From the Desk of Vice Chancellor Brandon Frye
Colleagues and Friends of Student Affairs:
As we move past the midpoint of the semester, with Spring break behind us and March quickly coming to a close, time seems to be moving in “fast forward.” Before we know it, we’ll be celebrating the end of the Spring 2025 semester. However, rather than getting ahead of ourselves, I want to acknowledge all the important work still to be done – both for our division and for our students.
With the desire to finish strong, we recognize this can be a stressful time for both students and our colleagues. In the spirit of building a culture of care, I encourage you to consider the following:
- Check in on your students and ask them how they are doing.
- Touch base with your colleagues and offer some supportive words.
- Take care of yourself, as your health and well-being are important.
- If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to seek support.
When we prioritize our well-being as staff, we are better equipped to provide meaningful support to our students. As spring hopefully sets in after our “winter storm” season, I encourage you to step outside and enjoy the warmer weather – whether it’s taking a walk around campus during the day to relieve stress, sitting outside and reading a book, or relaxing in one of our many green spaces on campus.
My point of this message is simple, please take care of yourself, be aware of the symptoms of burn out and increased anxiety, and if you need assistance talk with your supervisor and/or utilize the resources available to employees through the Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity (POSO).
Thanks for all that you do to advance student well-being and success.
Encouraging Students to Engage in Safe Behavior
Submitted by Hillary Liles, Center for Counseling and Student Development Assistant Director
With warm weather upon us (hopefully) and students starting to gather more outside to enjoy the benefits of more sunshine and longer days, there is also potential for increased alcohol use.
Celebrations in the spring such as trips out of town, St. Patrick’s Day, and end-of-the year gatherings can also contribute to increased alcohol use.
We are asking staff and faculty to join us in our prevention efforts by encouraging students to continue to engage in safe behavior. This could be a chat with a student employee, or a quick message in class, or posted on a classroom chat, to encourage safety and smart decision-making as we enter the latter part of the spring semester.
The Safest choice is to not consume alcohol. If students do choose to drink, here are some harm-reduction strategies you might suggest:
- Watch your beverage
- Travel in groups
- Know your limits
- Designate a driver
- Protect your fellow Pirates
We also encourage students to:
- Stay focused on academics in order to finish the semester strong.
- Stay connected with The Pirate Experience for events, some of which are on-going ECU traditions like Barefoot on the Mall.
- Reach out for support from the Center for Counseling and Student Development for emotional health concerns or stress related to upcoming transitions such as graduation.
Spring Job Fair Season Kicks Off
Submitted by Suzanne Vinson, Career Services Assistant Director
ECU Career Services opened the spring job fair season on February 12th at the Greenville Convention Center, drawing an impressive crowd of over 1,300 students! Starting with the Science, Engineering & Technology Fair, the team hosted over 150 employers and had 492 students in attendance. In the afternoon, the Job & Internship Fair played host to almost 90 employers and had 824 students in attendance by the time it ended. These career fairs are a great way to bridge the gap between employers and students by building professional connections to help ECU students accomplish their career goals.
Full circle moment! This ECU COB alum, Joshua McIntyre (pictured below), found his current job with Farm Bureau Insurance at this same job fair LAST YEAR! We always love seeing the success that comes from these job fairs!
The Career Services team would like to send a HUGE thank you to all the faculty and staff who volunteered their time at the job fairs. Your assistance was greatly appreciated, and we couldn’t have done it without you!
In partnership with the College of Nursing, Career Services also hosted the Pirate Nurse Job Fair on February 17th where senior-level nursing students had the opportunity to network with a variety of healthcare providers and learn more about their entry-level nursing positions.
ECU Career Services will also host the Education Job Fair on March 26th from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm at the Greenville Convention Center and then the Summer Job Fair on April 10th in the Main Campus Student Center Ballrooms from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
If you would like to check out the Career Services social media accounts that feature job fair content, please follow us on Instagram (@ecucareerservices) or on Facebook (ECU Career Services). If you are interested in learning more about what Career Services has to offer and want to collaborate, please contact Suzanne Vinson at vinsons21@ecu.edu.
SGA Elects Members for 2025-2026
Newly elected members for the Student Government Association were recently voted on by 1,797 students for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Ticket 1 - Daniel Walker and Katie Council - were elected as the upcoming SGA President and Vice President. Click here to read an article by The East Carolinian and learn more about these two candidates.
In addition, the following students were elected to office:
For offices that did not have candidates file for election, vacancies will be filled at a later date through an application process. All new members will take office at the SGA Banquet on April 2nd.
Student Affairs Awards - Nominations Open
The Division of Student Affairs and the SA Awards Committee are pleased to announce the nominations for the 2024-2025 Student Affairs Awards are NOW open.
Once again, the divisional awards are connected to the Student Affairs values: Respect, Student Centered, Excellence, Integrity and Belonging. In addition to the divisional values awards, we will also present the Emerging Professional Award, Outstanding Support Team Member, and Student Affairs Outstanding Program of the Year.
For the SA Awards, you may nominate each person for up to three divisional awards per nomination form. However, if you wish to nominate more than one colleague, you will need to submit a nomination form for each person.
Awards criteria and detailed information are provided on the 2024-25 nomination form. The deadline to submit a nomination is April 7, 2025.
Here are some of the details specific to the Student Affairs awards:
- Nominations open March 6, 2025 – April 7, 2025
- Self-nominations permitted (must provide an additional reference)
- Nominees will receive official notification from Dr. Frye and may be contacted by the Awards Committee for additional information (if needed)
- All nominees and recipients will be recognized at the Student Affairs Awards Celebration.
For any questions, please contact Brian Mattern, chair of the SA Awards Committee at matternb@ecu.edu.
Student Affairs awards are open to all divisional employees. If you are interested in recognizing the hard work and contributions of employees outside of the division, please consider nominating them for a Treasured Pirate Award.
Center for Student Success Hub Crawl
Submitted by Lauren Thorn, Center for Student Success Director
On February 25, the Student Success Hubs hosted their inaugural “Hub Crawl Scavenger Hunt,” giving students an opportunity to learn about the resources and services available in each of the three hub locations. Participants were given a scavenger hunt handout with tasks to complete in the Financial Wellness, Career Services, and Health & Well-Being Hubs, in addition to a few other locations in the Main Campus Student Center. After completing the scavenger hunt, students received an event t-shirt as well as snacks and other handouts.
During this time, the Center for Student Success also hosted the weekly “Out of Office Hours” in the Health and Well-Being Hub. Health Education and Promotion instructor Brian Cavanaugh joined the event as he met with students learning about offerings from the hubs.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this new program and promoted it with their students! We will host a second Hub Crawl on April 1st, 2025, so mark your calendars to check out this fun afternoon event.
Pirate Parents Live Highlights Student Success Hubs
Submitted by Carter Fenwick, Parent & Family Programs Director
During the month of February, the Office of Parent and Family Programs partnered with the Student Success Hubs to do a Pirate Parents Live series on each space. Pirate Parents Live is a video series using Facebook and Instagram. Parents and families are invited to join representatives from across campus that discuss topics and resources to help them stay connected and informed, supporting their student.
The series provided an overview of the Student Success Hubs and its mission of providing a holistic approach to student success. The Student Success Hubs include the Financial Wellness Hub, Career Services Hub, and the Health and Well-Being Hub. Each hub is operated by its respective office/area on campus but works collaboratively with the Center for Student Success to provide cohesive and coordinated programming.
- Student Success Hubs Pirate Parents Live video
- Financial Wellness Hub Pirate Parents Live video
- Career Services Hub Pirate Parents Live video
- Health and Well-Being Hub Pirate Parents Live video
If you or your area would like to collaborate on a Pirate Parents Live, please reach out to Carter Fenwick, Director of Parent and Family Programs, at morselle17@ecu.edu.
No Quarter Café Opens on Health Sciences Campus
In early February, students of East Carolina University fired up the grills, sharpened the knives and turned on the cash registers in a restaurant kitchen that had sat vacant for years.
Transforming the silent space into the No Quarter Café, an opportunity for students to learn the ins and outs of large-scale food production while also filling a nagging need for healthful food options on the Health Sciences Campus.
Roxanne Wilder, a clinical assistant professor with the College of Allied Heath’s nutrition science department, said the No Quarter Café is a win-win for both her students and the learning community they are a part of.
Wilder’s students are aspiring to be dietitians, to put their education to use in hospitals, long-term care facilities and other food service operations. In recent years, her students have prepared meals in a way-too-small commercial kitchen in the Rivers Building. In 2023 students pre-packaged meals that were sent to the Health Sciences Campus; more recently main campus customers were served in person.
Weekly menus are available on the Nutrition Sciences’ No Quarter Cafe Facebook and Instagram feeds.
To read the complete story written by ECU News Services, click here.
SA Making Headlines – Conferences/Presentations
Financial Literacy Symposium
Submitted by Kevin Sutton, Financial Wellness Director
On February 18th and 19th, ECU Financial Wellness attended the 3rd annual Financial Literacy Symposium held at UNC Charlotte’s campus and helped facilitate multiple sessions. ECU supported Charlotte and Chapel Hill (the other two UNC system universities with independent financial wellness departments) in sessions related to supporting student athletes and training undergraduate/professional financial coaches. However, our proudest involvement in this conference was that 6 members of our undergraduate financial wellness team were able to attend and meet professional staff from various institutions as well as the student financial wellness team from Charlotte’s campus.
Two of our senior interns, Juliana and Wyatt (pictured below), co-facilitated a breakout session with Charlotte’s team titled “Empowering Financial Coaches for their Professional Future.”
ECU will be working alongside Charlotte and Chapel Hill to launch a system-wide effort at developing, enhancing, and supporting the financial wellness initiatives for other campuses in the UNC system with a mentorship approach. The state system of North Carolina is the first state in the U.S. to launch a system-wide mentorship model in this field and ECU is proud to be a leader setting an example for other university institutions and state systems seeking to expand financial wellness programming and initiatives. Our student interns that attended the conference had the opportunity to make connections with the professional staff representatives from across the UNC system in various offices invested in developing financial wellness resources on their campuses.
Student Transitions visits Tulane University
Submitted by Kaitlyn Gumann, Office of Student Transitions Assistant Director
The Office of Student Transitions took a delegation of 29 Orientation Assistants (OA's) over the first part of Spring Break to visit Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Southeastern Regional Orientation Workshop (SROW). After a 16-hour bus ride, the OA's were able to network with hundreds of other undergraduate students from eight states. The students attended various leadership and orientation focused educational sessions, strengthened their relationship as a team, and brainstormed all the ways we can make the incoming Pirates feel at home at ECU!
While attending the conference, the OA's brought home two awards:
- 1st Place Painted Banner
- 3rd Place T-Shirt Design
The OA's are excited to meet the incoming class of Pirates this summer and are ready to implement the new skills they have gained while in New Orleans. We had a blast and cannot wait to see our OA's in action this summer.
CRO Receives Appreciation from External Client
Submitted by Dean Smith, Student Centers Senior Director
The Central Reservations Office recently received feedback from an external client showing their appreciation and support for the great service received while on campus.
"We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to you and everyone on the ECU team for your incredible support in making our talent show such a success. Your dedication and hard work played a pivotal role in bringing this event to life, and we are truly grateful for your help. We're excited to work with ECU again next year and look forward to rebooking the same space for our next talent show. Please pass along our deepest appreciation to everyone involved—while we don’t have all their contact details, we want them to know how much their efforts meant to us."
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
#YouMatterECU week
#YouMatterECU is a campus and community-wide effort to normalize conversations around mental health struggles, connect students to resources on and off campus, and send a clear message that there is hope, there is help, and recovery is possible.
ARRRGH™ U OK? Day
SAVE THE DATE for a full day of fun, connection, and well-being at ARRRGH™ U OK? Day on Wednesday, March 26th! As part of #YouMatterECU Week, this action-packed day is designed to support mental health and well-being across campus.
This day is about experiencing well-being together as a community. Let’s come together to check in on one another, have meaningful conversations, and enjoy activities designed to uplift and support our Pirate crew.
✨ What’s Happening:
- ⚓ Two Health and Well-Being Fairs featuring interactive activities, resources, and wellness tips.
- 💬 "Let’s Talk" Program hosted by the Center for Counseling and Student Development, offering informal drop-in sessions for mental health support.
- 🧠 Mental Health Check-Ins for Pirates to pause, reflect, and recharge.
- 🎬 Inside Out 2 Watch Party to wrap up the day with an uplifting movie focused on emotions and mental well-being.
🎁 PLUS: Amazing giveaways, exciting prize drawings, and FREE food throughout the day!
📣 Volunteer:
For now, we’re on a quest for enthusiastic volunteers to help with the Health and Well-Being Experiences Fairs. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Pirates and support a culture of care on our campus. Complete this volunteer registration form by March 19th to guarantee your free t-shirt! (Click the link to view the T-shirt design)
Let’s come together, check in on each other, and show that every Pirate matters. ARRRGH™ You OK? Let’s find out—together. 💜🏴☠️
For questions, please contact Gabby Dickey, Senior Assistant Director of Well-Being with Campus Recreation and Wellness, at dickeyg22@ecu.edu or 252-328-5771.
Making Cents of Life After College: Volunteers needed!
“Making Cent$ of Life After College”, will occur on Thursday April 17th from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm in the Main Campus Student Center room 125.
This interactive program, hosted by our Financial Wellness team, provides students with a realistic glimpse at what their post-graduation financial situation may resemble, based off the job title and geographic location decided on by the student. As a part of the simulation, students will receive fake money and will fill out a customized budget sheet by making decisions on many areas such as:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Financing Graduate School (If necessary for the job title they want to have)
- Student Loan Repayment
- Food
- Taxes
- Housing Utilities
- Entertainment
- Emergency Needs
- Health and Wellness
We are looking for volunteers to assist students in making decisions on how they allocate their monthly income in each of the areas listed above. All information, price ranges, etc. will be provided for you, and if there are areas where you would prefer to interact with students, let us know! We also will need assistance at registration. We appreciate whatever amount of time that you can volunteer.
The residence hall with the highest percent of attendees that pre-register and attend the event will receive an ice cream social.
Every club sports team with at least two members pre-registering and attending will receive “allocation points”
Teaching faculty: We encourage you to mention this event in class to your students. Attendance can be verified if offering this event as an assignment or extra credit.
Please share with the students in your orbits. They can pre-register at this link to skip the line when showing up at the event.
Light refreshments will be served.
If you are interested in volunteering, please complete this form or email Kevin Sutton, Director of Financial Wellness, at SuttonKe23@ecu.edu.
Pirate Preview Advertising
To secure your ad space or if you have any questions about this message, please contact Annah Howell with Pirate Media 1 at schwartza18@ecu.edu.
Reach the next generation of Pirates through Pirate Preview!
This tabloid magazine is included in every first-year student and parent's orientation packet, providing a unique opportunity to showcase your department or program to incoming students and their families. Choose from a variety of ad sizes and placements.
Need help designing your ad? We've got you covered! Add on Pirate Media 1's creative services for $150 and we'll help you craft the perfect message and design.
Sales Deadline: April 4, 2025
Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with the newest members of Pirate Nation!
Not interested in placing an ad but still want to support student journalists? Our T-shirts and commemorative planners are still on sale as The East Carolinian continues to celebrate its 100th anniversary throughout 2025.
New Student Orientation Packets
It's that time of year, New Student Orientation is underway!
If you would like your office, department, or program to have a flyer, postcard, handout in the packet that every student or guest receives at Orientation check in, please read the information below:
- Material size: 8.5" x 11" or smaller
- Drop off day: Tuesday, May 27 between 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
- Drop off location: Mendenhall 244
- Numbers: Student only: 4,200 and Parent/Guest only: 3,500
When dropping off the materials, please make sure to communicate if items are Student Only, Parent Only, or for Both packets. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me, Kaitlyn Gumann, at gumannk21@ecu.edu or call the Office of Student Transitions at (252) 328-4173.
*Please reference the University Branding Guide when using brand marks on materials.
Credits:
Created with images by Creative Services, University Photographers, ECU Video, SA Communications and by Phanithi - "Background and wallpaper by purple fabric and stripe textile." • ananaline - "Orange and dark purple blur style background".