February 15, 2018 Edition

3rd Annual NC Civility Summit

ECU hosts the 3rd Annual North Carolina Civility Summit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Feb. 17, 2018, in the Mendenhall Student Center.

The goal of the NC Civility Summit is to create constructive dialogue beyond our campus, and even beyond the state of North Carolina, to find solutions and build coalitions to address real world challenges and tackle significant societal issues.  The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jennifer Arnold.

Dr. Arnold and her family star in the TLC Network hit docudrama, The Little Couple, which follows her personal and professional life. In addition, she has spent the last eight years involved in healthcare simulation education. Arnold is currently the medical director of the Simulation Center at Texas Children’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

In 2013, upon the adoption of the couple’s second child, Dr. Arnold was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer.  Through the support of family, friends and her fans, she underwent intense treatments and is currently cancer-free.  Now as a cancer survivor, Arnold is an advocate for spreading cancer awareness, supporting those on the road to recovery and engaging all others with her inspiring story of survivorship.

Following the keynote address at 11 a.m., attendees from across the region will break out into multiple sessions discussing topics such as DACA/The Dream Act, the Politics of Sports, Climate Change, and Language Ownership.

The NC Civility Summit is free and open to the public; however, tickets are required for entry.  To register and get your tickets for the event please visit ecunited.ecu.edu.  Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

Sponsors include Student Involvement and Leadership, Student Activities Board, Student Government Association, Black Student Union, Sexuality and Gender Alliance, Intercultural Affairs, Off-Campus Student Services, NC Civil, and Pitt Community College.

Spring 2018 Commencement Announcement

For more than 110 years, ECU Commencement has been a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of our students.  This time-honored tradition congratulates them for a job well done and encourages them to accomplish amazing things in the future.

We are pleased to announce some exciting changes for Spring 2018 Commencement that will make this major event even more significant.  The largest change will be moving the start time of the university’s Spring Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 4 to 7 p.m. in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Having our spring ceremony held under the lights in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium will take the ECU graduation experience to a new level.

Visit the ECU Commencement website for the latest updates and scheduling information at https://commencement.ecu.edu/.

Departmental / College Recognition Ceremonies

Moving the university ceremony to Friday evening also provides an opportunity for our college and departments to host their recognition ceremonies on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5.

Click Here to view the complete schedule for College and Departmental Recognition Ceremonies for Spring 2018.

GradBash 2K18: Arrrgh You Ready!

This Spring ECU will launch a brand new celebratory event to honor the successes of our students as well as their friends and families – GradBash 2K18: Arrrgh You Ready! On Thursday, May 3 from 6-8 p.m. ECU will host this first ever event in Uptown Greenville.

It will have a festive atmosphere with live music, food trucks and entertainment for all ages.

More details about this event will be announced later in the spring semester.

Stay Connected

ECU will continue to update the commencement website throughout the semester.  Be on the lookout fro more information about the commencement speaker, parking, hotels, RSVP’s and much more in the coming weeks.

For more information, please contact Dr. Mary Beth Corbin, ECU commencement co-chair at corbinm@ecu.edu.

S.H.O.E.S. Project 2018

ECU students partnered with campus departments to present the SHOES Project on February 8 near the cupola on the ECU Mall.

S.H.O.E.S., which stands for Students Honoring Others’ Everyday Struggles/Stories, is a program intended to help ECU students who may be dealing with challenging times. College students may experience depression, anxiety, stress, addictions, or thoughts of self-harm, but may feel isolated and unable to manage their response.

“ Our hope is that this program and its profound effect on helping others with their struggles, providing them with education and resources, along with hope, encouragement and positivity, will help the masses in being more aware of mental health issues in adolescents and young adults,” said Waz Miller, director of residence life.

The S.H.O.E.S. project was first held in 2016. It won the state and regional Program of the Year award from the South Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls, and went on to be chosen as the Program of the Year by the National Association of College and University Residence Halls. The program was shared with other campuses at the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International conference in Rhode Island in June.

The event featured a display of 400 pairs of shoes, each attached to a story of someone struggling with a family situation, medical condition, mental health issue or other obstacles, which have been collected from ECU and Hope Middle School students.

In addition to the shoes on display, the So Worth Living student organization provided a Worthy Wall, a chalkboard wall where students could write down the reasons why they are worthy of being loved. Student radio station WZMB 91.3 FM broadcasted live during the event.

ECU students and staff also distributed thousands of positive messages on buses and in campus buildings during the S.H.O.E.S. Project. A resource table, and the Center for Counseling and Student Development had a counselor on site for participants who wanted someone to talk to in a confidential setting.

A giant purple bear named Soks and hot chocolate and cookies were donated by Campus Dining. Participants shared their photos and thoughts using the hashtag #ECUSHOES.

“This is a time of year when students may get stressed, lonely and need a lift,” Miller said. “This is a collaborative effort to bring more awareness to mental health and other issues which college and younger students are facing.”

Event Social Media Statistics

Below is a statistical recap of the social media efforts for S.H.O.E.S.  Overall, more than 9,400 people were reached and attracted about 50% more engagement on Campus Living’s three channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) than a typical day.

Facebook
1,783 people reached
214 engaged (likes, comments, shares, image clicks)
12.0% engagement rate (11% higher than average)

Twitter
6,320 people reached
1,074 engaged (retweets, likes, image clicks)
17.0% engagement rate (115% higher than average)

Instagram
1,305 people reached
200 engaged (likes, comments, saves)
15.3% engagement rate (37% higher than average)

TOTAL
9,408 people reached
1,488 engaged (likes, retweets, comments, saves, image clicks)
16% engagement rate (52% higher than average)

Photo Credit: Dave Hilbert and Campus Living

Summer Jobs and Internship Fair

Career Services hosted its first Summer Jobs and Internship Fair on February 8th at the Student Recreation Center with nearly 250 students in attendance.

This event covered all majors at ECU and focused on delivering meaningful employment opportunities for students during their summer breaks that directly apply to their academic program and future career goals.

“Internships are extremely valuable learning experiences no matter the academic major. In many cases, nontraditional settings are equally as valuable as an internship that mirrors an academic discipline,” said Dr. Deb Jordan, Professor and Department Chair for the Recreation and Leisure Studies program at ECU.

According to the 2017 Job Outlook, the five top skills employers desire in potential hires are: 1) ability to work on a team, 2) problem solving, 3) written communication skills, 4) strong work ethic, and 5) verbal communication skills.

“Finding an internship where these skills can be learned and honed will facilitate the success of all students as they begin their professional careers,” added Jordan.

More than 50 companies, student organizations, and community partners participated in the career fair including, Enterprise, Northwestern Mutual, Peace Corps., Peter Millar, YMCA, Eastern 4-H Center, UNC Coastal Studies Institute, Bethelwoods Camp and Conference Center, Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Water Country USA, Beacon Hill Staffing Group, and the Autism Society of NC.

Click Below for additional stories pertaining to this event:
Daily Reflector
WITN

Photo Credit: Career Services

ECU Production of The Vagina Monologues

A production of “The Vagina Monologues” was performed on February 13 in Wright Auditorium with nearly 500 people in attendance.

“The Vagina Monologues” is a play addressing multiple aspects of the feminine experience including the physical body, empowerment and the ultimate embodiment of individuality.  The material was developed based on interviews with more than 200 women. It was first performed in New York in 1994.

“It’s an honor to bring life to Eve Ensler’s words and to be a part of this wonderful community of women who care so deeply,” said Mira Sampath, ECU senior and member of the ensemble. “I first auditioned to challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone, but now I believe in the power these words hold to transform both the audience and the performers in a way unlike any other.”

The event was free but donations were accepted at the door to benefit the Center for Family Violence Prevention which topped over $400.  This organization serves Pitt, Martin, and Washington counties to break the cycle of domestic violence while enhancing individual self-sufficiency and promoting healthy family relationships.

The cast included 23 women consisting of students, faculty, staff and community members.

“One of the most amazing things about being part of The Vagina Monologues is the reminder that runs through all the stories of how resilient women still have to be on a daily basis,” said Will Banks, co-director of the ECU production. “While these monologues may be twenty years old, the stories of sexual assault contained in many of these pieces are still far too real, too much a part of our daily lives. I hope by continuing to stage this show, we are helping more women know that they are not isolated in those experiences, and more men to recognize how we can be too complicit in these experiences by ignoring or downplaying their significance.”

Early performances of the play led to the 1998 launch of V-Day, a global movement aimed at ending violence against women and girls. The initial event led to more than 5,800 annual V-Day celebrations, many of those on college campuses.

Photo Credit: Erik Kneubuehl and Mark Rasdorf

Civic Engagement Institute

A team of 12 faculty and Student Affairs educators attended NC Campus Compact’s Civic Engagement Institute on Feb. 13 at Elon University. The topic of the institute was “Education for Democracy: Promoting Civility and Problem Solving through Deliberative Pedagogy.” Launched in 2007, this Institute is designed to explore one civic engagement topic during a day-long gathering. Teams of faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners from NC Campus Compact member campuses are invited to attend. This year’s Civic Engagement Institute described the theory and practice of “deliberative pedagogy” and how it promotes civility and dialogue. The Institute also helped our ECU campus team identify ways to collaborate better across campus and educate our students more effectively about civil dialogue issues. Team members included:

• Rose Bailey, College of Business
• Brittney DeWitte, CLCE
• Todd Fraley, Honors College
• Elizabeth Hodge, College of Education
• Toya Jacobs, Equity and Diversity
• Mariza James, Intercultural Affairs
• Dennis McCunney, CLCE
• Jonathan Morris, Political Science
• Sharon Paynter, Community Engagement / Political Science
• Nichelle Shuck, CLCE
• Lauren Thorn, Dean of Students
• Wanda Tyler, Intercultural Affairs

Student Affairs Making Headlines

• Maurice Jordan, IGCC Family Coordinator, has created a trivia game honoring Historically Black Colleges and Universities.  Click Here for the complete story.
• ECU Aquatics Coordinator, Jeff Blumenthal, has partnered with the Jack and Jill Organization to give swim lessons to children who need them.  Click Here to learn more about this initiative.

Creating Change Conference

Mark Rasdorf, Associate Director for the LGBT Resource Office, and Zachary Dale, graduate assistant for the LGBT Resource Office, accompanied six students to the 30th Annual Creating Change Conference held January 24-28, 2018 in Washington, D.C.  Sponsored by the National LGBTQ Task Force, the conference hosts more than 4,000 people in exploring issues of social justice and equality for the LGBTQ community.  The experience was made possible with support from Intercultural Affairs and the LGBT Advancement Council.

Highlights of the conference included an advocacy day on Capitol Hill where four of the students visited Rep. Butterfield’s office and met Tremayne Smith, ECU ’11 and former SGA president, who gave them a personalized tour of the House and Senate.  The entire group attended the Open House celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the founding of the National Center for Transgender Equality.  Session highlights during the conference included Communications and the Media, Collecting Our Histories, an Overview of the 2015 National Transgender Survey, and Intergenerational Dialogues in the LGBTQ Community.

ECU Alum Michael Aho, Class of ’03, and his partner, Joe Esparza, hosted the group for dinner on the final evening in the city.

Photo Credit: LGBT Resource Office

Just the Facts – February Edition

Just the Facts is a regular communication from the Division of Student Affairs Office of the Vice Chancellor highlighting some of the amazing things happening in our area in a quick, simple, and easy-to-read manner. What we do as SA educators and staff members demonstrates our commitment to student success, public service and regional transformation.

Click on the image for February to view in a larger format.

Has something exciting happened in your area within the past few weeks? Send the fact to VCSA@ecu.edu, subject line: Just the Facts and we will include in the next edition.

Staff Senate Nominations

Click on the image to view in a larger format.

Click Here for nomination form.

Student Affairs New Hires / Departures

Student Affairs New Hires Since February 1

• Alex Wadford – Business Officer – Campus Rec & Wellness – February 1
• Fabian Wilkerson – Student Services Specialist – Transit – February 1
• Shannon Bellflower – Case Manager – Counseling & Student Development – February 16
• Philip Bruce – Director – Career Services – February 19
• Jeffery Sasser – University Program Associate – Transit – February 19

Student Affairs Staff Departing

• Leigh Tetterton – Professional Nurse – Student Health Services – December 31 (Retirement)