East Central College (ECC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

with its main campus in Union, Missouri. It also offers classes in Rolla and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. Approximately 2,100 students are enrolled in classes each semester. ECC is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

History

East Central College was founded in 1968 to serve the educational needs of the people in east central

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. In that same year were purchased for what is now the main campus. Classes began in rented facilities at the Union Memorial Auditorium in September 1969 with enrollment of 476 students the first semester. The Administration Building was the first facility built on campus, and it was completed in 1971. The Multipurpose Building came next in 1973, followed by the Vocational-Technical Building in 1978 and the Classroom Building in 1985. The Auditorium/Classroom facility was completed in 1998. The Health & Science Building with almost of space, was completed in January 2009. The Administration Building was completely renovated in 2011. The facility was renamed Buescher Hall and was dedicated October 30, 2011, to honor George H. Buescher, who was instrumental in the establishment of the college and served as the first president of the board of trustees. That building houses the Library, Learning Center, Student Service Center, classrooms and offices.

Academics

East Central College offers four transfer oriented degrees: The Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) designed for individuals interested in pre-engineering, Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) and the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT). Those four programs are designed for individuals who plan to complete the freshman and sophomore years of college at East Central and then transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor's degree. The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and career/technical certificate programs are designed for individuals who plan to enter the workforce after completing the appropriate classes at ECC.

Athletics

ECC competes as member of the

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

in the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference. Since 2008, ECC's sports teams have been known as the East Central Falcons. "Rebels" was the original mascot of the college, but the name was dropped due to its ties to the Civil War and the Confederacy. The mascot is named "Franklin" the Falcon.

Notable alumni

* Steve Tappmeyer – basketball coach at UMSL * Jack Wagner – actor *

Tom Henke Thomas Anthony Henke (born December 21, 1957), nicknamed "the Terminator", is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared closers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pitching for the Texas Rangers ...

– professional baseball pitcher - retired * Omir Santos – former professional baseball catcher * John Griesheimer – politician

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Franklin County, Missouri Community colleges in Missouri Education in Franklin County, Missouri Education in Phelps County, Missouri Education in Warren County, Missouri Educational institutions established in 1968 U.S. Route 50 1968 establishments in Missouri