ECC Insiders

East Central College
  • 5.0 (2)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

ECC Insiders is produced by East Central College, located in Union, Missouri. The show is hosted by Joel Doepker, Vice President of External Relations and Leigh Kolb, Associate Professor of English. ECC Insiders will take a deeper look at East Central College and its many roles in the east central Missouri region. The focus will be both local and universal, as the goal is to provide a better understanding of the community college as a public good. Contact ECC Insiders at ECCInsiders@eastcentral.edu.

  1. The strength of Missouri's Community Colleges

    FEB 3

    The strength of Missouri's Community Colleges

    Brian Millner, the President and CEO of the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA), joins the podcast to discuss how the association works to showcase the importance and strengths of Missouri's 12 community colleges. Learn about about MCCA at: https://www.missouricolleges.org/

    29 min
  2. Bringing Opportunity to a Missouri Health Care Desert

    JAN 21

    Bringing Opportunity to a Missouri Health Care Desert

    A group of Missouri community colleges work together in a consortium to provide health care programs to fill the need for health care professionals in rural Missouri. The Missouri Health Care Professionals Consortium (MHPC) includes five Missouri community colleges - East Central College, Three Rivers College, North Central Missouri College, State Fair Community College and Moberly Area Community College and Mineral Area College. The MHPC contributes to increased accessibilty to high demand health care programs in rural Missouri through the sharing of course curriculum, lab space and leveraging financial resources. The programs offered in the consortium include: Occupational TherapyMedical Laboratory TechnicianRespiratory CareMineral Area College offers only the Medical Laboratory Technician program. Episode guest contacts: Nancy Mitchell, East Central College - Nancy.Mitchell@eastcentral.edu

    28 min
  3. Where did all the adult learners go?

    11/24/2025

    Where did all the adult learners go?

    The number of adult learners (24 years and older) at the nation's community colleges has been declining for several years. Attracting adult learners back is a strategic plan of East Central College and many other community colleges. At the time of the September 2025 recording, Elizabeth Cox Brand was the Director of Student Success Center at the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA). She presented during the Rural Communtiy College Alliance national conference held on the ECC campus in September 2025. She shared with Joel and Leigh the challenges and opportunities facing Oregon community colleges regarding the recruitement of adult learners and the resources available to them. Find our more about OCCA at: https://occa17.com/

    30 min
  4. What You Eat, Eats Plants

    10/14/2025

    What You Eat, Eats Plants

    Dr. Parvadha (Parvi) Acosta, ECC's Associate Project of Biology/STEM division chair, discusses the changes in food over time and some of its positive and negative impacts on our health. Parvi isn't a medical doctor, and looks at the intake and development of food over time from a biological point of view. For example - a tomato looks much different than it did 80-100 years ago. DYK - Broccoli isn't found in nature, as it was developed through centuries of selective breeding. If you think this topic doesn't apply to you, since you eat only meat and potatoes, consider this: "What you eat, eats plants."

    1h 9m
  5. New State Transfer Agreement and new ECC Degree Program

    09/02/2025

    New State Transfer Agreement and new ECC Degree Program

    The state of Missouri passed a bill in May 2025 to simplify and strengthen the transfer pathways from the state's community colleges to a public 4-year university. The new legislation establishes a 60-credit hour, transferable lower-division course block for five high demand programs: General BusinessGeneral PsychologyElementary EducationGeneral Biology or Biological SciencesNursingDr. Robyn Walter, Chief Academic Officer of East Central College, discusses the positive aspects of the new legislation and the benefits for students and their families. New ECC degree ECC is also offering a new degree pathway starting in the fall of 2025. An Associate Degree of Science in Biology that provides major level Chemistry and Biology coursework. Biology - Science, Engineering & Math: ECC webpage. Missouri Community College Association Celebrates Passage of Transfer Bill - Missouri Community College Association

    26 min
  6. Investing in East Central College: What is Proposition ECC?

    02/24/2025

    Investing in East Central College: What is Proposition ECC?

    Investing in East Central College is an investment in your community. Proposition ECC is a Tuesday, April 8 ballot initiative, and if approved by voters, will provide funding for a $15 million campus renovation project, to repair and renovate every building on the Union campus and construct two new facilities, a welding training center and a centralized storage facility. ECC is a vital asset to students and the area's communities. Hear from three ECC alums who credit ECC in helping them with their successes, who are local business and community leaders and serve on the ECC Foundation Board of Directors: Sandy Lucy: A 1976 graduate and the former mayor of Washington. John Moroney: A 1983 graduate and the owner of multiple Taco Bell restaurants. Torrey Woodcock: Attended ECC in the early 2000s and the owner of area Jimmy John's restaurants. Discover more about Proposition ECC at www.eastcentral.edu/propositionecc See the yearly economic impact of East Central College on the area: www.eastcentral.edu/impact

    29 min
  7. Completing Your High School Education and Learning English

    01/30/2025

    Completing Your High School Education and Learning English

    Leigh and Joel hear the story of 27-year-old Kayla Jaspering of Union, who completed her high school education in the ECC Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program while also caring for five children! Francisco Contreras, from Sullivan, is 36 years old and is originally from Mexico. He's lived in the area for nearly 20 years and wants to improve his English language skills. Francisco's daughter is also an ECC student studying to be a nurse! The AEL program offers high school education classes in eight communities throughout east central Missouri and online. The instructors work closely with students to prepare them for the GED test or the high school equivalency (HiSET) exam. Find out more at www.eastcentral.edu/AEL

    31 min
  8. Women in Manufacturing

    09/17/2024

    Women in Manufacturing

    We fire up the conversation with women who have found careers in manufacturing. More and more women are discovering their abilities and interests as welders, machinists, HVAC technicians and manufacturing maintenance technicians. Hear more about the unique abilities of women in manufacturing and how they are being welcomed in the industry. Scholarships are available for tuition, fees, books and other expenses through the Metallica Scholars program for both women and men. ECC is also fortunate to receive $50,000 from Carhartt to be used for women in manufacturing through its “Labor of Love” grant. See more about the Metallica Scholars program and the Carhartt's Women in Manufacturing initiatives.

    32 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

ECC Insiders is produced by East Central College, located in Union, Missouri. The show is hosted by Joel Doepker, Vice President of External Relations and Leigh Kolb, Associate Professor of English. ECC Insiders will take a deeper look at East Central College and its many roles in the east central Missouri region. The focus will be both local and universal, as the goal is to provide a better understanding of the community college as a public good. Contact ECC Insiders at ECCInsiders@eastcentral.edu.

Information

  • Creator
    East Central College
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © ECC Insiders is protected by copyright law and is not to be copied without permission.
  • Show Website
    ECC Insiders