit https://www.eastcentral.edu/cwd/registered-apprenticeships/.

Rolla Nurse Shares her Story of “Socktober” to Help Others’ Mental Health

October 25, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

On Thursday, Oct. 14, former East Central College student Amber Miller wore a pair of fuzzy black and orange knee-high socks, a pair she won’t wear again this month.

These days, wearing fun and colorful socks is something Miller, of Rolla, enjoys doing. She even dubbed this month, “Socktober,” and she spreads her message with others by giving colorful Halloween socks.

The brightly colored socks she gives away are accompanied by her story of depression and treatment.

It was 10 years ago that the Halloween socks became much more than a fun distraction, but instead a coping mechanism that kept her going day after day.

Miller, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who has taken many of her prerequisite classes at ECC, recently told her story to the college’s Student Government Association.

In September 2011, she was battling depression and she was in the middle of a suicide attempt when her mother called her.

“One of the biggest and most important parts of my story is that phone call from my mom,” Miller said.

“She just reached out. She called at exactly the right moment,” she added. “We don’t know when people are suffering, because so many of us hide behind a smile or jokes or laughter. I don’t know that anyone knew how isolated and alone I felt.”

For that moment, Miller said she was safe, but still battling depression.

Halloween Socks

The next day she went to a store in Columbia where she purchased a variety of Halloween, her favorite holiday, socks.

“I didn’t realize that those socks were giving me something to look forward to,” Miller noted. “I didn’t recognize that it was a very strange coping skill for my depression — I think I just felt like a very strange girl, who found a way to smile every day.”

The colorful, fun Halloween socks helped her get through a difficult October 10 years ago, Miller said. She then planned a Thanksgiving for the residents of the nursing home where she was working.

According to Miller, it was around Thanksgiving 2011 that she moved back home to seek treatment and her mental health improved.

Now she is married with two children and using the same tool she used for hope, Halloween socks, to let others in the community know that help is out there.

“I want to help people as much as I can, and I think a lot of that starts with helping people mentally,” Miller said. “It’s hard to want to get better from an illness if you’re not feeling up to it mentally.

“I’ve seen a lot of people be more compliant with treatment with some gentle nudging to take care of their mental health first.”

Miller initially kept her Halloween sock tradition to herself, but after a few years, she began spreading joy and helping others.

“The biggest reason I started deciding to share the message though, is that someone I cared for very much was struggling with addiction,” she added.

“I know he must have had a great deal of depression, and I think I saw an opportunity to try to help him as well. I was becoming more aware of my own feelings and emotions and recognizing what Socktober really meant to me. I thought it could help him feel better too.”

Spreading Her Message

Miller’s mission to help grew, and she began mailing socks randomly along with her story and what the socks mean to her. The mailing also includes the phone number for the suicide prevention hotline and a P.O. Box number where people can reach out to her.

She also hands out socks to people around town, and this Thursday, ECC Campus Life and SGA will be giving socks to students during a Halloween costume contest. Along with the socks will be a printed paper with Miller’s story.

Halloween socks and Miller’s story will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Café Central atrium at the Union campus.

Today, Miller’s children, Marcia and Jack, and her husband, Ben, assist with the Socktober mission. Miller added that her husband is taking information technology classes at ECC in Rolla.

“My daughter loves Socktober and helps me pick my socks out. My son has a few pairs and I put them on him sometimes,” she said. “My husband sat down and helped me package up socks this year. He’s a wonderful guy, and incredibly supportive.”

This year Miller will give out 434 pairs of socks, including those that will be distributed at ECC.

“This is a huge number in comparison to past years and I am grateful for all who have helped with my endeavor,” she said.

Miller added that she is working with The Rolla Mission to give socks and share her story with those who are assisted by the organization. The goal, she said, is to “promote inspiration, wellness, and providing them with a small comfort going forward in their journeys.”

There is a GoFundMe account set up to help Miller with expenses for Socktober. To donate or learn more, people can visit the page at https://gofund.me/b12f17fe.

ECC to Take Over Health Care Programs in Rolla

October 6, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College will assume sponsorship of two health care programs from the Rolla Public School District beginning fall 2022 — licensed practical nursing (LPN) and surgical technology.

During the Oct. 4 board meeting, ECC Trustees unanimously approved tuition and fee schedules for the licensed practical nursing (LPN) certification and a new surgical technology associate of applied science program.

The LPN and a surgical technology certificate programs both are taught at the Rolla Technical Center (RTC), where ECC already holds several classes. The courses will continue to be taught at the RTC.

According to Nancy Mitchell, Dean of Health Sciences, the surgical technology program’s accrediting body, the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, is now requiring an associate degree, not just a certificate, before taking national licensure examination.

She added that the program is a “1 plus 1” program that requires a year of general education, CORE 42 courses prior to surgical technology classes and labs.

The students could potentially take their general education courses on the Union campus and take the remaining three semesters of the surgical tech courses in Rolla, added Dr. Robyn Walter, Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Through the surgical technician program, the students will learn aseptic techniques, instrumentation, surgical procedures, and direct patient care before, during and after surgery. Upon graduation of the new surgical technician curriculum, students will receive their associate of applied science degree in surgical technology.

ECC will retain the faculty members who have been teaching the courses for both programs.

“We are very excited to add these programs and these faculty members,” Mitchell said. “We are also excited to give students another health care degree option.

“This is another avenue in which we can work with our health care partners,” she added.

The LPN program is a three-semester, 11-month program that includes a clinical experience. It is designed for students to acquire the skills and knowledge essential to the role of a competent practical nurse. Upon successful completion of this program, graduates receive a certificate of graduation and are qualified to take the national licensure examination (NCLEX-PN).

According to Mitchell, programs will officially begin in the fall of 2022 under ECC. The application deadline is April 1.

She noted that it will be less costly to students once ECC takes over because the college has more resources for these types of programs than the Rolla School District. Both programs will be fully funded by tuition and fees paid by students.

It will cost $200 per credit hour for in-district students and $300 per credit hours for out-of-district students. The course fees will vary.

Just like the radiologic technology training program taken over by ECC last spring, the Rolla School District is transitioning the program to ECC, primarily because the program is only available to adults, not high school students. Rolla Public Schools Is focusing programming specifically on elementary and secondary education.

ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer said the Rolla School District approached ECC about taking over sponsorship of the programs less than one year ago.

“This is a lot of work over the several months,” he said. “In October of last year this wasn’t on our radar.”

He credited Walter, Mitchell and Christina Ayres, ECC Rolla director, program faculty members and all who worked to make a smooth transition.

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.

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.

New Summer Learning Academy Classes in Rolla

June 9, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College is offering a new slate of Summer Learning Academy (SLA) classes for Rolla area children and teens.

The academy will provide a unique, fun experience for area youth this summer, and this year the classes are free.

SLA is facilitated by the ECC Community Education division. This is the first year there will be classes offered in Rolla.

There are a variety of classes geared toward children ages five to 16. New classes include: Newborn/Pediatric Nursing: How to Care for Baby, Science by Brewer, Fly Tying Fun!, EV3 Robotics, Harry Potter and the Science of Potions, Exploring Egyptology and Learn the Art of Crochet.

To sign up or to see a class schedule, visit Summer Learning Academy.

SLA classes are designed with curiosity and creativity in mind — letting students develop talents and encourage exploration and personal growth.

Students or parents will be asked to prioritize their interests while registering. After registering for three courses, they will be placed on a waiting list if they choose to sign up for a fourth course. Participants can register for a maximum of four classes.

For more information, people may email Pam.Kaiser@eastcentral.edu or call 636-649-5803.

Outstanding Student Award Presented to Nursing Graduate

May 19, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College recognized a leader and compassionate nursing graduate with the 2021 Outstanding Student Award.

Rolla nursing program graduate Summer Thorp-Lancaster received this year’s award, which is voted on by ECC employees.

Each year, the Outstanding Student Award winner is presented with a plaque at graduation and given a $100 award. Thorp-Lancaster was recognized May 15 during a commencement ceremony held in the Donald Shook Student Center.

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.

Thorp-Lancaster

Thorp-Lancaster is a nursing student with a GPA of 3.66 and she is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She is a recipient of a Missouri League for Nursing Scholarship and a Phelps Health Scholarship.

She received nine separate nominations for 2021 Outstanding Student Award.

ECC Rolla nursing instructor Courtney Brandt MSN, RN, said Thorp-Lancaster is a leader among her peers. She served as the student nurse organization president during the last academic year.

“In this role she has organized fundraisers and service projects,” said Brandt. “She is the go-to when you need a volunteer, she organizes class events and is always supportive of her classmates.”

“Summer excels in the classroom. She is inquisitive and excited to learn new information,” she added.

“Her priority is to make sure she is well prepared to be a successful nurse. In the clinical setting she has demonstrated that she will be a skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate nurse. She quickly builds relationships with her patients and is a great patient advocate.”

Another of Thorp-Lancaster’s instructors, Julie Chirban, MSN, RN, agreed that the award recipient is kind, compassionate and helpful to other students.

“She will go out of her way to help a fellow student with coming early or staying late after class to go over things,” Chirban said.

Before attending ECC, Thorp-Lancaster started a local nonprofit called WomanSpace that provided space for small-business events, as well as meeting space and a sense of community. She is highly respected among friends who practice and seek alternative health care and natural food options, and she worked as a doula for several years.

Thorp-Lancaster has volunteered for several limited-time opportunities in her Phi Theta Kappa chapter, including filming a promotional video targeting nontraditional students and why ECC is the right fit for those students.

She served a short term as the Rolla PTK public relations secretary during the end of 2020 Spring semester before classes went all online. Thorp-Lancaster has been available on short notice multiple times to read parts of an induction ceremony, run to the store for supplies and other small but vital tasks that keep the PTK chapter functioning.

She also was awarded the Outstanding Student in Human Anatomy & Physiology at the Rolla Student Awards ceremony in 2019.

Jennifer Harrell

The 2020 Outstanding Student Award was presented to graduate Jennifer Harrell on May 15.

Harrell, who is now attending classes at Missouri S&T, Rolla, was recognized by ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer and the college in June 2020, however, there was not a graduation ceremony where she could be officially honored.

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.

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