On Deck with Student Affairs February 2025 Edition

From the Desk of Vice Chancellor Brandon Frye

This spring semester seems to be powering along at full steam. It seems like the term just started, yet we are less than a month from Spring Break.

Despite what that pesky Punxsutawney Phil believes (six more weeks of winter), I’m ready for the spring weather, temps in the 70’s and heading to Clark-LeClair Stadium or Max Joyner Family Stadium to watch some baseball / softball games with our Pirate faithful.

I continue to challenge our Student Affairs staff to focus on student success wherever we can. One of the areas where we excel is customer service and support of our students.

• Going the extra mile to greet a prospective student / family and make them feel welcome.
• Reaching to colleagues on campus to seek answers on behalf of a student / family rather than just transferring a call.
• A smile. Believe it or not, the pleasant smile with a high five, fist bump or handshake can make all the difference in the world to future students / families.

Someone who has done this and done it well over the years is Dr. Lynn Roeder. Dr. Roeder, who has loyally served East Carolina University (ECU) for more than 30 years, half of which in the role of Associate Vice Chancellor / Dean of Students (DOS), will retire on February 28, 2025.

Dr. Roeder has been a steadfast advocate for students, working tirelessly to foster an engaged and supportive environment. She will be missed dearly by her colleagues, students, and ECU alumni. To honor Lynn’s legacy, we will be hosting a retirement reception for her on February 21, 2025. I want to thank Dr. Roeder for her dedication to student support and her service to ECU students and stakeholders.

Ashley Rodriguez Appointed Director of Threat Assessment and Case Management

Ashley Rodriguez, who served as the Risk Assessment Coordinator for the Dean of Students’ (DoS) Office, has been appointed as the Director of Threat Assessment and Case Management effective Jan. 16. This new position in Campus Safety & Auxiliary Services is tasked with leading the newly established Violence Prevention and Threat Management unit.

While DoS has admirably handled both student and employee cases for many years, the university decided it is the right time to transition to a best practice model followed by other UNC institutions. This model allows DoS to focus their efforts and resources on their core mission of assisting students in crisis, while Campus Safety concentrates its efforts on threat assessment and violence prevention campuswide.

Recognizing Warning Signs of Unhealthy Relationships Among College Students

Submitted by Hillary Liles and Dr. Valerie Kisler-van Reede, ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development

As Student Affairs professionals and faculty, it's crucial to be vigilant for indicators that a student may be involved in an abusive or unhealthy relationship. Early detection can lead to timely support and intervention. Here are key warning signs to watch for:

• Isolation from Friends and Family: The student withdraws from social circles, spending excessive time exclusively with their partner.
• Excessive Jealousy or Possessiveness: Their partner exhibits unwarranted jealousy, frequently accuses the student of infidelity, or demands constant updates on their whereabouts.
• Controlling Behavior: The partner dictates aspects of the student's life, such as attire, activities, or social interactions, aiming to exert dominance.
• Verbal or Emotional Abuse: The student endures belittling, humiliation, inappropriate blame, gaslighting, or derogatory remarks from their partner, leading to diminished self-esteem.
• Physical Signs of Harm: Unexplained injuries or frequent excuses for physical marks may indicate physical abuse.
• Fear of Partner: The student appears anxious or fearful about displeasing their partner, suggesting an imbalance of power.
• Monitoring and Stalking: The partner persistently checks the student's communications, shows up unannounced, or monitors their movements.

If you observe these signs, approach the student with empathy and provide information on available campus resources, such as counseling services or support groups. Encourage them to seek professional help and assure them that they are not alone. Early intervention can make a significant difference in promoting the safety and well-being of our students.

Campus Resources

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (version 3.5). Accessed from ChatGPT- generative AI used to create content – reviewed and revised by ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development, Kisler-van Reede.

Center for Student Success Kicks Off the Spring Semester with New Space and Events

Submitted by Dr. Lauren Thorn, Director of the Center for Student Success

The new year began with a fresh start for the staff of the Center for Student Success. After operating out of various spaces around campus for the past few months, our department is now centrally located on the second floor of Mendenhall with a suite of offices and a redesigned student lounge. At the end of January we hosted an open house to welcome students, faculty, and staff into our new professional home and have begun hosting student-focused events along with having open hours for studying, meetings, and other activities. Please feel free to stop by Mendenhall 254 during weekday business hours to see our new space in person!

In addition to the events hosted in-house, the Center for Student Success was able to support two major university-wide events in January. The ECU Excels event, held on January 24, 2025, was led by a team of staff from Student Affairs and Academic Affairs with the goal of reviving the academic recognition for all first-year and new transfer students receiving a 3.0 GPA or higher their first semester at ECU. Featuring all academic colleges and numerous Student Affairs resources, students were able to network with faculty, staff, and administrators at the celebratory event. Additionally, students nominated individual “student success partners” that were honored for their role in supporting students during the fall semester. We would like to thank everyone who played a part in making this event a HUGE success!

Finally, the Center for Student Success and the Student Success Conference Planning Committee hosted the 12th Annual Student Success Conference on January 31, 2025. This year’s theme was “AI in Higher Ed: Technology’s Impact on Student Success” and featured keynote speaker Mark Roman, Managing Partner for Education at Info-Tech and member of the Board of Directors at EDUCAUSE. The breakout sessions highlighted and explored how artificial intelligence and other technology impacts our work as professionals and the daily lives of students, with specific topics around innovative strategies, best practices, ethical dilemmas, and emerging research projects. The day concluded with a panel discussion of ECU professionals, including Beth Ketterman, Scotty Stroup, Dr. Ken Luterbach, and Dr. Todd Finley. Many thanks to the amazing planning committee and the leadership of Dr. Dennis McCunney for their hard work on this engaging and timely event.

Financial Wellness Focuses on First Generation Students

Submitted by Kevin Sutton, Financial Wellness Director

This past fall semester, ECU’s Financial Wellness team partnered with Arbol, an external company with a mission to improve the financial well-being of college students across the country. Arbol offers a comprehensive digital tool that connects day-to-day financial decisions students make with their ECU billing and financial aid obligations, anticipated wages for the semester, and more.

Our undergraduate financial wellness coaches piloted this platform with students in the First Generation COAD class sections in Fall 2024 during their required financial coaching appointments as part of this course. Making this personalized connection in their first semester not only has the immediate benefit of developing a current financial plan, but also exposes students to the financial wellness resources that are available for future challenges, questions, or opportunities, like financial planning for studying abroad or budgeting to move off campus. Arbol’s founders were first generation students and were excited for our pilot to be specific to that population here at ECU.

In addition to encouraging students to minimize loan borrowing as they make their comprehensive semester budget, Arbol also offers the capability for students to publish their plan and generate a checklist of next steps they are encouraged to take based on their decisions when making their budgets and meeting with their financial wellness coach. Some examples include applying for scholarships with the checklist linking directly to ECU Award, filing the FAFSA for next year, providing information on the Williams-Ross Purple Pantry, and creating a Handshake account to assist in job searches.

This semester, Arbol is working closely with our team to further tailor the student experience with a checklist that can include dates for career fairs, applying for emergency assistance through Students’ Treasure Chest, and other campus-based resources. This personalized approach is designed to assist students in navigating ECU and the various resources available. We have a limited number of licenses available for any student scheduling budgeting appointments with our office this semester on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you would like to include your department’s services into Arbol’s checklist, please email SuttonKe23@ecu.edu and include a description of the resource, the related website, and referral criteria the student must meet to be included on a student’s “financial checklist.”

Student Affairs by the Numbers

Campus Rec and Wellness – Fall 2024 Numbers

Campus Recreation and Wellness programs and services play a vital role in enhancing student life and promoting overall well-being across campus. The recent data from last fall highlights the significant impact and reach of these programs. The infographic highlights that data.

ECU Parent and Family Portal

The ECU Parent and Family Portal is a valuable resource for the parents, families, and guardians of ECU students. Their support is a huge part of student success. Operated by the Office of Parent and Family Programs, the portal offers automated and fully personalized newsletters, communities based on interests, email announcements, and the ability to manage FERPA permissions all in one place.

As of January 31, 2025 the ECU Parent and Family Portal had:

• 33,499 Total Users (parents/guardians, students, staff, and faculty)
• 17,836 Active Users (users who visited the portal or engaged with an email in January)
• 2,164 Portal Visitors in January
• 70,175 Total Emails Sent in January
• 67% Average Open Rate
• 5% Click Rate
• 10,683 FERPA Connections

Families have a strong desire to support their students at ECU. It’s the mission of Parent and Family Programs to inform, engage, and integrate parents and families as partners to facilitate student success.

For questions about the ECU Parent and Family Portal, please contact Carter Fenwick, Director of Parent and Family Programs at morselle17@ecu.edu.

Student Affairs New Hires

Caitie Rosillo – Center for Counseling and Student Development

Caitie Rosillo joins the Counseling Center as the Embedded Wellness Counselor for the Brody School of Medicine where she will offer counseling services to medical and graduate students. She received her bachelor's degree in counseling psychology and biblical studies in 2016 from Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and earned her master's degree in Counselor Education with a focus in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from ECU in 2018.

Upon completion of her graduate studies, Caitie took on a role as a Psychiatric Intake Specialist and an Outpatient Therapist with the Coast Carolina Neuropsychiatric Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She later began her role as a Military and Family Life Counselor with Magellan Federal Health Services where she developed a passion for providing counseling services to military service members and their families. Caitie has completed military counseling assignments at Camp Lejeune and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

Caitie is a North Carolina native, a wife to her wonderful husband of 3 years, a mother of two, and a dog/cat mom x3. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading books, and traveling.

Lauren Walters – Student Transitions

Lauren will serve as a Program Coordinator and will be working with orientation, transfer programming, and the Quest Living Learning Community. She has been a math teacher at both CM Eppes Middle School and John Paul II High School. Lauren earned her Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education with concentrations in math and science. During her time at ECU, Lauren was an Orientation Assistant, First Mate for Camp P.I.R.A.T.E.S., and a member of the Club Figure Skating.

Lauren resides in Winterville, NC with her husband, Will, and their dog and 2 cats. Lauren enjoys line dancing and binge-watching new shows.

Ashley Cullom – Development

Ashley Cullom has joined the Division of Student Affairs as the Scholarship and Donor Stewardship Coordinator. In this role, she will oversee student scholarship programs and support donor stewardship efforts across the division.

Ashley holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in business administration from Campbell University. She brings a wealth of experience to her new position, having previously worked at NC State University with the Principal Gifts Team, where she helped manage relationships with donors, contributing $5 million or more. Most recently, Ashley was with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain, further honing her skills in donor relations and program management.

Originally from Washington, NC, Ashley enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling to new destinations, trying new recipes, and gardening. She is excited to share that she will get married this July!

McKenzie Bonneville – Student Health

McKenzie Bonneville joins the Student Health nursing team. She has been a nurse for 6 years. Her first two years were spent in a Medical Intermediate Unit and the past four years she has been in the Emergency Department.

McKenzie is originally from Texas but has been in Greenville for 6 years now. She will be getting married in May of this year and has a 4-year-old son and a 10-year-old stepson. Her family is her world, and she loves spending quality time with them! Some would say she is addicted to coffee as she always shows up to work with a coffee in hand! She is very active and goes to the gym regularly. She enjoys traveling and all things outdoors - the beach is her happy place!