Tag: NISOD Excellence Award

ECC Employees Recognized with NISOD Excellence Awards

May 1, 2024 | Campus News

Three East Central College employees are being recognized for their dedication to students, the College and their coworkers with 2024 NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Awards.

The ECC award recipients are Dr. Parvadha Acosta, Associate Professor, Biology; Chad Baldwin, Director of Online Learning & Educational Technology; and Megan Elbert, Executive Administrative Assistant, VP of Student Development.

NISOD is a professional development provider that offers programs and resources for community and technical colleges. Member colleges can recognize employees through the Excellence Awards, which are presented to faculty and staff who are doing extraordinary work on their campuses.

Award recipients receive a unique silver medallion engraved with The University of Texas and NISOD insignias and adorned with a burnt orange ribbon. NISOD is based out of the University of Texas in Austin.

Each recipient was nominated for this award by a colleague and selected by the administrative team after the nominations were reviewed.

“On behalf of the entire institution, I offer my heartfelt thanks to each of these individuals for the service they provide daily to ECC students and to their colleagues,” said ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer. “Job well done and recognition well deserved.”

Below are comments about each recipient from their nominations.

Dr. Parvadha Acosta

“Dr. Acosta has grown in her role as faculty, becoming one of ECC’s strongest student advocates,” her nomination reads.

“She is an active supporter of faculty professional development and took on a leadership role in ECC’s faculty professional development’s first ever Chew On This watch party and discussion. Her commitment to the community shows in her leadership of ECC’s Earth Day and United Way.”

Chad Baldwin

“Chad is the backbone of our online learning world,” his nominator wrote. “He’s the wizard who makes sure online classes run like a well-oiled machine.

“Chad is not just a tech genius; he’s a game-changer for ECC and the man who keeps us on track and makes our online learning experience top-notch!”

Megan Elbert

“Megan does the big things and little things to make people feel supported and welcomed. She many times is a go to person for support as she is extremely good at making individuals feel heard and seen,” Megan’s nomination states.

“Staff turn to her when they need advice or guidance. She has served on many key college committees and roles such as the insurance committee, the compensation committee, multiple board policy review teams, and served as a strategic planning tri-chair just to name a few. Megan provides service for our students both behind the scenes and on the front lines.”

NISOD Excellence Awards Presented to ECC Employees

February 13, 2023 | Campus News ECC Rolla

Three East Central College employees are being recognized for their dedication to students, the College and their coworkers with 2023 NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Awards.

The ECC award recipients are Stacy Bellville, administrative assistant for the vice president of academic affairs; Jennifer Higerd, assistant professor of art and the Art Gallery curator; and Alice Whalen, director of adult education and literacy.

Stacy Bellville

Bellville has worked in many different offices within academic affairs, and in each case, she has approached her work with professionalism, enthusiasm, passion and humor.

“She embodies the College’s value of service every day. She is always ready to answer questions and deals patiently with her colleagues,” Bellville’s nomination reads. “Stacy is invaluable in helping with assessment activities. She also serves with diligence, integrity, and thoroughness as the recorder for collective bargaining sessions.

“Her enthusiasm and dedication to ECC go beyond her work as an administrative assistant.”

Bellville has represented the ECC Classified Staff in various capacities for many years, bringing that same passion to helping organize an array campus events from in-service activities to holiday parties and everything in-between. She reinforces a sense of collaboration among all employees.

“Stacy is the go-to person for many, not just for her knowledge of the inner workings of the college and her competence, but for her encouragement and support.”

Jennifer Higerd

Higerd has been a valued faculty member for 12 years, serving as an advocate and mentor for art students. In her role as Art Gallery Curator, she exposes students and the ECC community to master artists of various media from all over the country.

She serves ECC through her commitment to assessment. As one of the three faculty chairs of the Instructional Assessment Committee, she has made Annual Assessment Reporting and Planning (AARP) a priority.

“Jenn’s commitment to ECC was showcased when she served as one of the tri-chairs for the Higher Learning Commission comprehensive evaluation visit,” Higerd’s nomination states. “In this role, she was instrumental in preparing faculty and staff for the site visit and in writing the assurance argument. Her hard work helped guide ECC to a successful re-accreditation.”

Whether it is creating professional development opportunities, meeting with faculty and staff regularly — one example is her monthly meeting with arts and sciences’ dean, department chairs and coordinators — or co-leading ECC faculty and staff through the first comprehensive review of general education, her passion for assessment is inspirational.

Alice Whalen

Whalen has served as the AEL program director since 2014. Alice has expanded the program from offering AEL programming in six communities in 2014 to 13 communities throughout the ECC service region today. The AEL program offers day and evening HiSET classes and English language acquisition courses, serving an average of 300 individuals per year.

She developed a program with WEG Transformers, Washington, to provide over 30 non-native English-speaking employees with classes to enhance their language skills. In 2015, under her leadership and direction, Whalen worked with the South Central Missouri Literacy Council in Phelps Country to add four counties, Crawford, Gasconade, Franklin and Montgomery, to create the East Central Literacy Council. The Council supports the ECC AEL program and raises funds to cover additional AEL student expenses.

Whalen is the AEL representative for the Missouri Association for Workforce Development (MAWD) as the Adult Education and Literacy representative and serves as a MAWD board member, as the Public Information chair. In 2022, she presented at the MAWD conference and the Missouri Association for Adult Continuing and Community Education conference about the effects of poverty on students titled “Poverty from an Insider’s Perspective.”

“As ECC focuses its attention on adult learners, Alice is the co-chair of a committee to design a process map for AEL students to matriculate into college programming,” her nomination reads.

“Alice knows the importance of community involvement and understands how multiple barriers effect a student’s ability to start and complete their education. Alice’s positive energy at the college and throughout the ECC service region is contagious, as she strives to make sure anyone who wants to enhance their lives through education, can do so.”

NISOD Excellence Awards Presented to ECC Employees

June 23, 2022 | Campus News

Three East Central College employees recently were recognized for their dedication to students, the college and their coworkers with 2021 NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Awards.

The ECC award recipients are Erin Anglin, executive director of The Learning Center; Bobby Bland, welding instructor and program coordinator; and Bethany Herron, student services specialist.

Erin Anglin

Erin Anglin, executive director of The Learning Center, was nominated for the NISOD Excellence Award by Megen Strubberg, director of early college and admissions.

“Erin embodies ECC’s core values of Collaboration, Integrity, Empowerment, and Learning on a regular basis,” Strubberg wrote in the nomination. “Despite her calm exterior, Erin is enthusiastic, thoughtful, and frank when it comes to finding new and improved ways to recruit and retain students.”

Strubberg added that Anglin takes a student-centered approach, which is beneficial due to her “front-row seat” to the journey of many ECC students.

“The beginning of the pandemic, she pulled her staff together to offer tutoring and testing services in expanded ways,” Strubberg said, adding that Anglin is working with ECC’s Early College and Admissions team to enhance retention efforts, from the beginning of the student life cycle.

“Under Erin’s leadership, The Learning Center has completely transformed from a somewhat lower-key spot for academic tutoring to a dynamic, welcoming place for students to know they are encouraged and valued,” she said.

Bobby Bland

Welding Program Coordinator Bobby Bland was nominated by Dr. Richard Hudanick, dean of career and technical education for “extraordinary work” he exhibits daily.

“Over and above his duties as a faculty member and a coordinator for East Central’s Welding program, Bobby continuously is setting the bar higher and higher for standards in classroom instruction and industry partnership relations,” Hudanick commented.

“On any given day, Bobby can be found critiquing the quality of weld-joints performed by his students to talking with industry partners to coordinate interviews for future graduates.”

Hudanick added that Bland volunteers for efforts in his ECC campus community outside the welding lab. That includes working with the theater department with welds for a prop or supporting ECC’s baseball team by assisting with a welding project near the baseball field.

“Bobby is truly a humble man who is always willing to put others first,” Hudanick said. “His endless energy level drives a sense of team spirit with his co-workers — Bobby is a great example of an individual who dignifies the NISOD Excellence Award.”

Bethany Herron

Herron was nominated for the NISOD Excellence Award by Stephanie Hebert, enrollment services business analyst.

“Bethany has worked tirelessly to support the Student Development Division for eight years,” Hebert said. “She is always willing to step up and do whatever she is asked.”

That has been especially true, Hebert added, during the past two years as Herron’s department has adjusted to working with students and staff in the virtual environment. During that time, Herron has trained multiple new employees who have been hired as a Student Service Specialists.

“She does it all with a smile and a can-do attitude,” Hebert said. “Bethany makes it a point to learn student’s names and will often follow up with students to make sure they are completing all of the steps required for admission, registration, financial and graduation — Bethany is a joy to work with and I am thankful to know her and learn from her.”