2015-2016 President's Report

This past academic year at East Central Community College (ECCC) has been one of the most outstanding in the 88-year history of our institution. We graduated 597 students following the 2015-16 academic year, the largest class in the history of ECCC. Nine of our 10 varsity sports teams competed in postseason play, six were nationally ranked, and two won state championships. The college began a pilot of a four-day class schedule in spring 2016, the campus became tobacco free on January 1, 2016, and our Theta Xi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa was named to the inaugural President’s List. ECCC was again named a Military Friendly School for the fourth straight year, the inaugural WarriorFest brought hundreds of people to campus for family fun, and our Wall O’ Sound Band marched in Gov. Phil Bryant’s inaugural parade. A new women’s dormitory is under construction to help alleviate a waiting list of female students who wish to reside on campus, two male dormitories were renovated, construction on new tennis courts is expected to begin soon, and planning is underway for a new band hall. In the area of communications, new websites for the college and the varsity sports teams have been launched, the college’s first mobile app is now available for Apple and Android devices, and ECCC has begun providing live streaming over the internet of selected events. Several of our students, faculty, and staff were honored throughout the year for their ingenuity, skills, leadership and other talents. And these are just a few of the many accomplishments at East Central in the past year. I am often asked by other college presidents and administrators, “How do you do it?” My response to this question typically is, “How do we do what?” What they want to know is how such a small institution like East Central achieves all of these accom plishments, such as those mentioned above and found on the pages that follow in this year’s President’s Report . The answer is always quite simple, and twofold. We have a strategic plan, and it’s called 2020 Vision . I talk about this strategic plan every opportunity I get. I talk about it each month with our Board of Trustees, each meeting of our Executive Council team, and when speaking to faculty, staff, students, and members of the communities we serve. It guides every decision we make at ECCC. My response to this question usually involves an explanation that our institution is committed to Student Success, Teaching and Learning, Community Partnerships, Resource Planning and Development, and Communication—the five Institutional Commitments defined in 2020 Vision . I also explain that each year we measure our college’s progress in these Institutional Commitments. Finally, I explain that we

are not afraid to try a “new thing” if a new thing would better equip us to address one or more of these five commitments. However, during my response to these questions, I always have to return to one common denominator in all of our college’s achievements: our people. I am con vinced that our college is blessed with the best Board of Trustees, county support ers, administration, faculty and staff, students, and alumni in the state of Mississip pi. They are the key ingredients to what we call the EC Way: Excellence with Class and they are the real reason I am asked the “How do you do it?” question so often. On behalf of our entire college family, I want to thank each of you for your part in the success our college has enjoyed this past year in the continued fulfillment of the Institutional Commitments of our 2020 Vision strategic plan.

Dr. Billy W. Stewart President East Central Commuity College

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