Table of Contents
- Homecoming Recap
- First Gen Students Give Back
- Assessing SA Programs and Services
- Student Success Conference
- SA Grant Planning Series
- Pirate Media 1 Grand Opening Video
- Updates and Reminders:
- >>TurkeyPalooza
- >>Pirate Media 1 Advertising
- >>Veterans Lunch
- New Hires, Promotions and Separations
Homecoming Recap
Submitted by Hank Bowen, Senior Associate Director for Student Engagement
Homecoming Week 2022 brought lots of “Super Pirates” energy to campus October 12-16.
The Student Homecoming Committee, chaired by junior Tyree Rubin, kicked the week off with Cannonball featuring the Marching Pirates, Men’s Basketball Coach Michael Schwartz, and Women’s Basketball Coach Kim McNeill. Students played trivia based on ECU and superhero movies, created tie-dye shirts, and enjoyed an outdoor showing of Avengers: Infinity War.
On Thursday, all ECU students were invited to participate in the campus-wide scavenger hunt to teach university traditions, identify resources, and highlight campus landmarks. Thursday night saw the return of the always popular skit night, featuring 15 fun acts related to the “Super Pirates” theme.
Friday, in partnership with the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, organizations donated over 30,000 pounds of food to support the Purple Pantry and local families. After a 3-year hiatus, the NPHC Step Show returned to Wright Auditorium on Friday night.
Homecoming Week was capped off Saturday with the Homecoming Parade featuring amazing floats from student organizations, campus departments, and community groups. Later that night a Pirate victory against Memphis in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium where Lydia Pinto was announced as the new Captain of the Ship winner. Lydia received a $1000 educational award sponsored by the Student Government Association.
Competition Winners
ECU first generation college students give back
Written by Summer Stevens with The Coastland Times
A group of first generation or “First Gen” East Carolina University students came to the Outer Banks earlier this month to be inspired by historical firsts and to give back to the community through litter clean up.
Dr. Linda Campion helped to launch this program at ECU this year to help first generation college students be successful in school. The two-year program offers a scholarship, professional mentoring and other resources for incoming freshman who are the first in their families to attend college.
“We want them to learn about everything – to give them a sense of community, and give them everything they need to really become a Pirate,” she said.
The program, just like the ECU motto, prioritizes service. Campion, a Manteo native and a first-generation college student herself, wanted to take her students to the Outer Banks partly so they could see a little bit of her life. “I used to work in the fish house in Wanchese. I made a big jump and had a very different trajectory. I wanted to bring these students here so hopefully they could see that trajectory, and also so I could give back to where I’m from.”
The service component involved first an educational program through the NC Coastal Federation in Wanchese, where students learned about how litter and toxins affect the marine ecosystem, followed by a trash cleanup near the boat ramp across from Pirate’s Cove and along the waterfront in Wanchese.
For example, students learned that Styrofoam can take 50 years decompose, and a plastic straw can take 200 years. “It was fascinating to learn about all this before the [service] project, to learn what they’re picking up,” Campion said.
The ECU students saved piles of litter from entering the waterways, and later went back through the bags to sort the litter and send the recyclables to a recycling center.
Student Jacey Hillman noted the length of time plastic and glass take to decompose and observed, “We need to do better with picking up after ourselves taking care of the environment.”
“If this litter goes into the ocean, it can effect water quality, marine life, and the ecosystem,” said ECU student Jordan Kearney, who is studying community and regional planning.
Click here to read the complete story.
Curiosity is Key to Assessing Student Affairs Programs & Services
Written by Helen Mulhern Halasz, Student Affairs Assessment, Research, & Planning
Of the three major concepts related to the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency of Assessment, Evaluation, and Research- we most often use assessment to gather evidence and apply it to our practice. Assessment can be a 5-question survey at Halloween Havoc or tracking the number of Purple Pantry customers. We use evaluation results to inform decisions on how to strengthen or improve. Evaluation may be a student employee performance appraisal or large-scale project of a departmental program review with self-examination, internal and external review teams. Research is guided by specific questions, framework, and often includes data collection. Research generates new knowledge, such as documenting the experiences of women student veterans at ECU using interviews. What all three have in common is curiosity!
Be an inquisitive team member. Asking how to reinforce strengths or identify areas for improvement enhances programs and services for students and other stakeholders. Participants in a recent Student Affairs Assessment 101 workshop were asked, “What do you want to know?” A Jamboard visual illustrates their intuitive responses. If you are curious, contact your Student Affairs Assessment, Research, and Planning liaison. We are willing to work with you to narrow your question, identify if the data already exists, or strategize ways and means to explore what you would like to know! Contact us at sa_assessment@ecu.edu.
Student Success Conference
The ECU Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs are pleased to announce the tenth annual Student Success Conference, scheduled to take place on Friday, January 27, 2023 in the Main Campus Student Center. The theme for the conference is “Equity & Access.”
Higher education professionals are invited to submit program proposals related to the theme focusing on strategies that help students connect, invest, motivate, and finish strong. Click here to submit conference presentation proposals. The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2022.
Conference registration is open, and the registration fee is $50 for early registration which runs until December 16. Regular registration will be $75 and on-site registration will be $100. Additional information about the conference can be found on the 2023 ECU Student Success Conference website. The 2023 conference is intended to promote opportunities that lead to student success strategies for all students. An opening session will be followed by three rounds of workshops and a closing session. Lunch is included in the registration fee.
For additional information, please contact the Office of Student Transitions at transitions@ecu.edu or call 252-328-4173.
SA Grant Planning Process
Written by Ashleigh Taylor, Student Affairs Assessment, Research, & Planning
On October 20, 2022, Student Affairs Assessment, Research, and Planning (SAARP) held its first SA Grant Planning Series session. This session, titled SA Grant Planning Panel, showcased an expert panel experienced in the grant-seeking process. Kylene Dibble (Executive Director, Parents for Public Schools of Pitt County), Dr. Erik Kneubuehl (Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs), Dr. Deborah Lundin (Director of Pre-Award Services, Office of Research Administration), and Dr. Dennis McCunney (Director of Intercultural Affairs, Student Affairs) provided advice from their personal experiences and institutional standpoints. Some valuable tips from the panelists included:
- Don’t be afraid to fail
- Recycle old concepts into new proposals
- Don’t wait until a grant match - have your concept ready
- Build coalitions throughout your institution and community
- Network and make connections with grant-makers
The first session had a packed room of Student Affairs Educators and a graduate assistant. Participants shared their grant-seeking and programmatical interests, which ranged from:
- Service
- Well-Being
- Infrastructure support
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion disparities
- First-generation students
- Pirate populations
- Health inequalities
- Virtual Programming
If you missed the first session but would like to participate in the series, you are welcome to attend the next session in November. In a café conversation format, participants will drill down on their interests and programming needs. Participants will then be paired off into grant writing teams (when appropriate) and matched with relevant resources.
Next Session: Idea Exchange | Date: November 17, 2022 | Time: 10 – 11:30 am | Place: MCSC 253
Spring Workshops
For more information, contact Ashleigh Taylor at hillas@ecu.edu.
Pirate Media 1 Grand Opening
The print, creative, advertising and marketing divisions for Pirate Media 1, ECU's student media organization, have joined the radio station on the ground floor of Mendenhall where the media group can be one in its efforts to provide news, entertainment and information to ECU and its community.
Updates and Reminders
TurkeyPalooza
Anticipating this holiday season, many of us are worried about eating too much meanwhile some families are struggling to find a meal. Give thanks with an act of kindness! CLCE is looking for volunteers, organizations, and groups to sponsor a Thanksgiving meal box for a family in need.
Interested in sponsoring a family? Click here to fill out the form. Form submissions are due Monday, November 4TH by 5pm.
Groups who fill this form out are committing to $25.00, the food items for the sides/dessert, and cooking essentials (details can be found on the Engage form). The online submission of $25 will be used to purchase a turkey for the family you will sponsor. Online payment is HIGHLY recommended this year. Directions on how to submit online payment can be found on the Engage form.
Donation drop off will be November 14-15, 2022 in the Main Campus Student Center, CLCE Suite 208 (9am-4pm).
All questions can be directed to, Katy Locke, lockek19@ecu.edu or 252-737-5810.
Give Thanks with Pirate Media 1
Pirate Media 1 (ECU Student Media) is Greenville’s only multimedia company allowed to distribute publications and advertise on campus and this year we have a great opportunity to promote something you are thankful for.
For the next few weeks Pirate Media 1 is offering a unique opportunity for readers to give thanks through a special, support-sized ad in The East Carolinian newspaper.
We have several options available for advertising, however we have reserved 5” x 2” spaces as a "Give Thanks" template for parents, students, faculty, staff, community and small businesses to publish a personal message of thanksgiving for only $50, with color included. It’s the perfect way to give a heartfelt message of gratitude and spread a little holiday cheer.
To find out more about placing an ad or personal thanksgiving message in The East Carolinian, please email your questions to smaa@ecu.edu or feel free to call Tim Davis at 252-328-9245. Reserve your space today. No messages will be taken or submitted after 1p.m. Monday, November 14th.
Additional Opportunity - On Campus Events Package - We are also offering a $250 events package for on campus groups, organizations, and departments which includes:
- An eight-page ad in The East Carolinian the Wednesday before your event.
- An ad in the Techo Echo email newsletter the Friday before your event.
- Four social media posts, sent out on the days of your choice, on Twitter and Instagram.
- Creative Services to design the ad.
Pirate Media 1 is comprised of The East Carolinian, WZMB FM, Magazines (Hook, Anchors Away, Rebel and Expressions), and the Agency.
Pirate Veterans - November 11th - Join us for Lunch
In honor of our Pirate Veterans, Dining Services is inviting each veteran student, faculty, and staff to dine with us in our dining halls on November 11th for lunch.
New Hires, Promotions and Separations
New Hires
Kendra Bailey - Student Health Services Admin Support Specialist
Student Health Services welcomes our newest Administrative Support Specialist, Kendra Bailey. Kendra comes to us from the Brody School of Medicine, where she has been an ECU employee since 2017. At Student Health, she will work the SHS Front Desk, where she will be one of the initial points of contact for students seeking our services and assistance. Outside of work, she is the proud mother of 2 loving children who are the center of her world. We are so happy to have her join our team. Welcome, Kendra!
Marianna Blount - Transit Operations Supervisor
Marianna joins the Transit team as the Operations Supervisor. Her primary duties are managing social media for ECU transit, community outreach, and the main point of contact for customer service. Marianna has been with ECU transit since her freshman year and graduated with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. She enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family as well as her German Shepherd Gnocchi.
Chelsie Hargrove - Intercultural Affairs Associate Director
We welcome Chelsie Hargrove (pronouns they/she) as the new director of the Women and Gender Office starting Oct. 17. Chelsie received their MA in International Studies with a certificate in Student Affairs in Higher Education from ECU in 2019. Prior to coming on board as the Director of the Women and Gender Office, they served as the Diversity Program Coordinator for Brody School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity Affairs. While completing their MA, they worked within ECU’s Office of Global Affairs as the Administrative Support Associate from 2018 to 2022. During this time, they created and facilitated the International Coffee Hour series both physically and virtually during COVID, served as an English Language Instructor for ECU’s Language Academy and stepped in as the Interim Lifelong Learning Program Coordinator.
Taryn White - Vice Chancellor's Office Executive Assistant
We are excited to welcome Ms. Taryn White as the Executive Assistant for the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Taryn joins us from the Academic Advising Center, where she has served in an office management capacity for more than three years. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the Division, with experience ranging from Kronos to budget to office management. Taryn’s background provides the perfect foundation to continue delivering excellent service to the constituents of East Carolina University and the Division of Student Affairs.
Taryn is an alumnus of East Carolina University (’02) with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and completed her Master of Science in Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales (’20). In her free time, Taryn enjoys reading (especially biographies and autobiographies), cooking (preferably Asian but all types of cuisine), and spending time/traveling with her family. Please join me in welcoming Taryn to the Division of Student Affairs.
Promotions
- Gabriela Lemus - LWCC Program Coordinator - Intercultural Affairs
Separations
- Krista Wilhelm – Assistant Director – Student Engagement – September 30
- Jennifer Harrell – Program Specialist – Central Reservations Office – September 30
- Chris Turner – Business Coordinator – Campus Living – September 30
- Sarah Dietz – Assistant Director – Counseling Center – September 30
- Brittney Williamson – Urgent Support Counselor – Counseling Center – October 10
- Phylicia Bridgers – Staff Counselor – Counseling Center – October 16
- Curtis Wilson – Coordinator – Campus Living – October 17
Credits:
Created with images by Creative Services, University Photographers, and SA Communications.