On Deck with Student Affairs Mid-October 2022 Edition

Pirate Media 1 Ribbon Cutting

Pirate Media 1, ECU's student media organization, held an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony Oct. 14 in its newly renovated home on the ground floor of Mendenhall.

The print, creative, advertising and marketing divisions have joined the radio station in the same location where the media group can be one in its efforts to provide news, entertainment and information to ECU and its community.

The celebration brought back Pirate Media 1 alumni and former staff, community members, campus partners and friends. Remarks were made by Director Cherie Speller, Student Affairs Associate Vice Chancellor Chris Stansbury, Board chairman Mark Wetherington and student executives.

ECU’s Mountz receives AFA Distinguished Service Award

Written by ECU News Services

East Carolina University’s director of student engagement, John Mountz, was named as a recipient of the 2022 Sue Kraft Fussell Distinguished Service Award by the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA).

The award, named in honor of former executive director and longtime advocate Sue Kraft Fussell, recognizes those who have exhibited outstanding achievements in one or more of the following areas: service to AFA; programming and/or service which reaches beyond the recipient’s campus/organization; development and research activities; and/or service to the college and fraternity/sorority communities.

Mountz joined ECU as the director of Greek life in 2017 and has since become director of student engagement, which includes the 37 chapters of ECU Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Activities Board and more than 400 ECU student organizations.

“John Mountz has been a great leader and a strong voice for fraternities and sororities at ECU,” said Dr. Virginia Hardy, vice chancellor for student affairs. “He has built wonderful, trusting relationships with our student leaders and John genuinely cares about their academic excellence, community service and philanthropic endeavors.”

Prior to joining ECU, Mountz spent 16 years at N.C. State University and the University of Michigan working in Greek life. He has been a LeaderShape facilitator for more than two decades and has supported colleges and universities across the country with consultation services related to fraternity and sorority communities in the areas of leadership training, organizational development and strategic planning.

“This award recognizes John Mountz’s longtime service to the fraternity/sorority profession and to AFA as a mentor, a volunteer and champion for the fraternity/sorority profession,” said AFA executive director Jason Bergeron.

Mountz will receive the honor at the AFA annual meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, later this year.

“I am deeply honored to be one of this year’s recipients of the distinguished service award and to be recognized alongside three outstanding professionals,” said Mountz, who is also engaged in extensive service with his national fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau. “I am thankful for so many amazing students, alumni and colleagues with whom I have worked throughout my career.”

The Fussell Distinguished Service Award was first given out in 1985, and Mountz joins former ECU employee Laura Sweet, who received the award in 2010.

About AFA

The mission of AFA is to elevate the standard for effective professional practice in working with sororities and fraternities in higher education. AFA is the premier community of professional practice for those committed to enhancing the fraternity/sorority experience and is the leading voice in creating a fraternity/sorority profession of ever-increasing skill, value and inclusion.

Updates and Reminders

LDA Open House

We look forward to seeing you at the Leadership Development Academy Open House on Wed, Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m. on the Third Floor Deck of the Main Campus Student Center. Please take a moment to RSVP by clicking on the button below (RSVP by Oct. 17).

Staff Senate Wellness Walk

Each year the ECU Staff Senate sponsors a staff wellness walk around Lake Laupus (near the Brody building). In conjunction with the walk, we also have tables set up along the walking trail where campus groups, community organizations, and businesses can participate by helping to promote an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits about the 5 elements of well-being.

The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 20th at Lake Laupus. The rain date is October 27th.

Green Zone Training

ECU Faculty and Staff are invited to participate in Green Zone training hosted by the Military & Veterans Resource Center taking place in October and November. Green Zone is a two-hour training that discusses military-affiliated students in higher education and provides the opportunity to speak directly with a student veteran panel about their experiences at ECU.

The premise of the Green Zone program is that knowledgeable and supportive contacts throughout East Carolina University will create a more veteran-friendly environment, which will positively affect these military students' success. Click here for more information about Green Zone Training.

• October 26th, 1-3 pm in the Health Sciences Student Center Room 202
• November 16th, 10-12 pm in the Main Campus Student Center Room 307

For questions about Green Zone Training or want more information about Green Zone Training, please directly contact Dr. Nicole Messina, Director of the Military & Veterans Resource Center, at 252-737-6542 or messinan21@ecu.edu.

Safe Zone Training

Registration for ECU faculty and staff is now open for the following sessions:

• Monday, November 7 from 1-4 pm in the Main Campus Student Center, Room 125
• Monday, November 14 from 1-4 pm in Laupus Library, Room 1504
• Thursday, December 8 from 9 am to Noon in Laupus Library, Room 1504

Safe Zone is an opportunity for ECU faculty and staff to talk, learn, and ask questions about sexuality and gender in a non-judgmental, safe, educational environment. The purpose of Safe Zone is to create a network of allies who are willing to talk to students about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, in addition to demonstrating their support of the LGBTQ community by displaying the Safe Zone symbol. Each session is three hours in length and includes a panel of students who share their experiences as members of the LGBTQ community on campus.

Once you have completed the training, you will receive a Safe Zone logo to display in your office. The Safe Zone program is a symbol of this University’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness and your participation in the Safe Zone training helps to create an ever-expanding network within the ECU community to support our students.