From the Desk of Vice Chancellor Brandon Frye
Dear Colleagues and Friends of Student Affairs:
We are a month past Spring 2025 Commencement and are now in New Student Orientation season - one of my favorite times in the student matriculation cycle. Each year, I am impressed by the energy and service-oriented focus our team brings to welcoming new Pirates.
That passion and focus is critical, especially as some students attending orientation may still be considering other options. Every interaction we have with these students and their families matters. Your engagement and interaction can make a substantial difference in helping them feel connected to ECU and in turn increase the likelihood of them starting here this fall.
On a related note, I know with orientation occurring it is a “busy season’ for many of us - but please take time to reflect, rest, and recharge when you can this summer. Whether it’s reading a book, taking a day trip to the beach, enjoying a cup of iced coffee with a friend/colleague, or catching a summer blockbuster – make time for yourself.
It will be August before we know it and the start of the Fall 2025 semester. Let’s work hard this summer but also take care of ourselves and make time to enjoy all the great things around us in Greenville, Eastern North Carolina and beyond.
Thanks for all that you do to advance student success and ECU.
Purple and Gold
New Student Orientation - Class of 2029 Pirates
ECU Parent and Family Programs shared a Pirate Parents Live via social media at the beginning of June discussing everything families and students need to know about the upcoming New Student Orientation.
Items discussed during the video include:
- Why Orientation is Important
- What You and Your Student Can Expect
- Tips for Success
- Your Most Frequently Asked Questions
Parents who were unable to watch the live are able to visit the Parent and Family Programs website for the replay or the ECU Parent and Family Portal.
Upcoming New Student Orientation Dates
East Carolina University requires undergraduate students who are admitted to attend one Orientation program. The dates for Summer 2025 are below!
- Session One: Monday, June 16- Tuesday, June 17
- Session Two: Wednesday, June 18- Thursday, June 19
- Session Three: Monday, June 23- Tuesday, June 24
- Session Four: Wednesday, June 25- Thursday, June 26
- Session Five: Monday, June 30- Tuesday, July 1
- Session Six: Wednesday, July 2- Thursday, July 3
- Session Seven: Monday, July 7- Tuesday, July 8
- Session Eight: Wednesday, July 9-Thursday, July 10
- Session Nine: Monday, July 14- Tuesday, July 15
- Session Ten: Wednesday, July 16- Thursday, July 17
Click here to review the orientation schedule for students and parents/guests.
SGA Introduces Iris: A New Self-Service Photo Booth for the ECU Community
Submitted by Aleshia Hunt, SGA Advisor
The Student Government Association is excited to announce the launch of Iris, a new, self-service, studio-quality photo booth now available on campus.
Iris is free for all East Carolina University students, alumni, faculty, and staff. This resource provides high-resolution portraits perfect for LinkedIn profiles, online portfolios, professional websites, and more - helping users present a polished, professional image during job searches and networking.
This innovative booth represents a significant advancement in campus resources. As the first of its kind at ECU, Iris offers 3 professional-grade headshots with ease and convenience. Users can control the booth via a touchscreen monitor or scan a QR code to operate it from their mobile device. Each session takes less than five minutes and includes options for retakes and AI-enhanced editing. Final images are delivered directly to the user's email in real-time. No apps or complicated sign-ups, simply choose a password to access your photos.
It is suggested that users dress professionally in business casual or business formal attire. Dark-colored outer layers (jackets, blouses, shirts) work best with a light gray background. While there’s no dress code, we recommend wearing clothing appropriate for your career field—something that makes you feel confident.
Location:
Find Iris in the Student Government Association Suite (Room 223) Second Floor, Main Campus Student Center 501 E. 10th Street.
Photo Booth Hours:
Drop-in sessions are available:
- Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Please note: The booth is unavailable during finals week or when the university or SGA office is closed.
Group Sessions:
University departments/offices or classes interested in scheduling group photo sessions can email ecupiratephotos@ecu.edu or hunta@ecu.edu for more information.
Summer Leadership Development and Community-Based Study Abroad Program
LeaderShape Institute 2025
Submitted by Lauren Howard, Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement
In May 2025, the LeaderShape Institute welcomed 51 ECU student participants, 2 student On-Site Coordinators, and 5 ECU staff facilitators for a four-day immersive leadership experience at the 4-H Center in Columbia, NC. This marked ECU’s largest post-pandemic cohort and one of the largest hosted nationally, empowering students to craft bold visions for a just, caring, and thriving world.
ECU staff who served as small group facilitators included:
- Jocelyn Alfaro-Ruiz, Student Transitions
- Chelsea Hewett, Campus Living
- Mary Crawford, Global Affairs
- Nichole Maldonado, Ledonia Wright Cultural Center
- Dr. Dean Smith, Student Centers
ECU has hosted the LeaderShape Institute for more than 13 years, with this year’s participants describing the experience as both transformative and inspiring. One student shared:
"LeaderShape helped me clarify my values, challenge assumptions, and envision the kind of leader I want to be—on campus and beyond."
This fall, the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) will host “Day 5” reunion events to reconnect with participants and explore how they are continuing to live out their visions. CLCE extends deep appreciation to the many offices and centers within the Division of Student Affairs and across ECU whose support helped make this year’s Institute a success.
For more information about the LeaderShape Institute or to explore future opportunities, contact Alex Dennis at dennisa15@ecu.edu or Lauren Howard at howardl16@ecu.edu.
Serve & Learn in Jamaica
Submitted by Dr. Dennis McCunney, Center for Student Success
For the third year in a row, CLCE and the Honors College led a community-based study abroad program to Jamaica in May 2025. During the week-long program, our students were embedded in Jamaican culture through homestays and a variety of community activities, including volunteering in local schools, meeting and hiking with an indigenous community (the Jamaican Maroons in Accompong), exploring environmental tourist sites, and participating in a town hall meeting. Our students also learned about the Jamaican education system, upcoming elections, grassroots development projects, Jamaican cuisine through cooking lessons, and youth civic engagement.
Along with two program leaders – Dr. Katie Ford and Dr. Dennis McCunney – our students spent the week in the towns of Petersfield and Galloway in Westmoreland Parish, the southwestern part of the country. All students received some sort of scholarship support to be able to participate. As Chancellor Rogers said in his recent interview with PBS North Carolina, “we like to ensure that we provide transformative learning and global engagement experiences for anyone who walks through our doors.”
SA Making Headlines
AHEAD Board of Directors
Dr. Paul Harwell, ECU Disability Support Services Director, was recently appointed to a three-year term as a Director at Large for the AHEAD Board of Directors.
AHEAD, the Association on Higher Education and Disability, is the leading professional membership association for disability professionals in higher education, with well over 5,000 members across the country. Since its founding in 1977, AHEAD has provided training, professional development, networking, and resources on policy, legal compliance, and evidence-based practices that are critical in our field.
When asked about his appointment to the board, Dr. Harwell responded:
I’m excited to join the AHEAD Board of Directors! It’s an honor to be nominated by peers who recognize my passion for mentoring and advancing our profession. I’m especially excited to help expand resources for early-career professionals and those in under-resourced offices—giving back to a community that has shaped my own growth and helping others thrive in their work with the students they serve.
UNCSO Behavioral Health Convening
On May 13th and 14th , 2025, a group from East Carolina University attended the UNC System Office Behavioral Health Convening in Boone, NC. Hosted this year at Appalachian State University, this annual event brings together colleges and universities from across the state and southeast region to share best practices related to mental health, well-being, and student success programming that connects these important topics.
Representatives from ECU’s Health and Well-Being Unit were in attendance, as well as additional faculty and student affairs staff, for two days of keynotes, concurrent sessions, and community service to the Western NC area impacted last fall by Hurricane Helene.
Additionally, a team from ECU presented about the First Year Cares program housed in the Center for Student Success that provides services and outreach to first-year students who might benefit from additional resources. The presentation, “Redefining Case Management & Proactive Outreach: How ECU’s First Year Cares Program Bridges Mental Health and Student Success,” gave an update on this initiative and highlighted new programming efforts from the past year. Many thanks to Rose Bogue and Tezra Egleton, First Year Cares Retention Specialists; Dr. Lauren Thorn, Director of the Center for Student Success; and Dr. Jeremy Tuchmayer, Director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, for their on-going efforts to share about the work being done in this area!
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Move-In Volunteers Needed
This fall East Carolina University (ECU) will welcome more than 5,000 new and returning students to our campus residence halls – and we need your help to make that initial experience memorable!
The Division of Student Affairs invites you and/or your departments to serve as volunteers for the Fall 2025 Move-In, which takes place Wednesday, August 20th through Friday, August 22nd.
Volunteer shifts will be in four-hour blocks, with morning shifts from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and afternoon shifts from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Assist students and families moving items from vehicles directly to residence hall rooms
- Use of elevators and climbing stairs is expected
- Greet and engage with students and families
- Answer general questions
- Requires light to moderate lifting and physical activity
- Volunteers may sign up for multiple shifts on multiple days.
Additional Volunteer Information:
- Free Move-in T-shirts will be provided for the first 500 volunteers
- Volunteers are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle for use at water refill stations located at each residence hall.
If you have questions about the volunteer move-in experience, please get in touch with Lauren Howard at howardl16@ecu.edu or Jennifer Tanner at tannerj@ecu.edu.
House Divided in Service Together
A House Divided in Service Together is an exciting initiative between NC State’s Parents and Families Services and East Carolina’s Office of Parent and Family Programs to support the needs of our sister UNC System institutions in Western Carolina.
The plan:
Each program will pre-sell a one-of-a-kind, single-design T-shirt in advance of the NC State vs. ECU football game on August 28. All t-shirts will be available for purchase from June 1 to July 31. Shipping or pickup options will be detailed in the purchase order for each institution.
This fundraising initiative isn’t just about showing your school spirit; it's about making a difference! Net proceeds will support the vital needs of Appalachian State University and UNC-Asheville as they continue to recover from Hurricane Helene's devastation.
Here’s how you can participate:
Pick a school, not a side (we’re all on the same team), and make your purchase. We will combine all proceeds from t-shirt sales at each institution and divide the proceeds equally between our Mountaineer and Bulldog friends. All t-shirts will be provided before the big game, so be sure to wear your shirt with pride and be a testament to the spirit of a House Divided in Service Together.
We may be rivals on the field, but our mission is the same off the field —supporting parents, families, and student success!
All sales are final. Refunds, exchanges and additional t-shirts will not be available for purchase once sales close on Thursday, July 31 at 11:59pm EST.
Purple Pantry Summer Hours and Volunteers Needed
The Williams-Ross Purple Pantry will be open on Tuesdays from 10 AM – Noon and Thursdays from 2 -4 PM through July 31st. If you are interested in volunteering to help greet student shoppers and work in the pantry, we could use the help. Please use the Give Pulse link below to sign up and make sure you have discussed this with your supervisor. If you have any questions, please contact Alex Dennis at dennisa15@ecu.edu.
Fun Fact: Over the 2024-2025 school year we saw just under 1,600 visits, distributed 9,000 pounds of items, and received over 10,000 pounds of donated items.
New Hires to Student Affairs
Nadirah Pippen – Career Services
Nadirah Pippen is the new ECU Director of Career Services.
Nadirah is a double alumna having earned her undergraduate degree (sociology) and master’s degree (counselor education: higher education) from ECU. In addition to her academic roots, she also brings professional experience from her time at ECU (2011-2018) where she served as a Career Counselor and later as an Assistant Director in Career Services.
Nadirah’s career also includes experience in the Community College system and, most recently, at UNC Wilmington. Since 2018, she has served as an Associate Director and then as a Director of Career Services at UNCW, where she led strategic initiatives to strengthen career readiness, employer partnerships, and student success.
She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at UNCW and anticipates completing her degree in 2026. She brings with her a deep understanding of our campus culture and a strong commitment to supporting the career development of our students. We are truly excited to welcome her back to Pirate Nation and are confident that her leadership will further elevate our Career Services team’s impact on our students, alumni, and campus partners.
Keeshunda Poston – Center for Counseling and Student Development
Keeshunda Poston joined the Center for Counseling and Student Development as a Staff Counselor in June. As a licensed clinical mental health associate, Keeshunda will provide mental health care to ECU students.
She is a two-time ECU alum with a bachelor's degree in health service management and a master's degree in clinical counseling. She also received her MBA from Fayetteville State.
Keeshunda is originally from Mooresboro, NC and enjoys traveling, watching sports (particularly the Dallas Cowboys and ECU Football) and spending time with her husband and bonus son.
Credits:
Created with images by Creative Services, University Photographers, ECU Video, SA Communications and with an image by Phanithi - "Background and wallpaper by purple fabric and stripe textile."