2016-2017 President's Report

2016-2017 President’s Report

A Year in Review Our Mission Statement at East Central Community College (ECCC) guides the operations of our institution by clearly defining the fundamental purposes of the college and why we exist. Serving and meeting the educational and training needs of our five-county district is at the core of that mission. Likewise, our Vision Statement clearly frames our long-term aspirations for the future. Being

recognized nationally and preferred locally is at the core of that vision, and we are recognized as one of the nation’s best in economic mobility of our graduates, workplace environment, graduation success, graduation rates of minorities, and many other areas, while continuing to be the starting point for a college education for the majority of public high school seniors in our district. We have just completed another outstanding academic year at ECCC. This 2016-2017 President’s Report gives you a brief glimpse of some of the many accomplishments at ECCC that demonstrate how we continue to fulfill our Mission and our Vision. While this past year has been a time of achievements and celebrations, it also has been a period of challenges associated with significant reductions in state appropriations. The college’s plan to address those reductions in the new fiscal year, which began July 1, 2017, was approved in May by the ECCC Board of Trustees. You can see an article on the budget plan at www.eccc.edu. The plan addresses several ways—both revenue increases and

expenditure reductions—ECCC will offset an estimated $1.3 million reduction in state appropriations for the 2017-18 fiscal year. ECCC experienced reductions of $642,103 during the just completed fiscal year, but good fiscal planning allowed us to withstand four separate cuts without having to further implement revenue increases or expenditure decreases. These are difficult financial times in the state of Mississippi, and all colleges and universities and other state agencies are experiencing substantial reductions in state funding as well. However, thanks to the sacrifice and hard work of our faculty, staff, administration, and Board of Trustees, we have a plan that will not only address the estimated $1.3 million budget

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reduction, but possible mid-year decreases in state or local appropriations or tuition and fees as well, without minimizing the outstanding education we offer our students. There remains a great uncertainty of the state’s fiscal condition in fiscal year 2018 and beyond. Despite the fact that we are making sacrifices on our campus to adjust accordingly, I remain

as excited as ever about the future of this great institution. After all, this isn’t the first time ECCC has faced budgetary challenges and I’m quite sure it will not be the last. I’m confident we will emerge from these challenges a better and more efficient institution. With difficult challenges come great opportunities, and East Central Community College and its faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and supporters are prepared to turn these funding challenges into opportunities to better meet our commitments to Student Success, Teaching & Learning, Community Partnerships, Resource Planning & Development and Communication. Great things are happening every day at ECCC.

We are proud of our accomplishments this past year as we continue to fulfill our mission and pursue our vision to be “Nationally Recognized” and “Locally Preferred.” We hope you enjoy this look back at the 2016-2017 year at your community college.

Dr. Billy W. Stewart President

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Student Success

PBL NATIONAL HONORS – East Central Community College’s Theta Chi Chapter of Phi Beta Lambda—the largest community college chapter in the na tion—and 14 students received national recognition during the PBL National Leadership Conference held June 24-27 in Anaheim, Calif. More than 2,500 stu dents from colleges and universities across the nation participated in more than 50 events. Theta Chi was the only Mississippi chapter to receive the Diamond Chapter Award and was also named a Gold Seal Chapter, one of only two awarded in Mississippi. Paxton Holmes of Morton was honored with induction into Who’s Who in PBL, which is awarded to only one student per state. Jessica Everett of Decatur was recognized as Mississippi PBL state president. Fourteen other students received individual awards during national competition.

AWARDS DAY – The six newest members of the college’s Hall of Fame were recognized at the 2017 ECCC Awards Day ceremony April 20 in Huff Auditorium. Selection to the Hall of Fame is considered the highest honor a student can receive at the college. Hall of Fame inductees for 2017 and their respective high schools include (from left) SammThompson of Newton County, Katie McCool of Louisville, Makenzie Byrd of Sebastopol, Anastasia Crout of Lake, Khalil Triplett of Philadelphia, and Sydney Battle of Philadelphia. Awards were also presented in career, technical, healthcare, alumni memorial, faculty memorial and special categories.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SCHOOL – Four May 2017 ECCC graduates were selected to participate in the highly competitive summer entering class of Occupational Therapy School at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Lindsey Ayllon of Newton, Sydney Battle of Philadelphia, Kaitlyn Thrash of Madison, and Stephanie Smith of Louisville are members of the last entering class without a bachelor’s degree.

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ATHLETIC SUCCESS – All 10 Warrior sports teams qualified for and competed in postseason play last year – the only community college in the state that can make that claim. Five of the 10 teams were ranked among the best in the nation during the 2016-17 year, including baseball No. 6, softball No. 8, men’s tennis No. 17, football No. 21, and golf No. 24. The ECCC football team won its first-ever MACJC South Division Championship and qualified for the MACJC football playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in 40 years.

TEAM ACADEMIC SUCCESS – The ECCC women’s tennis team was named the overall women’s Academic All-State Team in the 15-team Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges and was among five varsity sports teams at the college to earn National Junior College Athletic Association Academic Team of the Year honorable mention awards for having met the grade-point average requirement of 3.00 or better for the 2016-17 season. The Lady Warriors finished with a 3.71 GPA and were ranked third in the NJCAA among women’s tennis teams. The baseball, softball, women’s soccer, and men’s tennis teams also received national honorable mention honors. STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC HONORS – In all, 73 ECCC student-athletes were named MACJC Academic All-State for having a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and 51 student-athletes were named NJCAA Academic All-American, including 21 who received the NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence and NJCAA All-Academic First Team for achieving a 4.0 GPA.

RURAL PHYSICIANS/ DENTISTS SCHOLARSHIPS – May 2017 East Central Community College graduates Makenzie Byrd of Sebastopol and Emily Dykeman of Forest were selected to participate in the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program. The program identifies rural college students who aspire to return to their roots to practice medicine. May 2017 graduates Morgan Cain of Carthage (left) and Graham Murphree of Little Rock (right) were chosen for the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program. Similar to the Rural Physicians Program, it identifies rural college students who aspire to return to their roots to practice general dentistry.

SKILLSUSA NATIONAL CHAMPION – ECCC Career & Technical student Cauley Mayo of Louin (left) placed first in the nation in the Industrial Motor Controls category at the 53rd annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Competition held June 19-23 in Louisville, Ky. More than 16,000 people, including students, teachers and business partners, participated in the weeklong event. Jacob Perry of Louisville Perry placed 18th in Plumbing.

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Teaching & Learning

CULINARY ARTS RANKING – The college’s Culinary Arts Technology program was ranked No. 3 among all such programs in the state of Mississippi in a report by Best Choice Schools. The rankings, published at BestChoiceSchools.com, include the top 10 best culinary programs in Mississippi that offer a variety of certificates and degrees in the culinary arts and related fields, a variety of coursework, a low student-to-faculty ratio, a professional work setting, and internship opportunities. ECCC offers an associate of science degree in Culinary Arts Technology, as well as technical and career certificates.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR DIVERSITY – East Central Community College ranks among the top 100 community and junior colleges in the nation in conferring degrees to minorities in three different academic areas according to recent data released by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education . ECCC is ranked No. 30 among all two-year colleges and schools nationwide in the number of degrees awarded to African-Americans in Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences and No. 37 in the nation in degrees awarded to Native Americans in Liberal Arts and Sciences/General Studies/Humanities. East Central also ranks No. 85 nationally in degrees awarded to Native Americans in all academic disciplines combined.

GREAT COLLEGE TO WORK FOR – East Central Community College was named one of the best colleges in the nation to work for in an annual survey of more than 46,000 college and university employees by The Chronicle of Higher Education , a top trade publication for colleges and universities. ECCC was one of only three community colleges in Mississippi and one of only 25 two year schools in the nation to be honored by The Chronicle in 2016. In all, only six two-year or four-year colleges and universities in the state received recognition. Only 93 of the institutions that applied for the program achieved 2016 “Great College to Work For” recognition. East Central was recognized in the categories of Collaborative Governance, for faculty members who are appropriately involved in decisions related to academic programs; Confidence in Senior Leadership, for leaders who have the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience for institutional success; Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship, for supervisors who make expectations clear and solicit ideas; and Work/Life Balance, for policies that give employees the flexibility to manage their personal lives.

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AUTOMATION AND CONTROL TECHNOLOGY – ECCC began plans during the year to offer the new Automation and Control Technology program in fall 2017. Automation and Control Technology provides participants with the knowledge and skills necessary for gaining employment as an automated manufacturing systems technician in maintenance diagnostics, engineering, or production in an automated manufacturing environment. Those who successfully complete the 60-credit hour, two-year program of study will be awarded the Associate of Applied Science degree.

UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY – A national study published in The New York Times indicated that East Central Community College ranks No. 40 out of 690 community colleges in the nation included in the study, and No. 3 in Mississippi, in overall economic mobility of graduates over their lifetime, despite being among the lowest two-year colleges in the nation in family income of incoming students.

MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL – ECCC was designated as a Military Friendly School by Victory Media for the fifth consecutive year. ECCC is one of only five community colleges in Mississippi to earn the Military Friendly designation for 2017. First published in 2009, Military Friendly Schools is a comprehensive resource provided to service members and their families to help them select the best college, university or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career.

FOUR-DAY CLASS SCHEDULE – The ECCC Board of Trustees approved the implementation of a four-day class schedule in the 2017-18 academic year. A pilot of the four-day class schedule was conducted in spring 2016 and Fall 2017 and the feedback from students, faculty and staff was overwhelmingly positive. Under the schedule, the college holds classes Monday through Thursday, with Friday being devoted to learning and studying opportunities for students and professional development and advising opportunities for faculty.

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Community Partnerships

PTK SUPER STELLAR PROM – East Central Community College’s Theta Xi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, hosted “Super Stellar Night,” a prom for special needs students in the five-county district, Oct. 21 in Mabry Memorial Cafeteria. Theta Xi, which was recently named a Top 25 chapter in the nation, sponsored the prom as part of its ‘Honors In Action’ project, which included the theme ‘Myth vs. Reality.’ While working at the college, Theta Xi advisors noticed how some people view those with special needs as different, which is a myth. The group decided to do something to make them feel special and thought they would enjoy a prom. The project received second place at the regional PTK conference. ECCC student-athletes and Student Body Association officers served as dates for the participants and prom dresses were donated.

AN EVENING WITH CS LEWIS – East Central Community College hosted “An Evening with CS Lewis” in Huff Auditorium in March. A Tea Time immediately followed in the Gold Room of Mabry Cafeteria. British actor David Payne provided an enthrall ing theatrical experience and a fascinating insight into the life of a man whose collected works made him one of the literary giants of the 20th Century. The setting was 1963 and the famous British au thor is seated in his living room as he recalls the people and events that inspired his thought and shaped his life; of his friendship with J. R. R. Tolkien; why he nearly abandoned the Narnia Chronicles; and how he came to embrace Christianity. This free event was made possible through the financial support of the Oliphant-Mar tin Faculty Excellence Endowment.

WILANDER ON WHEELS – Seven-time Grand Slam Tennis Champion Mats Wilander brought his Wilander on Wheels tennis experience to East Central’s new Tennis Complex in April. Wilander and fellow professional Cameron Lickle spent over two hours on the courts giving instruction and tips to local tennis players. Wilander also spoke to the crowd gathered and handed out autographed photos. Wilander was highly complimentary of East Central Community College and the new Tennis Complex. Meridian television station WTOK interviewed Wilander and others and also did a live remote from the campus during its newscast.

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HAUNTED HOUSE OF HOOPS – The 2016-17 editions of the ECCC men’s and women’s basketball teams were on display at the annual “Haunted House of Hoops” Oct. 31. Activities were held in the Brackeen-Wood Gym and included entertainment by the Wall O’ Sound Band drum line, Centralettes, and Cheerleaders, and members of the college’s spring sports teams were introduced. The community was invited to attend and “Trick or Treat” candy was available for youngsters as well as a Halloween costume contest.

BUSINESS, HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION EXPO – Career and educational opportunities were available for East Central Community College students when the 15th annual Business, Healthcare & Education Expo was held on campus during the spring semester. The public was also invited to attend the free event and more than 25 exhibitors from business, industry, education, finance, armed services and healthcare organizations throughout the state attended.

WARRIOR WONDERLAND – The second East Central Community College Warrior Wonderland kicked off Dec. 2 with a tremendous fireworks display over Founders Gym immediately after the Decatur Christmas Parade. An estimated 800 people enjoyed the festivities, which included holiday music by college groups and soloists, Selfies with Santa, children’s movies on a large inflatable screen, a Mississippi National Guard Avenger military vehicle that guests could maneuver, a Christmas Village display, and various specialty, food, and drink booths sponsored by ECCC student organizations. Nearly 300 attendees took advantage of the $5 armband for unlimited access to a train ride, inflatables, pirate ship, swings, laser tag and other areas for children young and old.

MILITARY APPRECIATION – East Central Community College honored military veterans with free admission, recognition, and tailgating during the Warrior football game against Northeast Mississippi Community College on Sept. 8. Brig. Gen. Todd Wall (’82) of Decatur, a former Warrior football and baseball player, tossed the coin at midfield prior to the game. The college also hosted a Military Appreciation Breakfast Nov. 10 in Mabry Memorial Cafeteria in honor of Veterans Day. Members of the college’s vocal music ensemble Voce’ sang the national anthem and trumpeter Anastasia Crout of Lake, a member of the Wall O’ Sound Marching Band, played Taps. Posting of the Colors was by Boy Scout Troop 46 from Decatur United Methodist Church.

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Resource Planning & Development

TENNIS COMPLEX DEDICATION – A ribbon cutting marked the official opening of the new Tennis Complex on the East Central Community College campus in February. The $1.2 million Tennis Complex includes eight lighted courts to serve the ECCC men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams, as well as the campus and local communities. The facility includes parking and spectator areas, which were very limited at the original four-court tennis complex built in 1969. A fundraising effort continues to fund the construction of a building near the main entrance of the new Tennis Complex to house men’s and women’s locker rooms, coach’s office, team meeting room, concessions area, and restrooms.

INAUGURAL SCHOLARSHIP RECEPTION – East Central Community College recognized numerous scholarship recipients and donor representatives during the annual ECCC Scholarship Awards Reception in August in Brackeen-Wood Gymnasium. During the event, 118 students received 130 ECCC Foundation scholarships valued at $99,574.

16 TH ANNUAL WARRIOR GOLF CLASSIC DANCING RABBIT GOLF CLUB, THE AZALEAS COURSE

WARRIOR GOLF CLASSIC – The 16th Annual Warrior Golf Classic was held on May 11 at the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club. The tournament raised nearly $10,000 for the East Central Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. A record number of Hole Sponsors participated in the event.

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UNDERGROUND UTILITIES PROJECT – Work began in May on a project to put most of the electrical utilities on the ECCC campus underground, thanks to support from the state legislature and local State Rep. Randy Rushing of Decatur. This is a hazard mitigation project, which in addition to helping the aesthetics of campus, will also allow ECCC to serve as a staging center during emergency weather situations when power is out elsewhere.

NEWWOMEN’S RESIDENCE HALL CONSTRUCTION – Construction began in summer 2016 on the new Women’s Residence Hall, located adjacent to Erma Lee Barber Hall on the college’s South Campus. The $6.6 million facility is funded using bond revenue and with financial support from each of the five counties in the college’s district. The modern, three-story facility includes 56 rooms, a study area and a kitchen on each floor for student use, and a coin-operated laundry room. The residence hall also includes wireless internet and cable TV similar to the eight other student living facilities on the ECCC campus. The lobby area includes a television and social and study space for the residents. The exterior features a fountain and social space for students to enjoy. The new Women’s Residence Hall will open for the first time during the fall 2017 semester.

CAFETERIA RENOVATION – Thanks to the college’s food service vendor Valley Services Inc., the Mabry Cafeteria on campus underwent an extensive renovation beginning in May. The many enhancements include more and healthier dining options for students in a true restaurant style setting. The Gold Room, formerly for faculty and staff dining and special functions, now includes food stations and expanded seating to accommodate more than 100 additional resident students who will live in the new Women’s Residence Hall. Double doors have been added between the Gordon and Magnolia rooms to provide one large serving/meeting room. Those areas will be used for faculty and staff dining and Board of Trustees luncheons.

WARRIOR WELLNESS – ECCC received a $127,500 grant from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation in fall 2016 to support the college’s Warrior Wellness Initiative and boost efforts to create and sustain a culture of wellness on its campuses and in the local communities. Crystal Fitzgerald of Little Rock was hired as the college’s first Wellness Coordinator, and transformative equipment upgrades were made to the campus fitness center. Several fitness challenges and classes, such as toning, kick boxing, and yoga, were held on campus during the year, and healthy lifestyle nutrition and exercise education opportunities were presented in the local communities.

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Communication

NEW STUDENT RECRUITING TEAM – ECCC is making it easier than ever for prospective students to enroll in classes, as members of a new student recruiting team visited high schools throughout the district during fall and spring. The college’s Student Services Division welcomed new student recruiters/ enrollment specialists Jerami Beard (center) of Morton and Sherrell Brown (left) of Forest to the team. They join Romonica Evans of Newton, who has been employed at ECCC since 2003, to form the new team whose main focus is on assisting prospective students. They also have a new social media presence on Facebook and Twitter at go2ec.

LIVE STREAMING – East Central Community College continued to enhance its live streaming during 2016-17. The college provided live stream for all home football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball games, as well as the 2017 Commencement Ceremony viewed by more than 500 people.

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NOTES IN THE MARGIN – Notes in the Margin: A Collection of Columns About East Central Community College , a second book by retired English instructor Ovid Vickers, was published and went on sale in September 2016. Notes in the Margin is a collection of essays about ECCC and its people, which ran in nearby newspapers over the past three decades. In 2013, Vickers wrote The East Central I Knew: A History of East Central Community College .

JUNIOR DAYS – Hundreds of high school students from across the district were invited to attend East Central’s first annual “Junior Days” this year. Junior Days replace the Senior Days that were annually held in the spring. Seniors are now invited to visit the ECCC campus in the fall of their senior year of high school. Activities for Junior Days included a welcome by Student Body Association President Makenzie Byrd and by ECCC President Dr. Billy Stewart, entertainment by the Collegians and Percussion Ensemble, information on college academics and student life, lunch, and a student organization information showcase.

NEWWEBSITES LAUNCHED – East Central Community College launched a much-needed and redesigned www.eccc.edu website in August. The new website includes a more modern design that is responsive to all devices and contains better, more intuitive navigation. The website is one of the college’s main tools for recruiting prospective students and creating awareness about the college among all constituents. In September, the college unveiled a new athletics website www. ecccathletics.com. It is powered by PrestoSports and is devoted to the college’s 10 varsity sports teams. In addition to helping the college better market and promote its varsity sports teams, the site automatically syncs with the National Junior College Athletic Association website for all scores and statistics for each sport. The new website includes news, schedules, and rosters for each team; up-to-date social media feeds; photo and video sections; an ECCC Athlete of the Week spotlight; and other features.

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2016-2017 Board of Trustees

Dr. Kimsey Cooper Leake

W.B. Jones Leake

William Kitchings Leake

Alan Rhea Leake (Secretary)

Billy Mack Wilbanks Leake Supt. of Education

Janie Wilbanks Leake

Bob Posey Neshoba

David Byars Neshoba

Edsel Cliburn Neshoba

Prentice Copeland Neshoba

Ricky Goldman Neshoba

Jerry Smith Neshoba (Vice Chairman)

J.O. Amis Newton Supt. of Education

Rodney Bounds Newton

Pat Cleveland Newton

Beverly Hart Newton

Dr. Danny Lanier Newton

Van Lucas Newton

Vernon Crotwell Scott

Rebecca Farris Scott

Dr. Tony McGee Scott Supt. of Education

Tommy Harrison Scott

Dr. Jimmy Hollingsworth Scott (Chairman)

Annie Stowers Scott

Patsy Clark Winston

Delane Hudson Winston

Randal Livingston Winston

Jerry Nance Winston

Leo Parker Winston

Ken McMullan Louisville Supt. of Education

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Nationally Recognized

Top 100 in Degrees to Minorities East Central Community College ranks among the top 100 community and junior colleges in the nation in conferring associate degrees to minorities in three different academic areas according to data released by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education . ECCC is ranked No. 30 among all two-year colleges and schools nationwide in the number of degrees awarded to African-Americans in Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences and No. 37 in the nation in the number of degrees awarded to Native Americans in Liberal Arts and Sciences/General Studies/Humanities. East Central also ranks No. 85 nationally in total degrees awarded to Native Americans in all academic disciplines combined. Upward Economic Mobility A national study published in The New York Times indicates that East Central Community College ranks No. 40 out of 690 community colleges in the nation included in the study, and No. 3 in Mississippi, in overall economic mobility of graduates over their lifetime, despite being among the lowest two-year colleges in the nation in family income of incoming students. Great College to Work For ECCC was named one of the best colleges in the nation to work for in an annual survey of more than 46,000 college and university employees by The Chronicle of Higher Education . East Central was one of only three community colleges in Mississippi, one of only 25 two-year schools in the nation, and one of only six two-year or four-year colleges in the state to be honored by The Chronicle . East Central was recognized in the categories of Collaborative Governance, for faculty members who are appropriately involved in decisions related to academic programs; Confidence in Senior Leadership, for leaders who have the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience for institutional success; Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship, for supervisors who make expectations clear and solicit ideas; and Work/Life Balance, for policies that give employees the flexibility to manage their personal lives. Nation’s Largest Community College PBL Chapter East Central Community College’s Theta Chi chapter of Phi Beta Lambda is the largest community college chapter in the nation, and fourth largest among all two-year and four-year institutions. There are more than 500 PBL chapters on college campuses across the United States. East Central’s chapter has 141 members. Phi Beta Lambda is a national business education association for students interested in careers in business and business-related fields. Top 25 PTK Chapter ECCC’s Theta Xi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges, was recognized on the organization’s inaugural President’s List, which recognizes the 25 chapters with the highest membership acceptance rates. East Central’s Theta Xi Chapter was ranked No. 18 with a 41 percent acceptance rate. Military Friendly School East Central Community College was again designated as a Military Friendly School by Victory Media for the fifth consecutive year. ECCC is one of only five community colleges in Mississippi to earn the Military Friendly designation for 2017. Military Friendly Schools is a comprehensive resource provided to service members and their families to help them select the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career. • The percentage of spring 2015 public high school graduates who first matriculated to ECCC within one year was 50 percent, marking the fifth straight year that number increased. The percentage was 43 percent in 2011. • East Central is No. 4 in Mississippi in percentage of in-district students (81.9 percent) and second in the state in percentage of in state students (98.3 percent). • ECCC is the fourth youngest community college in Mississippi with an average age of 21.7, down from 22.1 the previous year. • ECCC experienced the fifth highest percent increase in degrees or certificates conferred at 5.45 percent, from 568 graduates in 2015 to 599 in 2016. • There will be more than 700 students living on the Decatur campus when the fall 2017 term begins, a record for ECCC. • ECCC is the second most residential college or university campus in the state of Mississippi. About 23 percent of ECCC students live on campus. • The annual Community College Performance Profile as required by the state of Mississippi once again gave ECCC high marks in several areas that were above the state averages. East Central achieved elite status in Total Student Success and Student Progress, or progression towards graduation of full-time, first-time students through two years. Overall graduation rate, retention of students in for-credit programs, and number of students served through workforce training activities were other areas in which ECCC was among the leaders in the state. In addition, East Central had a positive employment impact in its five-county district, ranking high in the state in the increase in the number of workforce trainees finding employment and in wages earned by certificate completers. Locally Preferred

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2016-2017 President’s Report 877-GO-2-ECCC eccc.edu