On Deck May 2026

From the Desk of Vice Chancellor Brandon Frye

Colleagues and Friends of Student Affairs:

Congratulations, we have successfully reached the end of the 2026 academic term!  I want to thank our team and campus partners for all your dedicated and focused work this semester to advance student success, engagement, well-being, belonging, and career readiness.  I am confident that those efforts supported enhanced student retention, persistence, and graduation rates.

Speaking of graduation rates, we had a wonderful Commencement ceremony on May 8, where over 4,000 Pirates graduated.  I want to thank all who assisted with and volunteered for serving at the 2026 Spring Commencement ceremony, with a special “shout out” to Chris Stansbury, Sr. AVC, and Karen Smith, Director of Student Transitions, for their leadership roles in executing a successful event.

When the doors close at Commencement for our student’s undergraduate careers, other doors will soon open for new Pirates beginning their educational experiences at ECU.  It is hard to believe that we’re only a few weeks away from new student orientation and just around 12 weeks away from our first-year students moving into the residence halls to start the Fall 2026 semester.

Before we get busy with summer duties, I hope you can take time this season to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate. Our team members deserve opportunities to step away, whether through time with family and friends or even some personal alone time for themselves. Taking these breaks is important not only for our own well-being and to prevent burnout, but also so we can return energized, focused, and prepared to provide the best possible experience for our students when the fall semester begins.

Again, thanks for all that you do to support our students and their success.

~Purple and Gold