On Deck with Student Affairs September 2024 Edition

From the Desk of Vice Chancellor Brandon Frye

Colleagues and Friends of Student Affairs:

Happy Fall 2024 Ya’ll (well, technically Fall begins on Sept. 22nd). In case you are not aware, Fall is my favorite season. As an educator, I enjoy the start of the academic year on a university campus. The energy, the excitement, and the events all add up to a busy and fast paced marker in the academic cycle.

First things first, I want to thank my Student Affairs team for all your hard work over this past summer and the start of the Fall semester. The long hours, the reports, the programs, the budget reconciliations, the management functions, the counseling hours, the medical treatments, the polished floors and cleaning of the buildings, and the list goes on and on. Your work is noticed, and it is greatly appreciated.

Speaking of work, we put in the work this summer and have continued that work to advance student engagement, belonging, well-being, and student success this Fall. Specifically, we had more than 3,800 students and over 4,000 family members participate in new student/family orientation this summer. During August, we successfully moved in around 4,500 students to our residential community, most of these through the Stop, Drop and Roll volunteer program which was a collaborative effort between Student Life and Campus Living, but also many partners across Student Affairs and some great academic colleagues helping out too. I want to give special thanks to Dr. Erik Kneubuehl, AVC for Student Life, and Peter Groenendyk, AVC for Campus Living, and their teams for all the great work with move-in 2024. Thanks so much if you volunteered for Stop, Drop, and Roll, I know that our residential students and their family members were very appreciative of the help.

We successfully transitioned from orientation and move-in to our annual opening week events such as Raid the Rec (2,700 participants), Pirate Palooza (4,900 participants), and New Student Welcome and the First Year Photo (4,000 participants). We also had a great showing at Greek Fest (500 plus students) and over 600 women participated in Panhellenic sorority recruitment a few short weeks ago. Additionally, we also had a great turn out at the Get-a-Clue Organization Fair held on the ECU Mall. Our Student Centers were also active the first week of class where there were over 71,000 visits to the Main Campus Student Center and over 4,000 to the Health Sciences Campus Student Center. My point, we hit the ground running for our students, and I am very appreciative of the hours and hours you put into getting ready for and opening this fall.

Our Division hosted our Fall Kickoff on September 5, 2024. During the event we celebrated successes from the previous year and highlighted the “early” wins noted above from the Fall 2024 opening of the semester. We also discussed the “importance of navigating the storms as a team during rough seas.” It was highlighted that one could review most higher education trade publications and begin to list many of those national challenges. I noted during my comments that, there will likely be bumps along the way as we move forward [in navigating those challenges], but it is my belief that if we keep students as our focus and their success…we can overcome most challenges.” Additionally, we will look to our Student Affairs vision and mission to guide us as we move forward this year and navigate any “storms.”

While we continue to support and engage our students, we must also practice self-care as staff and faculty. Every department in our division is making a positive impact toward supporting student success but we must also strive to develop our team.

At the Fall Kickoff, Brian Mattern, Exec. Director of SA Business Services, who is serving as the chair for the SA Professional Development Committee (SAPDC), shared the needs assessment survey results survey completed by staff this summer.

In the next couple of years, members of the three SAPDC subcommittees will focus on programs related to mentorship, on-boarding, recognition, collaboration and management/leadership skill development.

Dr. Bhibha Das, Associate Professor of Kinesiology in the College of Health and Human Performance, closed out our Fall Kickoff with a “Partner Perspective” where we ask colleagues outside of the Division to provide some insight and perspective to our team. Dr. Das did not disappoint our team! Her words were motivational and well received. I want to thank Dr. Das for her kind words, collaborative spirit, and support of Student Affairs over her years of service at ECU.

As I closed out our program, I noted that we are ready for challenges, we have a strong team, have our plan, are developing our team, focused on student success, and will let our values of student-centered, belonging, respect, integrity, and excellence guide us in our work. It was a great Fall Kickoff event, and as I noted at the start of this message, as we continue to sail into the fall semester, we will remain focused on our students and work to support their success.

Purple and Gold

Meeting Students Where They Are: CCSD Services Outside the Office

Submitted by Kelly Weaver, CCSD Staff Counselor and Group Coordinator

As students are finding their fall routine, they may be looking for extra support. Two programs offered by the counseling center outlined here might fit well with students’ busy schedules.

Let’s Talk

To make mental health support more accessible to students across campus, the counseling center has implemented the “Let’s Talk” program. This program has been used at other universities to reduce barriers in help-seeking. “Let’s Talk” is a consultation service in which students drop in to ask questions, get information about mental health resources, or consult about concerns in oneself/others. It is not a substitute for counseling or psychiatric services. The schedule this fall semester is:

• Tuesdays from 2pm-4pm in room A210 on the second floor of Fletcher Music Hall
• Wednesdays from 1pm-3pm in Study Room 1033 on the first floor of Joyner Library
• Thursdays from 2pm-4pm in the Well-Being Hub of the Main Campus Student Center

All students are welcome to consult with counseling center staff at each of these locations all semester.

Pirates Navigating Distress

Another free service open to all students is the “Pirates Navigating Distress” workshop. This one-hour virtual program is offered twice per week throughout the fall semester (see “The Pirate Experience” for schedule). Students will learn about healthy coping strategies to respond to and manage stress, how to practice being in the present, and making values-driven choices. Students can learn applicable skills that they can use immediately to manage the stress of college life.

Please call the center at 252-328-6661 for information about other services or visit www.counselingcenter.ecu.edu. Crisis services can be accessed 24 hours/day by calling 252-328-6661 and selecting Option 2 if after hours. Faculty and staff are welcome to call the center to consult about student mental health concerns.

Upcoming Well-Being Events

FluFest

FluFest 2024 is an essential health initiative aimed at vaccinating the college campus and the surrounding community against the seasonal flu. This annual event, which will be held on September 24th at the Health Science Campus West Porch and October 22nd at the Main Campus Student Center lawn, runs from 9 AM to 4 PM, with pediatric vaccines available from 2 PM to 4 PM. It brings together healthcare professionals, students, faculty, and residents to promote widespread immunization and public health. Participants are asked to bring their insurance cards, Banner ID number, and ECU 1card, with out-of-pocket costs ranging from $25 to $65 for those not filing insurance. FluFest 2024 seeks to reduce flu-related illnesses and hospitalizations. By fostering a collaborative spirit and raising awareness about the importance of early vaccination, FluFest 2024 plays a crucial role in safeguarding the well-being of the community and maintaining a healthy, vibrant campus environment.

Fresh Check Day

Fresh Check Day 2024 will be held Wednesday, October 2 from 1 PM – 3PM on the Main Campus Student Center Lawn. Fresh Check Day is the signature program of the Jordan Porco Foundation, whose mission is to prevent suicide, promote mental health, and create a message of hope for young adults. This uplifting mental health promotion event includes interactive expo booths, peer-to-peer messaging, support of multiple campus departments and groups, free food, and giveaways. The programs challenge stigma by talking openly about mental health and educating about the risk factors and warning signs of suicide and other related mental health concerns.

Fresh Check Day aims to create an approachable and hopeful atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health and helps to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available on campus, in the community, and nationally.

For more information on FluFest contact Gabby Dickey (dickeyg22@ecu.edu) and for Fresh Check Day contact Suzanne McDonald (mcdonalds@ecu.edu).

Student Affairs Making Headlines

Good Neighbor Initiative

ECU recently teamed up with the Tar River University Neighborhood Association and the City of Greenville to advance the Good Neighbor initiative, aimed at helping students living off-campus feel more at home.

A gift bag filled with helpful information about city ordinances and the neighborhood association was provided to approximately 750 homes.

Learn more about this initiative by clicking the links below:

Disability Support Services hosts Open House for Faculty and Staff

The Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) hosted its first Open House on September 10th, 2024. The Open House provided faculty, staff and students the opportunity to visit the DSS office and tour the Main Campus Testing Center. The event opened the door for great conversations and future collaborations. Faculty and staff were able to get to know the DSS team and share their experiences and feedback, which will help DSS continue to improve resources for the ECU community. Visitors consistently noted the unique opportunity to see and feel the Testing Center space that so many faculty and students rely on for accessible exams. The DSS staff were also grateful for those who attended and the opportunity to have conversations with the people we rarely get to see in-person.

New Hires in Student Affairs

Monique White – Campus Living

Monique is the administrative support specialist for Campus Living Business Services. Her primary duties include handling all purchasing for Campus Living.

Monique is from Clinton, NC and has lived in Greenville for the last 15 years. She attended Western Carolina University where she studied Art History. In her free time, Monique enjoys jamming to Gracie’s Corner with her 2 girls and 2 dogs as well as a variety of arts and crafts.

Madison Wiggins – Parent and Family Programs

Madison started as the Program Coordinator for the Office of Parent and Family Programs in August. In this role, she will assist with various office tasks, with a particular emphasis on organizing key events such as Family Weekend and Spring Family Fest, as well as overseeing communications with parents and families.

Madison has a BA in Sports Administration from UNC and an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Originally from Winterville, NC, she is married and has a 10-year-old dog named Larry. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and watching sports.