About the College

A Brief College History

East Central Junior College was established on April 2, 1968. The name of the college was changed in 1980 from East Central Junior College to East Central College to reflect the comprehensive nature of the institution and its mission to provide not only the first two years of a baccalaureate education, but career and technical programs and other services to meet the needs of the region.

The College held its first classes in September, 1969, in temporary facilities at Memorial Auditorium and other rented locations in Union. There were 476 students enrolled the first semester. That same year the Board of Trustees approved the purchase of land for a permanent campus. A site was selected just east of Union, a 114-acre tract bordered on the north by Highway 50. An additional 92 acres were purchased in 1994 to accommodate expansion and growth.

The first classes at the permanent campus were held January 24, 1972, in the Administration Building. During the course of the next three decades, voters approved bond issues to fund construction of additional buildings on the campus. A $15.8 million bond issue was approved in August of 2006 to fund construction of the seventh major campus facility, the Health Science building, completed in the winter of 2009. During the 2010-2011 academic year, the first building on campus, the Administration Building, was expanded and remodeled. The newly remodeled facility includes student services, the library, the learning center, general classrooms and administrative offices.  The building was formally dedicated October 30, 2011 in honor of the late George H. Buescher.  Mr. Buescher was a member of the original Board of Trustees, serving from 1968 to 1980.

In addition to the over 200 acre main campus in Union, East Central College offers courses and programs at off-campus locations in Rolla, and Washington, Missouri to bring educational opportunities to a growing number of students.

Each semester approximately 2,300 students enroll in credit classes; females making up 62 percent of the student body.  In 2019-2020, 539 degrees and certificates were awarded to students.

There are currently 64 full-time faculty members and 123 people in full-time administrative, professional and support positions. The student to faculty ratio is 15:1.

Six individuals have served as president of the institution. Dr. Don Shook was the founding president, serving from 1968 to 1986.  He was followed by Dr. Charles Novak who led the college from 1987 to 1989.  From 1990 to 1999, Dr. Dale Gibson was ECC president. Dr. Karen Herzog took over the reins in the summer of 1999 and served until her retirement in 2005. She was followed by Dr. Ed Jackson who led ECC until June of 2012. Dr. Jon Bauer is the current president.

Since its inception in 1968, ECC has been a dynamic entity within the local region, offering excellent educational opportunities and program partnerships between the College, other educational organizations, and local business and industry. The College has helped countless individuals prepare for careers, begin work on college degrees, and take part in enrichment programs and cultural activities.

Campus Map

The main campus of East Central College is located in Union, Missouri, the county seat of Franklin County - a fast-growing county in the St. Louis Metropolitan region. The College campus is located 50 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis on U.S. Highway 50 just off Interstate 44.

Campus Map   

College District and Service Area

The East Central College District includes six public K-12 school districts: Crawford County R-1 (Bourbon), New Haven, St. Clair R-13, Sullivan C-2, Union R-11 and Washington; as well as four public K-8 districts: Franklin County R-2, Lonedell R-14, Spring Bluff R-15 and Strain- Japan R-16. This taxing district covers approximately 1,000 square miles and includes most of Franklin County and portions of Crawford, Gasconade, St. Charles, Warren, and Washington Counties.

The College also serves an extended area that includes portions of the region not included in any community college taxing district. This service area includes portions of Franklin, Warren, Gasconade, Osage, Maries, Phelps, Dent and Crawford Counties.

East Central College Instructional Sites

Main Campus
1964 Prairie Dell Road
Union, MO 63084
(636) 584-6500

Frequently Called Numbers:

In addition to the Union campus, East Central College offers programs, courses and services at several satellite locations, including:

Business and Industry Center

The Center for Workforce development and technical courses are located in the Business and Industry Center across the street from the main campus at:

42 Prairie Dell Plaza
Union, MO 63084

Four Rivers Career Center

A limited number of technical courses are offered in conjunction with Four Rivers Career Center:

1978 Image Drive
Washington, MO 63090

Phone: 636-231-2100

Fax: 636-239-0791

Students must register at the Union campus or Rolla sites.

Information on program offerings associated with specific sites is available in the Program Listing  section of the catalog.

Vision, Mission and Purpose

MISSION

Empowering students and enriching communities through education.

VISION

East Central College will be a leader in higher education,

inspiring academic excellence and driving community development.

VALUES

Integrity - We commit to building trust through open, honest communication and transparent decision making.

Diversity - We value diverse identities and perspectives, and are committed to fostering an inclusive community that embraces our differences as essential for success.

Learning - We energize our community through continuous personal and intellectual growth, curiosity, innovation, and adaptation.

Service - We strengthen our region through responsible citizenship and environmental stewardship.  

Empowerment - We equip our students and employees with the resources and tools needed to be successful, resilient and courageous leaders in a changing world.

Collaboration - We rely on teamwork to accomplish our common goals.

Accreditation

East Central College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission:

The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411 Phone: 800-621-7440 /  312-263-0456
Fax: 312-263-7462 info@hlcommission.org

The college is recognized by and operates under the coordination of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges and the Missouri Community College Association. East Central College operates certain programs that are fully accredited under national accreditation agency requirements, as noted below.

Program Accreditation

Program accreditation can be found at https://www.eastcentral.edu/hlc/academic-program-accreditation/

These accreditation programs constitute assurance that work satisfactorily completed at East Central College will be recognized at full value by other colleges, universities, professional schools, and state governed professions. Where applicable to employers, licensure, certification and registration boards, a credential from an accredited program signifies adequate preparation for entry into the profession.

In addition, the following programs carry full approval and operate under the regulations of the agencies noted:

The East Central College Foundation

Founded in 1975, the East Central College Foundation was chartered as a non-profit 501c(3) corporation to support the educational mission of East Central College. Its purpose is to be the official fund-raising and gift-receiving organization for the College, to fund scholarships, to facilitate the establishment of endowments, and to enhance the College’s instructional, athletic, fine arts, and cultural programs.

The ECC Foundation Board of Directors is composed of individuals from various businesses, professions, and community services. Meetings are held quarterly. Directors take an active role in fund-raising and membership activities, finance and investment planning and supervision of planned gifts and endowments. The daily operations are carried out by an Executive Director and a Foundation Assistant who are responsible for implementing activities and policies and making opportunities for gift-giving known to the community.

Student Consumer Information

As required by federal law, Student Consumer Information is provided for prospective and current students and employees on the college’s website at www.eastcentral.edu and can be viewed at Student Consumer Information.  Information is sent to the general student body via student email early in the fall semester. Printed copies of the information may also be obtained by contacting the Director of Institutional Research at institutionalresearch@eastcentral.edu or calling 636-584-6503.

Academic Calendar

East Central College maintains an official Academic Calendar to assist students, faculty and staff in academic planning. The Academic Calendar is subject to change without notice.

The current academic calendar, as well as draft academic calendars for upcoming school years, can be accessed at Academic Calendar.

Students will find important information about fall, spring and summer semester start and end dates, college closed and holiday dates, information on final exam dates and withdrawal deadlines.

Program Career and Salary Information

Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at East Central College can be found at https://scorecard.mo.gov/scorecard/. Search using School/Program “East Central College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest.