2019-2020 President's Report

Hall, which has built-in study and closet areas, was furnished with new beds and chairs. Top 10 Most Affordable ECCC was ranked No. 9 in the nation among the “50 Most Affordable Small Colleges for Hospitality Administration and Management 2015” by editors of BestHospitalityDegrees.com, an online resource to aid prospective students who desire to earn management positions in the growing tourism industry. Tobacco-Free Campus & Wellness Initiatives ECCC officially became a tobacco-free campus on January 1, 2016. The tobacco-free policy was part of a 2020 Vision action plan to promote student and employee wellness initiatives that create a culture of health and wellness on campus. The policy prohibits all tobacco products, including smoke-emanating (or electronic) and smokeless products, on all campuses, including in vehicles. 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

part-time assistance, funded an annual Wellness Week, and provided for additional fitness equipment. Campus Master Plan The ECCC Board of Trustees approved a new Campus Master Plan in September 2016, which is a physical manifestation of the 2020 Vision strategic plan. The Campus Master Plan provides a road map for the physical needs of the college for 5, 15, and 25 years, ensuring that campus physical resources are used in the most effective and efficient means as opportunities for growth are explored and to provide the best and safest learning environment for students. The plan was developed with input from faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and others. New Tennis Complex A ribbon cutting held in February 2017 marked the official opening of the new Tennis Complex on the ECCC campus. 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. Future plans include men’s and women’s

Wellness initiative and boost efforts to create and sustain a culture of wellness on its campuses and in the local communities. The initial grant funded a full-time Wellness Coordinator, equipment upgrades in the

locker rooms, coach’s office, team meeting

room, concessions area, and restrooms, dependent upon funding.

20 Underground Utilities Project Work began in June 2017 on a $1.2 million project that 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. All above ground electrical, telephone, fiber optic, and other utility lines were placed underground from RESOURCE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT ECCC Wellness Center, a wellness assessment center on campus, and costs associated with campus and community wellness activities. A second grant for $92,588 in 2017 helped expand fitness classes offered free to students, increased supervised access to the Wellness Center with