December 2018 Edition
From the Desk of Vice Chancellor Virginia Hardy
“There is no(thing) better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.” — Malcolm X
“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” — Lee Iacocca
Two great leaders that faced very different types of adversity in their lives. Everyone handles adversity differently. Some learn from adversity while others seem to struggle to get out from under it.
As we wrap up another fall semester that has delivered challenges, difficulties and yes, adversity, we can’t get bogged down by the negative, but instead must come together and power through. Please take solace in knowing that as the leader of this amazing division of 300+ staff members, what brings the biggest smile to my face during the darkest of times is that I have the best team on this campus….on any campus.
At times when others are scrambling, nervous and playing Chicken Little, I am so proud of the SA educators that stand, unwavering, beside me and say “bring it on.” We have gotten really good at planning for the worst and hoping for the best. That has served us quite well this fall.
But enough about the gloom and dark clouds of the past. We have a bright and amazing future coming our way. In 2019, we will open the long awaited new Main Campus Student Center, which will become the living room for our students and the showpiece of our campus and community.
When the calendar flips, Student Affairs will again be standing strong and ready to serve our students. But to make sure that you are ready for what 2019 has to offer, I strongly encourage you to take some time this December to get some rest and take care of yourselves and your families. Enjoy every hug, every laugh, and every meal during the holiday break.
And it will be great to turn off that alarm clock and sleep in!
Thank you for being amazing. Thank you for all you have done and all you will do to better serve our students at ECU.
I wish each of you a very happy and safe holiday season and I look forward to great things in 2019.
For 20 Residential Scholars, living on campus has its perks
Written by Erin Shaw, University Communications
An ECU scholarship that pays upperclassmen to live on campus is encouraging students to become more involved in the university and local community.
The Residential Scholars Program awards students $4,000 per year to be used to support on-campus housing expenses. The program was established in 2010 and provides leadership and community involvement experiences for 20 upperclassmen. Residential Scholars must maintain a 3.0 GPA, serve as leaders in campus groups, live in either Gateway or Jarvis residence halls and complete 20 hours of community service each semester.
The group includes a wide range of students and majors. Sophomore nursing major Samantha Willard said she would never have met sophomore computer science major Brandon Fellenstein had it not been for the Residential Scholars Program. Or any computer science majors for that matter.
“We all get along really well, surprisingly,” she said, adding that she applied for the program to learn more about what service and leadership could look like on campus. She and her fellow Residential Scholars recently traveled to Washington, D.C., for fall break to volunteer with the So Others May Eat project. They also attend monthly dinners with guest speakers who are leaders in their fields.
For the complete story, CLICK HERE.
Veteran Leadership Academy
The first meeting of the inaugural Veterans Leadership Academy (VLA) occurred on November 6th. This ECU designed program is sponsored by the BB&T Center for Leadership Development. The VLA will assist student veteran’s transition from military to campus to career through a series of sessions focused on leadership and career readiness.
Student veterans bring a variety of skills to campus from their military experience and the BB&T Veterans Leadership Academy will build upon these skills to further develop leadership and career readiness.
The 8-session program involves 18 veteran students who will also participate in a spring break trip to Washington D.C to learn about Federal employment and network with alumni in the region. When the program concludes in April, the student participants will get a chance to reflect upon the inaugural program and provide feedback to make future programs even better.
WZMB’s New Look Studio
On November 26th, the WZMB 91.3 FM student staff celebrated the long-awaited return to its radio station studio. Due to construction projects in Mendenhall Student Center occurring next to and above the radio station, WZMB was moved into the social room and a make shift studio was created. The radio station was able to stay on the air, as required by the FCC, during the move into the social room and the students are now happy to be back home. But the home they returned to has received some upgrades and improvements to add to the student experience.
More than 25 WZMB student leaders, DJ’s and student staff showed up to see the newly painted walls, a completely new sound-proofed studio (purple, of course) and new ceiling tiles and office furniture. In addition to the structural work done to the radio station, the students hand painted the WZMB logo on the wall and hung historic artwork, albums, artist portraits and throwback t-shirt designs on the walls to make the radio station a showpiece and something that gives the students pride.
During the open house, students lined up to request and choose their radio show segments, themes and time slots for the Spring 2019 semester. Feel free to drop by the first floor of Mendenhall to visit WZMB and show your support to the students. If you are looking for WZMB to play music or do a live remote at your upcoming program or event, contact them at wzmb@ecu.edu.
Fall Commencement – Volunteers Needed
It is that time of year once again. ECU Fall Commencement will be held Friday, December 14th at 9 a.m. in Minges Coliseum. We need your help to make this joyous celebration even better. Many have volunteered in the past and we hope our faculty and staff will once again step up and volunteer a couple hours of time at Commencement.
Assignments, detailed instructions and parking information will be sent on December 10th. Volunteers will need to report at 7:30am to 142 Minges on the 14th. A very light breakfast will be served.
If you can assist with commencement, please directly contact Karen Kus at kusk@ecu.edu
Assessment Skill Building Sessions
Student Affairs Educators will have an opportunity to participate in hands-on skill building sessions during spring semester. The topics being offered were developed as a result of requests from new staff and our Student Affairs Assessment Team along with feedback during assessment review meetings. Most of the sessions are only one hour in length. Register for sessions of interest on Cornerstone beginning Wednesday, December 5. More details are included in the topic descriptions. Contact Student Affairs Assessment, Research, and Planning for more information at SA_Assessment@ecu.edu or 737-6237.
- Focus Group Training: A two-part series on Thursday, January 17 and Thursday, January 24 from 10am-noon
- Student Affairs Assessment 101: Wednesday, January 30 from 11am-noon
- Building Your Assessment Plan 1 – Outcomes, Measures, and Criterion for Success: Thursday, February 21 from 11am-noon
- Building Your Assessment Plan 2 – Results, Analysis, Decisions & Actions: Thursday, February 28 from 11am-noon
- Polls and Intercept Survey Methods: Thursday, March 14 from 11am-noon
- Sampling Strategies and Data Collection Decisions: Thursday, March 28 from 11am-noon
- Qualitative Analysis – from coding to themes: Thursday, April 11 from 11am-noon
- Structuring Your Assessment Reports/Briefings with Infographics: Thursday, April 25 from 11am-noon
SAVE THE DATE: The annual Division of Student Affairs Assessment Retreat will be held on Tuesday, May 21 from 10:00am to 3:00pm in the New Student Center.
Just the Facts – Main Campus Student Center and LWCC
Click on the image(s) to view in a larger format.
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.
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.
In Remembrance of Betty Johnson
Betty Lou Johnson passed away on Saturday, October 27, 2018. Betty Lou was a loyal, dedicated employee of ECU for twenty-seven years (and a Treasured Pirate award winner in November 2005) before her funeral on November 3, 2018. Betty began work at ECU with Don Joyner and summer Orientation. She remained in this position during her entire tenure but added responsibilities such as working with student transfers, student veterans, career services, and special populations such as male students and first-generation students.
Miss Betty was special for many reasons but the main one was her love and care for the students of ECU. Whether they were student office workers or the 25+ orientation assistants, Betty developed relationships with all of them. To the students, she was “Mom.” She made sure they ate well, which often included sharing her own meals, and she especially showered them with special attention on their birthdays. Betty wanted them to feel loved on their special day – especially those students who did not live in or near Greenville. Betty counseled students about relationships, professors, grades, parents and always, always had a hug for them. Now, she also held them accountable but this was just part of her being “Mom” and it made the students feel as if they had a home away from home.
Beyond students, Betty had special relationships with staff members across campus. While she may be most remembered for her fiery demeanor, Betty was always able to work across departments and divisions to get her work accomplished. There were very few people on campus that did not respond when Betty came calling!
The Division of Student Affairs and the larger ECU community have lost a true friend.
New Hires Since October 15th
- Frankie Brown – Housekeeper – Student Involvement & Leadership – November 1
- Brian Stanford – Technology Specialist – Technology Services – November 16
- Elizabeth (Carter) Morsell – Donor Relations Coordinator – November 16
- Gerald Wiggs – Nurse Practitioner – Student Health Services – November 19
- Marian Mills – Medical Assistant – Student Health Services – December 3
- Aaron Bevill – Videographer – Divisional Communications – December 3
Departures Since October 15th
- Nichelle Shuck – Associate Director – Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement – November 30
- Rinardo Reddick – Associate Dean of Students – December 1
Final Safe Zone Trainings of Fall 2018
The LGBT Resource Office announces the following Safe Zone training:
- Thursday, December 6 from Noon-3:00 pm in Mendenhall, Great Room 1 – Feel free to bring your lunch!
- Tuesday, December 11 from 1:00-4:00pm in Laupus Library, Room 1504
Safe Zone training is an opportunity for people 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. Trainings are offered throughout the year on Main Campus and the Health Sciences Campus. Each session is three hours in length and includes a panel of students who share their experiences as members of the LGBT community on campus.
Registration for ECU faculty and staff is open through Cornerstone.