Undergraduate students at SUM are required to attend ECO. In some cases a leave of absence may be provided for a student, with good cause, to postpone their ECO requirement to the following year.
The Evangelism Conference and Outreach (ECO) is a SUM evangelistic effort Outreach held in a major US city for US students and livestreamed for international students. The Evangelism Conference and Outreach serves as SUM's annual gathering. SUM students, faculty, and administration share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people from all walks of life who are searching for truth, acceptance, love, and significance.
All undergraduate students are required to participate in two (2) Evangelism Conference and Outreaches (ECO) (2 credits each) in their first and second years to graduate.
All BAWM students will participate in the Praise and Worship Team for ECO all three years of their program.
All first- and second-year students, and all BAWM students, will be automatically registered for ECO at the start of each Winter or Spring term.
If a student who has not completed this ministry requirement cannot attend the Outreach, the student must submit an ECO Leave of Absence Form.
That is subject for review by the Student Ministry Office. This does not exempt the student from the event, rather, it postpones the requirement to the following year. Any student submitting the form after the Add / Drop deadline will not receive a refund of any kind, including credit toward another year for ECO.
Submitting a Leave of Absence Request does not guarantee its approval.
ECO is an event planned in advance and is required for degree completion 1, 2 or 3 years depending on the program. All SUM students agree to attend ECO as a part of their admissions interview. A leave of absence is only approved for unavoidable circumstances such as serious illness with medical documentation. Leaves are not approved for circumstances that require planning such as raising money, finding childcare or requesting time off of work. Students are encouraged to visit the academic calendar for event dates and plan accordingly.
There is no alternative for ECO, so students should plan to attend the event as required by their degree program.