August 15, 2017 Edition

Project Odyssey was designed to assist wounded warriors overcome combat stress through outdoor, rehabilitative retreats that encourage connection with nature, peers, trained counselors and Project Odyssey staff. The June visit to ECU was focused on military couples to help them learn to rebuild trust in their relationships affected by combat stresses and experiences.

Campus Recreation and Wellness’ Adventure Team Leadership program provided a low ropes course at the ECU Blount Complex and a canoe trip along the Tar River.

There were 14 couples that attended the Project Odyssey retreat. Participants came from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Georgia. The retreat was offered free to attendees through the Wounded Warrior Project.

“East Carolina University, Student Affairs and Campus Recreation and Wellness are invested in providing a stronger connection for our military families,” said Dr. Greg Corack, associate director for leadership and programs. “These men and women have spent their lives committed to service to our nation and this is a wonderful opportunity for us to better serve them.”

This is the first time ECU has hosted a Wounded Warrior Project Odyssey Retreat. However, there are additional programs tentatively planned for next year.

Click the image to view the full interactive story.Click here for an additional story by WNCT.

Pronouns and Safe Zone Trainings

Learning pronouns is an important part of any beginning level English curriculum and is important during the early stages of learning basic sentence construction.

Pronouns, such as “I,” “they,” “she,” “he,” “we,” “hers” and many others, are often used as a way to identify or refer to someone.

That being said, pronouns are still an important topic for discussion on college campuses. Gender neutral or gender inclusive pronouns are unspecific to one gender. The use of these pronouns make spaces more inclusive of transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender non-binary people.

One growing trend on campuses and at conferences is people are sharing their pronouns in their signatures, on name tags, and in introductions. Including pronouns not only respects people’s gender identity, but it also creates a more welcoming space for people of all genders.

The LGBT Resource Office worked with Student Affairs Marketing to create pronoun buttons and the response has been very positive by various colleges and departments on campus, including the EC Scholars program.

“Faculty and staff who are aware of them are very enthusiastic”, said Mark Rasdorf, associate director for the LGBT Resource Office. “In addition, a June 2017 post on the LGBT Resource Office Facebook page, about the new buttons arriving on campus, has reached over 1,600 people which is beyond anything I could have expected.”

The mission of the LGBT Resource Office is to provide support and a sense of community for students, faculty, staff, and alumni of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. The office fosters student leadership, as well as personal, academic, and professional growth, through volunteer opportunities and collaborative partnerships across campus. It also offers a safe and welcoming environment that promotes understanding, acceptance, and visibility of the LGBT community through a comprehensive range of educational programming and advocacy services.

One of the programs offered by the LGBT Resource Office is the Safe Zone program. This program has become a symbol of ECU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The purpose of Safe Zone training is to create a network of allies who are willing to talk to students about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. More than 90 faculty and staff participated in six Safe Zone trainings on both campuses over the summer.

The current list of active Safe Zone members is over 400 and, of that, approximately 350 people have agreed to have their names listed as members of the Safe Zone team on the LGBT Resource Office website. The visibility of the Safe Zone program is an important reminder to our students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors to campus that we are committed to a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all people.

Learning proper use of pronouns and Safe Zone training are just two of the ways to connect with the LGBT community and enhance the experience of ECU students.

ECU Student Voice

Submitted by SA Assessment

The purpose of the student assessment campaign, ECU Student Voice, is to:

Provide communication to students about how Student Affairs departments are using the information collected from students through various assessments
Educate students on the departments and services they offer
Promote positive social norms to students
Assist in creating a culture of “closing the loop” in Student Affairs’ assessment processes
Promote the use of assessment results

Please see the attached PDF for an example of the ECU Student Voice image marketed to ECU students. The current image will serve as a template so that the information on the image can be interchanged on a bi-monthly basis.

For ECU Student Voice, we need your department’s submissions. You can submit your information through a simple and quick form which can be found by going to the online form. The next submission deadline is September 1, 2017 and after this date, information can be submitted on a rolling basis. The roll-out months for the campaign are September, November, February and April.

Submission guidelines are as follows: 1) change occurred within the previous academic year, 2) change will occur or has already been made this academic year, and 3) a valid assessment process was utilized. As a tip, you may submit information gathered from your 16-17 outcomes and annual plans.

If you have any questions related to ECU Student Voice, please contact Melissa Allay at allaym@ecu.edu or 252-737-5212.

We look forward to sharing your assessment related initiatives with ECU students!

NPC College Panhellenic Award

The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) recognized ECU’s Panhellenic Council as a recipient of the College Panhellenic Excellence Award on July 28, 2017.

ECU is one of only 20 college campuses, and the only recipient in North Carolina, to receive this award from NPC, one of the largest advocacy organizations for women.

The Panhellenic Council is the largest women’s organization on ECU’s campus. It is the governing body of the National Panhellenic Conference sororities at ECU and one woman from each organization is elected to serve on the Panhellenic Executive Council. They provide events and programming to help promote unity amongst its members and promote excellence in academics, community and campus involvement.

For the complete press release click here.

Click the following links for additional stories:
NPC press release
ECU blog post

CLCE welcomes NC Afterschool Corps

Submitted by Nichelle Shuck, CLCE Associate Director

The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement is excited to welcome our North Carolina Campus Compact NC Afterschool Corps member, Jessica Nickel, to Pirate Nation!

Jessica was born and raised in Muncie, Indiana and received her Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Ball State University. Jessica is excited to use her educational background and passion for service to find new ways to help support the youth in eastern North Carolina.

Over the past three years, our NC Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTAs have developed the capacity for the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement to better serve our youth partners and support youth education programs. This includes the development of a student-led program, Pirate P.A.L.S (Peers Advocating for Learning and Success) and partnership with South Greenville Elementary School, Lucille W. Gorham Intergenerational Community Center (IGCC), Building Hope, Third Street Educational Center, and the Police Athletic League. The program supports volunteer recruitment for ECU students to serve as tutors, mentors, and reading buddies.

Jessica will provide support to the CLCE youth signature program, Pirate P.A.L.S and youth-focused community partners, specifically the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain. She will be trained in the Design for Change program, which will provide a framework for our volunteers and current partners to better empower and support youth to implement design thinking, social activism, and 21st century skills into their current curriculum.

If you are interested in learning more about our NC Campus Compact and the NC Afterschool Corps please contact Jessica Nickel at NICKELJ17@ECU.EDU or Nichelle Shuck at shuckn@ecu.edu.

Additional Links:
North Carolina Campus Compact
NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP)
Pirate P.A.L.S.

Student Affairs Departments Earn Re-Accreditation

Counseling Center

The ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development has been re-accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS), the accreditation association for university and college counseling centers.

The IACS notified ECU on July 26, 2017 about the successful re-accreditation, which is good through 2025. ECU’s Counseling Center, accredited by IACS continuously since 1988, handled nearly 10,000 student visits per year, including nearly 500 crisis appointments in 2016-17.

IACS evaluated the Center for Counseling and Student Development for its compliance with the association standards, which are the highest standards available for campus counseling centers, and ECU was found to offer outstanding professional services to its students.

For the complete press release click here.

Student Health Services

East Carolina University’s Student Health Services has earned accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Accreditation distinguishes Student Health Services (SHS) from many other outpatient facilities by providing the highest quality of care to its patients as determined by an independent, external process of evaluation.

Status as an accredited organization means SHS has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care set by AAAHC. More than 6,000 ambulatory health care organizations across the United States are accredited by AAAHC. Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation; not all that undergo the rigorous on-site survey process are granted accreditation.

This is an important milestone in the continuing growth and success of our health care organization. Pursuing accreditation shows our commitment to providing the highest levels of quality care to our patients, and the same high level of quality in our business practices. Achieving accreditation by AAAHC is proof that we have met the rigorous standards of a nationally-recognized third party.

We are proud to have met the challenge of accreditation, and intend to consistently uphold the principles of quality improvement in patient care in the future.

Ambulatory health care organizations seeking accreditation by AAAHC undergo an extensive self-assessment and on-site survey by AAAHC expert surveyors – physicians, nurses, and administrators who are actively involved in ambulatory health care. The survey is consultative and educational, presenting best practices to help an organization improve its care and services.

“Going through the process reiterates that we are a health care organization in pursuit of excellence. We hold ourselves to high standards and desire to provide the highest quality of care. SHS is comprised of some of the finest employees on ECU’s campus and I am proud to be a part of this team.” said Wright.

For more information, contact LaNika Wright ECU Student Health Services at (252) 328-6841 or visit https://studenthealth.ecu.edu/.

Click here for the ECU blog post.

Career Services Virtual Workshop Series

Submitted by Patrick Roberts, Career Services Associate Director
Workshop Series

As higher education evolves, increased attention is paid to career outcomes connected to academic success. ECU Career Services is providing innovative ways to assist faculty and staff in providing experiential learning through the utilization of technology. In addition to our in-person services, we are proud to announce the release of a new virtual workshop series, called Here’s How, that we hope will supplement course materials and create more impactful career development opportunities.

When students begin the workshop, a pre-assessment is given to measure their current knowledge level in a career specific subject. Once the online module is complete, the students are then asked to complete a post-assessment that is scored and can be printed for verification of participation. Our hope is that this will create measurable learning outcomes for both the student and ECU Career Services.

We ask that you consider utilizing these workshops with student organizations, student employees, and any student groups that may benefit from gaining career development knowledge. If you have any questions or wish to discuss future partnership, please contact Patrick Roberts at robertsp@ecu.edu.

To learn more click here.

Student Affairs Making Headlines

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina recently announced that ECU placed in their Top 10 volunteer groups for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. Of all volunteer groups across their 6 branches and 34 counties, ECU ranked number 7!
Jarmichael Harris, the Collegiate Recovery Community Coordinator in the counseling center, presented at the Association for Recovery in Higher Education’s (ARHE) National Recovery Conference on July 12, 2017 in Washington, DC in which he attended with two students. His presentation was entitled “New Kids on the Block: Establishing Your CRP”. Jarmichael also won the ARHE Collegiate Recovery Staff Member of the Year Award in which he was nominated by his peers at the counseling center.
The LGBT Resource Office received the 2017 Volunteer Service Award from the Jerusalem House in Atlanta for their volunteer service back in March as part of their first-ever (LGBT Resource Office) Alternative Break Experience. 10 students from ECU participated in this trip and had the opportunity to work with non-profits that serve the LGBT Community.
ECU Dining Services Executive Chef, Kristian Forrest, has achieved the final ProChef III Certification from the Culinary Institute of America. CIA is the World’s Premier Culinary College. This advanced and prestigious recognition is obtained through a series of rigorous examinations testing knowledge on a diverse curriculum of culinary, leadership, and financial expertise.

SIL Visits Pentagon

Submitted by Erik Kneubuehl, SIL Associate Vice Chancellor

SIL visists Pentagob On June 27 the senior leadership staff of SIL, Beth Bengala (filling in for Dean Smith), Wanda Tyler, Dennis McCunney, John Mountz, Erik Kneubuehl, and Justin Janak were invited to Washington D.C. by Alumnus and current Honors College Advancement Council member Col. Thomas Shubert. Col. Shubert currently serves as Chief of the Air Operations Division, Office of Legislative Liaison, in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. He is an active alumni of East Carolina University who served over 30 years in the US Air Force and in 2014 was inducted into ECU’s Distinguished Military Service Society.

During the visit the staff toured the Pentagon, where Col Shubert works, and met with the Deputy Secretary of the Air Force and his command staff for conversation around leadership and student/staff development. The staffs shared thoughts around the competencies that current students need to be leaders and the struggles that both the military and higher education experience with regard to leadership development. Out of the meeting came consensus that young leaders need to display better communication skills as well as coping skills when it comes to failure or disappointment. They also found that leaders in their organizations need to be strategic, balanced, and people focused.

Following the Pentagon, Col Shubert arranged for the SIL staff to attend a Lecture at the Army-Navy Club by Adm. James Stavridis about his new book, The Leader’s Bookshelf. Adm. Stavridis spent over thirty-five years on active service in the U.S. Navy and served for seven years as a four-star admiral, culminating with four years as the sixteenth Supreme Allied Commander at NATO. He holds a PhD in international relations, and is currently Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. His lecture focused on the concept that reading books makes leaders stronger and reviewed his top choices, such as Killer Angels and To Kill A Mocking Bird.

Paint It Purple T-shirt Swap

PIP T-shirt Swap ECU will host a t-shirt swap Friday, August 25, from 11am-2pm, in front of Dowdy Student Stores.

The goal of this event is to promote Paint It Purple Fridays, a weekly tradition that encourages students, faculty, and staff to showcase their student spirit by wearing purple. Students will be able to exchange their non-ECU college apparel for a brand new ECU t-shirt while supplies last. The item exchanged will then be donated to the Salvation Army.

The Office of Student Transitions, the Division of Student Affairs, and the ECU Alumni Association are partnering together to host this event along with Greenville business Instant Imprints.

“We know how important it is for new students to feel connected and engaged in the first couple of weeks on campus,” said Dr. Mary Beth Corbin, executive director for the Office of Student Transitions. “There is no better way to feel connected to Pirate Nation than a free ECU t-shirt and proudly displaying your purple apparel on Paint It Purple Fridays.”

Additionally, Dowdy Student Stores will be offering discounts that day for students to purchase additional ECU apparel.

For more information, contact Dr. Mary Beth Corbin, executive director in the Office of Student Transitions, at (252) 328-4173.

Chancellor’s Student Leadership Academy

The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) will be accepting student applications for Chancellor’s Student Leadership Academy. Please forward to any students who may benefit from the program and encourage them to apply!

Chancellor’s Student Leadership Academy (CSLA) will be hosting a Fall 2017 cohort. Students who participate in this program have the opportunity to meet with and learn from some of the most engaging leadership educators from the ECU and Greenville communities. Participants must be full-time students, have completed 21 or more credit hours, and have at least a 2.75 GPA. The Academy is a personal and professional leadership development program designed to help students develop valuable skills that will inspire, empower, and allow them to influence positive change on campus and throughout the community.

Please forward to any and all students who you think would be a great addition to the program.

If you have any questions, please email or call Lauren Howard, Assistant Director in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at howardl16@ecu.edu | 252-737-1669. Student Leadership Academy

New Hires / Departures in Student Affairs

Student Affairs New Hires Since July 1

Jeffrey Blumenthal – Coordinator of Aquatics, Boathouse & Safety Services – Campus Recreation & Wellness – July 10
Jessica Ashton – Assistant Director of Greek Life – Student Involvement & Leadership – July 17
Scott Calavich – Coordinator – Campus Living – July 17
Vanessa Lima – Coordinator – Campus Living – July 17
Andrew Palladino – Coordinator – Campus Living – July 17
Michael Perry – Associate Director – Campus Living – July 17
Lawrence Heath – Administrative Support Associate – Campus Living – July 24

Student Affairs Staff Departing Since July 1

Amanda Murphy – Administrative Support Associate – Campus Living – July 14
Mark Villacorta – Associate Director of Ledonia Wright Cultural Center – Student Involvement & Leadership – July 28
Karen Kus – Associate Dean of Students – Dean of Students – July 31
Suzannah Lott – Assistant Director Center for Leadership & Civic
Engagement – Student Involvement & Leadership – August 4
Marcus Silver – Assistant Director – Campus Living – August 4