Tag: Grant

ECC Receives $2.1 Million Federal Grant to Support Student Success

October 25, 2023 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College has been awarded a $2.1 million grant to boost its graduation and retention rates among rural and low-income students.

The highly competitive federal Title III grant was awarded through the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP), which is administered by the U.S. Department of Education, with a focus on rural, low-income students, said Dr. Robyn Walter, Vice President of Academic Affairs at ECC.

“The primary objective of this project is to elevate the graduation rates of all of our students, with a particular focus on rural, low-income students,” she said. “The grant builds on our track record of effective retention strategies, and it will enhance advising and academic support to foster student completion.”

The grant funds are restricted to programs and initiatives that directly help students succeed.

Walter noted that low-income students, especially those eligible for Pell grants, often face unique challenges and hardships. More than one-third of ECC’s students qualify for Pell grants.

Over the next five years, ECC will implement grant initiatives designed to enhance and strengthen the institution’s academic quality, support services, fiscal stability, and capacity to serve its student population. ECC stands out as one of only two colleges in Missouri to receive the Title III grant, and it’s the sole community college to do so.

“This is excellent news for the institution and for our students,” said ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer. “The grant is highly competitive, and I appreciate Dr. Walter’s hard work and everyone who contributed. It will have long-lasting benefits.”

Implementation

Through this grant, the college will focus on its Guided Pathway model, a holistic approach to student success, and strengthen its Success Coach program to support and engage with students. Additionally, there will be increased emphasis on supplemental instruction in courses, utilizing students who have previously excelled in class to assist those who may need assistance.

ECC will establish the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), an evidence-based structured path to success that helps low-income students earn an associate degree swiftly through financial, academic, and personal support.

Furthermore, the college will increase the provision of equipment, such as laptops and hotspots, to students who lack the resources or technology for sufficient internet access.

ECC will also become a member of the Achieving the Dream (ATD) network, a comprehensive organization that provides a network of institutions focused on student success at community colleges. This network offers peer support and expertise on a national scale. Becoming a member of the ATD network is a distinction of quality for a community college, Walter added.

Among various methods to support students, the college will expand professional development opportunities for faculty and introduce more HyFlex courses, enhancing online course design.

The HyFlex model provides students with three learning options during one class: in-person, remote live video streaming at the regular class time, or online viewing of recorded video when convenient, often referred to as “asynchronously.”

The HyFlex modality allows for flexibility to help meet students where they are in their educational and personal life journey,” Walter said.

To learn more about East Central College, its programs and pathways, visit www.eastcentral.edu/.

Finish Line Grant Program Helps Reduce College Debt

June 2, 2023 | Campus News ECC Rolla

A state grant is now available to help Missouri residents pay off college debt and return to the classroom.

The Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation’s (MSLF) Finish Line Degree Completion Grant is designed to assist former students who have an unpaid balance at East Central College and other Missouri colleges and universities, making them unable to register for classes.

The MSLF will pay up to $3,000 toward a past due balance to provide former students with the ability to complete a degree or program. The application deadline is June 30.

To be eligible, Missouri residents must have a past due balance that is approximately six months or older and is preventing them from completing a degree program.

Additionally, Finish Line candidates must re-enroll, or transfer, to ECC or another eligible Missouri school; they must have completed half their program of study and have a last previously known estimated family income (EFC) of $12,000 or less.

Visit www.moslf.org to apply for the Finish Line Degree Completion Grant. For more information, contact MSLF at info@moslf.org or 636-787-2677.

Trustees Approve Simulation Lab Equipment Bids

November 5, 2020 | Campus News

The East Central College Board of Trustees Nov. 2 approved the bid for $132,610 in equipment for Nursing and EMT program simulation lab equipment.

Trustees unanimously approved the bids for new manikins, equipment and software for the lab. The state-of-the-art technology is funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business Development grant program at no cost to ECC.

The USDA 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. ECC is receiving a total of $180,704 in grant funds from the USDA.

Nancy Mitchell, Dean of Health Sciences, told Trustees that the equipment comes at a time when simulation lab equipment is increasingly more important due to COVID-19 restrictions at ECC health care partners.

“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,” Mitchell said.

She added that the eight manikins simulate real-life responses to the student’s medical intervention displaying symptoms and reactions to the care they receive from the students.

“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 patient care setting,” Mitchell said.

Joel Doepker, Vice President of External Relations, said 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.

“This grant positions the college to expand our Nursing and EMT programs and address the regional skills gap,” said Doepker. “We appreciate the USDA’s program that recognizes East Central College as a good investment.”

According to Mitchell, the simulation will provide an excellent learning strategy to help prepare students to enter the workforce.

“Our clinical partners at the health care systems in our region provide excellent learning experiences for our students,” she said. “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.”

East Central College Receives Grant to Support Disabled Veterans

August 10, 2019 | Campus News

East Central College is excited to be a recipient of a $47,000 grant from Cornell University as part of the Combat2Careers program! Supported by the Kessler Foundation, the goal of the program is to honor student veterans by helping them gain employment and increase their financial independence.

Lorrie Baird, ECC’s Veterans Services and Financial Aid Advisor, will serve as the Combat2Careers Coordinator. “I have a son in the military, and I know it can be a challenge for veterans who are returning to their civilian lives. This program provides career and academic counseling services and helps veterans sharpen their resumes and improve their interviewing skills.”

The two-year program is designed to help any disabled veteran find a job that matches his or her occupational preference. Additionally, Combat2Careers develops employment methods specifically tailored to the needs of female disabled veterans, allowing them to overcome academic and employment challenges.

“This project gives our student veterans the chance to strengthen their identity, pride, growth and a sense of well-being,” said Baird. “At the same time, it allows East Central College to discover more innovative ways of serving our student veterans with disabilities.”

Veterans in the Combat2Careers program will have access to all of ECC’s programs and services, including the Veterans Lounge, which opened in 2017.

For more information about the program, contact Lorrie Baird Lorrie.Baird@eastcentral.edu or 636.584.6570.

ECC Awarded National Endowment for the Arts Grant

August 9, 2019 | Campus News Performing Arts

East Central College is proud to announce it has received an Arts Engagement in American Communities (AEAC) grant for second year in a row!

The $10,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts will help support the annual concert series for the 2019-2020 school year.

“We are proud to host world-renowned acts like the Arianna String Quartet and St. Louis Symphony every year,” said Dr. Jennifer Judd, Concert Series Coordinator and East Central College Professor of Music. “It couldn’t happen without the support of the community, the college and amazing organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts.”

The AEAC grant supports arts projects in all artistic disciplines, extending the National Endowment for the Arts’ reach to communities across the United States. These grants engage the public in diverse and excellent art in underrepresented geographic areas.

“All Americans should have access to the arts,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Grants such as this one to East Central College are an important part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ work to ensure people in communities both large and small across the nation have the opportunity to experience the arts.”

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities.

Information about upcoming concerts can be found at eastcentral.edu/tickets.

East Central College to Receive More Than $500,000 to Expand Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeships

July 22, 2019 | Campus News

East Central College will continue to lead Missouri in advanced manufacturing apprenticeships thanks to a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The U.S. DOL announced last month that Missouri will receive nearly $12 million to create the Missouri Apprenticeships in Manufacturing Program (MoAMP), a statewide initiative to improve the ability to deliver innovative pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training programs.

Participants will learn skills and earn industry credentials, certificates and/or degrees that will lead to high-demand entry-and middle-skills occupations in the advanced manufacturing industry.

More than $500,000 will be awarded to East Central College to continue its current registered apprenticeship program and create additional apprenticeship opportunities.

“East Central College is a leader in the development and implementation of U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeships,” says Dr. Jon Bauer, president of East Central College. “ECC currently works with nine area companies on apprenticeship programs that includes nearly 40 apprentices. Advanced Manufacturing is crucial to the success of our area, where one in five jobs in the East Central College service area are in manufacturing.”

ECC apprentices learn on the job while also taking classes at East Central College that can lead to a certificate and/or a degree in high-demand manufacturing fields.

Advanced manufacturing in Missouri represents nearly nine percent of total private sector employment with more than 200,000 workers across some 9,700 establishments in 29 industries. From 2012-2017, Missouri’s manufacturing employment grew by 17,555.

The grant-writing effort was led by the Missouri Community College Association and St. Louis Community College, which will act as the grant’s fiscal agent. The grant application was also written with extensive input from state workforce development leaders and workforce investment boards.

The nine-member consortium of Missouri’s community colleges and State Technical College of Missouri, and private-sector partner, National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), will target three career pathways of occupations within advanced manufacturing: automation and systems, logistics, and production and maintenance.

The nine colleges that will participate in the statewide consortium are East Central College (Union), Jefferson College (Hillsboro), Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City), Mineral Area College (Park Hills), Moberly Area Community College, St. Charles Community College, St. Louis Community College, State Fair Community College (Sedalia), and State Technical College of Missouri (Linn).