PROVOST'S MESSAGE
Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
We hear it constantly: "The landscape of higher education is changing." Whether because of the changing demographics of the state and nation, or because of the broader societal changes related to COVID and the pandemic, the make-up of higher education has and will undergo a shift. We have always been resilient and responsive here at ECU, and for decades have proudly provided options for a variety of learners. We have long shared the comprehensiveness of our academic program portfolio, and we remain a leader in online learning in the state and nation. We have also facilitated opportunities to help people finish what they started and return to ECU to complete their degrees through our part-way home or “Finish” program.
As we confront a new and different future in higher education, ECU must be ready to open opportunities to a new type of learner. We’ve heard this message through our Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) efforts as we have talked about “Building a campus-wide culture of NEW student acquisition.” What we mean when we say that, however, is not just more students, but a different type of student. ECU will forever be an institution committed to providing an excellent learning experience for graduating high schoolers (or traditional first year students), but in the new realm of higher education, we must stand ready to open opportunities to more non-traditional or post-traditional learners. A changing economy and a growing state require programs that allow individuals to prepare for career transformations and/or “upskilling.” This substantial pool of potential new Pirates often demands different types of learning experiences and we must be ready to offer those experiences.
In January, we will launch a new marketing campaign that highlights options that ECU provides and how those options align with what a broad range of learners need and want in their academic and professional lives. In the post-traditional learner environment we must appeal to this new type of student by being creative and innovative in the programs we develop and deliver. We must be ready to look to new and different ways to deliver our high-quality programs to learners who have very different needs than those of “traditional” college students. We must be ready to create pathways that allow not only our university to thrive in this challenging enrollment environment, but the people of this region and state to thrive as we help them realize their own success and transformation.
In the coming months, there will be many opportunities for us to be creative and innovative, from engaging in conversations about microcredentialing and prior learning credit/assessment, to discussions around online program development, to review of our comprehensive program development gap analysis. Let's take advantage of these activities and think about how we can create a culture of NEW student acquisition in each of our areas of influence.
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BY THE NUMBERS
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AROUND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS
The Office of Global Affairs is proud to announce a new recruiting initiative aimed at high achieving prospective students from North Carolina who have an interest in international study. This fall, a cohort of approximately 40 Global Fellows will receive a scholarship to study abroad and access to several special activities that will prepare them for success in today’s global, multicultural society, including an internationally focused first year seminar, a special section of ECU’s award-winning Global Understanding course and an internationally focused career preparation series.
Empathy and perspective taking are valuable skills students need to succeed in a global multicultural society. Yet, helping students build those skills is quite challenging. Join us for the first of a series of Global P.I.R.A.T.E.S. workshops. In this interactive workshop we will explore the "P" and the "E" by focusing on how to build a culture of empathy and a habit of perspective taking both in our classrooms and among our students.
- Training Date: January 26, 2022
- Time: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
- Location: Main Campus Student Center – Room 249
- Lunch is provided, but space is limited. Sign up today!
Are you planning to travel internationally as part of official ECU business this spring or summer? Remember, international travel is currently restricted as per UNC system office guidance. However, faculty and staff are eligible for an exemption to these restrictions for essential travel. To find out more, visit the Office of Global Affairs International Travel website. If you need a passport, visit the ECU Passport Facility.
ATHLETICS STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Jennifer Bonner, assistant director of the athletics student development office at ECU, has been appointed as a member of the NCAA Division I Initial-Eligibility Waivers (IEW) Committee. She will serve on the committee through Dec. 31, 2022, when she will be eligible for reappointment.
“This is a great opportunity and honor for Jennifer, our office and ECU,” said Stephanie White, director of athletics student development. “It is extremely difficult to be chosen for this committee, and her appointment is a testament to the hard work Jennifer has put in during her time at ECU. She maintains a high standard for herself and the student-athletes she serves. It will be exciting to witness the new opportunities and experiences Jennifer has while serving on the committee.”
Division 1 initial-eligibility standards establish a minimum level of academic achievement for a student-athlete to receive athletics aid, practice and compete in the student’s initial year of full-time college enrollment.
The 20-member IEW committee is responsible for: reviewing appeals of staff IEW decisions while adhering to committee policies and procedures; providing an annual report to the NCAA Committee on Academics and Academic Requirements Committee; and reviewing initial-eligibility legislation as requested. The NCAA is a membership-driven association governed by more than 150 committees with almost 1,500 committee members from NCAA institutions and conferences.
OFFICE FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE
During the Fall 2021 semester, thirteen faculty completed the Active Learning and Leadership program. This program is made possible by the Truist Center for Leadership Development, and participants each spent the semester exploring opportunities for embedding leadership capacity building into a selected course. Courses addressed this fall will reach students ranging from first-year students to graduate-level learners.
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COLLEGE UPDATES
ARTS & SCIENCES
Following a successful site visit in the Spring, the Community and Regional Planning Program in the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, has achieved reaccreditation of its B.S. degree through December 2026 by the Planning Accreditation Board. In its transmittal letter, the PAB affirmed that “the Site Visit Team noted many areas of excellence … [including] a supportive and engaged alumni network; the notable Planners-in-Residence program that serves as a critical connection to the professional planning community and provides students with valuable mentoring and opportunities; and the Program’s service for a significant niche in the Carolina Coastal region.” ECU’s B.S. in Community and Regional Planning remains the only accredited undergraduate degree in the state of North Carolina, and one of only 15 in the country.
The Planners-in-Residence program contributes to student success, public service and regional transformation in myriad ways, as is evidenced in the classroom of Mr. Merrill Flood, who mentored students in the senior Planning Studio. Students worked on five community projects, and then presented their ideas to their clients at the end of the semester on Dec. 8 and 9. The students said they “would like to express their sincere appreciation to the project sponsors for their time, guidance and mentorship.” A brief synopsis of the student projects, their names and photos from the presentations are available online.
Criminal justice students at East Carolina University are the first students in North Carolina (and the surrounding states of Virginia and Florida) to use a 3D laser scanner — the latest in the investigative field — to analyze crime and crash scenes. The scanner was used for the first time this fall in two lab courses — crime scene investigation, and forensic impressions and markings. Read the full article HERE.
ECU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, outlined in the university mission and strategic plan, states that we “prepare students with the knowledge, skills and values to succeed in a global, multicultural society,” and that “we will reflect a global workplace and society by diversifying our faculty, staff and students.” Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences doctoral programs, and partnerships with other programs at ECU, embody the university’s goal of inclusion while also providing students with mentorship and interdisciplinary research opportunities that prepare them for their futures. Read the full article HERE.
Dr. Kirstin L. Squint, Whichard Distinguished Professor in the Humanities and Native American literature specialist at ECU, conducted a virtual interview with Brittany Hunt and Chelsea Locklear on Nov. 16, 2021. Hunt and Locklear are members of the Lumbee tribe and hosts of “The Red Justice Project” podcast, where they discuss the issues of missing and murdered Indigenous people (#MMIP). Squint interviewed Hunt and Locklear about these issues and their podcast. In case you missed it, view a recording of the event HERE.
EDUCATION
The College of Education hosted a book talk and signing on Dec. 2 in Joyner Library for a recent publication by three faculty in the Department of Literacy Studies, English Education and History Education. Drs. Anne Ticknor, Christy Howard and Mikkaka Overstreet published their book, “It’s Not ‘One More Thing’: Culturally Responsive and Affirming Strategies in K-12 Literacy Classrooms,” in July. The book focuses on how educators can incorporate culturally responsive pedagogy into their classrooms.
Dr. Loni Crumb of counselor education and Dr. Crystal Chambers of educational leadership received a prestigious award from the Spencer Foundation to help establish a research agenda speaking to equity and rural education titled Chartering a Spatially Just and Equitable Rural Education Research Agenda. Dr. Crumb will serve as a CO-PI on the $150,000 national, multi-university project along with Dr. Daniella Hall of Clemson University, Dr. Alex Red Corn of Kansas State University, and Dr. Jenny Seeling of NORC at the University of Chicago. Dr. Chambers will serve as a senior steering committee advisor and regional liaison.
The counselor education program awarded the 2021-22 ECU Counselor Education McClammy Award to Nicole Donald, a graduate student pursuing a dual degree in recreational therapy administration and counselor education.
The College of Education inducted 16 people into the Educators Hall of Fame on Nov. 20 during a ceremony at Fletcher Recital Hall. Learn more about the EHOF and who was inducted HERE.
Drs. Phyllis Broughton and Kaye Dotson were recognized with an Award of Excellence by the North Carolina Society of Historians on November 14 for their research and summary on "The Leadership Legacy of Beta Upsilon Presidents" for the preservation and perpetuation of North Carolina History.
Dr. Kristen Gregory received the 2021 Cynthia L. Peterson Outstanding Journal of College Reading and Learning (JCRL) Article Award for her article, “Trades-Based Literacy: Community College Faculty’s Exploration of Disciplinary Literacy.” She co-authored this article with Dr. Tom Bean from Old Dominion University. This award is given every year to the article that the JCRL editorial review board deems the most outstanding.
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
The Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering team returned from the ATMAE national conference in Orlando, Florida, with five awards, including first place in the warehouse competition, first place in robot tag and second place overall. Student teams build robots that are tasked with picking up objects of various weights and sizes from storage racks and placing them in assigned locations in a simulated warehouse setting, all without dropping the objects or running into obstacles that are placed in the robot’s path. Read more HERE.
The Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering is conducting energy audits designed to show how businesses and companies can reduce energy, cut costs and help the environment all at the same time. Thanks to a grant from the Environmental Protecting Agency Pollution Prevention and Source Reduction Assistance programs, CSE3 conducted site visits recently at Mt. Olive Pickles as well as Shortway Brewing, studying manufacturing processes and energy use with the idea of making recommendations to improve efficiency. Read more HERE.
Engineering students presented their senior projects during the Fall 2021 Engineering Capstone Symposium at the Main Campus Student Center. The projects featured everything from aircraft safety measures and health care improvements to dog training devices. The symposium featured 23 teams of students who displayed posters, provided prototypes and talked about the goals and results of their particular projects. Read more HERE.
A team of engineering students traveled to the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese to test one part of a wave-to-water desalinization unit. The project aims to make freshwater out of saltwater using energy created by the waves. Olusola Bolarinwa, Denia Cruz, Jason McCarthy, Emely Morales and Matthew White worked on a flap that will move as waves strike it, thus producing energy for the desalinization unit. Read more HERE.
FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION
Grants:
Holly Garriott, Teaching Assistant Professor (School of Art and Design) is the Principal Investigator for an American Rescue Plan grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for $250,000. The Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge received the grant to help Pitt County arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. These funds will be distributed in subgrants within the community to eligible recipients to save jobs, fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and provide marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation.
Publications:
Associate Professor Aysel Morin (School of Communication) published her book, Crafting Turkish National Identity, 1919-1927, in December 2021.
Professor Cindy Elmore (School of Communication) wrote the lead essay in the Dec. 17, 2021 newsletter for “Higher Ed Works,” which says it reaches 2 million social media followers: “Cindy Elmore: A class of ping-pong balls.” The essay was republished as the lead opinion article on WRAL.com on Dec. 19, 2021: “Teaching on a campus in the times of COVID.”
Conferences:
Associate Professor Mary Tucker-McLaughlin (School of Communication) virtually presented "And now for this special report: Video news segments as a tool to inform an at-risk community about COVID -19" on October 26,2021 at the 2021 American Public Health Association Conference held in Denver, Colorado.
Students:
School of Art and Design student Will Treadaway received a $5000 scholarship stipend for the spring 2022 semester for his creative design submission for the ECU football team uniform design competition. The ECU Miller School of Entrepreneurship and the ECU football team conducted the competition this fall. Associate Professor Dan Elliot (School of Art and Design) hosted workshops during the month of November to guide students with their designs for the competition. Treadaway’s design will be debut in the 2022 season.
Upcoming Events:
The School of Communication Navigator Series will continue with a workshop on “Professional Presentation Skills – PowerPoint Tips and Delivery” in-person Wednesday, February 2 at 4 p.m. in the Speech Communication Center and virtually via Microsoft Teams Thursday, February 3 at 5 p.m. For more information, contact Dr. Mary Tucker-McLaughlin.
HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Preconception Educating Pirates and faculty in the Department of Health Education and Promotion raised funds to send 77 sheet sets to the Crossroads Community Center on Manhattan Avenue. Donations by faculty and students were gathered at the Carol Belk Building before buying sheets to deliver to the center, which serves the homeless and those at risk of homelessness.
Dr. Joseph Lee in the Department of Health Education and Promotion is leading a “Write an RO3 with Dr. Lee” workshop, which also is for Health and Human Performance faculty interested in an R15 AREA mechanism submission. This program is designed for researchers with a concrete idea for a small grant who are ready to make the leap into the world of NIH grants. The group will work on the application, share resources, cheer each other on with constructive feedback, get methodological advice, and work against mystifying NIH submissions. The goal of this program is to have a submittable application by summer or fall 2022.
HONORS
Fifteen Honors College students presented research at this year's State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium. Learn more HERE.
EC Scholars worked with the Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy as part of their research internship class. The faculty members in EOSA are from departments across campus. Learn more about their projects HERE.
LIBRARIES
Academic Library Services has launched the ENC STEM site to streamline the online search process for informal science learning. The site connects educators, families and other visitors to resources and information about exhibitions and activities across three partner sites: the Aurora Fossil Museum, N.C. Museum of Natural Science at Greenville and Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck. The project was funded by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant. Mark Sanders, assistant director of public services, was PI.
ALS will offer a Large-Scale Poster Printing service to ECU Faculty, Staff, and Students starting January 10. This service was formerly provided by ITCS in the Austin Building, but has been transferred to ALS and complements Laupus Library’s current service.
The 2021 ALS year in review is available HERE.
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