2017-2018 President's Report

Military Friendly Designation ECCC was designated a Military Friendly® School by Victory Media for the sixth consecutive year. East Central was one of only four community colleges in Mississippi to earn the designation for 2018. Military Friendly® Schools is a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families. Annual Performance Profile The annual Community College Performance Profile, or Report Card, as required by the state of Mississippi, once again gave ECCC high marks in several areas. The college ranked at the top in students who graduate on-time, or in two years, and among the top in students who graduate in three years and in overall student success. ECCC was also at the top in percentage of non-degree seeking students, which relates to the college being the highest dual credit provider by percentage in Mississippi. ECCC also ranked in the top five in technical program enrollment. Overall graduation rate, retention of students in for-credit programs, and number of students served through workforce train ing activities were other areas in which ECCC was among the leaders in the state.

Warrior Wonderland Another big crowd was on hand for the college’s third Warrior Wonderland held in December. A fireworks show kicked off the event before visitors had a variety of activities from which to choose, including new rides this year. A new layout for the event this year proved a success, as the Music Stage drew a large crowd all evening, and guests had easier access to the food tables and the rides and games.

January 2018

July 2017

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Highest Enrollment Increases For the second straight semester in spring 2018, ECCC experienced the highest percentage enrollment increase among the 15 community and junior colleges in the state of Mississippi. The college reported a 10.3 percent increase in unduplicated head count enrollment for the spring 2018 semester, compared to the spring 2017 semester, according to the 10th day enrollment report released by the Mississippi Community College Board. East Central experienced a 10.3 percent increase in unduplicated headcount in fall 2017 which was also the largest among all two-year and four-year schools in Mississippi.

New Women’s Soccer Coach Ryan Joiner, whose teams won three consecutive Mississippi High School Activities Association state championships, was named ECCC’s head women’s soccer coach. Joiner guided the St. Stanislaus College boys’ team to MHSAA Class 4A State Championships in 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16. He came to ECCC from Ocean Springs High School, where he was the girls’ coach the past two seasons. Joiner was a standout goalkeeper for Ocean Springs High School before taking his talents to Meridian Community College, where he was All-State and All-Region as a goalkeeper.

Underground Utilities Project The first phase of a project to place overhead utility lines at ECCC underground was completed. All above-ground electrical, telephone, fiber optic, and other utility lines were placed underground from Broad Street on the front of campus to 10th Street on the north side of campus to improve the aesthet ics of campus and to serve as a hazard mitigation project to reduce the risk of damage to property or person during hazardous situations. The majority of funding for the $1.2 million project was provided through the state of Mississippi.

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