Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges
INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARY FORM
PREPARED FOR COMMISSION REVIEWS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name of Institution East Carolina University
Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Accreditation Liaison
Dr. Cynthia M. Bellacero, SACSCOC Liaison
Director, Academic Planning & Accreditation
Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Technical Support person for the Compliance
Certification
Ms. Emily Maida, Planning & Accreditation Associate
252-737-4890 [email protected]
IMPORTANT:
Accreditation Activity (check one):
Submitted at the time of Reaffirmation Orientation
Submitted with Compliance Certification for Reaffirmation
Submitted with Materials for an On-Site Reaffirmation Review
Submitted with Compliance Certification for Fifth-Year Interim Report
Submitted with Compliance Certification for Initial Candidacy/Accreditation Review
Submitted with Merger/Consolidations/Acquisitions
Submitted with Application for Level Change
Submission date of this completed document: 03/15/2019
2
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
1. Level of offerings (Check all that apply)
Diploma or certificate program(s) requiring less than one year beyond Grade 12
Diploma or certificate program(s) of at least two but fewer than four years of work beyond
Grade 12
Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent
designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution
Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent
not designed for transfer
Four or five-year baccalaureate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 120 semester
hours or the equivalent
Professional degree program(s)
Master's degree program(s)
Work beyond the master's level but not at the doctoral level (such as Specialist in
Education)
Doctoral degree program(s)
Other (Specify)
2. Types of Undergraduate Programs (Check all that apply)
Occupational certificate or diploma program(s)
Occupational degree program(s)
Two-year programs designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution
Liberal Arts and General
Teacher Preparatory
Professional
Other (Specify)
GOVERNANCE CONTROL
Check the appropriate governance control for the institution:
Private (check one)
Independent, not-for-profit
Name of corporation OR
Name of religious affiliation and control:
Independent, for-profit *
If publicly traded, name of parent company:
3
Public state * (check one)
Not part of a state system, institution has own independent board
Part of a state system, system board serves as governing board
Part of a state system, system board is super governing board, local governing board has delegated
authority
Part of a state system, institution has own independent board
* If an institution is part of a state system or a corporate structure, a description of the system operation must be submitted
as part of the Compliance Certification for the decennial review. See Commission policy “Reaffirmation of
Accreditation and Subsequent Reports” for additional direction.
INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION FOR REVIEWERS
Directions:
Please address the following and attach the information to this form.
1. History and Characteristics
Provide a brief history of the institution, a description of its current mission, an indication of its geographic service area,
and a description of the composition of the student population. Include a description of any unusual or distinctive features
of the institution and a description of the admissions policies (open, selective, etc.). If appropriate, indicate those
institutions that are considered peers. Please limit this section to one-half page.
Overview
East Carolina University (ECU), a public, four-year university established in 1907, is located in Greenville, North Carolina.
ECU has 11 degree-granting colleges/school/institutes. Serving a largely rural population in the coastal region of the state,
ECU is one of 17 constituent institutions within the University of North Carolina (UNC) System. ECU accomplishes its
mission - to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation - through education,
research, creative activities and service.
As of Fall 2018, ECU is the fourth largest institution in the UNC System. ECU is accredited by the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. The
UNC System is governed by a Board of Governors, which delegates significant responsibility to ECU's Board of Trustees.
The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education classifies ECU as a Doctoral University: Higher Research Activity. In
2010 and 2015, ECU received the Community Engagement Classification from the New England Resource Center for
Higher Education.
Facts and Figures
ECU has 11 degree-granting colleges and schools, which offers 84 baccalaureate degree programs, 71 master's degree
programs, five professional practice doctoral programs, 13 research/scholarship doctoral programs, 84 certificates, and two
specialist degree programs. In Fall 2018, ECU employed nearly 7,000 personnel (including graduate assistants); more than
2,000 of these employees held a faculty appointment. In 2017-2018, ECU conferred more than 7,000 degrees and had core
expenses exceeding $895 million.
ECU’s total enrollment in Fall 2018 was 28,178 with 23,017 undergraduates and 5,161 graduate students. All 100 counties
in North Carolina, 50 states and the District of Columbia, and 63 countries were represented in the student body. Ethnic
minorities made up 30 percent of undergraduate students, 25 percent of graduate students, 35 percent of medical students,
and 37 percent of dental students. Almost 24 percent of all students were enrolled in distance education courses only.
(last updated 11/19/18)
4
2. List of Degrees
List all degrees currently offered (A. S., B.A., B.S., M.A., Ph.D., for examples) and the majors or concentrations within
those degrees, as well as all certificates and diplomas. For each credential offered, indicate the number of graduates in
the academic year previous to submitting this report. Indicate term dates.
Does the institution offer any credit, non-credit, or pathways English as a Second Language (ESL) programs? If yes,
list the programs.
* Program Types:
Degrees:
BA = Bachelor of Arts MBA = Master of Business Administration
BS = Bachelor of Science MCM = Master of Construction Management
BSW = Bachelor of Science in Social Work MM = Master of Music
DNP = Doctor of Nursing Practice MPA = Master of Public Administration
DrPH = Doctor of Public Health MS = Master of Science
EdD = Doctor of Education MSEH = Master of Science in Environmental Health
EdS = Education Specialist MSN = Master of Science in Nursing
MA = Master of Arts MSW = Master of Science in Social Work
MAEd = Master of Arts in Education
Certificates:
4C = Undergraduate Certificates PD = Post-doctorate
PB = Post-baccalaureate PM = Post-master’s
DEGREES CONFERRED BY COLLEGE AND PROGRAM JULY 1, 2017 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2018
Source: Banner Student Module
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
Brody School of
Medicine
DRPH
Public Health (New)
0
PB Certificate
Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities
1
PB Certificate
Public Health Foundations and Practice
4
PB Certificate
Community Health Center Administration (discontinued)
0
MPH
Public Health
38
MS
Biomedical Sciences
4
PHD
Biomedical Sciences, Anatomy Concentration
1
PHD
Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry Concentration
2
PHD
Biomedical Sciences, Microbiology and Immunology
Concentration
3
PHD
Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology Concentration
4
PHD
Biomedical Sciences, Physiology Concentration
2
PHD
Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Biology
Concentration
2
PHD
Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science
Concentration
0
PHD
Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Chemistry
Concentration
0
MD
Medicine
75
College of Fine Arts
and Communication
BA
Theatre Arts
1
BFA
Art
82
5
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
BFA
Art Education
3
BFA
Dance
13
BFA
Theatre Arts
36
BFA
Theatre Arts Education
4
BM
Music
30
BM
Music Education
10
BS
Communication
308
PB Certificate
Advanced Performance Studies
2
PB Certificate
Health Communication
6
PB Certificate
Suzuki Pedagogy
0
MA
Communication
11
MAED
Art Education
2
MFA
Art
4
MM
Music
12
MM
Music Education
6
College of Health and
Human Performance
BS
Athletic Training (discontinued)
18
BS
Birth-Kindergarten (B-K) Teacher Education
19
BS
Child Life (discontinued)
15
BS
Environmental Health
11
BS
Exercise Physiology
99
BS
Family and Community Services
86
BS
Family and Consumer Sciences Education
5
BS
Fashion Merchandising and Consumer Studies
37
BS
Health Fitness Specialist
98
BS
Interior Design
14
BS
Physical Education
18
BS
Public Health (Public Health Studies BS retitled to Public
Health BS, effective fall, 2018)
288
BS
Recreation and Park Management
48
BS
Recreational Therapy
71
BS
Sports Studies
38
BSW
Social Work
74
PB Certificate
Aquatics Therapy (discontinued)
2
PB Certificate
Biofeedback
4
PB Certificate
Physical Education Clinical Supervision
2
PB Certificate
Sport Management
4
PB Certificate
Substance Abuse
31
PB Certificate
Gerontology
4
MAED
Birth through Kindergarten Education
5
MA
Health Education
19
MS
Athletic Training
0
MSEH
Environmental Health
8
6
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
MS
Human Development and Family Science
14
MS
Kinesiology
33
MS
Marriage and Family Therapy
12
MS
Recreation Services and Interventions
11
MS
Recreational Therapy Administration (discontinued)
1
MSW
Social Work
66
PHD
Bioenergetics and Exercise Science
2
PHD
Medical Family Therapy
2
College of Allied
Health Sciences
AUD
Audiology
4
BS
Clinical Laboratory Science
8
BS
Health Services Management
50
BS
Health Information Management
0
BS
Nutrition and Dietetics
42
BS
Rehabilitation Services
20
BS
Speech and Hearing Sciences
27
PB Certificate
Health Informatics
4
PB Certificate
Health Care Management (discontinued)
0
PB Certificate
Health Information Management
14
PB Certificate
Health Care Administration
8
PB Certificate
Military and Trauma Counseling
13
PB Certificate
Rehabilitation Counseling
3
PB Certificate
Substance Abuse Counseling
18
PB Certificate
Vocational Evaluation
4
PB Certificate
Health Care Management
21
DPT
Physical Therapy
26
MS
Clinical Counseling
24
MS
Communication Sciences and Disorders
50
MS
Health Informatics and Information Management
15
MS
Nutrition
18
MSOT
Occupational Therapy
22
MS
Physician Assistant
34
MS
Rehabilitation and Career Counseling
2
PHD
Rehabilitation Sciences
2
PHD
Rehabilitation Counseling and Administration
5
College of Arts and
Sciences
UG Certificate (4C)
Business and Technical Communication
8
UG Certificate (4C)
Cultural Resource Management
6
UG Certificate (4C)
Forensic Anthropology
6
UG Certificate (4C)
Geographic Information Science
12
UG Certificate (4C)
Global Cross-Cultural Competency
11
UG Certificate (4C)
Global Understanding
0
UG Certificate (4C)
Global Understanding with Distinction
5
7
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
UG Certificate (4C)
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL)
5
BA
African and African American Studies
7
BA
Anthropology
35
BA
Chemistry
44
BA
Economics
8
BA
English
45
BA
Foreign Languages and Literature, French Concentration
2
BA
Foreign Languages and Literature, German Concentration
6
BA
Foreign Languages and Literature, Global Studies
Concentration
1
BA
Foreign Languages and Literature, Hispanic Studies
Concentration
16
BA
Foreign Languages and Literature, Hispanic Studies
Education Concentration
2
BA
Foreign Languages and Literature, German Education
Concentration
0
BA
Foreign Languages and Literature, French Education
Concentration
1
BA
Geography (discontinuation notification sent to
SACSCOC)
0
BA
History
36
BA
Mathematics
8
BA
Multidisciplinary Studies, Neuroscience Concentration
0
BA
Multidisciplinary Studies, Security Studies Concentration
3
BA
Multidisciplinary Studies, Individual Concentration
9
BA
Multidisciplinary Studies, International Studies
Concentration
8
BA
Multidisciplinary Studies, Classics or Classical
Civilizations Concentration
1
BA
Multidisciplinary Studies, Religious Studies Concentration
5
BA
Philosophy
14
BA
Political Science
45
BA
Psychology
197
BA
Sociology
11
BSAP
Applied Physics (discontinued)
2
BS
Applied Atmospheric Science
7
BS
Applied Geography
12
BS
Applied Sociology
32
BS
Biochemistry
16
BS
Biology, General
173
BS
Chemistry
21
BS
Criminal Justice
203
BS
Economics
81
BS
Geographic Information Science and Technology
7
8
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
BS
Geology
17
BS
Mathematics
15
BS
Multidisciplinary Studies, Security Studies Concentration
16
BS
Multidisciplinary Studies, Individual Concentration
5
BS
Multidisciplinary Studies, Neuroscience Concentration
11
BS
Physics
12
BS
Political Science
40
BS
University Studies
223
BS
Urban and Regional Planning
5
CAS
School Psychology
7
PB Certificate
Criminal Justice Education
19
PB Certificate
Development and Environmental Planning
3
PB Certificate
Economic Development
3
PB Certificate
Geographic Information Science and Technology
1
PB Certificate
Hispanic Studies
1
PB Certificate
Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology
9
PB Certificate
International Management
2
PB Certificate
International Teaching (discontinuation notification sent to
SACSCOC)
0
PB Certificate
Multicultural and Transnational Literature
16
PB Certificate
Professional Communication
16
PB Certificate
Public Management and Leadership
3
PB Certificate
Quantitative Methods for the Social and Behavioral
Sciences
9
PB Certificate
Security Studies
6
PB Certificate
Statistics
0
PB Certificate
Teaching English in the Two-Year College (TETYC)
4
PB Certificate
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
(TESOL)
5
MA
Anthropology
13
MA
Clinical Psychology (discontinued)
6
MA
English
41
MA
Hispanic Studies (new)
0
MA
History
5
MA
International Studies
4
MA
Maritime Studies
12
MA
Mathematics
7
MA
Psychology
11
MA
School Psychology (discontinued)
9
MA
Sociology
7
MPA
Public Administration
16
MS
Biology
15
MS
Chemistry
8
MS
Criminal Justice
26
9
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
MS
Geography
7
MS
Geology
10
MS
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
9
MS
Physics
10
MS
Quantitative Economics and Econometrics
10
MS
Security Studies
13
PHD
Biomedical Physics
2
PHD
Health Psychology
4
PHD
Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication
2
College of Business
UG Certificate (4C)
Entrepreneurship
21
UG Certificate (4C)
Professional Selling
12
BSBA
Accounting
87
BSBA
Finance
168
BSBA
Management
278
BSBA
Management Information Systems
69
BSBA
Marketing
184
BS
Hospitality Management
79
PB Certificate
Business Analytics
14
PB Certificate
Business Foundations
1
PB Certificate
Finance
10
PB Certificate
Hospitality Management
2
PB Certificate
Management Information Systems
7
PB Certificate
Marketing
20
PB Certificate
Project Management
10
PB Certificate
Supply Chain Management
12
PB Certificate
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality (new)
0
MBA
Business Administration
209
MSA
Accounting
50
MS
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality
3
College of Education
BSBE
Information Technologies (discontinued)
26
BS
Elementary Education (K-6)
194
BS
English, Secondary Education
10
BS
History, Secondary Education
8
BS
Mathematics, Secondary Education
5
BS
Middle Grades Education
13
BS
Science Education (discontinued)
6
BS
Special Education, Adapted Curriculum
13
BS
Special Education, General Curriculum
29
PB Certificate
Assistive Technology
6
PB Certificate
Autism
4
PB Certificate
Behavior Specialist
1
PB Certificate
Community College Instruction
18
10
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
PB Certificate
Computer-based Instruction
1
PB Certificate
Deaf-Blindness
13
PB Certificate
Distance Learning and Administration
6
PB Certificate
Dual Language Immersion Administration
0
PB Certificate
Education in the Healthcare Professions
5
PB Certificate
Elementary Mathematics Education
2
PB Certificate
Special Endorsement in Computer Education
12
PB Certificate
Student Affairs in Higher Education
7
PB Certificate
Teaching Children in Poverty (new)
0
EDD
Educational Leadership
24
EDS
Educational Administration and Supervision
8
MA
Science Education
0
MAED
Adult Education
29
MAED
Business Education (discontinued)
2
MAED
Curriculum and Instruction
2
MAED
Elementary Education
2
MAED
Health Education (discontinued)
3
MAED
Instructional Technology
21
MAED
Mathematics Education
15
MAED
Middle Grades Education
7
MAED
Physical Education
0
MAED
Reading Education
13
MAED
Science Education
16
MAED
Special Education
6
MAT
Master of Arts in Teaching
21
MLS
Library Science
74
MSA
School Administration
61
MS
Counselor Education
32
MS
Instructional Technology (Non-licensure)
11
College of Engineering
and Technology
UG Certificate (4C)
Computer Game Development
11
BA
Computer Science (discontinued)
11
BS
Computer Science
36
BS
Construction Management
80
BS
Design
13
BS
Engineering
125
BS
Industrial Distribution and Logistics
34
BS
Industrial Engineering Technology
27
BS
Industrial Technology
136
BS
Information and Computer Technology
47
BS
Software Engineering (new)
0
PB Certificate
Computer Network Professional
5
PB Certificate
Cyber Security Professional
18
11
COLLEGE
CREDENTIAL
PROGRAM
COUNT
PB Certificate
Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt
4
PB Certificate
Residential Construction Management
8
PB Certificate
Website Developer
6
MCM
Construction Management
13
MS
Biomedical Engineering
2
MS
Computer Science
4
MS
Data Science (new)
0
MS
Mechanical Engineering (new)
0
MS
Network Technology
25
MS
Occupational Safety
7
MS
Software Engineering
8
MS
Technology Management
4
MS
Technology Systems (discontinued)
5
College of Nursing
BSN
Nursing
300
PM Certificate
Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
2
PM Certificate
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
3
PM Certificate
Nurse Anesthesia
0
PM Certificate
Nurse Midwifery
2
PM Certificate
Nursing Education
5
PM Certificate
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
0
DNP
Nursing Practice
45
MSN
Nursing
110
PD Certificate
Family Nurse Practitioner
1
PD Certificate
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
0
PHD
Nursing
8
PM Certificate
Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist
1
PM Certificate
Nursing Leadership
0
Graduate School
PHD
Coastal Resources Management
1
Office of Global
Affairs
Non-Credit
ECU Language Academy (ESL)
4
School of Dental
Medicine
DMD
Doctor of Dental Medicine
54
3. Off-Campus Instructional Locations and Branch Campuses
List all approved off-campus instructional locations where 25% or more credit hours toward a degree, diploma, or
certificate can be obtained primarily through traditional classroom instruction. Report those locations in accord with the
Commission’s definitions and the directions as specified below.
Table 1: Off-campus instructional sites—a site located geographically apart from the main campus at which the institution
offers 50 % or more of its credit hours for a diploma, certificate, or degree. This includes high schools where courses are
offered as part of dual enrollment. For each site, provide the information below. The list should include only those sites
reported to and approved by SACSCOC. Listing unapproved sites below does not constitute reporting them to SACSCOC.
In such cases when an institution has initiated an off-campus instructional site as described above without prior approval by
SACSCOC, a prospectus for approval should be submitted immediately to SACSCOC.
12
Name of Site
(Indicate if site is
currently active or
inactive. If
inactive, date of
last course
offerings and date
of projected
reopening)
Physical Address (street,
city, state, county) Do not
include PO Boxes.
Date of
SACSCOC
letter
accepting
notification
Date
Implemented
by the
institution
Educational
programs
offered
(specific
degrees,
certificates,
diplomas)
with 50% or
more credits
hours offered
at each site
Is the site
currently active?
(At any time
during the past 5
years, have
students been
enrolled and
courses offered?
If not, indicate
the date of most
recent activity.)
Craven Community
College
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562
Craven County
3/24/2004
5/15/2004
MSW Social
Work
MS Counselor
Education
Yes; cohort
started 5/14/2018
Gateway
Technology Center
3400 Wesleyan Boulevard
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Nash County
3/24/2003
5/15/2004
MSW Social
Work
Yes; cohort
started 5/15/2017
Table 2: Off-campus instructional sites at which the institution offers 25-49% of its credit hours for a diploma, certificate,
or degree—including high schools where courses are offered as dual enrollment. Note: institutions are required to notify
SACSCOC in advance of initiating coursework at the site. For each site, provide the information below.
Name of Site
(Indicate if site is
currently active
or inactive. If
inactive, date of
last course
offerings and date
of projected
reopening)
Physical Address
(street, city, state,
county) Do not include
PO Boxes.
Date of
SACSCOC
letter
accepting
notification
Date
Implement
ed by the
institution
Educational
programs
offered (specific
degrees,
certificates,
diplomas) with
25-49% credit
hours offered at
each site
Is the site currently
active? (At any time
during the past 5
years, have students
been enrolled and
courses offered? If
not, indicate the
date of most recent
activity.)
Gateway
Technology Center
3400 Wesleyan
Boulevard
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Nash County
4/4/2016
5/16/2016
MPA Public
Administration
Yes; cohort should
graduate fall 2018;
leave open for new
cohort fall 2019
Johnston County
Central Office
AG Glenn Building
501 S 2
nd
Street
Smithfield, NC 27577
Johnston County
10/15/2018
1/7/2019
MSA School
Administration
Started 1/7/2019
Lenoir Community
College
818 Highway 91 North
Snow Hill, NC 28580
Greene County
1/16/2018
6/23/2016
EdD Educational
Leadership
Yes; new cohort
starting 1/7/2019
Lenoir County
Schools Central
Office Building
2017 W Vernon Avenue
Kinston, NC 28504
Lenoir County
1/16/2018
6/22/2017
MSA School
Administration
No; cohort ended
spring 2018;
anticipate
new cohort TBD
Nash Community
College
522 N Old Carriage Rd
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Nash County
10/1/2018
1/7/2019
EdD Educational
Leadership
Started 1/7/2019
Oaks Road
Elementary School
2811 Oaks Road
New Bern, NC 28560
Craven County
10/15/2018
1/7/2019
MSA School
Administration
Started 1/7/2019
Onslow County
Central Office
Building
200 Broadhurst Road
Jacksonville, NC 28540
1/16/2018
6/23/2016
MSA School
Administration
No; cohort ended
spring 2018;
returning
1/7/2019?
Tarboro High
1400 W Howard Ave
10/1/2018
1/7/2019
EdD Educational
Started 1/7/2019
13
School
Tarboro, NC 27886
Edgecombe County
Leadership
Wake County
Public School
Systems
Crossroads II
110 Corning Rd
Cary, NC 27518
1/4/2016
6/26/2014
MSA School
Administration
Yes; 2017 cohort
will
end 2019; new
cohort
to start 1/7/2019
Table 3: Branch campus—an instructional site located geographically apart and independent of the main campus of the
institution. A location is independent of the main campus if the location is (1) permanent in nature, (2) offers courses in
educational programs leading to a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential, (3) has its own faculty and
administrative or supervisory organization, and (4) has its own budgetary and hiring authority. The list should include only
those branch campuses reported to and approved by SACSCOC. Listing unapproved branch campuses below does not
constitute reporting them to SACSCOC. A prospectus for an unapproved branch campuses should be submitted
immediately to SACSCOC.
Name of Branch
Campus
Physical Address (street, city,
state, country) Do not include PO
Boxes.
Date of
SACSCOC
approval
letter
Date
Implemented
by the
institution
Educational
programs
(specific degrees,
certificates,
diplomas) with
50% or more
credits hours
offered at the
branch campus
Is the campus currently
active? (At any time
during the past 5 years,
have students been
enrolled and courses
offered? If not, indicate
the date of most recent
activity.)
N/A
4. Distance and Correspondence Education
Provide an initial date of approval for your institution to offer distance education. Provide a list of credit-bearing
educational programs (degrees, certificates, and diplomas) where 50% or more of the credit hours are delivered through
distance education modes. For each educational program, indicate whether the program is delivered using synchronous
or asynchronous technology, or both. For each educational program that uses distance education technology to deliver
the program at a specific site (e.g., a synchronous program using interactive videoconferencing), indicate the program
offered at each location where students receive the transmitted program. Please limit this description to one page, if
possible.
Initial Date of Approval for East Carolina University to Offer Distance Education: 08/19/2002
Credit-Bearing Educational Programs (Degrees, Certificates, and Diplomas) Where 50% or More of the Credit
Hours are Delivered through Distance Education Modes
CIP
Code
Program
Type *
Program Title
Delivery Modes
(Synchronous,
Asynchronous, or
Both)
Delivered at Site
Where Students
Receive
Transmitted
Program
College of Allied Health Sciences
51.2310
MS
Rehabilitation and Career Counseling
Asynchronous
---
51.1501
PB
Substance Abuse Counseling
Asynchronous
---
51.2310
PB
Rehabilitation Counseling
Asynchronous
---
51.2399
PB
Vocational Evaluation
Asynchronous
---
51.0204
MS
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Asynchronous
---
51.0706
BS
Health Information Management
Both
---
51.0701
BS
Health Services Management
Both
---
51.0701
PB
Health Care Administration
Both
---
52.0201
PB
Health Care Management
Both
---
14
51.2706
PB
Health Informatics
Both
---
51.2706
MS
Health Informatics and Information
Management
Both
---
51.0706
PB
Health Information Management
Both
---
19.0501
MS
Nutrition
Asynchronous
---
College of Business
52.0201
MBA
Business Administration
Both
---
52.0801
PB
Finance
Both
---
52.0999
MS
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality
Both
---
52.0999
PB
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality
Both
---
52.0901
BS
Hospitality Management
Both
---
52.0901
PB
Hospitality Management
Both
---
52.0201
BSBA
Management
Both
---
52.1201
BSBA
Management Information Systems
Both
---
52.1201
PB
Management Information Systems
Both
---
11.0802
PB
Business Analytics
Both
---
52.0211
PB
Project Management
Both
---
52.1401
BSBA
Marketing
Both
---
52.1401
PB
Marketing
Both
---
52.0203
PB
Supply Chain Management
Both
---
College of Education
13.0301
MAEd
Curriculum and Instruction
Both
---
13.1202
MAEd
Elementary Education
Asynchronous
---
13.0501
MAEd
Instructional Technology
Asynchronous
---
13.1203
MAEd
Middle Grades Education
Both
---
13.1314
MAEd
Physical Education
Asynchronous
---
13.1315
MAEd
Reading Education
Asynchronous
---
13.1316
MAEd
Science Education
Both
---
13.1011
MAEd
Special Education
Both
---
13.0401
EdD
Educational Leadership
Both
---
13.0401
EdS
Educational Administration and Supervision
Both
---
13.0401
MSA
School Administration
Both
13.0401
PB
Dual Language Immersion Administration
Both
---
13.1202
BS
Elementary Education (K-6)
Asynchronous
---
13.1203
BS
Middle Grades Education
Asynchronous
---
13.1202
PB
Teaching Children in Poverty
Asynchronous
13.0403
MAEd
Adult Education
Both
---
13.1101
MS
Counselor Education
Both
13.0407
PB
Community College Instruction
Asynchronous
---
13.1399
PB
Education in the Healthcare Professions
Both
---
13.0406
PB
Student Affairs in Higher Education
Asynchronous
---
25.0101
MLS
Library Science
Both
---
13.1311
MAEd
Mathematics Education
Both
---
13.1311
PB
Elementary Mathematics Education
Both
---
13.0501
MS
Instructional Technology (non-licensure)
Asynchronous
---
13.0501
PB
Computer-Based Instruction
Asynchronous
---
13.0501
PB
Distance Learning and Administration
Asynchronous
---
13.0501
PB
Special Endorsement in Computer Education
Asynchronous
---
13.1099
BS
Special Education, Adapted Curriculum
Asynchronous
---
13.1001
BS
Special Education, General Curriculum
Asynchronous
---
51.0999
PB
Assistive Technology
Asynchronous
---
13.1013
PB
Autism
Asynchronous
---
13.1099
PB
Deaf-Blindness
Asynchronous
---
13.1001
PB
Behavior Specialist
Asynchronous
---
College of Engineering and Technology
11.0701
MS
Computer Science
Both
---
15
11.0701
MS
Data Science
Both
14.0903
MS
Software Engineering
Both
---
15.1001
MCM
Construction Management
Both
---
52.2001
PB
Residential Construction Management
Both
---
11.0103
BS
Information and Computer Technology
Both
---
15.0612
BS
Industrial Distribution and Logistics
Both
---
15.0612
BS
Industrial Technology
Both
---
11.1099
MS
Network Technology
Both
---
51.2206
MS
Occupational Safety
Both
---
15.1501
MS
Technology Management
Both
---
11.0901
PB
Computer Network Professional
Both
---
11.1003
PB
Cyber Security Professional
Both
---
11.1004
PB
Website Developer
Both
---
15.0702
PB
Lean Six-Sigma Black-Belt
Both
---
College of Fine Arts and Communication
13.1302
MAEd
Art Education
Asynchronous
---
09.0101
BS
Communication
Asynchronous
---
09.0101
MA
Communication
Asynchronous
---
09.0101
PB
Health Communication
Asynchronous
---
13.1312
MM
Music Education
Asynchronous
---
College of Health and Human Performance
51.2207
MA
Health Education
Synchronous
---
51.2202
MSEH
Environmental Health
Synchronous
---
13.1209
BS
Birth-Kindergarten (B-K) Teacher Education
Asynchronous
---
13.1308
BS
Family and Consumer Sciences Education
Asynchronous
---
13.1209
MAEd
Birth through Kindergarten Education
Asynchronous
---
13.1314
PB
Physical Education Clinical Supervision
Both
---
31.0505
PB
Sport Management
Both
---
44.0701
MSW
Social Work
Both
---
51.1501
PB
Substance Abuse
Asynchronous
---
College of Nursing
51.3899
MSN
Nursing
Both
---
51.3818
DNP
Nursing Practice
Both
---
51.3813
PM
Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
Both
---
51.3806
PM
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Both
---
51.3813
PM
Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist
Both
---
51.3807
PM
Nurse Midwifery
Both
---
51.3817
PM
Nursing Education
Both
---
51.3802
PM
Nursing Leadership
Both
---
51.3810
PM
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Both
---
51.3803
PD
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse
Practitioner
Both
---
51.3805
PD
Family Nurse Practitioner
Both
---
Brody School of Medicine
51.2201
PB
Public Health Foundations and Practice
Asynchronous
51.2207
PB
Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities
Both
---
51.2201
MPH
Public Health
Both
---
51.2201
DrPH
Public Health
Asynchronous
Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences
43.0104
MS
Criminal Justice
Asynchronous
---
23.0101
MA
English
Asynchronous
---
44.0401
MPA
Public Administration
Both
---
45.0902
MS
Security Studies
Asynchronous
---
5. Accreditation
(1) List all agencies that currently accredit the institution and any of its programs and indicate the date of the last
review by each.
16
EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY PROGRAM ACCREDITATION CYCLE
College/School
Department
Program
Accrediting Agency
Last
Review
Next
Review
Academic Affairs
Office of Global
Affairs
ECU Language
Academy
Commission on English
Language Program
Accreditation (CEA)
2016
Fall
2020
Fall
Brody School of
Medicine
Dean's Office,
BSOM
Medicine (MD)
Liaison Committee on Medical
Education (LCME)
2013
Fall
2020
Spring
Brody School of
Medicine
Dept. of Public
Health
Public Health (MPH)
Council on Education for
Public Health (CEPH)
2012
Fall
2019
Fall
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of
Communication
Sciences and
Disorders
Audiology (AuD)
Council on Academic
Accreditation in Audiology and
Speech-Language Pathology
(CAA)
2014
Fall
2023
Spring
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Addictions
and Rehabilitation
Studies
Clinical Counseling
(MS)
Council for Accreditation of
Counseling and Related
Educational Programs
(CACREP)
2017
Spring
2023
Fall
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Clinical
Lab Science
Clinical Laboratory
Science (BS)
National Accrediting Agency
for Clinical Laboratory Science
(NAACLS)
2015
Fall
2018
Fall
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of
Communication
Sciences and
Disorders
Communication
Sciences and
Disorders (MS)
Council on Academic
Accreditation in Audiology and
Speech-Language Pathology
(CAA)
2014
Fall
2023
Spring
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Health
Services and
Information
Management
Health Information
Management (BS)
Council for the Accreditation of
Health Informatics and
Information Management
(CAHIIM)
2004
2019
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Health
Services and
Information
Management
Health Information
Management (PB)
Council for the Accreditation of
Health Informatics and
Information Management
(CAHIIM)
2004
2019
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Health
Services and
Information
Management
Health Services
Management (BS)
Association of University
Programs in Health
Administration (AUPHA)
2012
2019
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Nutrition
Science
Nutrition and
Dietetics (BS)
Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, Accreditation
Council for Education in
Nutrition and Dietetics
(ACEND)
2013
Spring
2020
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of
Occupational
Therapy
Occupational
Therapy (MSOT)
Accreditation Council for
Occupational Therapy
Education (ACOTE)
2015
Spring
2025
Spring
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Physical
Therapy
Physical Therapy
(DPT)
Commission on Accreditation
in Physical Therapy Education
(CAPTE)
2009
Fall
2019
Spring
College of Allied
Health Sciences
Dept. of Physician
Assistant Studies
Physician Assistant
(MS)
Accreditation Review
Committee on Education for
the Physician Assistant (ARC-
PA)
2015
Spring
2025
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of
Accounting
Accounting (BSBA)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
College of
Business
Business
Administration
(MBA)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
17
College of Business
Dept. of
Management
Information
Systems
Business Analytics
(PB)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
College of
Business
Business Foundations
(PB)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of
Management
Entrepreneurship
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of Finance
Finance (PB)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of
Management
Management (BSBA)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Department of
Management
Information
Systems
Management
Information Systems
(BSBA)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Department of
Management
Information
Systems
Management
Information Systems
(PB)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of Marketing
and Supply Chain
Management
Marketing (BSBA)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of Marketing
and Supply Chain
Management
Marketing (PB)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of Marketing
and Supply Chain
Management
Professional Selling
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Department of
Management
Information
Systems
Project Management
(PB)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Business
Dept. of Marketing
and Supply Chain
Management
Supply Chain
Management (PB)
Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business
International (AACSB)
2015
Spring
2020
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Human
Development and
Family Science
Birth Through
Kindergarten
Education (MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Human
Development and
Family Science
Birth Through
Kindergarten
Education (BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Interdisciplinary
Professions
Counselor Education
(MS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Literacy
Studies, English
Education, and
History Education
Curriculum and
Instruction (MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Educational
Leadership
Educational
Administration and
Supervision (EdS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
18
College of Education
Dept. of
Educational
Leadership
Educational
Leadership (EdD)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Elementary
Education and
Middle Grades
Education
Elementary
Education (K-6) (BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Elementary
Education and
Middle Grades
Education
Elementary
Education (MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Literacy
Studies, English
Education, and
History Education
English Secondary
Education (BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Literacy
Studies, English
Education, and
History Education
History, Secondary
Education (BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of MS and
ITE
Instructional
Technology (MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Interdisciplinary
Professions
Library Science
(MLS)
American Library Association
2015
Spring
2021
Fall
College of Education
School of Art and
Design
Master of Arts in
Teaching Art
Education (MAT)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Mathematics,
Science, and
Instructional
Technology
Education
Mathematics
Education (MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Mathematics,
Science, and
Instructional
Technology
Education
Mathematics,
Secondary Education
(BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Elementary
Education and
Middle Grades
Education
Middle Grades
Education (MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
College of HHP
Physical Education
(MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Literacy
Studies, English
Education, and
History Education
Reading Education
(MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Educational
Leadership
School
Administration
(MSA)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
19
College of Education
Dept. of
Mathematics,
Science, and
Instructional
Technology
Education
Science Education
(BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of
Mathematics,
Science, and
Instructional
Technology
Education
Science Education
(MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Special
Education,
Foundations and
Research
Special Education
(MAEd)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Special
Education,
Foundations and
Research
Special Education,
Adapted Curriculum
(BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Education
Dept. of Special
Education,
Foundations and
Research
Special Education,
General Curriculum
(BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Construction
Management
Construction
Management (BS)
American Council for
Construction Education
(ACCE)
2017
Spring
2023
Spring
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Design (BS)
Association of Technology,
Management, and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE)
2013
Spring
2019
Fall
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Engineering
Engineering (BS)
Accrediting Board for
Engineering and Technology
(ABET)
2014
Fall
2021
Fall
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Industrial
Distribution and
Logistics (BS)
Association of Technology,
Management, and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE)
2013
Spring
2019
Fall
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Industrial
Engineering
Technology (BS)
Association of Technology,
Management, and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE)
2013
Spring
2019
Fall
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Industrial
Technology (BS)
Association of Technology,
Management, and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE)
2013
Spring
2019
Fall
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Information and
Computer
Technology (BS)
Association of Technology,
Management, and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE)
2013
Spring
2019
Fall
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Network Technology
(MS)
Association of Technology,
Management, and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE)
2013
Spring
2019
Fall
College of Engineering
Technology
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Technology
Management (MS)
Association of Technology,
Management, and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE)
2013
Spring
2019
Fall
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Art and
Design
Art (BFA)
National Association of
Schools of Art and Design
(NASAD)
2014
Fall
2024
Spring
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Art and
Design
Art (MFA)
National Association of
Schools of Art and Design
(NASAD)
2014
Fall
2024
Spring
20
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Art and
Design
Art Education (BFA)
National Association of
Schools of Art and Design
(NASAD)
2014
Fall
2024
Spring
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Art and
Design
Art Education
(MAEd)
National Association of
Schools of Art and Design
(NASAD)
2014
Fall
2024
Spring
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Music
Advanced
Performance Studies
(PB)
National Association of
Schools of Music (NASM)
2015
Spring
2024-
2025
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Theatre
and Dance
Dance (BFA)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Music
Music (BM)
National Association of
Schools of Music (NASM)
2015
Spring
2024-
2025
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Music
Music (MM)
National Association of
Schools of Music (NASM)
2015
Spring
2024-
2025
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Music
Music Education
(BM)
National Association of
Schools of Music (NASM)
2015
Spring
2024-
2025
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Music
Music Education
(MM)
National Association of
Schools of Music (NASM)
2015
Spring
2024-
2025
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Music
Suzuki Pedagogy
(PB)
National Association of
Schools of Music (NASM)
2015
Spring
2024-
2025
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Theatre
and Dance
Theatre Arts (BA)
National Association of
Schools of Theatre (NAST)
2010
Fall
2018
Fall
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Theatre
and Dance
Theatre Arts (BFA)
National Association of
Schools of Theatre (NAST)
2012
2018
Fall
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Theatre
and Dance
Theatre Arts
Education (BFA)
National Association of
Schools of Theatre (NAST)
2012
2018
Fall
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Music
Suzuki Pedagogy
(PB)
National Association of
Schools of Music
2015
Spring
2024-
2025
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Theatre
and Dance
Theatre Arts (BA)
National Association of
Schools of Theatre (NAST)
2010
Fall
2019
Fall
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Theatre
and Dance
Theatre Arts (BFA)
National Association of
Schools of Theatre (NAST)
2010
Fall
2019
Fall
College of Fine Arts &
Communication
School of Theatre
and Dance
Theatre Arts
Education (BFA)
National Association of
Schools of Theatre (NAST)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2010
Fall
2015
Spring
2019
Fall
2022
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Health
Education and
Promotion
Athletic Training
(BS)
Commission on Accreditation
of Athletic Training Education
(CAATE)
2015
Fall
2025
Fall
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Health
Education and
Promotion
Environmental
Health (MSEH)
National Environmental Health
Science and Protection
Accreditation Council (EHAC)
2018
Spring
2024
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Human
Development and
Family Science
Family and
Community Services
(BS)
American Association of
Family and Consumer Sciences
(AAFCS)
2012
Spring
2022
Fall
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Human
Development and
Family Science
Family and
Consumer Sciences
Education
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
American Association of
Family and Consumer Sciences
(AAFCS)
2015
Spring
2012
Spring
2022
Spring
2021
Fall
21
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Interior
Design and
Merchandising
Fashion
Merchandising and
Consumer Studies
(BS)
American Association of
Family and Consumer Sciences
(AAFCS)
2012
Spring
2022
Fall
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Interior
Design and
Merchandising
Interior Design (BS)
National Association of
Schools of Art and Design
Council for Interior Design
Accreditation
2014
Fall
2015
Fall
2024
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Human
Development and
Family Science
Marriage and Family
Therapy (MS)
Commission on Accreditation
for Marriage and Family
Therapy Education
(COAMFTE)
2013
2019
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Human
Development and
Family Science
Medical Family
Therapy (PhD)
Commission on Accreditation
for Marriage and Family
Therapy Education
(COAMFTE)
2013
2019
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of
Technology
Systems
Occupational Safety
(MS)
Accreditation Board for
Engineering Technology
(ABET)
2014
Fall
2021
Fall
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Health
Education and
Promotion
Public Health Studies
(BS)
Council on Education for
Public Health (CEPH)
2016
2021
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Health
Education and
Promotion
Public Health (BS)
Council on Education for
Public Health (CEPH)
2016
2020
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of
Kinesiology
Physical Education
(BS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Recreation
and Leisure Studies
Recreation and Park
Management (BS)
Council on Accreditation of
Parks, Recreation, Tourism,
and Related Professions
(COAPRT)
2018
Spring
Pending
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Recreation
and Leisure Studies
Recreation Therapy
(BS)
Commission on Accreditation
pf Allied Health Education
Programs (CAAHEP)
2017
Spring
2024
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Addictions
and Rehabilitation
Studies
Rehabilitation and
Career Counseling
(MS)
Council for Accreditation of
Counseling and Related
Educational Programs
(CACREP)
2016
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Health and
Human Performance
Dept. of Addictions
and Rehabilitation
Studies
Rehabilitation
Counseling and
Administration (PhD)
Council for Accreditation of
Counseling and Related
Educational Programs
(CACREP)
2016
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Health and
Human Performance
School of Social
Work
Social Work (BSW)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
Council on Social Work
Education
2015
Spring
2016
Spring
2022
Spring
2024
Spring
College of Health and
Human Performance
School of Social
Work
Social Work (MSW)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
Council on Social Work
Education
2015
Spring
2016
Spring
2022
Spring
2024
Spring
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Adult-Gerontology
Clinical Nurse
Specialist (PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
22
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Adult-Gerontology
Primary Care Nurse
Practitioner (PD)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2019
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Family Nurse
Practitioner (PD)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2019
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Neonatal Clinical
Nurse Specialist
(PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Neonatal Nurse
Practitioner (PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Nurse Anesthesia
(PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Nurse Midwifery
(PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Nursing (BSN)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Nursing (MSN)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education (CCNE)
Council on Accreditation of
Nurse Anesthesia Educational
Programs Accreditation
Commission for Midwifery
Education
2014
Fall
2016
Spring
2016
Spring
2024
Fall
2026
Fall
2026
Spring
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Nursing Education
(PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Nursing Leadership
(PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Nursing Practice
(DNP)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
College of Nursing
College of Nursing
Psychiatric-Mental
Health Nurse
Practitioner (PM)
Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education
2014
Fall
2024
Fall
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences
Dept. of Foreign
Languages and
Literatures
Foreign Languages
and Literatures (BA)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences
Dept. of
Psychology
Health Psychology
(PhD)
American Psychological
Association (APA)
2012
Spring
2019
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences
Dept. of Physics
Physics (MS)
Commission on Accreditation
of Medical Physics Education
Programs (CAMPEP)
2016
2021
Fall
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences
Dept. of
Psychology
Psychology (MA)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences
Dept. of Political
Science
Public
Administration
(MPA)
National Association of
Schools of Public Affairs and
Administration (NASPAA)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences
Dept. of
Psychology
School Psychology
(Level II) (CAS)
National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences
Dept. of
Geography,
Planning, and
Environment
Urban and Regional
Planning (BS)
Planning ad Accreditation
Board (PAB)
2017
Spring
2012
Fall
School of Dental
Medicine
School of Dental
Medicine
Doctor of Dental
Medicine (DMD)
Commission on Dental
Accreditation (CODA)
2015
Spring
2022
Spring
23
(2) If SACS Commission on Colleges is not your primary accreditor for access to USDOE Title IV funding, identify
which accrediting agency serves that purpose.
Not applicable
(3) List any USDOE recognized agency (national and programmatic) that has terminated the institution’s accreditation
(include the date, reason, and copy of the letter of termination) or list any agency from which the institution has
voluntarily withdrawn (include copy of letter to agency from institution).
None
(4) Describe any sanctions applied or negative actions taken by any USDOE-recognized accrediting agency (national,
programmatic, SACSCOC) during the two years previous to the submission of this report. Include a copy of the
letter from the USDOE to the institution.
None
6. Relationship to the U.S. Department of Education
Indicate any limitations, suspensions, or termination by the U.S. Department of Education in regard to student financial
aid or other financial aid programs during the previous three years. Report if on reimbursement or any other
exceptional status in regard to federal or state financial aid.
In late 2017, East Carolina University (ECU) was put on provisional status by the DOE for participation in the Federal
student financial assistance programs (Title IV, HEA programs). As stated in their Program Participation Agreement, a
late submission of a Gainful Employment Transitional Certification was the reason for this decision. ECU reapplied
Sept. 19, 2018, as required in the Eligibility and Certification Approval Report. On December 28, 2018, the Office of
Student Financial Aid responded to additional questions from the DOE in regards to our September 2018 application
for Re-certification; In February 2019, ECU received reapproval and full certification to participate in student financial
assistance programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. This certification is renewable in
December of 2022.
Document History
Adopted: September 2004
Revised: March 2011
Revised: January 2014
Revised: January 2018
Revised February 2019
R - 5.4
Qualified Administrative/Academic Officers
The institution employs and regularly evaluates administrative and academic officers with
appropriate experience and qualifications to lead the institution.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
Definition of Administrative and Academic Officers
Senior academic and administrative officers (Tier I SAAO) are defined in accordance
with University of North Carolina (UNC) Policy 300.1.1as the chancellor, vice chancellors,
provosts, and deans of the constituent institutions, and the directors of major
administrative, educational, research and public service activities of the constituent
institutions designated by the Board of Governors. For East Carolina University (ECU), the
Tier I SAAO’s include the chancellor, the provost, vice chancellors, academic deans and
directors of the libraries. ECU’s Organizational Chart shows the relationships among these
Tier I SAAO’s.
ECU’s Tier I SAAO employees possess the appropriate experience and qualifications to lead
the institution and are regularly evaluated. The Qualified Administrative/Academic Officers
table provides the names, position titles, position responsibilities, educational qualifications,
and professional experiences of the individuals who are in Tier I SAAO positions as of
August 16, 2018. The full job descriptions and CVs are included at the end of the narrative.
The chancellor’s appointment and evaluation are not applicable to this standard. The
narrative below explains the appointment and evaluation processes of Tier I SAAO’s.
Name
Title
Responsibilities
Educational
Qualification
s
Professional
Experience
Dr. Ronald
Mitchelso
n
Provost and
Senior Vice
Chancellor for
Academic
Affairs Positi
on
Description/Jo
b Duties
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Mitchelson earned
his Ph.D. in 1979
from The Ohio State
University. He was
appointed to the
position of Provost
and Senior Vice
Chancellor for
Academic Affairs in
2015, having served
the preceding year as
interim. Dr.
Mitchelson joined
East Carolina
University in 1999 as
tenured professor and
Chair of the
Department of
Geography. He served
ECU as Interim Vice
Chancellor for
Research and
Graduate Studies from
2012 to 2014. Dr.
Mitchelson also
served one year as
Interim Chair of the
ECU Department of
English. Before
coming to ECU, he
held faculty and
administrative
positions for thirteen
years at the University
of Georgia and seven
years at Morehead
State University in
Kentucky.
Dr. Mark
Stacy
Interim Vice
Chancellor for
Health
Sciences
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Stacy was
appointed Interim
Vice Chancellor for
Health Sciences in
2018, upon the
retirement of the
former Vice
Chancellor. His M.D.
degree was conferred
in 1986 by the
University of
Missouri, Columbia.
Dr. Stacy joined ECU
as Professor with
Tenure, Dean of the
Brody School of
Medicine and Senior
Associate Vice
Chancellor for Health
Sciences in 2017. He
previously held
several faculty and
progressively
responsible leadership
positions at Duke
University Medical
Center in NC,
including six years as
Vice Dean for Clinical
Research.
Dr.
Virginia
Hardy
Vice
Chancellor for
Student
Affairs
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Hardy earned her
PhD in counselor
education in 2001
from North Carolina
State University. She
was appointed ECU’s
Vice Chancellor for
Student Affairs,
reporting to the
Chancellor, in August
2011, upon the
reorganization of
Academic and Student
Affairs. She served as
Vice Provost for
Student Affairs,
reporting to the
Provost, for 18
months until
Academic and Student
Affairs become
separate divisions.
She joined ECU in
1993 as a student
counselor in the
Brody School of
Medicine and has held
many leadership
positions at the
University since 1994.
Within ECU’s Brody
School of Medicine,
Dr. Hardy served as
Acting Dean for
eighteen months and
Senior Associate
Dean for Academic
Affairs for more than
three years. She also
served as the
university’s Interim
Chief Diversity
Officer for almost two
years. In addition to
administrative
positions at ECU, she
has a myriad of
national, regional,
state and local
leadership experience
delineated in her
complete curriculum
vitae.
Ms. Sara
Thorndike
Vice
Chancellor for
Administratio
n and Finance
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Ms. Sara Thorndike
was named Vice
Chancellor for
Administration and
Finance (Chief
Financial Officer) at
East Carolina
University effective
April 2018, replacing
the retiring Vice
Chancellor. She
earned her MBA from
The Ohio State
University in 2003
and is a Certified
Public Accountant
(CPA). From 2014
through March 2018,
Ms. Thorndike was
Senior Associate Vice
Chancellor for
Business Affairs,
Chief Financial
Officer, and
Controller at the
University of North
Carolina, Wilmington
(UNC-W). Prior to
joining UNC-W, she
had more than 15
years’ experience
directing financial and
accounting functions
in higher education
and the private
sector.
Mr.
Christophe
r Dyba
Vice
Chancellor for
University
Advancement
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Mr. Dyba holds a
Master of Theological
Studies degree from
Duke University. He
joined ECU as Vice
Chancellor for
University
Advancement in
March 2014. Since
1995 Mr. Dyba has
held progressively
responsible positions
leading successful
higher education
advancement
programs. His
significant record of
leadership and
development
experience includes
more than 23 years at
major universities,
including Auburn
University, Duke
University, East
Carolina University,
and Tulane
University.
Dr. Jay
Golden
Vice
Chancellor for
Research,
Economic
Development
&
Engagement
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Golden was
appointed Vice
Chancellor for
Research, Economic
Development and
Engagement in June
2017. He earned his
Ph.D. in engineering
from the University of
Cambridge in 2005.
From 2010 to 2017
Dr. Golden held
several faculty and
leadership positions at
Duke University,
including: Faculty
Chair, Business &
Environment
Program; Associate
Vice Provost for
Research & Corporate
Relations; and
Director, Duke Center
for Sustainability &
Commerce. Previous
experience includes
four years at Arizona
State University
where he served as
Founder and Co-
Director of the
National Center of
Excellence on
SMART Innovations
for Urban Climate and
two years as PI / Co
Director of the
Sustainability
Consortium and
Interdisciplinary
Industry Program.
Dr. David
White
Dean of the
Honors
College
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. White was named
Dean of the Honors
College in 2017,
having served as
Interim Dean for the
preceding year. Dr.
White was Dean of
the College of
Engineering and
Technology from
2010 to 2017 and
Interim Dean for the
year 2016-2017. He
earned his Doctor of
Education degree in
1983 from the
University of
Tennessee. He joined
the ECU College of
Health and Human
Performance in 1981
and for eighteen years
held various
administrative
positions within the
College of Health and
Human Performance,
including Chair of the
Department of Health
Education and
Promotion, Director
of Graduate Studies,
and Associate Dean.
Dr.
William
Downs
Dean of the
Thomas
Harriot
College of
Arts &
Sciences
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Downs joined
ECU as Dean of the
Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and
Sciences in 2014. He
holds a Ph.D.
conferred in 1994 by
Emory University.
Coming from Georgia
State University, Dr.
Downs served in
various administrative
roles for more than
fourteen years,
including Area Dean,
Department Chair and
Director of Graduate
Studies.
Dr. Paul
Schwager
Interim Dean
of the College
of Business
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Schwager was
appointed Interim
Dean of the College
of Business effective
July 2018, upon
retirement of the
existing Dean. Dr.
Schwager’s ECU
administrative
experience includes
serving the College of
Business for eight
years as Associate
Dean and two years as
Assistant Dean for
Assessment,
Accreditation and
Curriculum. He
earned his Ph.D. in
2004 at Auburn
University. Prior to
joining the faculty at
ECU in 2003, Dr.
Schwager held
academic positions at
Auburn University
and Appalachian State
University. In
addition, he has more
than thirteen years of
private sector business
experience.
Dr. Grant
Hayes
Dean of the
College of
Education
Position Description/J
ob Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Hayes became
Dean of the ECU
College of Education
in 2015. His Ph.D.
was conferred by the
University of South
Carolina in 1997.
Previous leadership
experience includes
more than fourteen
years at the University
of Central Florida,
where he held
administrative
positions as Interim
Dean, Executive
Associate Dean for
Academic Affairs,
Associate Dean for
Graduate Studies, and
Department Chair.
Dr. J.
Christophe
r "Chris"
Buddo
Dean of the
College of
Fine Arts &
Communicatio
n
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Buddo was
appointed Dean of the
College of Fine Arts
and Communication
in 2013, having
served the preceding
year as Interim Dean.
Coming from Baylor
University School of
Music in Texas, Dr.
Buddo joined ECU in
2006 as Professor and
Director (equivalent
to Dean) of the School
of Music. At Baylor
University, he served
eight years as
Associate Dean for
Administrative Affairs
and Director of the
Division of
Ensembles and two
years as Director of
the Division of
Ensembles and
Assistant to the Dean.
Dr. Buddo earned his
Doctor of Musical
Arts degree in 1992
from the University of
Iowa.
Dr. Anisa
Zvonkovic
Dean of the
College of
Health &
Human
Performance
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Zvonkovic was
named Dean of the
College of Health and
Human Performance,
effective July 2018.
She earned her Ph.D.
degree in 1997 from
The Pennsylvania
State University.
Before coming to
ECU, she was a
department chair at
Virginia Tech
University and at
Texas Tech
University and
Director of Graduate
Programs in Human
Development and
Family Studies at
Oregon State
University. Dr.
Zvonkovic has also
held a number of
leadership positions in
national professional
organizations,
including President of
the National Council
on Family Relations.
Dr. Harry
Ploehn
Dean of the
College of
Engineering &
Technology
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Ploehn was
appointed Dean of the
College of
Technology and
Computer Science in
2017. Before coming
to ECU, he held
various administrative
positions at the
University of South
Carolina for a period
of more than ten
years, including Vice
Provost, Interim
Dean, Associate Dean
and Interim
Department Chair. Dr.
Ploehn holds a Ph.D.
from Princeton
University conferred
in 1988.
Dr. Robert
Orlikoff
Dean of the
College of
Allied Health
Sciences
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Orlikoff joined
ECU in 2016 as Dean
of the College of
Allied Health
Sciences. During the
immediately
preceding eight years
at West Virginia
University, Dr.
Orlikoff held
academic
administrative
positions as Associate
Dean and as
Department Chair. He
was Department Chair
for two years at Seton
Hall University, and
before that he held
several laboratory
director positions in
universities and
medical centers for
more than ten years.
Dr. Orlikoff earned
his Ph.D. in 1988
from Columbia
University.
Dr. Sylvia
Brown
Dean of the
College of
Nursing
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Brown, who
joined the faculty of
nursing at ECU in
1976, was appointed
Dean of the College
of Nursing effective
October 2009. She
served more than two
years as Interim Dean
and for more than five
years as Associate
Dean, during which
the enrollment of
graduate nursing
students grew by more
than 250 percent. She
is an active member
of various
professional and
service organizations
at the state and
national level. Dr.
Brown earned a
Doctor of Education
in Occupational
Education in 1982
from North Carolina
State University. Her
MSN was conferred in
1978 by East Carolina
University.
Dr. Mark
Stacy
Dean of the
Brody School
of Medicine
and Senior
Associate Vice
Chancellor for
Health
Sciences
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Stacy joined ECU
in 2017 as Professor
with Tenure, Dean of
the Brody School of
Medicine and Senior
Associate Vice
Chancellor for Health
Sciences. He
previously held
several faculty and
progressively
responsible leadership
positions at Duke
University Medical
Center in NC,
including six years as
Vice Dean for Clinical
Research. Dr. Stacy’s
educational
qualifications include
an M.D. degree from
the University of
Missouri, Columbia,
earned in 1986.
Dr.
Gregory
Chadwick
Dean of the
School of
Dental
Medicine
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Chadwick, was
named Dean of the
School of Dental
Medicine in
September 2012, after
serving in leadership
roles for seven years -
- twice as Interim
Dean and as Associate
Dean of the School.
Before coming to
ECU in 2005, Dr.
Chadwick practiced
dentistry most of his
career in Charlotte.
He has served as
president of the
American Dental
Association, the North
Carolina Dental
Society and the Dental
Foundation of North
Carolina as well as
serving with other
dental organizations.
Dr. Chadwick holds
degrees from the
University of North
Carolina at Chapel
Hill, including Doctor
of Dental Surgery
earned in 1973 and
Master of Science
conferred in 1976.
Dr. Paul
Gemperlin
e
Dean of the
Graduate
School
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Gemperline was
appointed Dean of the
Graduate School
effective September
2009 after serving the
preceding year as
Interim Dean. Dr.
Gemperline joined the
ECU faculty in 1982
after earning his PhD
from Cleveland State
University. His
administrative service
also includes
appointment as
Associate Vice
Chancellor for
Research and
Graduate Studies for
three years, after
serving for two years
in an interim
capacity.
Ms. Janice
(Jan)
Lewis
Director of
Academic
Library
Services
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Ms. Lewis was
appointed Director of
Academic Library
Services in May 2015,
having served as
Interim Dean
(position title changed
to Director in 2015)
for the preceding two
years. She earned her
Master of Library
Science degree in
1992 from the
Catholic University of
America and her J.D.
in 1980 from the
University of Virginia
School of Law. Ms.
Lewis joined the ECU
library faculty in 1999
and held other
administrative/leaders
hip positions for more
than fourteen years as
Coordinator of
Instruction, Head of
Reference Services,
Associate Director
and Associate Dean.
Ms. Lewis came to
ECU from Virginia
Commonwealth
University where she
was Reference and
Collections Librarian
for six years. Previous
legal experience
includes attorney and
special projects
counsel at the
Association of Trial
Lawyers of America
for twelve years.
Ms.
Elizabeth
Ketterman
Director of the
William E.
Laupus Health
Sciences
Library
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Ms. Ketterman earned
her Master of Library
Science degree in
2001 from North
Carolina Central
University. She was
appointed Director of
the Laupus Health
Sciences Library in
September 2017,
having served for
almost two years as
Interim Director. She
has held numerous
leadership positions
both within the
university and in
professional
organizations.
Ms. Donna
Gooden
Payne
University
Counsel and
Vice
Chancellor for
Legal Affairs
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Ms. Payne was
appointed as ECU’s
Chief Legal Counsel
in July 2008. She
earned her Doctor of
Jurisprudence (JD)
degree from The
University of Texas at
Austin in 1992. Her
experience includes
six years as University
Counsel in University
of North Carolina
constituent institutions
before coming to
ECU. Legal
experience also
includes more than
nine (9) years in
private practice in
Texas and North
Carolina. In 2016 Ms.
Payne was elected to
the Board of Directors
of the National
Association of
College and
University
Attorneys.
Dr. David
(Reide)
Corbett
Dean of
Integrated
Coastal
Programs
Position
Description/Job
Duties
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Corbett was
appointed Dean of the
new interdisciplinary
unit of Integrated
Coastal Programs in
September 2018, after
a national search for
the position. Dr.
Corbett earned his
Ph.D. in Chemical
Oceanography
(Geochemistry) in
1999 from Florida
State University. His
professional
leadership experience
includes seven years
as Senior Scientist in
the ECU Institute of
Coastal Science and
Policy, six years as
Program Head within
the Coastal Studies
Institute, and four
years as Assistant
Chair of the
Department of
Geological Sciences
at ECU.
Vacant
Athletic
Director
Position
Description/Job
Duties
N/A
Hiring of Administrative and Academic Officers
ECU’s EHRA Recruitment Compliance Review Process Regulation (created in 2004 and most
recently updated in 2016), with its Standard Operating Practice that implements the
Regulation, governs recruitment for all Exempt from the State of North Carolina Human
Resources Act (EHRA) positions, including Tier I SAAO’s defined above. This Regulation
establishes consistent recruitment procedures to ensure the institution obtains a highly
qualified pool of candidates for EHRA positions. The standards and criteria for an EHRA
position must be objective, job-related and consistent with university necessity. Search
committees and hiring authorities must ensure that the screening process during
recruitment “provides for careful, thorough, and systematic consideration of job
qualifications. Applicants who do not meet the minimum advertised requirements cannot be
considered for the position” (the Standard Operating Practice, 6.3.1, page 11). All selection
decisions must meet nondiscriminatory requirements. Professional search firms may be
used to enhance the institution’s success in filling vacancies.
In November 2007, ECU’s Board of Trustees (BOT) approved the policy, Appointment and
Review of Administrative Officers at ECU(hereafter the BOT Policy), which specifies
principles and guidelines for the recruitment, selection, hiring, retention, evaluation, and
development of administrative officers. The BOT Policy governs all Tier I SAAO’s, as well as
selected other leaders. It states that, “hiring of administrators is the primary responsibility
of the appointing officer with appropriate input from relevant constituencies, which vary
significantly by position” (page 2). It requires that “the appointing officer” (i.e., the
supervising officer or supervisor) selects the top candidate from all finalists, based both on
feedback from all relevant constituencies and the appointing officer’s individual assessment
of the leadership characteristics of the finalists.
Regular evaluation of each administrator’s performance occurs on an annual basis, as well
as a more comprehensive review that occurs every five years. Annual evaluations of
academic leaders include input from faculty, while five-year reviews of all Tier I SAAO’s
include input from a wide range of constituencies. These processes are described in greater
detail below.
Annual Evaluation
ECU conducts annual evaluations of all administrators as required by the BOT Policy (page
3). For each Tier I SAAO, the supervising officer conducts annual written evaluations,
identifying elements of leadership development, areas of strength and needed
improvement, as well as goals to achieve better performance. Annual evaluations typically
begin during late spring semester. In early summer (usually June-July), the supervising
officer completes the written evaluation and meets face-to-face with the administrator to
discuss performance and establish goals for the upcoming year.
Faculty input in the annual evaluation of academic administrators is prescribed in
the Faculty Manual Part II Section V, Faculty Involvement in Selection and Evaluation of
Administrators, which states the following:
Faculty shall evaluate administrators annually, employing an instrument approved by
the Faculty Senate and the Chancellor. The results of such evaluations shall be made
available to the administrator and the administrator’s supervisor (page 2).
Through an Administrator Survey, conducted across the campus at the end of each spring
semester, faculty provide confidential feedback to the chancellor, academic vice chancellors,
deans, and directors of the libraries. In April 2018, the Faculty Senate updated
the Administrator Survey forms and procedures to better align with the Five-Year Review
process defined in the same BOT Policy. The current survey includes the following themes:
leadership; teaching, research/creative activity, and service; administration and
management; diversity and collaboration; and open-ended comments. The results, both
numeric ratings and comments, are reported to the administrator who is evaluated and to
his/her supervisor.
To demonstrate the annual evaluation process, the following evidence is provided for further
review:
• Evaluation Form 2017-18 – SAAO’s and Other EHRA Professional Employees
• Evaluations of Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dean of
College of Fine Arts and Communication, and Vice Chancellor for University
Advancement for the years 2016-17 and 2017-18
• Administrator Survey Forms for Academic Vice Chancellors and Deans (including
Directors of the Libraries)
• Administrator Survey Procedures
• Spring 2017 and Spring 2018 Administrator Survey Response Rate Summaries
Five-Year Administrative Review
The BOT Policy also requires that “each senior administrator will undergo a comprehensive
assessment every five years, or earlier if requested by the appointing officer” (page 3). All
Tier I SAAO’s are subject to this prescribed review. The Five-Year Administrative Review
procedures are specified in the Implementation Guidelines for Administrative Reviews in
Accordance with Board of Trustees Policy, approved by the chancellor in 2009. The
guidelines state the following:
The five-year review is the responsibility of the appointing officer, who shall determine
the review’s conduct, processes, conclusions, and necessary actions resulting from the
review. The review should be a collaborative endeavor involving students, faculty,
administration, and other campus constituencies, as appropriate (page 1).
The guidelines further specify the evaluation criteria, timeframe, general processes, and the
role of the review committee. The review criteria, determined by the supervising officer,
must include the following areas: leadership, administration and management, diversity,
and collaboration. Additional criteria, based on the expectations and demands of the
position, may include planning, development, personnel development, assessment,
academic freedom, teaching, research/creative activity, patient care, and service.
The review process is briefly described as follows:
• A Review Committee, the majority of whom are faculty members, is established to
lead the review. The role of the Review Committee is specified on page 3 of the
Guidelines.
• The Review Committee meets with the supervising officer to discuss the job
expectations, goals, major constraints, and specific areas pertinent to the review of
the administrator’s performance during the preceding five years.
• The Review Committee identifies representatives of appropriate constituencies and
solicits input through several methods, including, but not limited to, a survey.
• The administrator submits a detailed self-assessment, which includes a personal
leadership development plan and an administrative review portfolio that documents
his/her performance during the review period.
• The Review Committee examines the resources gathered, discusses the results of the
review with the administrator, and subsequently provides a final report to the
supervising officer. The final report provides a description of the identified strengths
and weaknesses of the administrator and offers suggestions for performance
improvement.
• The appointing officer considers the committee report, along with his or her own
assessment of the administrator’s performance, before reaching a final decision.
The final step of the review process is a meeting between the supervising officer and the
administrator to discuss review results and establish goals for performance
enhancement. Subsequent annual performance evaluations will address any expectations
established as a result of the individual’s five-year review with the goal of continuous
enhancement of the administrator’s leadership effectiveness. Should the results of the five-
year review be sufficiently negative, it is the responsibility of the supervising officer to make
decisions regarding corrective actions or possible termination.
To demonstrate the Five-Year Administrative Review process, the following documentation
is provided as evidence:
• Samples of Five-Year Administrative Review Surveys: Dean of the College of
Nursing and Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology
• Roster of Academic Deans and Vice Chancellors who completed a Five-Year
Administrative Review within the recent three years
• Five-Year Administrative Review Notification and Review Portfolio Table of
Contents for Dean of the School of Dental Medicine
• Redacted Five-Year Administrative Review Results of Vice Chancellor for Student
Affairs, Dean of the School of Dental Medicine, and Dean of Graduate School
Conclusion
In summary, East Carolina University is committed to excellent performance and
development of its academic leaders through regular evaluations and assessment of
performance.
CR - 6.1:
Full-Time Faculty
The institution employs an adequate number of full-time faculty members to support the
mission and goals of the institution.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
At East Carolina University (ECU), the number of full-time faculty members is adequate to
support the institution’s mission and goals. After describing ECU’s mission and goals as well
as the university’s organizational structure, the narrative in this section will include
information on faculty definitions, how the number of faculty are determined, total number
of full-time faculty, and how the number of full-time faculty at ECU is adequate to support
its mission in the areas of teaching, research, and service.
Mission and Goals
ECU’s mission statement has been approved both by the ECU Board of Trustees (in July
2013) and by the UNC Board of Governors (in February, 2014) and directly addresses the
responsibilities of faculty in promoting student success, public service, and regional
transformation. To help achieve the institution’s teaching mission, faculty are to use
innovative learning strategies and delivery methods to maximize access; prepare students
with the knowledge, skills and values to succeed in a global, multicultural society; and
develop tomorrow's leaders to serve and inspire positive change. Other parts of the mission
statement emphasize the criticality of faculty in the areas of research and service. Faculty
are called upon to discover new knowledge and innovations to support a thriving future for
eastern North Carolina and beyond; transform health care, promote wellness, and reduce
health disparities; and improve quality of life [in the region] through cultural enrichment,
academics, the arts, and athletics.
Organizational Structure
East Carolina University is one of 17 campuses within The University of North Carolina
system (16 universities and a public residential high school for gifted students, the NC
School of Science and Mathematics). The system is overseen by a Board of Governors as
well as the UNC system President. Responsibility for each campus is delegated to its Board
of Trustees and Chancellor. At ECU, there are seven Vice Chancellors and a Director of
Athletics who report to the Chancellor. These Vice Chancellors are responsible for the
following areas: Academic Affairs; Legal Affairs and University Counsel; Advancement;
Research, Economic Development, and Engagement (REDE); Student Affairs; Administration
and Finance; and Health Sciences. An Academic Council (consisting of the Vice Chancellors
for Academic Affairs, REDE, and Health Sciences) supervises activities related to academics
within their respective areas (See Organizational Chart). Specifically, the academic core of
the university is divided into Academic Affairs (six disciplinary colleges along with the
Honor’s College, the Graduate School, Integrated Coastal Programs, and Academic Library
Services) and Health Sciences (Brody School of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of
Dental Medicine, College of Allied Health Sciences, and Health Sciences Library Services).
The Academic Council is responsible for allocation of faculty positions within their respective
areas based upon factors such as workload and productivity data, institutional priorities,
UNC system initiatives, legislative mandates, and available funding.
Definitions of Faculty
Full-time faculty are those whose employment is 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE); part-time
faculty are those whose appointment is less than 1.0 FTE or whose primary appointment is
not instructional but who may occasionally teach one or more classes. Per the ECU Faculty
Manual (Part VIII, Section I), faculty tenured or probationary-term (tenure-track)
appointments are made at the academic ranks of assistant professor, associate professor,
and professor. The primary responsibilities of tenured and tenure-track faculty are academic
instruction, research/creative activity, service, and, if applicable, contributions to patient
care and related clinical duties. Titles of faculty with fixed-term (that is, non-tenure-track)
appointments are based upon responsibilities and position duration. They include Teaching,
Research, Clinical, Artist-in-Residence, Writer-in-Residence, Adjunct, Affiliate, and Visiting.
Determining Number of Faculty
At ECU, the Faculty Manual (Part VIII, Section I) specifies that faculty shall make
recommendations on the personnel needs of their units to administrators for conveyance to
the Academic Council. Requests for new faculty positions or replacement of vacant faculty
positions can occur by means of criticality reviews (for the Academic Affairs division) or
budget expansion requests (for the Health Sciences division).
A criticality request (consisting of two steps) accompanies every position request from
Academic Affairs Division units once a position becomes vacant. The Provost’s Personnel and
Budget Committee reviews each request. There are four possible outcomes for each
personnel request:
• The request may be approved.
• The request may not be approved, and the unit may be asked to repurpose the
position and submit a new request.
• The request may not be approved, and the position may be assigned to another unit
based on institutional priorities.
• The request may not be approved, and the position may be retained centrally for
future reallocation. When the position is retained centrally, preference will be given to
programs that represent institutional priorities and that have been identified as
“invest” programs by the Program Prioritization Committee (PPC).
For units in the Health Sciences Division, an expansion budget request is required for any
new or replacement faculty position in the BSOM Clinical Departments. The workbook for
the request consists of several spreadsheets presenting a detailed justification and
expense/revenue projections for the position. A recent example from the Department of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Surgical Pathology section) is included in supporting
documentation.
In part, the number of faculty lines added each year at ECU is determined by the University
of North Carolina System funding formula. The formula is used to determine the number of
additional faculty needed to support the increase in student credit hours from the previous
year. Money to fund the increased student enrollment (including faculty salaries) is then
added to the budget of each school within the UNC System. Although allocations are based
upon number of additional faculty lines needed at each level (undergraduate, master’s,
doctoral) and in each discipline, the UNC System Office allows schools the discretion to
apply these funds based upon institutional priorities.
Total Number of Full-Time Faculty
Each fall term, on the last day of October, associates in ECU’s Institutional Research office
take a data “snapshot” of university employees and use this Personnel Data File (PDF) to
provide official numbers of faculty and staff. According to the Fall 2018 PDF, 2,081 ECU
employees held faculty appointments (1,714 are instructional faculty as defined by IPEDS)
and, of these, 1,694 (81%) were full-time. Both tenured and tenure-track employees who
hold faculty appointments are predominantly full-time as illustrated in the table below.
* The UNC system Phased Retirement Program provides an opportunity for eligible full-time
tenured faculty members to make a gradual transition to retirement through half-time
service for several years. Phased retirees give up tenure upon entering the program.
Non-Tenure Track Faculty
In general, full-time tenured and probationary term (tenure-track) positions are preferred
unless sound reasons exist. Such reasons include, but are not limited to: (a) the position is
not permanently assigned to the unit, (b) the position is addressing temporary needs, (c)
the position cannot be filled by a faculty member with a terminal degree, (d) the duties of
the position are primarily clinical, (e) the position is by its nature term-limited (term-limited
endowed professorships, for example), (f) this reflects the preference of the faculty member
taking the position, or (g) budgetary or strategic considerations (ECU Faculty Manual, Part
VIII, Section I). When one of these reasons apply, a “fixed term” (non-tenure track) faculty
member may be hired. Fixed term faculty may be either full- or part-time.
Adequacy of Full-Time Faculty
Teaching
A number of metrics related to faculty indicate that the number of full-time faculty at ECU is
adequate to support the institution’s teaching mission. This report includes three of these
metrics (student-to-faculty ratio, percentage of all instructional staff who are full-time,
percentage of student credit hours taught by full-time faculty overall and by college). The
sufficiency of faculty to provide quality student advising is also addressed in this section.
Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Adequacy of full-time faculty to support instruction is commonly measured in higher
education by means of the student to faculty ratio. The ratio of students to full-time
instructional staff with faculty status for ECU’s peer institutions ranges from 46:1 to 12:1
with an average of 23:1 (IPEDS Report, most recent data available, Fall 2017). ECU’s ratio
of 22:1 is well within the range of values for this peer group of universities. (Official peer
groups are chosen for each school within the UNC system approximately every five years
based upon parameters set by the system office and input from each campus.)
Percentage of Instructional Staff (with Faculty Status) Who are Full-time
Within the same group of peer institutions as used for benchmarking student to faculty ratio
above, the average percentage of instructional staff (with faculty status) who are full-time is
80%. ECU, at 78%, is very close to the average; the range of values on this metric for the
group of eighteen peer institutions is 54% to 99%).
Percentage of Student Credit Hours Taught by Full-time Faculty, Overall and by College
During academic years 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 (excluding summers), well over a million
Student Credit Hours (SCHs) were generated by ECU students. Almost 90% of those
(86.06%) were from courses taught by full-time faculty. As the table below illustrates, a
similar proportion holds true across most of ECU’s Colleges. Exceptions are Brody School of
Medicine (BSOM, 75.17%) and College of Education (COE, 67.83%). In BSOM and COE, a
heavier reliance than in other schools and colleges on part-time faculty is due to the need
for faculty with unique expertise or experience. For example, COE utilizes part-time faculty
to oversee student teaching and BSOM employs part-time faculty to oversee clinical
rotations. Part-time faculty are also hired to teach specialty topic courses (e.g.,
otorhinolaryngology in BSOM) or to bring practical knowledge to the classroom (e.g., K-12
administrators teaching in the Master of School Administration program). (See Standard
6.2.b for more detail.)
Advising
An important aspect of teaching at ECU is advising students, which “provides the
opportunity for faculty members to influence students’ approach to the learning experience
and better understand the Liberal Arts Foundations, the major discipline, and related
careers” (ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section I ). ECU adopted a collaborative advising
model fifteen years ago and now employs sixty professional advisors. In some programs,
professional advisors advise students from entrance through graduation while in others,
students are assigned to professional advisors until they are declared in their majors at
which time students are assigned to faculty members. In several departments within the
College of Arts and Sciences, students work with only a faculty advisor from entrance
through graduation.
In a review of full-time faculty who taught courses at ECU during the 2016-2017 and/or the
2017-2018 academic year, 62.22% were flagged as advisors. Results from the most recent
(2017-2018) administrations of the Graduating Seniors Survey (GSS) and the Graduate
Student Exit Survey (GSES, response rate 47%) at ECU attest to the fact that ECU has
sufficient faculty to provide quality academic advising. Of over 1,000 students who
responded to the GSS, 86% agreed or strongly agreed that throughout the various stages of
their academic careers at ECU, they had access to advising services that enabled them to
successfully progress towards receiving their degrees. Admittedly, because of ECU’s
collaborative advising system, not all of students’ experiences related to advising can be
tied to faculty. However, on the same survey, when asked about their advising experiences
during their last two years on campus, 70% indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied
with the amount of time their advisors spent with them. On the GSES, graduate student
respondents overwhelmingly felt their advisors were accessible and responsive. Of over 660
respondents, 89% rated “access to program advisor” as good or excellent and 87% rated
“responsiveness of advisor” as good or excellent.
Research and Creative Activity
Although ECU has few faculty whose only responsibility is research, research and creative
activities that align with the institution’s mission, engage students in effective ways, and
advance academic disciplines are an expectation of all tenured and tenure-track faculty
(ECU Faculty Manual, Part VIII, Section I). Faculty are expected to advance the mission of
the university through the discovery of “new knowledge and innovations to support a
thriving future for eastern North Carolina and beyond.” In addition to engaging in research
and creative activities on a regular basis, faculty can apply for scholarship reassignment
once every seven years to pursue full-time projects involving research or creative activity
(ECU Faculty Scholarship Reassignment policy, REG06.60.01). The adequacy of faculty to
support ECU’s research mission is illustrated below through information on faculty
scholarship, external research funding, and ECU research-focused Centers and Institutes.
Scholarship
ECU faculty members have illustrated their capacity for high levels of scholarly and creative
productivity. In academic year 2016-2017, ECU faculty engaged in 1,444 creative activities;
authored 2,376 journal articles and conference proceedings; published 541 books and book
chapters; and delivered 2,785 research presentations and posters. In academic year 2017-
2018, ECU faculty engaged in 1,001 creative activities; authored 2,334 journal articles and
conference proceedings; published 615 books and book chapters; and delivered 3,329
presentations (including posters). (These data are documented in ECU’s faculty activity
system. In 2016-2017, that system was Sedona; in 2017-2018, it was Interfolio's
Faculty180. In Faculty180, over 90% of faculty recording scholarship activities were full-
time faculty.)
Funding
A common measure of faculty effort in research is the number and value of external
research funding. During FY2017, ECU submitted sponsored program proposals with a total
dollar value of $231,529,939 and received, in total awards, $45,461,292. As the table below
indicates, among the Carnegie Class “High Research Activity” schools within the UNC
system, ECU total proposal amount was above the average and total awards dollars were
only slightly below average. (Although the UNC system reports do not indicate the
percentage of full-time versus part-time faculty generating these proposals, we know that
among UNC system schools, the majority of faculty are full-time. According to the 2017
IPEDS data, the average percent of instructional staff with faculty status at these schools
who are full-time is 79% with a range of 60%-100%.)
In fiscal year (2018), over 1300 sponsored program proposals were submitted on which an
ECU faculty member in one of ECU's 10 major colleges/schools was either principal
investigator or co-investigator; more than half of those were funded. The majority of
proposals submitted and funded were written by full-time faculty. Of 1345 proposals
submitted and 610 awards received, 1256 (93%) and 567 (93%) were from full-time faculty
respectively. Faculty in all ECU Colleges (including Brody School of Medicine and School of
Dental Medicine) submitted proposals during FY2018; the table below provides the
percentage of proposals submitted and awards received by full-time faculty. (Data were
obtained from the UNC System Research Administration Management System, RAMSeS).
College*
% Proposals FT
Faculty
% Awards FT
Faculty
Brody School of Medicine
89%
90%
College of Allied Health
98%
100%
College of Arts and Sciences
98%
96%
College of Business
100%
100%
College of Education
100%
100%
College of Engineering and Technology
97%
88%
College of Fine Arts and Communication
100%
100%
College of Health and Human
Performance
94%
97%
College of Nursing
80%
100%
School of Dental Medicine
100%
100%
*Honors College is not included in the list of Colleges and Schools because grants are
captured within affiliated faculty members’ primary units. Integrated Coastal Programs (a
stand-alone unit within Academic Affairs) was not in existence in FY 2018.
Research-focused Centers and Institutes
ECU has several Centers and Institutes with a primary mission of research. These include
Center for Health Disparities Research, Center for Natural Hazards Mitigation Research,
Center for Sustainable Energy and Natural Resources, East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity
Institute, East Carolina Heart Institute, Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, NC
Agromedicine Institute, and UNC Coastal Studies Institute. Faculty within, and affiliated
with, these Centers and Institutions are overwhelmingly full-time (94% in the most recent
evaluation).
As examples of how the faculty within, and associated with, these Centers and Institutes
help advance ECU’s mission, consider the Center for Health Disparities Research (CHD) and
the East Carolina Diabetes & Obesity Institute (ECDOI). Consistent with ECU’s mission of
transforming health care, promoting wellness and reducing health disparities, the CHD is
specifically devoted to reducing health disparities among disadvantaged populations in
Eastern North Carolina. The 36 CHD faculty (7 joint-appointed, 4 leadership, and 25
affiliated) span 17 ECU departments and 7 colleges/schools. In the five years preceding
their most recent review (2018), CHD faculty generated over $33 million dollars in grant
funds, were responsible for 292 publications, and presented 238 times at conferences. The
research of the joint-appointed faculty alone was cited over 15,000 times in these five
years. Also with a health-related focus, the mission of the ECDOI is to develop, promote,
and support interdisciplinary basic and clinical research in disorders of metabolism including
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer. From 2014 to 2017, the ECDOI (with
three center-based and 51 affiliated faculty from multiple departments) obtained
$30,092,786 in grant funding; generated 188 publications; and presented 269 times at
conferences.
Service
East Carolina University considers service to the university, the academic profession, and
the community as an important aspect of a faculty member’s contribution (ECU Faculty
Manual, Part VIII, Section I). Metrics included in this section to document the adequacy of
faculty to support ECU’s service mission are: number of service activities overall and by
college; percent of sponsored research awards used for community-engaged research;
number of service-learning courses taught, and student credit hours generated, by ECU
faculty; productivity of ECU’s Community Service Learning Centers; and contributions made
by ECU service-focused Centers and Institutes.
In academic year 2017-2018, ECU faculty participated in 7,611 activities of university
service; 4,263 of professional service; and 1,384 of community service (as reported in
ECU’s Faculty Activities System, Faculty180). The percentage of full-time faculty that
engaged in these three types of service were 97%, 96%, and 94%, respectively. Faculty
across all colleges and schools were engaged in service activities; the table below provides
the percentage of full-time faculty engaging in these activities by college.
College*
Institutional
Service
Professional
Service
Community
Service
Brody School of Medicine
95%
93%
89%
College of Allied Health Sciences
100%
96%
97%
College of Arts and Sciences
98%
99%
99%
College of Business
97%
99%
95%
College of Education
95%
95%
82%
College of Engineering and
Technology
100%
99%
100%
College of Fine Arts and
Communication
99%
96%
94%
College of Health and Human
Performance
100%
96%
100%
College of Nursing
98%
98%
97%
School of Dental Medicine
80%
78%
81%
TOTAL
98%
96%
94%
*Honors College and Integrated Coastal Programs are not included in the list of Colleges
and Schools because service is reported within affiliated faculty members’ primary units.
Faculty are specifically called upon, in ECU’s mission statement, to improve the quality of
life in the region (Eastern North Carolina) through service activities. More than half of all
community service activities reported by faculty during 2017-2018 were local or in the
broader Eastern North Carolina region.
Community-engaged Research
In 2015, the University of North Carolina’s Office of International, Community and Economic
Engagement released a report on the community and economic engagement activity of the
UNC system. The report was updated in 2016 with data from the 2015 fiscal year. A portion
of both the original and updated report dealt with Community-engaged Research.
Community-engaged Research is research involving the community in a meaningful,
mutually beneficial way. The table below lists 15 four-year institutions within the UNC
System and the percentage of sponsored research awards for each that were, in FY 2015,
reported as involving community-engaged research. ECU ranked fifth within this group of
institutions and higher than either of the schools with a larger student body (NC State and
UNC Chapel Hill).
Service Learning Courses and Centers
Service learning is a method of instruction that has the benefit of meeting academic course
objectives and helping students develop a sense of engagement and social responsibility. As
of Fall 2018, ECU has 41 courses designated as service-learning. Eight of these have all
sections designated as service-learning; for the other 33, selected sections have service-
learning designation. During the 2017-2018 academic year, ECU faculty (the majority full-
time) taught 117 service-learning designated course sections and generated 6,724 student
credit hours.
As an example of service within the division of Health Sciences, the School of Dental
Medicine (SoDM) at ECU has an innovative education model at the heart of which is the
experience that fourth-year students gain in the school’s Community Service Learning
Centers (CSLCs). Students work alongside ECU faculty dentists and residents and spend
approximately nine weeks at three different CSLCs during their fourth year, living and
working in the communities they serve. The following table lists the eight CSLCs that have
opened throughout the state of North Carolina since 2012 along with total patients (unique
individuals) seen since opening and total patient encounters (visits) since opening (as of the
last available data snapshot taken on 10/31/17).
Service-oriented Centers and Institutes
ECU has several Centers and Institutes for which the primary mission is service. These
include Center for Applied Psychophysiology; Center for Science, Mathematics, and
Technology Education; Center for Telepsychiatry and e-Behavioral Health; Pediatric Healthy
Weight and Treatment Center; Rural Education Institute; and Small Business Institute.
Faculty within, and affiliated with, these Centers and Institutions are overwhelmingly full-
time (94% in the most recent evaluation).
Consistent with ECU’s mission to serve eastern North Carolina, the Center for Telepsychiatry
and e-Behavioral Health (CTeBH) focuses on improving the delivery of mental health
services and increasing the study of issues related to the quality and effectiveness of
remote delivery of mental health services, thus directly impacting the health of citizens in
eastern North Carolina. From 2014 to 2017, the Center provided over 19,000 psychiatric
assessments reducing lengths of stay and recidivism in hospital emergency departments for
behavioral health services. An entirely different focus of service is provided by the Small
Business Institute (SBI), the purpose of which is to provide specialized, on-site
management assistance to small business owners while providing senior-level business
students with a valuable engaged learning experience. From 2014 to 2017, students
accumulated over 10,000 hours of fieldwork for the SBI. The Institute also produced 21
consulting reports and published five issues of the Small Business Institute Journal.
The volume of service activities, the high percentage of research funding allocated to
community-engaged research, the substantial number of student credit hours produced in
service-learning course sections, the state-wide presence and productivity of the SoDM
Community Service Learning Centers, and the prolific work of ECU service-focused Centers
and Institutes (all of which are produced predominantly by full-time faculty) demonstrate
the adequacy of faculty to support ECU’s service mission.
Conclusion
The number of full-time faculty members at East Carolina University is adequate to support
the mission and goals of the institution.
R - 6.2.b
Program Faculty
For each of its educational programs, the institution:
b. employs a sufficient number of full-time faculty members to ensure curriculum and
program quality, integrity, and review.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University employs sufficient number of full-time faculty members to ensure
the quality, integrity and review of its academic programs. As of September 2018, ECU
offers 84 bachelor’s degrees, 71 master’s degrees, 2 intermediate post-master’s programs,
18 research or professional doctoral degrees, and 84 certificate programs. A list of degrees
and certificates is provided in the Institutional Summary Form. The narrative below includes
definitions of full-time and part-time faculty, a breakdown of full-time and part-time faculty
by academic program, and a description of full-time faculty’s oversight of academic
programs. If an academic program does not appear to have sufficient full-time faculty,
further explanations are provided in the narrative.
Definitions of Full-time and Part-time Faculty
Full-time faculty are those whose employment is 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) and
whose primary responsibilities are academic instruction, research and creative activity, and
service. Tenured and probationary term (tenure-track) positions are generally full-time
positions, which are preferred unless sound reasons exist to hire faculty at a fixed-term (the
Faculty Manual, Part VIII, Section I, Personnel Policies and Procedures, page 3). A fixed-
term faculty position at ECU can be full-time or part-time with the term varying from one
semester to multiple years. Part-time faculty are those whose appointment is less than
1.0 FTE or whose primary appointment is not instructional but who may occasionally teach
one or more classes.
Since faculty members of each academic unit are responsible for the curriculum, they make
recommendations on the personnel needs of the unit. ECU recognizes the primary
importance of teaching and instructional responsibilities beyond the classroom. The Faculty
Manual Part VIII, Section I, Personnel Policies and Procedures, includes the following
statement:
Teaching includes instructional activities and responsibilities beyond the class setting,
e.g., advisement; mentoring; laboratory supervision; clinical rounds by a
physician/professor accompanied by students; program direction; the direction of
research projects and papers, dissertations, and thesis; and other contacts and
relationships outside the classroom (page 3).
The instructional responsibilities described above are carried out by full-time ECU faculty,
supplemented by careful hiring of part-time faculty and graduate teaching assistants
(GTAs). In Fall 2018, 2,018 ECU employees held faculty appointments, of whom 81% were
full-time. In addition, ECU had a total of 302 GTAs, however not all of them were an
instructor of record during Fall 2018. Additional information about ECU faculty composition
can be found in Standard 6.1.
The Board of Governors (BOG) of the University of North Carolina assigns ECU faculty
responsibility for an instructional load equivalent of five 3-semester courses per year per 1.0
FTE (BOG Policy 400.3.4, Monitoring Faculty Teaching Workload). The ECU Faculty Manual
Part VIII, Section I, Personnel Policies and Procedures, further specifies that “full-time
faculty members whose primary responsibilities are teaching and other instructional
responsibilities should not be required to teach more than the equivalent of 12 credit hours
per semester or 6 credit hours per summer session, as consistent with the discipline norms,
with the exception of faculty members who voluntarily teach directed readings and similar
courses” (page 8).
Instructional overloads among full-time faculty are not prevalent at ECU. As shown in
the 2018 ECU Faculty Instructional Overload Report, 49 faculty members received
instructional overload compensations in Spring 2018. The total number reduced to 37 in Fall
2018, accounting for 2% of the full-time faculty at ECU. Faculty turnover in the middle of
the academic year contributed to a higher number of overloads in the spring semester. In
this report, very few faculty members had instructional overloads in consecutive semesters.
Furthermore, the number of overloads in the Department of English doubled in Fall 2018
compared to the Spring, which accounted for nearly 30% of the total overloads at ECU in
Fall 2018. Finding it difficult to hire experienced temporary part-time faculty on short notice,
the English Department relied on qualified and experienced full-time faculty to manage
unexpected faculty absences and student need for additional sections. The Department is
hiring more part-time faculty for Spring 2019 and does not anticipate a high level of
overloads in Spring 2019, although overloads are still possible when there are unexpected
leaves.
Full-Time Faculty by Program: Data and Methodology
A faculty member may teach a course required by multiple programs, contribute to multiple
programs within his/her department, or support a program offered by another department.
The percentage of full-time faculty in each degree and certificate program can be
demonstrated by faculty headcount as well as student credit hours (SCH) generated by
faculty. Because both methodologies produced similar results, the latter is included in this
narrative.
To determine the number and percentage of SCHs taught within each ECU degree and
certificate program by full-time faculty, course sections offered during four academic terms
(Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, and Spring 2018) were examined. Course and program
association was determined by predominant course prefixes and relevant course numbers
for each degree and certificate listed in undergraduate and graduate catalogs. All courses
that are part of ECU’s general education program were flagged so that the percentage of
general education SCHs taught by full-time faculty could be examined separately.
The resulting Student Credit Hours by Full-time/Part-time Faculty Report contained 22,218
sections taught by 1,867 faculty and 236 GTAs in two academic years (excluding summer
terms). The report includes the number of SCHs generated by full-time faculty, part-time
faculty and GTAs, as well as the percentage of SCHs generated by full-time faculty based on
the total SCHs associated with a program. Programs authorized to deliver online are noted
by an “*,” and programs authorized to deliver >50% of the instruction at an off-campus
instructional site are noted by a “^” next to the program name in the report. The report
includes duplicate counts as a course can be required by multiple degree programs. When
multiple degrees share the same core curriculum (e.g., BA and BS in Economics, BFA in Art
and BA in Art Education), their total SCHs may be the same.
The report does not include programs that were discontinued and had no enrollment: BSAP
in Applied Physics, BSBE in Information Technologies, BS in Child Life, MAED in Business
Education, MS in Recreational Therapy Administration, MS in Technology Systems, and
Certificate in Health Care Management. The report also excludes newly approved programs
with no enrollment: BS in Software Engineering, MA in Hispanic Studies, MS in Data
Science, MS in Mechanical Engineering, Certificate in Teaching Children in Poverty, and
Certificate in Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality.
For online and remote-site programs, additional analyses were conducted to examine the
types of faculty who taught online or off-site courses associated with those programs.
The Online and Remote-site Student Credit Hour Report includes 1) off-campus SCHs
generated within five programs with authorization to deliver >50% of the program at an
approved instructional site, broken down by faculty type; and 2) fully or primarily online
SCHs generated within programs authorized to deliver online, by faculty type. Some
programs approved for online or remote-site delivery didn’t offer any online or remote-site
courses during the period examined in the analyses.
Full-Time Faculty by Program: Findings and Justifications
The above reports demonstrate that full-time faculty at ECU taught 50% or more of the
total SCHs in majority of the programs. The Student Credit Hours by Full-time/Part-time
Faculty Report identified a total of 24 degree and certification programs in which part-time
faculty generated more SCHs than full-time faculty did. Among the identified programs, 14
were authorized to deliver online and one was authorized to offer both online and at a
remote site. The Online and Remote-site Student Credit Hour Report identified a total of 18
programs in which part-time faculty generated more online or remote-site SCHs than full-
time faculty did. After combining the two lists, a total of 27 unique programs were
identified.
Explanations are provided in a document titled Program Justifications for 25 of the 27
programs. Two programs, Aquatics Therapy and Community Health Center Administration,
have been discontinued. Although local circumstances were different, in general, the
following factors contributed to the need for hiring part-time faculty:
• Part-time faculty bring in unique expertise or experience that complements the
strength of full-time faculty in the program.
• Licensure or certification requirements for some programs necessitate instructors
possessing these credentials. Practitioners in the field with proper credentials are
hired as part-time instructors.
• Internship, practicum, or other types of experiential learning component in the
curriculum requires part-time faculty to supervise students placed in the field.
• Academic units hire part-time faculty due to full-time faculty turnover or difficulty in
filling the full-time position.
Although the identified programs relied on part-time faculty to teach a majority of the credit
hours, full-time faculty have full control and oversight of the program quality, which is
explained in the Program Justifications. For example, for the Dual Language Immersion
Administration Certificate, two full-time faculty provide curriculum oversight, instructional
improvement, and quality support. Regardless of delivery method (face-to-face, hybrid, or
online), the full-time faculty developed the syllabus for each of the four courses offered in
the program. In the BS in History Education program, two full-time faculty members meet
with part-time faculty twice a month. At the meetings, faculty share lesson plans and
assessments, review student work, and discuss pedagogy and course content. In the Master
of School Administration program (delivered online and at a remote site), part-time fixed-
term faculty attend program curriculum meeting once a month. Full-time faculty in the
program have developed handbooks for part-time faculty to follow.
Processes to Continually Assure Sufficient Full-time Faculty
ECU has established several processes to continually assess the adequacy of faculty and
ensure the quality and integrity of each of its academic programs. Five processes are
highlighted below: 1) Academic Program Approval Process, 2) Academic Program Review, 3)
Specialized Accreditation, 4) Performance Appraisal and Teaching Evaluation, and 5)
Training of Graduate Teaching Assistants.
1. Academic Program Approval Processes
Program and curriculum development are faculty responsibilities, and ECU has a strong
faculty-driven vetting process for all educational programs, including establishment of new
degree and certificate programs and revision of existing programs. Almost all bodies that
review and approve programs are comprised primarily of faculty. Each body carefully
assesses the adequacy of qualified faculty to establish and sustain high-quality educational
programs, which may be housed at the college, school, or departmental level.
For new degree programs, faculty planners submit formal proposals that include a
description of faculty expertise, availability, education, and new faculty positions needed, as
well as research and scholarly infrastructure (for doctoral programs), to support the
proposed degree program. Throughout the approval process, faculty reviewers/approvers
assess the impact of new degree programs on faculty workload (teaching, scholarly
research, and public service), including supporting units that provide general education,
cognates, and electives. All faculty planners, reviewers, and approvers carefully consider
faculty capacity to develop and deliver programs that support the mission of the institution
and the appropriate level of rigor suitable to higher education. Once approved on campus,
the University of North Carolina (UNC) System Office also reviews the same parameters for
approval by the UNC Board of Governors.
Certificate programs, which are frequently derived from degree program coursework, follow
a similar process, although final approval occurs at the campus level. Faculty planners
submit a formal certificate application, which requires a faculty roster with “the name, unit,
rank and department association of faculty associated with, or contributing to, the
certificate program, either by teaching one or more of the courses in the program or
participating in the design of the coursework.”
Finally, existing programs follow a rigorous approval process of revision on campus.
Program revisions, which may include actions such as new delivery modes,
increases/decreases in credit hours, changes in admission requirements, and
addition/deletion of courses, can have serious impact on faculty workload. Therefore,
approval bodies consider revisions at the micro and macro levels to ensure continuing
faculty resources are adequate throughout the life cycle of individual programs.
Evidence to support program approval processes are included below:
• Letter of Intent to Develop New Academic Degree Program, University of North
Carolina (2018)
• Request to Establish New Academic Degree Program, University of North Carolina
(2018)
• Request to Deliver the Master of Public Health Online (June, 2018)
• Letter of Intent to Develop Doctor of Occupational Therapy (September, 2018)
• Request to Establish Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (March, 2018)
2. Academic Program Review
Academic programs without specialized accreditation conduct an Academic Program
Review (APR) every seven years, which engages faculty in a comprehensive review of
program quality and alignment to ECU's mission, commitments, and strategic plan. APR
helps faculty and administrators gain an understanding of the following:
• Purpose and outcomes for each degree and certificate program being reviewed;
• Each program's effectiveness in achieving its purpose and outcomes, along with
overall quality;
• Faculty's vision for each program and improvement actions taken as a result of
institutional and assessment data; and
• Future programmatic improvements to the curriculum, pedagogy, and/or operational
functions of the department.
The Academic Program Review Guidelines (2017) specifies three major products of an APR:
1) an internal self-study of the program by its faculty; 2) an on-site review conducted by an
external review committee, and 3) a final action plan produced by faculty and supported by
the Dean and the Academic Council. The self-study has seven components: 1) program
purpose; 2) enrollment, degrees and student success; 3) curriculum, learning outcomes and
student satisfaction; 4) strength of the faculty – teaching, research and scholarship; 5)
regional transformation – economic development/public service; 6) resources; and 7) other
operational or programmatic outcomes.
The APR allows program faculty to assess the adequacy of faculty resources based on
program goals and outcomes, obtain feedback from external reviewers at peer institutions,
and develop a plan of action if inadequacies are identified. The Unit Response from the
Department of English is an example of how a unit responded to its external reviewers’
recommendations for a new faculty hire in its PhD program (page 6) and more fixed-term
instructors with multi-year contracts for composition courses (pages 6-7).
3. Specialized Accreditation
Specialized accreditors require sufficient faculty in accredited programs, some of which
further specify faculty-student ratio and the minimum number of full-time faculty in the
program. The cyclical process of reaffirmation ensures that adequate full-time faculty are
available to offer these programs at the high level of quality typically expected by these
professional and specialized agencies. ECU Programs with specialized accreditation have
sufficient faculty as demonstrated in the following examples:
• College of Business, 2015 AACSB International Fifth-Year Maintenance Report Self-
Study, Section 4.2 Faculty Sufficiency and Qualifications (pages 26-28) and AACSB
Accreditation Review Team Report (page 4)
• ABET Self-Study Report for the B.S. in Engineering Program (2014), Self-Study,
Criterion 6: Faculty (pages 100-118)
• BSW in Social Work 2015 Self-Study, pages 143 – 162: discussed the number and
qualifications of full-time and part-time faculty; faculty-student ratio; faculty size
and type of faculty; and faculty workload
4. Evaluation and Training of Part-time Faculty
Per Faculty Manual, Part VIII, Section I, Personnel Policies and Procedures, each faculty
member with either a fixed term, probationary term, or permanently tenured appointment
shall receive annually an evaluation of his/her performance from the unit administrator. The
evaluation of fixed term faculty (including both full-time and part-time faculty) are based on
their performance of duties as stated in their appointment letters, utilizing the criteria
stated in the unit’s code of operations (page 11). A unit administrator (i.e., department
chair, school director, etc.) completes a written evaluation and meets with the faculty
member to discuss his/her performance. The Health Sciences Division Faculty Evaluation
Form is provided as an example of the evaluation process.
To assess student’s satisfaction with teaching and instruction, the Student Opinion of
Instruction Survey (SOIS) is conducted every semester in all eligible course sections
regardless of instructor type, instruction type, delivery mode or site of instruction. SOIS
results are distributed to the instructor who taught the course, as well as the supervising
department chair or school director, and the dean. The results are used as part of the
annual performance evaluation.
Part-time faculty who teach DE courses are also subject to ECU’s Distance Education Policies
(Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section III), which requires them to complete a university training
program and “engage in at least one training activity each academic year that addresses
advances in the methodologies and technologies used in distance education” (page 3 ).
5. Training of Graduate Teaching Assistants
The Graduate School hosts a New Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation at least once per
semester. In collaboration with program directors, the Graduate School developed four GTA
teaching assessment tools for different instructional settings: Online Teaching, Campus-
based Studio Teaching, Campus-based Classroom Teaching, and Campus-based
Lab/Practical Teaching. These tools are used by full-time faculty supervisors as a formative
assessment to determine how a GTA is progressing through the learning stages of
improvement in teaching. Departments, particularly those hiring a large number of GTAs,
have developed their own GTA training and/or evaluation tools. Three examples are
provided below:
• Department of Kinesiology – Graduate Assistant Handbook
• Department of Psychology: Training and Supervision of Doctoral Student
Teaching; PSCY 7800 Student Teaching Observation Form
• Department of Biology – Graduate Teaching Assistant Evaluation
Conclusion
The number of full-time faculty members at East Carolina University is adequate to ensure
the quality and integrity of each of its academic programs.
R - 6.2.c
Program Coordination
For each of its educational programs, the institution:
c. assigns appropriate responsibility for program coordination.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) assigns responsibility for program coordination and
curriculum development and review to qualified faculty members in each of its educational
programs. ECU defines an educational program as a degree with a defined major or a
certificate in a specialized area. A full program list can be found in the Institutional
Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews. Names of program coordinators (also
referred to as program directors) are published in ECU’s undergraduate and graduate
catalogs. This narrative includes ECU practices regarding program coordination, as well a
roster of program coordinators in 2018-19 and their qualifications for the designated
program(s).
Program Coordination Responsibilities
As defined in the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section VII, Curriculum Procedures and
Academic Program Development, ECU “places primary responsibility for the content, quality,
and effectiveness of the curriculum with its faculty” (page 2). This section of the Faculty
Manual further stipulates that "program and curriculum changes are initiated, prepared, and
presented for review" by faculty planners in a given program. The coordination and
oversight of programs, as well the initiation of course-level and program-level changes, are
departmental responsibilities governed by the provisions of Academic Unit Codes of
Operation. Furthermore, coordination and oversight of graduate programs is the purview of
departmental faculty with the Graduate Faculty and Associate Graduate Faculty status, and
duties of graduate program directors or coordinators are documented in the Graduate
Program Directors and Coordinators (GPDC) Handbook. Details about Academic Unit Codes
and the GPDC Handbook are included below.
Academic Unit Codes of Operation
Duties associated with program coordination, regardless delivery mode or instructional site,
are determined by the organizational structure of academic units and committee structures
set forth in Academic Unit Codes of Operation. Program coordination is often designated to
an Undergraduate or Graduate Program Director (also called Director of
Undergraduate/Graduate Studies, Undergraduate/Graduate Program Coordinator, or Area
Coordinator for a specialty field) who works closely with a departmental and/or college
curriculum committee.
Administrative organization of an academic unit, leadership roles and duties for each role,
and the membership, terms, and duties of standing committees (including curriculum
committees) of the unit are included in all Academic Unit Codes. Some Unit Codes also
include the selection process and duties associated with program coordinators/directors.
Included below are seven examples selected from a total of 33 code units that offer
educational programs. This sample includes all three levels of code units (i.e., department,
school, and college) of a wide range of disciplines.
Brody School of Medicine
The Brody School has four curriculum committees, Executive Committee, M-1 Curriculum,
M-2 Curriculum, and Clinical Curriculum. The M-1, M-2 and clinical curriculum committees
review the curriculum for each respective year and make recommendations to the Executive
Curriculum Committee. The Executive Curriculum Committee incorporates those
recommendations as appropriate to provide ongoing review and central management of the
MD degree curriculum in its entirety. The executive committee defines the architecture of
the curriculum, ensures graduated advancement of curricular topics, assures coverage of all
objective-related content, and addresses any unnecessary redundancy of material, patterns
of low student evaluations, or below average standardized exam scores by course or
content area (Unit Code of Governance, Brody School of Medicine, page 8).
The MD in Medicine Executive Curriculum Committee (ECC) is charged with the
responsibility for the overall design, management and evaluation of a coherent and
coordinated curriculum to ensure congruence with overall BSOM educational objectives for
the four curriculum committees mentioned above. The ECC is chaired by David Gilbert,
MD, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. Responsibilities of the
ECC include review of the content of the curriculum, including consideration of any proposed
modifications. The ECC reviews all recommendations that come from the year-specific
committees and/or student representatives and forwards them to the Dean, along with its
recommendations and assessment of how the changes might impact the total curriculum.
The ECC also engages in a systematic review of the entire curriculum on an ongoing basis
and formally reports to the Dean and faculty regarding its activities.
Executive Curriculum Committee
Roster
Faculty Member
Role and Program Area
Dr. James Coleman, PhD
Chair of M2 Curriculum, Microbiology & Immunology
Dr. Lisa Domico, PhD
Basic Science At Large Representative, Pharmacology &
Toxicology
Dr. David Eldridge, MD
Chair of M3 and M4 Curriculum, Pediatrics
Dr. David Gilbert, MD
Committee Chair, Dean's Designee, Family Medicine
Dr. Kelly Harrell, PhD
Basic Science At Large Representative, Anatomy and
Cell Biology
Dr. Susan Keen, MD
Clinical Faculty At Large Representative, Family
Medicine
Dr. Luan Lawson, PhD
Associate Dean for Medical Education, Office of Medical
Education
Student Name
Role and Program Area
Jamie Hunter
Student Representative, M4 Curriculum
Akrishon Kirk
Medical Student Council Representative
Department of Biology
The directors of Undergraduate Studies and Graduate Studies are appointed by the chair in
consultation with the departmental Executive Committee. Among their duties, the directors
“coordinate, supervise, and monitor” a strong academic undergraduate/graduate program
"that is responsive to societal needs and student demand, and supportive of the goals of the
Department and the University” (Unit Code for Department of Biology, page 4-6).
Department of Psychology
The Undergraduate Program director is elected by a majority of the eligible voting faculty in
the department. The duties of the program director include “making recommendations to
the Curriculum Committee as necessary concerning changes in the undergraduate program”
(Code of Operations of the Department of Psychology, page 7). Faculty also select Graduate
Program directors for the Clinical, General, and School Psychology areas in their masters
and specialist graduate programs. The Graduate program directors’ duties also include
making recommendations for program changes to the Departmental Curriculum Committee
(page 6).
School of Social Work
The directors of Undergraduate Studies and Graduate Studies are nominated by the director
of the School of Social Work. These individuals are approved by a majority of the School’s
voting faculty and voting graduate faculty respectively. Both are charged to chair regular
meetings of the School’s faculty or graduate faculty to seek input on activities necessary to
implement program and curriculum goals, including curriculum development and compliance
with specialized accreditation standards (Unit Code for the School of Social Work, pages 4-
5).
School of Theater and Dance
An area coordinator from each of the three major academic areas (Acting-Directing, Dance,
Design Production) is elected by voting faculty of each area. The duties of the area
coordinators include “coordinating curriculum for each area in consultation with the area
faculty” (Code of Operations for the School of Theater and Dance, pages 3-4). The School
has two curriculum committees, the Teacher Education Committee and the Curriculum
Committee, which review and make curriculum recommendations.
College of Nursing
The associate dean for the Undergraduate Program provides administrative leadership,
oversight, and coordination of the BS in Nursing (BSN) program. The associate dean for
Graduate Programs provides administrative leadership, oversight, and coordination of the
MS in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practitioner programs, as well as Post Graduate
Certificates. Both positions are accountable to the Dean. The primary functions of these
positions concern “management of planning, development, implementation, and evaluation”
of the educational programs offered by the College (Unit Code of Operations, College of
Nursing, page 5).
College of Education
The College has six departments. Each department has a chair, and may have an associate
or assistant chair. In departments where more than one program exists, the chair, after
consultation with the faculty, may recommend program coordinators or directors to the
dean. Each department, as well as the college, has a standing curriculum committee. In
addition, the College has a Director of Teacher Education and a director of assessment and
accreditation. Among other duties, the director of Teacher Education “coordinates
preparation for and monitors compliance with the standards and guidelines set forth by the
North Carolina Board of Education, the Department of Public Instruction, and National
Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and other appropriate accrediting agencies"
(Revised Unit Code of Operations, College of Education, page 5). Responsibilities of the
Director of Assessment and Accreditation include developing and leading a comprehensive
assessment system centered on cultured evidence of student learning and outcomes in all
academic programs (page 6).
Graduate Program Oversight and Coordination
The ECU Faculty Manual Part II Section IV, Graduate School Organization, stipulates that
"each Graduate Program and Graduate Certificate will have a designated Graduate Program
Director or Coordinator (GPDC) who must be a Graduate or Associate Graduate Faculty
member, approved by the unit chair and college dean and qualified to lead development and
review of the program’s curriculum” (page 7).
Qualifications for Graduate Faculty members include:
• The highest earned degree in the field.
• Demonstrated evidence of success in research/creative activity.
• Demonstrated evidence of successful graduate teaching.
• Demonstrated evidence of successful supervision of research or creative activity, if
applicable.
• In some instances, extensive professional experience, high productivity, or
successful competition for research/creative activity support may substitute for the
highest degree (page 3).
Qualifications for Associate Graduate Faculty members include:
• Highest earned degree in the field.
• Demonstrated evidence of success or the potential for success in research/creative
activity.
• Demonstrated evidence of successful graduate teaching or the potential of such
success.
• Demonstrated evidence of successful supervision of research or creative activity or
the potential of such success, if applicable.
• In some instances, extensive professional experience, high productivity, or
successful competition for research/creative activity support may substitute for the
highest degree (pages 4-5).
In some professionally oriented disciplines, a GPDC who manages the administrative
responsibilities of a graduate program may be approved by the Graduate School without
Associate or full Graduate Faculty status. In such cases, an Associate or full Graduate
Faculty member must also be designated to provide academic oversight and lead curriculum
development of the graduate program.
The GPDC, with assistance of the graduate faculty members of the unit, is responsible for
the administration of the unit graduate program(s). As stated in the GPDC Handbook, the
general duties of the GPDC include, but are not limited to:
• Oversight and review of the unit program’s graduate curriculum
• Overseeing recruitment and unit admissibility decisions in consultation with unit
graduate faculty or graduate faculty committees, as may be specified by the unit
code
• Administering the admission of applicants to the program and responding to routine
requests for program information and applications
• Serving as liaison between the department, college, graduate school, and any other
such agencies with which the graduate program comes into contact
• Scheduling and overseeing advising, qualifying examinations (written and oral, as
appropriate), and conflict resolutions involving graduate students
• Scheduling and conducting graduate faculty and/or graduate committee meetings
• Responding to routine requests for program information and applications
• Maintaining files for each graduate student
• Assisting the unit chair and working with (graduate) faculty/ graduate committee in
program review, program assessment, allocation of resources, curriculum
development, student assessment, and graduate faculty rank/status
• Coordinating publication on the availability of graduate scholarships and the selection
of awardees
• Reviewing and signing official forms required by the Graduate School
• Certifying final degree checks
• Attending the Graduate School’s meetings of the Graduate Program Directors and
Coordinators
Qualifications of Program Coordinators
Program coordinators at ECU generally hold the terminal degree in the field or in a related
field of the educational program they are responsible for, regardless of delivery mode or site
of instruction. The Graduate School further requires that a Graduate Program Director or
Coordinator must hold the status of a Graduate or Associate Graduate Faculty as explained
in the section above. Occasionally, program coordinators without a terminal degree in the
field or in a related field are selected because of a combination of education, research and
publications, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications,
honors and awards, or other qualifications.
The “field” or “related fields” of an educational program is determined by departmental
faculty and documented in Department Information Sheets as part of ECU’s faculty
credentialing process. For example, the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
offers a BA in Philosophy. According to its Department Information Sheet, the field and
related fields of this degree include Philosophy, Religion/Religious Studies, Bible/Biblical
Studies, and Philosophy and Religious Studies (Other). The Department of Construction
Management offers a BS and a master’s in Construction Management. The field of both
degrees is Construction Management, and the related fields include Architectural Sciences
and Technology, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, Engineering
Technology (General), and Housing and Human Environments.
A Departmental Information Sheet includes degrees offered by the department, qualifying
terminal degree(s) (discipline name and the corresponding four-digit or six-digit CIP code)
for each teaching discipline, related discipline(s) for each teaching discipline, and related
disciplines for specific courses offered by the department. Departmental Information Sheets
for the Division of Academic Affairs and the Division of Health Sciences are included in the
Sources section at the end of the narrative. Some samples of Departmental Information
Sheets are include below:
• College of Arts and Sciences: Departmental Information Sheets
• Department of Nutrition Science Information Sheet
• Department of Microbiology and Immunology Information Sheet
For some educational programs, an academic unit assigns responsibility for program
coordination to more than one individual. These co-coordinators work as a team to develop
and oversee curriculum and student learning. For example:
• The BS in Biochemistry's curriculum is comprised of half Biology and half Chemistry.
Program coordination is shared between a faculty member with a qualifying degree
in Biology and a faculty member with a qualifying degree in Chemistry.
• The BS in Engineering is a general degree with several concentrations: Biomedical
Engineering, Bio-process Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environmental
Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. For
each concentration the Department of Engineering assigns a qualified faculty
member to oversee the curriculum.
• The BS in Nutrition has two concentrations: Didactic Dietetics and Nutrition with
Science. Program coordination is shared between faculty members with qualifying
degrees in these two areas.
Department Chairs or School Directors are responsible for validating credentials of faculty
members for program coordination and teaching in the curriculum. As outlined in the ECU
Faculty Credentialing Guidelines, chairs and directors primarily use the
standard Classification of Instructional Programs codes (CIP). Chairs and directors compare
CIP codes assigned to courses, programs, and the degrees earned by the faculty. Other
credentials used to supplement the CIP code match are:
• 18 graduate hours in teaching discipline or related discipline
• Equivalent alternate credentials
• 5 years of professional related work experience plus one of 6 categories
o Bachelors or master’s in teaching or related discipline
o Licenses and certifications in discipline
o Continuous documented excellence in the teaching discipline
o Honors and awards – state, national, or international
o Publications, Papers presented, visual and performing arts activities
o Other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to
effective teaching and student learning outcomes
Special Programs
ECU has four unique program areas that are either interdisciplinary or individualized in
nature: Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, International Studies, Multidisciplinary Studies,
and University Studies. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary programs allow students to
explore connections between traditional academic areas, and to pursue their emerging
scholarly interests in the intersections between multiple disciplines and methodologies.
Program oversight of these programs is a team approach, with a program director or co-
coordinator who oversees the administration of these programs, a program coordinator (or
co-coordinator) who is responsible for a concentration area, and/or a committee of full-time
faculty with expertise in the range of disciplines from across the institution that approve
individual student study.
Biological Sciences
The Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences PhD brings together students and faculty from
multiple disciplines to study a broad variety of interesting biological phenomena. The
interdisciplinary program is 77-84 s.h., including 11-12 s.h. from the general and
molecular/cellular core curricula, at least 48 s.h. from the research core and at least 18 s.h.
from a specific concentration. The concentrations are biology, biomedical science and
chemistry, to each a co-coordinator is assigned. Other appropriate graduate-level courses
may be added by agreement of the research advisor, graduate program director, and the
program advisory committee.
Advisory Committee
Roster
Faculty Member
Title and Program Area
Dr. Colin Burns
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Dr. Rich Franklin
Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Dr. Paul Gemperline
Dean, Graduate School
Dr. Anthony Kennedy
Associate Professor, Analytical Chemistry, Co-coordinator
Dr. Andrew Morehead
Department Chair & Associate Professor, Organic Chemistry
Dr. Xiaoping Pan
Associate Professor, Biochemistry & Environmental Toxicology,
Co-coordinator
Dr. S. Russ Price
Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, Brody School of
Medicine
Dr. Cindy Putnam-Evans
Associate Dean for Research, College of Arts & Sciences and
Professor, Biology
Dr. Heather Ries
Associate Professor, Mathematics
Dr. Kyle Summers
Associate Professor, Biology
Dr. Li Yang
Associate Professor, Biomedicine, Co-coordinator
International Studies
The interdisciplinary programs in International Studies provide students at all levels with the
opportunity to become more familiar with the social, political, cultural, and economic issues
of importance in our increasingly globalized society. International Studies courses are
complemented by the availability of a wide range of supporting coursework in languages
and world religions. Each of these programs is described below.
Multidisciplinary Studies Major with a concentration in International Studies
This 30 s.h. concentration within the Multidisciplinary Studies Major (see below) builds on
the undergraduate minor in International Studies, adding the two multidisciplinary seminar
(MULT 3500 and MULT 4999). The concentration in International Studies brings together
courses from a range of disciplines focusing on social, cultural, economic and political areas
of international importance in our increasingly globalized society. Majors are encouraged to
study available modern language offerings and take advantage of study abroad
opportunities.
Undergraduate Certificate in Global Understanding
The certificate helps students understand and appreciate the peoples, issues and ideas
within the global community. Students can earn a certificate by taking courses with
international content, studying a foreign language at the introductory level, and learning
about people in other countries through both Internet contact and actual study in an
international setting. The certificate requires 15 s.h. of credit including a 9 s.h. core
consisting of ANTH 1050 - Global Understanding and two courses of the same foreign
language; 6 s.h. of electives chosen from the list of International Studies Minor courses, or,
other courses approved by the International Studies Executive Committee; and an approved
academic study abroad program or internship of at least one summer session.
Students who complete the basic 15 semester hour requirement and who also complete 60
semester hours of co-curricular or service activities with an international focus will be
awarded the Certificate of Global Understanding with Distinction. To complete the Certificate
of Global Understanding with Distinction, students may choose two of the three following
options: 30 semester hours of co-curricular or service activities with an international focus,
an additional year of a foreign language, or a semester or more of study abroad, or
internship in an international setting.
International Management Certificate
This certificate provides students with the foundational knowledge needed to work
effectively with clients and colleagues from other cultures as well as the skills essential to
managing international teams. The international management certificate is an
interdisciplinary program coordinated by International Studies for the College of Business.
The certificate requires one core course INTL 6510 (3 s.h.) and 9 s.h. of electives chosen
from a list comprised of business and international studies course offerings. Elective
choices are approved by the program director.
International Teaching Certificate
The certificate is coordinated by International Studies for the College of Education. It
requires 9 s.h. of credit as follows: HIST 5005, INTL 6930, and TCHR 6010.
MA in International Studies
The MA in International Studies program prepares students to interact more effectively with
persons from other cultures, particularly in professional settings. Unlike other international
studies programs, the MA in International Studies program at ECU focuses on the process
and dynamics of international intercultural understanding. It is interdisciplinary and draws
its strength from the cooperation of multiple departments in the Harriot College of Arts and
Sciences and various professional schools and colleges throughout ECU.
The program has five major components: 1) The International Studies core: A core of four
3-s.h. courses (12 s.h.); 2) 12 s.h. in an academic, professional, or geographic
concentration approved by the international studies director prior to taking; 3) International
Field Experience: Second culture study, practical training, internship, research, and/or
employment (6 s.h.); 4) a proficiency-based foreign language requirement; and 5) a thesis
or a non-thesis option (6 s.h.).
International Studies Executive
Committee Roster
Faculty Member
Title and Program Area
Dr. Beth Bee
Associate Professor, Geography, Planning, and
Environment
Dr. Seodial Deena
Professor, English
Dr. Marie Olson Lounsbery
Associate Professor, Political Science, Director of
International Studies Undergraduate Programs
Dr. Jeff Popke
Professor, Geography, Planning and Environment
Dr. Sachiyo Shearman
Associate Professor, Communication
Dr. David Smith
Associate Professor, Foreign Languages and Literatures,
Director of MA in International Studies
Dr. Lester Zeager
Professor, Economics
Multidisciplinary Studies
Multidisciplinary studies is a university-wide program administered by the Thomas Harriot
College of Arts and Sciences. The goals of the program are to foster multidisciplinary study
among various schools and departments, enable motivated students to pursue degrees in
specialized or new fields, and encourage undergraduates to pursue research interests while
working closely with faculty. The Program is designed for the student (1) who has clear
interests and objectives that overlap schools, departments, degrees, or concentrations; (2)
whose interests and objectives cannot reasonably be met through existing majors, minors,
and electives; and (3) whose program is not fashioned in order to bypass a requirement of
an existing program. The Director of Multidisciplinary Studies meets with students to
develop a course of study in consultation with faculty in the appropriate disciplines. The
Multidisciplinary Studies Committee (MSC) is responsible for program and curriculum
development. When structured curriculum beyond the generic multidisciplinary curriculum is
proposed, the Multidisciplinary Studies Executive Committee must vote on adding courses to
the curriculum. Members of the MSC are all full-time faculty.
Multidisciplinary Studies
Committee Roster
Faculty Member
Title and Program Area
Dr. William Downs
Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
Dr. Ron Graziani
Associate Professor, Art History, Co-coordinator
Dr. Derek Maher
Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences and
Professor, Religious Studies
Dr. Calvin Mercer
Professor, Religious Studies
Dr. Kevin Moll
Assistant Professor, Music History
Dr. Mary Nyangweso
Associate Professor, Religious Studies, Co-coordinator
Dr. John Stevens
Associate Professor, Classics, Latin, Greek, Co-
coordinator
Dr. Tuan Tran
Associate Professor, Psychology, Co-coordinator
University Studies
The BS in University Studies is a university-wide degree program designed for students who
seek a course of study that is personally interesting and professionally relevant outside of
the traditional majors path to successful degree completion. Students pursuing the degree
are required to identify a career objective and design a specific degree plan of integrative
coursework around a thematic core. The University Studies Faculty Oversight Committee
(FOC) provides oversight of curriculum and is composed of faculty representatives from
each of the colleges throughout the university. The committee provides final approval of
each student’s course of study and thematic core and serves as a resource to students. The
Faculty Oversight Committee must approve the thematic core.
University Studies Faculty
Oversight Committee
Faculty Member
Title and Program Area
Dr. Stacy Altman
Associate Professor and Chair, Kinesiology
Dr. Eboni Baugh
Associate Professor, Human Development and Family
Science
Dr. Lida Cope
Professor, English
Ms. Amy Frank
Instructor, Technology Systems
Dr. Carol Goodwillie
Associate Professor, Biology
Dr. Mark Hand
Chair, Department of Baccalaureate Education and
Clinical Associate Professor, Nursing
Dr. Ray Hylock
Assistant Professor, Health Services and Information
Management
Dr. Melinda Kane
Associate Professor, Sociology
Dr. Shirley Mai
Associate Professor, Marketing and Supply Chain
Management
Dr. Robert Quinn
Associate Professor, Art Education
Dr. Amy Shannon
Program Director, University Studies
Dr. Stacy Weiss
Associate Professor, Special Education, Foundations and
Research
Program Coordinator Roster
A roster of program coordinators for 2018-19 has been assembled for review. The roster
includes the program name and degree level, the name of the program coordinator(s), and
the coordinator’s highest degree earned. In some cases, a coordinator has a second degree
that relates to the program they are responsible for. These credentials are also listed after
the highest degree earned. The notes section of the roster contains a summary of
additional coordinator information on licensures, certifications, related work experience,
professional publications and research that relates to program responsibilities, when further
explanation of the coordinator's credentials are deemed to be necessary. More in-depth
information for these individuals are located in the supporting documents inside the
"Additional Coordinator Information" folder for further review. When a program is delivered
by multiple modes, the same program coordinator is responsible for curriculum oversight.
The 2018-19 roster does not include the programs that were discontinued and had no
enrollment in 2018-19: BSAP-Applied Physics, BSBE-Information Technologies, BS-Child
Life, MAED-Business Education, MS-Recreational Therapy Administration, MS-Technology
Systems, and PB -Health Care Management.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU assigns appropriate responsibility for program coordination, curriculum
development, and review to qualified faculty members in each of its educational programs.
CR - 8.1
Student Achievement
The institution identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student
achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission, the nature of the students it serves,
and the kinds of programs offered. The institution uses multiple measures to document
student success.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for
student achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission, the nature of the students it
serves, and the kinds of programs offered. ECU uses multiple measures to document
student success.
ECU is a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System (hereafter the UNC
System or the System). The mission of the UNC System is “to discover, create, transmit,
and apply knowledge to address the needs to individuals and society.” ECU shares the
overall mission of the UNC System and aspires “to be a national model for student success,
public service and regional transformation.” ECU’s mission includes the following
statements that are closely related to student success:
• Uses innovative learning strategies and delivery methods to maximize access;
• Prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and values to succeed in a global,
multicultural society; and
• Develops tomorrow’s leaders to serve and inspire positive change.
Upon the arrival of President Margaret Spellings, a new system-wide strategic planning
process was initiated. The final plan, Higher Expectations 2017 – 2022, defines the goals,
strategies, and metrics for the System. As part of the process, ECU updated its strategic
plan to align with the newly established system goals in Capture Your Horizon 2017 –
2022 and signed a performance agreement that is based on system-wide metrics.
ECU tracks student achievement in a variety of ways. The narrative below describes two
sets of student success indicators:
• Institutional Metrics Aligned with the UNC System Strategic Plan: five-year
graduation rates, rural and low-income completions, critical workforces, and degree
efficiency. All metrics were defined by the UNC with goals negotiated between ECU
and UNC.
• Programmatic Metrics: because some programs offered by ECU prepare students to
take a licensure examination, it is important to track the pass rates. The targets for
these metrics are determined by program faculty based on national benchmarks.
The primary method for ongoing documentation and publication of the goals (target level of
performance) and outcomes (student achievement data) is the ECU Student Achievement
Metrics Dashboard along with the UNC System Dashboard.
Metrics Aligned with UNC System Strategic Plan
The UNC System Strategic Plan, Higher Expectations 2017 – 2022, identified shared goals in
five areas: 1) Access; 2) Student Success; 3) Affordability and Efficiency; 4) Economic
Impact and Community Engagement; and 5) Excellent and Diverse Institutions. Each of the
constituent institutions were expected to contribute to the goals in specific ways that were
consistent with their distinctive missions, priorities, and existing strategic plans.
The System strategic plan includes nine metrics which are: 1) low-income enrollments; 2)
rural enrollments; 3) low-income completions; 4) five-year graduation rates; 5) research
productivity; 6) rural completions; 7) critical workforces; 8) achievement gaps in
undergraduate degree efficiency; and 9) undergraduate degree efficiency. Institutional
goals, or an institution’s contribution to the UNC's Strategic Plan, were negotiated between
the institution and the UNC System.
Senior administrators in the UNC System, seniors administrators at ECU, and members of
ECU's Strategic Planning Executive Group examined historical data and set a five-year goal
for each of the nine metrics. In addition to the overall five-year goal for each metric, the
System asks each institution to achieve 15% of the overall goal in year one of the plan,
35% in year two, 55% in year three, and 77.5% in year four, and 100% in year five. Five-
year goals and annual goals are documented in the Performance Agreement between ECU
and the UNC System. Strategic plan metrics data are tracked and reported annually.
The metrics included in the table below are those specifically related to student achievement
and undergraduate degree completion rates. They are published on both the ECU and UNC
System websites. The direct links for the websites are as follows: ECU -
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/ipar/Student-Achievement-dashboard.cfm; UNC System -
http://northcarolina.edu/Strategic-Planning/East-Carolina-University. The table below
includes the metrics along with their definitions, ECU’s goals and threshold of acceptability
for each which is set at the baseline data level (i.e., 2015-16 data before the
implementation of the UNC Strategic Plan). The threshold of acceptability is the minimum
we would consider to be acceptable as an institution. Academic support initiatives are in
place to support the work to meet or exceed these goals. A summary of these initiatives is
provided after the table.
Data visualizations of the metrics data with baseline and annual goals were created and
published by ECU and the UNC System. Further details are available in the UNC Strategic
Plan Technical Appendix.
Evaluation of Institutional Metrics
Efforts to meet or exceed the established goals have spanned across campus among many
initiatives. ECU’s Finish in Four Core Group has lead the effort in setting student
achievement goals and metrics, monitoring institutional progress, and using data to improve
existing strategies. Expanded data partnerships and analytics are key to this initiative, and
have included the following steps: 1) identification of key metrics for the institution and for
each institutional strategy; 2) development or refinement of business processes to
systematically collect and share data; 3) utilization of data analytics provided by the office
of Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research (IPAR); 4) interpretation of results and
proposal of specific actions by academic and student support units to improve existing
strategies; and 5) the implementation of a Finish in Four Core Group business process that
included reviewing data and setting action plans annually; setting key priorities; and
providing necessary resources and support. For example, in 2017 and 2018 the Finish in
Four Core Group reviewed measures such as retention and graduation rates for First-Time
Full-Time students as well as for first-time students who were Pell-grant recipients and first-
generation. An interim report to the UNC System Office was produced as a summary of
ongoing initiatives.
In addition to cross-campus collaboration and teamwork, ECU has participated in UNC-wide
student success initiatives such as PAR analytics and Partway Home Student Studies.
Results and reports from these initiatives were also reviewed by the Finish in Four Core
Group and used to improve student retention and graduation.
ECU Student Success Initiatives
Institutional initiatives help ECU to meet our mission, support the students we serve, and
maintain quality educational programs. They also assist in meeting the student success
metrics chosen by the UNC System and ECU, particularly in the case of at-risk students. The
section below provides a few examples of such initiatives.
Pirate Academic Success Center (PASC)
ECU’s primary undergraduate academic support services are the Pirate Academic Success
Center (PASC), centralized tutoring and learning center, and the University Writing Center
(UWC). Undergraduate usage of these academic support services remains high with 38%
(8,834) of all ECU undergraduates (23,265) utilizing services in 2017-18. In the same
academic year, 32% of ECU undergraduates used PASC services and 18% of all ECU
undergraduates used UWC services.
A gender gap exists for males utilizing support services at a lower rate than females. With
75% of students using University Writing Center services identifying as female, females use
the University Writing Center at a 45% higher rate than males. Similarly, females use the
PASC at a 29% higher rate than males. Connecting students to academic support resources
remains a challenge for collegiate support services. Traditional methods of communication
including email and flyers are less effective in communicating with today’s undergraduates.
Many universities have begun implementing call centers to better educate undergraduates
about services, particularly first-time students. As a new initiative, the Pirate Academic
Success Center began a call center pilot with 800 students in Fall 2018.
PASC Learning Communities
The Pirate Academic Success Center identifies at-risk students using student profile
analytics and in consultation with Admissions staff. PASC learning communities include
students who are first generation, males, males of color receiving Pell grants, freshmen with
low admission criteria, and students from specific high schools and community colleges
within eastern North Carolina. In 2017, there were 91 first-time full-time student
participants in the PASC learning communities. These students were divided into three
primary learning communities: 1) Male Achievement Crew (MAC) consisting of all male,
primarily Pell grant recipients, 2) Freshman Immersion Program (FIP) Scholars consisting of
low admission criteria freshmen, and 3) Buccaneers, freshmen who request inclusion during
summer orientation.
Championing the establishment of mattering and belonging, as well as leveraging high
impact practices to better support the educational and social success of academically at-risk
freshmen, learning community (LC) participants build essential campus success and receive
support prior to fall enrollment and throughout their first year. Embedded within the Pirate
Academic Success Center, LC students participate in community building activities, establish
positive peer relationships through peer academic mentoring, enroll in common coursework,
engage frequently with professional staff in a meaningful way, receive priority tutoring
services, study skills coaching, and employment opportunities.
The results of PASC year-long LCs are promising. Students in the 2017 PASC learning
communities achieved higher retention rates, academic standing, and persistence rates in
comparison with campus peers (which is 81%):
• MAC learning community students achieved a retention rate of 95%.
• FIP Scholars learning community students achieved a retention rate of 90%.
• Buccaneers learning community students achieved a retention rate of 90%.
Other Institutional Initiatives
Additional initiatives designed to improve student success and degree completion include:
• ECU’s first-year college transition course (COAD 1000) was expanded in an effort to
improve campus engagement and support major selection and career counseling of
students;
• Starfish, an early alert system, was launched to facilitate communication between
instructions and advisors;
• As part of a UNC System mandate, educational programs at ECU worked to reduce
the credit hour requirement for baccalaureate degrees to 120 credit hours. The
general education program was reviewed by the faculty in 2014. As a result, the
total general educational requirement was reduced by two credits and a general
education elective course was implemented to increase curriculum flexibility;
• Schedule Planner, a course planning tool that allows students to view a multitude of
variations based on self-defined parameters, was implemented to support students
taking 15 credit hours per semester. ECU compared the credit hours and time-to-
degree of the students who used the Schedule Planner with those who did not and
found that those who used it registered for 15 credits at a higher rate; and
• SALT Online Financial Program was purchased and utilized to increase financial
literacy and understanding of debt by students.
Program Specific Metrics - Licensure Examination Pass Rates
For the purposes of this narrative, a committee comprised of faculty, staff, and
administrators determined that in addition to the institutional student achievement metrics
it was important to include programmatic level metrics. Licensure examination pass rates
are monitored maintained by the appropriate units in the colleges. ECU publishes
the licensure examination data for specific academic programs along with program
benchmarks or national average pass rates in the ECU Student Achievement Metrics
dashboard.
Pass rates on licensure examinations are a critical measure of student achievement. ECU's
goal is to exceed the national average for licensure examinations if a license is required to
practice a chosen field. As a minimum threshold of acceptability, programs strive to meet
national benchmarks. When national benchmarks are not available, program faculty set
minimum thresholds for acceptability as well as program goals. In the case of teacher
education programs the goals are set by the North Carolina General
Assembly. Faculty track and evaluate student performance on licensure exams and take
actions to improve rates if necessary. Programs in the following colleges are included in the
dashboard: Brody School of Medicine, College of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health
and Human Performance, College of Education, and College of Nursing. They are
representative of the range of programs offered by ECU.
Below are a few examples from the colleges with licensure pass rates. Comprehensive lists
of pass rates are included in the dashboard.
Brody School of Medicine
For the medical students in the Brody School of Medicine faculty have determined the goal
for licensure examination pass rates is to exceed the national rate on both the United States
Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 examinations. These
examinations include clinical knowledge and skills. The national average pass rate is the
threshold for acceptability. The program currently performs above the national average.
College of Allied Health Sciences
For students from the Audiology and Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate
programs, faculty review licensure examination pass rates from the previous year to set the
program goal. Historically, the national pass rate has hovered around 80% (which is the
program's threshold for acceptability). Faculty want to exceed the national benchmark and
maintain their accreditation, so the program goal has been set at 90%.
College of Education
In the College of Education, traditional and alternative licensure rates are established by the
state and both are tracked by program faculty and the ECU Office of Educator
Preparation. At the state level, the policy (TCED-013) as of 1/4/18 states: “Undergraduate
programs must maintain annually a passing rate of at least 70% on licensure exams
aggregated at the EPP level.” This is the threshold for acceptability. The current goal for
ECU’s Educator Preparation Program is that all candidates in all programs and all pathways
leading to an Initial Teaching License must have all ECU tests passed before they can be
recommended for licensure. This helps student be more prepared for the licensure exams.
They may still graduate because graduation from ECU is a separate process from securing a
license with the State of NC. The recent decline in ECU and state pass rates is reflective of
testing requirements that have changed several times in the last two years.
College of Health and Human Performance
In the College of Health and Human Performance, Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s,
and Medical Family Therapy PhD program students take the Marriage and Family Therapy
National Exam. According to the Association of Marital and Family Therapy/Regulatory
Boards (AMFTRB), each year the passing score on the national exam is set by a group of
experts. Each panel member estimates for each item on the test what percentage of
minimally competent therapists would get the item correct. Their responses are examined
and analyzed by psychometric experts and minor adjustments can be made by the
Examination Advisory Committee. The anchor examination becomes the standard of
knowledge to which all future forms of an examination are compared. Some forms of the
examination will contain individual items that may differ in difficulty than items on other
forms. To compensate for these variations, test forms are compared using a psychometric
process called equating. This equating process accounts for the varying item difficulties and
adjusts the passing score up or down accordingly. As a result, the required standard of
knowledge for passing the examination remains consistent from test form to test form.
Therefore, there is not a standard or consistent score across exam administrations that
represents a passing score. ECU faculty have set the program threshold at 80% with the
goal of having all students pass the exam.
College of Nursing
For those concentrations and degrees programs that require it, the College of Nursing
considers licensure and certification an expectation of all graduates. The North Carolina
Board of Nursing provides approval to the College to deliver the BSN program and requires
the licensure pass rate to be 90% of the national average (about 79% for 2017/2018),
which is ECU's minimum threshold. The program goal is to have all students pass the
exams. The concentrations of masters and doctoral programs that require the graduate to
be certified are included in the dashboard. Those who are not required to be certified to
work in their field of educational preparation are not listed for this reason.
School of Dental Medicine
The Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations develops and administers Part 1 and
2 of the National Board Dental Examinations (NBDE). The purpose of the NBDE Parts I and
II is to assist state boards in determining qualifications of dentists who seek licensure to
practice dentistry. The examinations assess the ability to understand important information
from the biomedical and dental sciences, and the ability to apply such information in a
problem-solving context. Since 2016, the national average for NBDE Part 1 has ranged
from 89% - 96%, and for Part 2 between 90% and 92%. The program threshold is to meet
the national average and the goal is to exceed the national average. At the program level
licensure pass rates are monitored annually and compared with national benchmarks when
the data is available.
As demonstrated in the dashboard report, the majority of ECU pass rates meet or exceed
the national benchmark. Some examinations provide sub-scale results which further inform
programs about student learning. Many programs use pass rates in their annual assessment
reporting process, examining the results closely and taking curricular or pedagogical actions
to improve rates when necessary.
Key Student Completion Indicator: IPEDS Overall Graduation
Rate (6-year)
As required by SACSCOC, ECU has identified the IPEDS 6-year graduation rate as the key
student completion indicator and publishes the data in the Student Achievement Metrics
Dashboard. ECU has a official list of peer and aspirational peer institutions that is used to
compare 6-year graduation rates, among other student success metrics. ECU's 6-year
graduation rate has consistently been above the peer median, and was in line with the
national average of 60% for the 2010 incoming first-time full-time students who completed
a bachelor's degree from a 4-year institution (according to IPEDS). For the 2010 first-time
full-time student cohort, the median 6-year graduation rate of ECU's peers was 53.6%,
with the minimum of 35.6%. Four universities, two of which are aspirational peers (SUNY-
Buffalo and University of South Carolina-Columbia), had higher graduation rates than
ECU. ECU's graduation rate has continued to increase to 61.4% for the 2011 cohort and
63.5% for the 2012 cohort. Due to the reporting schedule of IPEDS, 2011 and 2012 cohort
rates are not available for the peer institutions. The student success initiatives discussed
above have contributed to the rising 6-year graduation rates at ECU.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student
achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission, the nature of the students it serves,
and the kinds of programs offered. ECU uses multiple measures to document student
success: degree completions, 5-year and 6-year graduation rates, and licensure
examination pass rates.
R - 8.2.a
Student Outcomes: Educational Programs
The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these
outcomes, and provides evidence of seeking improvement based on analysis of the results
in the areas below:
a. student learning outcomes for each of its educational programs
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
Faculty in each educational program identify expected outcomes, assess the extent to which
each program achieves these outcomes, and provide evidence of seeking improvement
based on analysis of the results. All undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs at
East Carolina University (hereafter, ECU or the university or the institution) conduct
systematic, ongoing assessment of student learning outcomes. The program level
assessment plans consist of student learning outcomes, data collection methods or means
of assessment and criteria for success. Annual assessment reports include curricular and
pedagogical actions taken by faculty, results of direct and indirect means of assessment,
and an analysis of the results. In compliance with this principle, these elements are used to
inform action plans for the purpose of continuous improvement. ECU’s Institutional
Assessment Process outlines the annual assessment reporting and review cycles, describes
the purpose and scope of the Institutional Assessment Advisory Council (IAAC) and
University constituents, and summarizes the assessment leadership structure. ECU’s annual
assessment reporting and review process has continued since our last reaffirmation in 2013.
Institutional Assessment Process
Leadership
Assessment professionals within the office of Institutional Planning, Assessment and
Research work collaboratively with administrators, deans, department chairs/school
directors, faculty, and staff regularly to lead assessment efforts across ECU. IAAC, chaired
by the Director of Institutional Assessment (IA), is a committee that meets quarterly to
advise IA on matters relating to assessment. Membership consists of representatives from
the University constituencies who participate in assessment, including leadership in the
colleges/schools, specifically associate deans or directors of assessment. Ad hoc working
groups, composed of IAAC members and IA staff, were formed to address specific
assessment areas such as: a) Assessment Review Process, b) NILOA Transparency
Framework, c) Assessment of General Education, d) Support Unit Resources, and e) Best
Practices/Professional Development Topics.
Leadership in colleges and departments have an important role in keeping assessment a
priority within their unit and are encouraged to make discussions of assessment a standing
agenda item at faculty meetings. It is vital that they communicate often with appropriate
faculty and discuss the assessment plans and reports for each educational program. This
includes guiding faculty in adhering to university and internal review criteria and deadlines.
Unit Assessment Coordinators (UACs), have been identified for every educational program
and are responsible for: 1) coordinating the assessment efforts for each unit; 2) facilitating
discussions about curricular and pedagogical changes in educational programs and quality
improvements in all units; and 3) entering the information into the institutional tracking
system, Nuventive Improve. UACs should be familiar with the curriculum sequencing and
content.
Assessment Plans, Reports and Reviews
Institutionally an assessment process was initiated in academic year 2008-2009 and has
been ongoing and systematic. The program level assessment plans consist of student
learning outcomes, data collection methods or means of assessment and criteria for
success. Educational programs defined student learning outcomes that described the
knowledge, skills, or perceptions/attitudes students would demonstrate by the end of their
educational or learning experience.
Annual assessment reports for educational programs are due in Nuventive Improve, by May
15 (for 9-month faculty) or June 15 (for 12-month faculty). Undergraduate and graduate
degree programs report on at least three student-learning outcomes and certificate and
stand-alone minor programs report on at least two outcomes. A complete assessment
report includes:
• Actions Taken in the Reporting Year: a summary of the curricular and pedagogical
actions faculty took to improve student learning that are related to the outcome;
• Results: a summary of the data collected from the Means of Assessment (MoA) and
should be stated in terms of the Criterion for Success;
• Analysis of Results: a summary of the relationship between Actions Taken by faculty
to improve student learning and the Results. It includes faculty’s interpretation of the
Results and the identification of an area for improvement or reinforcement; and
• Actions Planned for Next Reporting Year: curricular or pedagogical steps faculty will
take to improve or reinforce student learning for the area identified in the analysis.
To support annual assessment reporting IA provides assessment resources including
documents, videos, individual and small group consultation, and workshops. Specific
resource examples include Assessment Plan and Report Guidelines, an Assessment
Reporting Discussion Guide, Rubrics and Assessment Assist Sessions. In addition, the IPAR
website links to leading assessment organizations, such as American Association of Colleges
& Universities (AAC&U) and the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment
(NILOA).
To monitor the quality of assessment reports and provide units with feedback, an
Assessment Review Committee (ARC) structure was established and approved by the
Academic Council in March of 2013. Each college/school has an ARC, which is chaired by a
member of IAAC. One of the main duties of ARC members is to review and evaluate the
quality of assessment reports using the approved university rubric. IA staff provides training
to the ARC members for the review process. ARCs have the option to review a minimum of
half of the assessment reports.
ARC reviews are completed by October 15th and feedback reports are forwarded to the Unit
Assessment Coordinator (UAC) for each program, department chairs, and ARC Chairs. IA
summarizes ARC review ratings and results are shared with IAAC. Units have until
December 15th to revise their reports in Nuventive Improve. To monitor the effectiveness of
the ARC process, each spring IA documents the number of programs that made revisions
based upon ARC feedback. These results are also shared with IAAC. Final versions of
assessment reports are archived by IA. Figure 1 demonstrates the continuous nature of the
reporting and review cycle.
Figure 1
In collaboration with IAAC, IA leads institutional initiatives to improve the quality of
assessment reports by working with programs to review and update assessment plans.
Beginning in Fall 2015, IA worked with faculty in graduate and undergraduate educational
programs to complete an assessment workbook to review, revise, or create student learning
outcomes representing the essential knowledge, skills andattitudes that students are
expected to attain. In addition, means of assessment and criterion for success were
reviewed and updated as necessary. Regardless of delivery mode, faculty
developed program level assessment plans and worked with IA staff to enter the
information in Nuventive Improve. Specific instructions were provided and IA went to
departmental meetings and held consultations to facilitate the completion of the workbooks.
Upon completion of their workbooks, program faculty report on at least three outcomes
each year and assess each of their six to eight learning outcomes over the course of five-
years. New and existing educational programs continue to utilize the workbook process to
establish and improve assessment plans.
For some programs, the assessment workbook initiative resulted in major revisions to their
assessment plans. Therefore, these programs are working through their first five-year cycle
with new student learning outcomes. Programs have consistently reported on the minimum
number of outcomes (i.e., three for educational programs and two for certificates) required
by the institution annually. To demonstrate the ongoing nature of assessment, examples of
archived annual reports prior to the workbook initiative are included as evidence (2013-
14 and 2014-15). Samples of recent three years of annual reports are provided below for
each college.
College-Level Assessment Processes and Evidence
In the following sections, college level assessment processes are described. Evidence of
improvement initiatives from a sample of educational programs has been included after the
college level assessment process descriptions.
Programs included in the sample were selected using a multi-step process. The ECU
Academic Program Inventory (as of August 13, 2018) is the official list of educational
programs offered at ECU. Closely aligned programs are assessed together such as BA/BS
degrees or graduate degrees with graduate certificates. The goal was to include
approximately 20% of programs in the sample at each degree (Bachelor's, Master's,
Doctoral) and certificate (undergraduate and graduate) level within each college or school.
Programs with the following characteristics were excluded from the sample:
• New programs established in the last two years
• Programs in the process of being discontinued
• Programs with significant revisions to the assessment plan
• Existing programs with no students enrolled
Programs with the following characteristics were purposely selected to be in the sample:
• Programs that are “highly visible” such as Business Administration MBA, Medicine
MD, Engineering BS
• Undergraduate programs in each college that had the highest average number of
degrees conferred over three academic years (2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17)
• Programs where instruction is delivered off-site, such as the School Administration
MSA. If there was more than one off-site program in a college, the larger program
was included in the sample.
Programs were then randomly selected to fulfill the 20% minimum sample size at each
degree level in each college. The sample was reviewed to confirm it contained both online
and face-to-face programs.
For each program included in the sample there are links to a summary example of seeking
improvement and the corresponding assessment reports generated from Nuventive
Improve. In the summary examples, the following information has been included:
• Program name
• Delivery mode
• Outcome being summarized
• Program level example
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement have been
bolded.
ECU is a large institution with over 250 programs and all programs report on student
learning outcomes annually. IA staff work closely with faculty to provide consultation and
professional development to enhance the quality of assessment reporting and
documentation.
Outcomes Assessment in the Division of Academic Affairs
College of Business
East Carolina University's College of Business (COB) provides an engaging learning
environment to the leaders of today and tomorrow while expanding business knowledge and
serving our communities. The foundation of our mission is the integration of four critical
elements: Think, Value, Communicate, Lead.
Goals:
• Provide a quality, flexible business education distinguished by value and
engagement.
• Build the leadership capability of faculty, staff, and students.
• Engage in public service, economic development, and professional education.
• Expand knowledge through academic, applied, and pedagogical scholarship and
research.
• Attract and develop talented and engaged faculty, staff and students.
• Ensure the long-term viability and relevance of the College of Business (COB).
The College of Business includes 5 departments (Accounting, Finance, Management,
Management Information Systems and Marketing and Supply Chain Management) and 2
schools (Hospitality Leadership and Miller School of Entrepreneurship). COB offers 20
programs: 6 undergraduate programs, 3 graduate programs (one is a nationally-recognized
online MBA program), and 11 certificate programs.
Consistent with most AACSB-accredited programs, the BSBA degrees are built around a
significant common core whereby all undergraduate students in each BSBA program
complete the same 51 credit hour course requirement. Each of the five BSBA majors
(Finance, Management, Management Accounting, Management Information
Systems and Marketing) require an additional 18-24 discipline-specific credit hours for the
major. This “common core” curriculum requires an approach to assessment wherein BSBA
students in each of the five majors are evaluated on a common set of learning outcomes
addressed in the core and tied to the college’s current mission statement. Most of the
programs employ six learning outcomes that are generally assessed in alternating years.
Therefore, data are typically collected every other year in selected courses, with the in-
between year reserved for curricular or pedagogical improvement actions in selected
program courses. However, some graduate certificate programs have fewer than 6
outcomes and are assessed every year, with data collection occurring every year.
Improvements are implemented during the year subsequent to the collection of data.
Assessment data are typically collected at the end of the spring semester, with results
aggregated and analyzed before the end of the semester. As faculty are 9-month employees
with contracts that do not extend into the summer, the analysis of results and planned
improvement actions are decided at the beginning of the next academic year. Prior to the
close of the spring semester, faculty are reminded about planned assessments and
improvement actions for the upcoming academic year.
Until fall 2018, the COB held an assessment retreat at the start of the fall semester at a
location off campus with the aim of “Closing the Loop” on results from the spring semester
data collection. “Closing the Loop” is the phrase adopted for the COB continuous
improvement cycle in the Assurance of Learning (AOL) process and is based on the Deming
Cycle, a continuous quality improvement model consisting of the following steps: Plan, Do,
Study (Check) and Act. All COB faculty participated in this mandatory meeting and COB
classes were cancelledon that day. Faculty were assigned to groups based on the learning
outcomes involved and also based on their areas of expertise as well as AOL committee
assignments. The groups reviewed the results for their respective areas/programs and
developed curricular and/or pedagogical actions for program improvement that were
generally implemented in the next academic year (however, some graduate certificate
programs implement the actions immediately). As of fall 2018, the annual retreat was
replaced by an assessment week in order to improve the quality of actions planned and
subsequent follow-through.
In October, the COB conducts an audit of newly-recorded AOL information in the
assessment management system, Nuventive Improve. This is done by the Assessment
Review Committee (ARC), which consists of the department chairs and the chairs of all AOL-
related committees. The ARC members are responsible for reviewing programs outside of
their respective areas. This audit ensures quality of the AOL process. In the meantime, data
for the outcomes on the assessment schedule for that year are collected in the fall and
spring semesters for final reporting at the end of Spring semester. Thus, the AOL cycle is
continuous.
A director of assessment was employed to work with faculty to document assessment
activities and analyze assessment data, determine the resulting implications, plan and
implement changes based on data, and ultimately close the loop on learning outcomes. In
the fall of 2016this position was elevated to Associate Dean for Academic Quality to improve
visibility and influence for assessment.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 14 programs (7 Bachelor's, 2 Master's,
5 graduate certificates) were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Management (BSBA) Example and Report
• Business Administration (MBA) Example and Report
• Management Information Systems (Graduate Certificate) Example and Report
College of Education
ECU began in 1907 as a school for training public-school teachers. Currently, the College of
Education (COE) continues to fulfill this original mission. The college produces more public
school teachers than any other teacher education program in North Carolina. Seven
departments in COE offer 39 degree programs: 8 undergraduate, 18 graduate and 13
certificate programs. The college implements best practices in assessment through activities
unique to the program and through activities it leads on behalf of the Educator Preparation
Provider (EPP) unit at ECU. The EPP is the accreditation unit at ECU for the Council for the
Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Programs in the EPP prepare candidates to work in
PK-12 learning environments. On behalf of the EPP, COE drives the following assessment
focused activities:
• Council for Educator Preparation Focus on Assessment
The Council’s monthly meeting agendas as well as updates from the College’s Office
of Assessment, Data Management and Digital Learning (OADD) document a regular
and systematic focus on data use at all levels of EPP unit. Data and information
sharing is essential in supporting the needs of the EPP and correlates with program
approval of various accrediting agencies.
• Department Focus on Assessment
All EPP programs have been encouraged to add assessment review to monthly
faculty meetings, with more intensive reviews during key reporting periods such as
near the University’s reporting deadlines. Each department program in the EPP has
an assessment committee that also focuses on data-driven program
improvement. The OADD provides data reports to programs regularly and the end of
each semester and upon request.
• edTPA Data Summit
The edTPA Data Summit unites faculty across the EPP, surrounding the common
language and architecture of edTPA. This builds assessment literacy and solidifies an
inquiry stance toward edTPA data. The edTPA Data Summit is now an annual event,
which EPP faculty anticipate for collaborative analysis of unit level data and unit level
decision-making.
• Faculty Research Presentations and Publications
Faculty research initiatives depend on reliable data as captured in and reported from
the college’s integrated assessment system. As a result, the assessment system
plays an integral role in faculty work and unit operations. The OADD prepares routine
data summaries and ad hoc reports for use by faculty for program improvement and
research. Faculty request ad hoc reports via the college’s online help desk
system. Requests are vetted and completed by the unit’s data manager.
• COE Unit Assessment Coordinators and Assessment Review Committee
In accordance with the institution’s assessment reporting and review process, a Unit
Assessment Coordinator (UAC) is identified for each program. Working with program
faculty, the UAC is responsible for reporting on student learning outcomes at the end
of each academic year. Prior to the reporting period, the director of the OADD
consults with department chairs and UACs to assure that all parties are aware of the
reporting requirements and procedures. OADD offers to review annual reports upon
request prior to the May 15 due date. At the beginning of the following academic
year, members of the college’s ARC review and evaluate the quality of the
assessment reports using the university-approved rubric. Subsequently, the director
of OADD works with UACs to update/improve their reports based on feedback from
the ARC. UACs have until December 15th to make changes to their reports, at which
point the final versions are archived by Institutional Assessment.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 30 programs (7 Bachelor's, 12
Master's, 2 Doctoral, 9 graduate certificates) were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Elementary Education (BS) Example and Report
• Adult Education (MAEd) Example and Report
• School Administration (MSA) Example and Report
• Educational Leadership (EdD) Example and Report
• Computer-based Instruction (Graduate Certificate) Example and Report
• Special Endorsement in Computer Education (Graduate
Certificate) Example and Report
College of Engineering and Technology
The mission of the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) is to provide high
quality instruction, research, outreach and engagement programs that enable the students
to achieve their career goals and that promote a strong, sustainable future for the region.
The college offers 10 undergraduate programs, 9 graduate programs, and 6 certificates in 4
departments: Computer Science, Construction Management, Technology Systems, and
Engineering.
In CET, each program has a designated program assessment coordinator responsible for
engaging faculty and department chairs in implementing student learning assessment and
entering assessment information into Nuventive Improve. Input from department chairs and
faculty focuses on strategies for improving student learning and implementing changes to
ensure that effective student learning is taking place and is being assessed.
The college’s ARC serves as the primary committee that supports authentic and meaningful
assessment. The committee consists of the associate dean for Academic Affairs in the
college and one or two faculty members from each department. Each fall, a training session
is held for committee members and each member is assigned two or three assessment
reports to review from programs external to their home department. The committee meets
with program assessment coordinators once each semester to discuss expectations and
address questions. The college relies on these members to complete their review, provide
the results to the program assessment coordinators, answer any questions that may arise
from their meetings, ensure changes are effectively implemented, and ensure that all
processes are accurately followed. Following the official review, committee members remain
engaged by providing advice on addressing concerns noted in the feedback provided to the
program by the reviewer.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on the
inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 15 programs (8 Bachelor's, 7 Master's)
were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Engineering (BS) Example and Report
• Industrial Distribution and Logistics (BS) Example and Report
• Construction Management (MCM)/Residential Construction Management (Graduate
Certificate) Example and Report
College of Fine Arts and Communication
The College of Fine Arts and Communication (CFAC) seeks to develop the creative and
intellectual potential of students and faculty by providing an atmosphere that encourages
learning, creative thinking, artistic excellence, and ethical behavior. The college is
comprised of four schools: the School of Art and Design, the School of Music, the School of
Theatre and Dance, and the School of Communication. CFAC offers 9 undergraduate
degrees, 5 graduate degrees, and 3 certificate programs.
The college’s assessment activities are coordinated by a unit assessment coordinator from
each school, as well as the assistant dean of the college. Additionally, the unit assessment
coordinators communicate assessment results to their respective school director and assist
faculty in developing valid and reliable means of assessment, analyzing assessment data to
identify areas for program improvement, and implementing action plans.
Assessment of student learning in CFAC is a priority. After assessment reports for the
educational programs are entered into Nuventive Improve, they are reviewed using the
University’s assessment review rubric. The college’s ARC is made up of the dean, associate
deans, assistant dean, and a member of the Office of Institutional Assessment.
Faculty address the feedback from the review by making any necessary changes to their
assessment reports.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 13 programs (8 Bachelor's, 5 Master's)
were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Communication (BS) Example and Report
• Dance (BFA) Example and Report
• Art (MFA) Example and Report
• Communication (MA)/Health Communication (Graduate
Certificate) Example and Report
College of Health and Human Performance
The mission of the College of Health and Human Performance (CHHP) is to improve health,
well-being, and quality of life. As a result of campus reorganization in June 2015, the CHHP
now includes departments (Health Education and Promotion, Human Development and
Family Science, Interior Design and Merchandising, Kinesiology, and Recreation and Leisure
Studies), the School of Social Work, and two Military Programs (Air Force and Army). This
larger College offers 17 undergraduate degrees, 3 ‘stand-alone’ minor degrees, 13 graduate
degrees, and 6 certificate programs.
The college’s ARC facilitates educational and support program reporting and analysis of
assessment results and use of that information to improve programs. An associate dean
serves as chair of the ARC, and the department chair/school director appoints committee
members based on the number of programs within the unit. With the increased number of
educational programs and support units to report in the larger college, the ARC increased to
over twenty members. Based upon the number of units being reviewed, the number of ARC
members fluctuates slightly from year to year but always includes faculty, department
chairs, and associate deans.
Each fall, every ARC member attends a training session, which includes an overview of the
process and constructive feedback techniques. The ARC chair assigns each member
assessment reports to review from programs external to their home unit. Reviews of
educational programs are typically conducted individually by the ARC member, but
collaboration among committee members is encouraged. Following the official review, ARC
members remain engaged by providing advice on correcting concerns noted in the review
and mentoring unit assessment coordinators within their home department.
Each year the department chair/school director facilitates and monitors progress on
assessment reporting through a variety of methods such as meeting individually with
program directors/unit assessment coordinators, referring the program director/unit
assessment coordinators to the ARC chair or institutional assessment representative for
specific assistance, including unit assessment coordinator report discussion as a department
faculty meeting agenda item, and inviting the institutional assessment representative to
faculty meetings. The chair of the ARC works with the department chair or school director
to support the unit assessment coordinators throughout the assessment process by
providing reminders of deadlines and expectations, encouraging participation in campus
assessment workshops, completing pre-reviews of assessment reports prior to the official
review deadline, and meeting one-on-one to discuss development and questions.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 31 programs (14 Bachelor's, 9
Master's, 2 Doctoral, 6 graduate certificates) were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Family and Consumer Sciences Education (BS) Example and Report
• Interior Design (BS) Example and Report
• Public Health (BS) Example and Report
• Birth through Kindergarten Education (MAEd) Example and Report
• Marriage and Family Therapy (MS) Example and Report
• Medical Family Therapy (PhD) Example and Report
• Social Work (MSW) Example and Report
• Substance Abuse (Graduate Certificate) Example and Report
Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences
The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences (THCAS) is dedicated to helping achieve
the broader institutional goals of maximizing student success, public service, and regional
transformation. To these ends, THCAS will:
• embrace its longstanding role as the liberal arts college of East Carolina University;
• prepare students for success in their degree programs, in their professional pursuits,
and in their roles as citizens in an increasingly global society;
• promote core values that include lifelong learning, scholarship and research,
leadership, and service;
• push forward the frontiers of knowledge through mission-driven research and
creative discovery;
• seek new entrepreneurial partnerships that foster programs of genuine distinction;
• recruit, support, and work to retain a diverse and talented faculty; and
• serve as ECU’s indispensable catalyst for enhancing student access, diversity, and
excellence.
THCAS is the largest college at ECU, is home to 16 departments, offers 35 undergraduate
programs, 23 graduate programs and 23 certificate programs, and hosts some of the
academy’s most influential disciplines and interdisciplinary programs in the humanities,
social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics. As such, it provides much of the
general education curriculum for all of ECU’s more than 23,000 undergraduates. The
charge is to ensure that instruction in this curriculum is both effective and inspirational,
thereby meeting the needs of all university constituents as well as those of society. Degree
programs in Arts and Sciences—at undergraduate and graduate levels—produce North
Carolina’s next generation of scientists, public leaders, educators, economists, authors,
historians, and more. ECU is the region’s university, and as such, programs are designed to
contribute to the economic, social, and cultural life of eastern North Carolina. The signature
Voyages of Discovery lecture series is the region’s premier intellectual event, bringing
notable scientists, scholars, thinkers, and practitioners to campus each year.
Assessment is led by two associate deans who contribute to the assessment efforts at the
college, implement the assessment review process and provide support for the departments
on assessment. These associate deans represent the college on the Institutional Assessment
Advisory Council (IAAC). Other members of the assessment team include department chairs
and program directors. Chairs have become an instrumental part of the assessment process
enhancing the stability and rigor of the process. The assessment team communicates with
the different programs regularly about updates in assessment, deadlines, and procedures.
This communication is done during the bi-weekly meetings of the leadership council at the
college with the department chairs.
Assessment at the college is divided into two steps: 1) data gathering, analysis, and
reporting during the spring semester; and 2) review process during the following fall
semester. The review process is done by the ARC. Its members are five associate deans,
three department chairs (on a rotating basis), and one ad hoc representative from
institutional assessment. The committee members are trained every fall prior to the review
process in the critique of strengths and weaknesses in assessment reports to achieve a
high inter-rater reliability. ARC members complete detailed reviews of their assigned
program reports using the university rubric. The reviews are then provided to the programs.
When needed, programs meet with the assessment team or with Institutional Assessment
to implement the required changes derived from the report.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 56 programs (21 Bachelor's, 19
Master's, 3 Doctoral, 5 undergraduate certificates, 8 graduate certificates) were eligible to
be included in the sample.
• Chemistry (BA/BS) Example and Report
• Foreign Languages and Literatures (BA) Example and Report
• Geology (BS) Example and Report
• Psychology (BA) Example and Report
• Business and Technical Communication (Undergraduate
Certificate) Example and Report
• English (MA) Example and Report
• Public Administration (MPA) Example and Report
• Security Studies (MS/Graduate Certificate) Example and Report
• Sociology (MA) Example and Report
• Geographic Information Science and Technology (Graduate
Certificate) Example and Report
• Statistics (Graduate Certificate/Minor) Example and Report
• Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication (PhD) Example and Report
Outcomes Assessment in the Division of Health Sciences
Brody School of Medicine
The Brody School of Medicine (BSOM) was founded in 1974 and established a three-fold
mission that continues to serve as a guiding framework for overall educational efforts:
• To increase the supply of primary care physicians to serve the state
• To improve the health status of citizens in eastern North Carolina
• To enhance the access of minority and disadvantaged students to a medical
education
BSOM offers a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree to which 82 students from North Carolina are
admitted annually. The school offers five other graduate programs and three certificates.
The PhD in Biomedical Sciences enrolled its first class in fall of 2017. The DrPH in
Public Heathwill enroll its first class in fall of 2018.
BSOM assigns the associate dean for Medical Education to serve as the faculty academic
lead for the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME). Beginning in 2016-17, BSOM
decided to revise the institutional learning objectives (ILOs) for Medical Education. BSOM
faculty periodically updates the ILOs based upon best practices. These objectives reflect the
educational processes that faculty utilize in assessing the achievement of student learning
outcomes.
The assistant dean of graduate studies serves as the liaison for the graduate programs and
works with faculty to evaluate and revise student learning outcomes,
curricula and assessment strategies according to the formal review process.
The following review process is used in BSOM to ensure that all programs conduct
meaningful assessment and that the results are analyzed and used to improve student
learning and academic programs. Faculty are asked to serve on the school’s ARC based on
experience as graduate program directors and/or knowledge of the assessment process.
Members are assigned programs to review outside of their discipline. The assistant dean of
Graduate Studies chairs the group and meets with the members to address questions and
concerns. Assessment is also discussed extensively in the Graduate Studies Committee
whose membership consists largely of the Program and Concentration Directors.
All reviews of educational programs are conducted individually. ARC members discuss
findings with the program assessment coordinators who are responsible for preparing
reports and entering them in Nuventive Improve. Reviewers provide guidance to ensure
follow-through with recommendations to improve programs. Individual programs and their
faculty are responsible for determining and modifying the student learning outcomes
following discussion within the Graduate Studies Committee.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 5 programs (2 Master's, 2 Doctoral, 1
graduate certificate) were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Medicine (MD) Example and Report
• Master of Public Health (MPH) Example and Report
• Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences (PhD) Example and Report
• Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities (Graduate Certificate) Example and Report
College of Allied Health Sciences
The mission of the College of Allied Health Sciences is as follows:
• To improve the quality of health through leadership, excellence, and innovation in
the delivery of progressive baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and continuing
education programs, providing professional and clinical services and conducting
basic, clinical and applied research.
The College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) is comprised of 9 departments and produces
the highest number of allied health professionals in the state of North Carolina. The college
offers 6 undergraduate degrees, 11 graduate degrees, and 8 certificate programs in the
Departments of Addiction & Rehabilitation Studies, Biostatistics, Clinical Laboratory Science,
Communication Sciences & Disorders, Health Services & Information Management, Nutrition
with Science, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies.
Most departments in the college have assessment processes that directly tie to their
national accreditation and licensure exams. Once the results of these exams are available,
faculty meet, identify, and discuss student strengths and weaknesses as measured by sub-
scales or in specific cognitive areas on the exams. The analysis of results is then used to
modify the program curriculum for the coming year. Faculty will conduct further assessment
in one or more specific courses over the year, evaluating student performance and making
adjustments in content and delivery, as appropriate.
Up until the 2016-17 academic year, faculty members were selected to serve on the
college’s ARC based on their knowledge of the assessment process. The associate dean for
assessment in the college chaired the group, and ARC members were assigned to review
several programs outside of their own discipline and provided feedback. In the college,
departmental chairs and program directors followed through with implementing the
feedback and ensuring that the reports demonstrate how faculty members have used
assessment results to make program improvements. In addition, during monthly
departmental meetings, faculty members were encouraged to share on what may or may
not be going well for students in their courses and what they plan to change to improve
student learning in the program.
A new dean came to the college in August 2016, but during the 2016-17 academic year, the
associate dean for assessment position was vacant. Therefore, institutional assessment staff
members reviewed the annual reports and provided feedback. In January 2018, a new
associate dean for academic affairs came to the college and will help oversee assessment
efforts, including serving as chair of the college’s Fall 2018 ARC. As before, the ARC
members will be assigned to review several programs outside of their own discipline and
provide feedback.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 19 programs (5 Bachelor's, 7 Master's,
4 Doctoral, 3 graduate certificates) were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Health Services Management (BS) Example and Report
• Nutrition (MS) Example and Report
• Health Care Administration (Graduate Certificate) Example and Report
• Physical Therapy (DPT) Example and Report
College of Nursing
The mission of the College of Nursing is to serve as a national model for transforming the
health of rural underserved regions through excellence and innovation in nursing education,
leadership, research, scholarship and practice. The College offers 1 undergraduate program,
3 graduate programs, and 6 graduate certificate programs. The college has an
organizational structure with 3 departments: Department of Baccalaureate Education,
Department of Advanced Practice and Education and the Department of Nursing Science.
The following review process is used in the college to document that all programs conduct
meaningful assessment and that results are analyzed and used to improve academic
programs. The college showed commitment to formal assessment processes
through creation of a standing Unit Assessment and Evaluation Committee (UAEC). The
college’s ARC is a sub-committee of the UAEC. Reviewers are paired to review the
educational programs in the College. The ARC pairs provide review, feedback and support to
the programs. Additionally, the College assigns a member of the faculty to serve as the Unit
Assessment Coordinator (UAC) for the BSN, MSN, DNP and PhD degree programs. The UACs
work with the faculty from their program to evaluate and revise curricula and/or assessment
strategies according to the formal review process.
Beginning in 2015-16, the college decided to revise all student learning outcomes to reflect
the Essentials of Baccalaureate, Master’s and Doctoral Education in Nursing (the
“Essentials”) as prescribed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, host
organization of the main accreditation body for the college (Commission on Collegiate
Nursing Education). These outcomes are more reflective of educational processes that
faculty utilize in assessing the achievement of student learning outcomes.
Student learning outcomes are evaluated annually and are congruent with University and
College strategic directions. To improve communication between faculty and the ARC/UAC
members, the four-column assessment reports generated from the Nuventive Improve
system for each academic and support unit are posted on the CON SharePoint site.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summaries and assessment reports. Based on
the inclusion and exclusion criteria described above, 4 programs (1 Bachelor's, 1 Master's, 2
Doctoral) were eligible to be included in the sample.
• Nursing (BSN) Example and Report
• Nursing (MSN) Example and Report
• Nursing Practice (DNP) Example and Report
School of Dental Medicine
The mission of the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine (SoDM) is to:
• Prepare leaders with outstanding clinical skills, an ethical bearing, sound judgment,
and a passion to serve.
• Provide educational opportunities for academically qualified individuals from
historically underrepresented groups, disadvantaged backgrounds, and underserved
areas.
• Provide and enhance oral health services for underserved North Carolinians
through implementation of community-oriented service learning and
interprofessional collaborations.
• Foster a learning environment where collaborations, creativity,
diversity and professionalism are embraced. Influence future clinical practice and
dental education through research, innovation and discovery.
The SoDM offers 1 pre-doctoral degree program, Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry
(DMD). SoDM consists of 4 departments including General Dentistry, Surgical Sciences,
Foundational Sciences, and Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics and Dentofacial
Orthopedics.
Assessment Review Committee Process:
The assistant dean for dental education and informatics, who is the chair of the SoDM
curriculum committee, works with the school’s Unit Assessment Coordinators to complete
the annual assessment report for the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) educational degree
program. Each year, an ARC, made up of SoDM faculty and staff reviews the assessment
report and provides feedback for consideration for program improvement. Because the
SoDM also operates under discipline-specific accreditation requirements, the assessment
report is designed with this in mind and addresses both SACS-COC and Commission of
Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards.
The curricular and pedagogical actions taken by faculty in seeking improvement are
described in further detail in the attached summary and assessment report.
• Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) Example and Report
Conclusion
In summary, ECU has identified student learning outcomes for all educational programs,
assesses the extent to which each program achieves the outcomes, and provides evidence
of seeking improvement based on analysis of results, therefore is in compliance with
standard 8.2.a.
CR - 9.1
Program Content
Educational programs (a) embody a coherent course study, (b) are compatible with the
stated mission and goals of the institution, and (c) are based upon fields of study
appropriate to higher education.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) offers educational programs that (a) embody a coherent
course of study, (b) are compatible with the stated mission and goals of the institution, and
(c) are based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education. Degree programs are
offered at the baccalaureate, master’s, research doctoral, and professional practice doctoral
levels as listed in ECU’s Academic Program Inventory and as authorized by the University of
North Carolina (UNC) system, ECU’s degree-granting authority. Academic certificate
programs, largely derived from academic degree programs, are also offered at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. All programs, regardless of delivery mode, are
consistent with the institution’s mission statement. Moreover, as part of the UNC System,
ECU links to the UNC mission statement, which will be discussed later in this narrative. The
university’s undergraduate and graduate catalogs provide comprehensive information about
programs and courses offered. A list of all degree programs is also provided on
the Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews.
Embodying a Coherent Course of Study Appropriate to Higher
Education
At the undergraduate level, ECU offers Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA),
Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration (BSBA), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Social Work
(BSW) degrees. All degrees require at least 120 semester credit hours of study. Degree
programs have core and elective courses within their discipline of study and 40 hours of
general education requirements. Courses progress in depth and breadth as course-level
numbers rise from the 1000-level to the 4000-level. Some courses require prerequisites to
ensure a foundation of knowledge before progressing to more advanced topics. Additionally,
many programs, especially in engineering and the health sciences, progress through lock-
step coursework to provide increasing levels of knowledge. Some degree programs require
students to choose from one of several concentrations in a specialized area within the
program. Some degree programs require courses outside the major discipline as part of the
program. All Bachelor of Arts degrees require 12 credit hours of foreign language study and
at least 18 credit hours of a minor in a different area of study. All undergraduate degrees
require 12 credit hours of writing-intensive courses and 6 credit hours of diversity courses.
Some undergraduate degrees have a pathway of progressive coursework leading up to
senior capstone courses that require students to synthesize knowledge in the discipline.
Graduate degrees at ECU are comprised of at least 30 semester credit hours of study at
both the master’s and doctoral levels. Typical graduate programs have a core of required
courses and elective courses. Some master’s degree programs require a thesis, internship,
or practicum. All PhD programs require a dissertation. Professional practice doctoral
programs (i.e., Audiology, Physical Therapy, Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Nursing
Practice) require clinical experience and clinical application of research. Courses numbered
at the 5000-7001 levels are master-level courses. Undergraduate students may be admitted
to 5000-level courses “if they have completed the stated prerequisite(s) or with the written
permission of the instructor, chairperson of the department, director of the school, or dean
of the college in which the course is offered” (East Carolina University 2018-2019 Graduate
Catalog, Significance of Course Numbers). Courses numbered at the 7002 through 9001
levels are doctoral courses; however, some doctoral programs allow students to take a
limited number of 6000-level courses. Qualified master’s students may enroll in 7002 and
above courses with appropriate written permission.
Certificate programs require a minimum of 9 semester credit hours; however, most range
from 12-18 hours. This applies to both undergraduate and graduate certificates.
Examples of degree programs: the BSBA in Finance, BS in Chemistry, BA in Philosophy, MS
in Criminal Justice, MS in Health Informatics and Information Management, MA in
Communication, PhD in Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, and PhD in Medical Family
Therapy. Examples of undergraduate certificates: Cultural Resources Management, Global
Cross-Cultural Competency, and Professional Selling. Examples of graduate certificates:
Behavior Specialist, Public Management and Leadership, and Student Affairs in Higher
Education. ECU has no unusual degree types in its inventory.
In accordance with ECU’s commitment to strong academic programs and the SACSCOC
Principles of Accreditation, ECU “places primary responsibility for the content, quality, and
effectiveness of the curriculum with its faculty” (The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations
for Quality Enhancement, Section 10.4, page 23, December 2017). Program faculty initiate,
prepare, and present proposals for new programs, and changes to existing programs,
through ECU’s curriculum approval process on an ongoing basis throughout each academic
year. These proposals address the coherence and sequencing of curriculum, regardless of
delivery mode, as noted in the examples in the next section.
Approval of Academic Content
Course and program proposals follow an approval process inclusive of all relevant ECU
campus bodies and voting faculty as stated in the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section VII.
The following narrative describes program level approvals and the bodies who approve
them.
ECU has instituted a practice of curriculum mapping for new degree programs at all levels to
ensure coherent plans of study. These maps link learning outcomes created by faculty, and
at times required by program accreditors, with topics covered in individual courses or areas
of focus. Careful review at the planning stages as outlined above ensure coherence in
sequencing, appropriate depth and breadth, and appropriate linkage between and among
program components.
As required by the UNC system, East Carolina University uses the U.S. Department of
Education Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) taxonomy for its degree programs,
further ensuring that ECU’s degree programs embody a coherent course of study in fields
appropriate to higher education. This national classification system “provides a taxonomic
scheme that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program
completions activity” (National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Post-Secondary
Education Data System [IPEDS], Classification of Instructional Programs). Programs at all
levels of study are required to establish and maintain linkage with the university mission
and goals from planning and establishment of new degrees to ongoing assessment of
existing degrees by internal and/or external reviewers.
Examples of degree programs established in 2018 include an MA in Hispanic Studies and
an MS in Mechanical Engineering. A collection of approval documents is attached for each.
Ensuring Alignment of New Degree Programs with University
Mission and Goals
The alignment of academic degree programs with ECU’s mission is evaluated at several
stages of institutional review, beginning with inclusion on ECU’s long-range (five-year)
academic program plan. Proposed programs must be approved for inclusion on the ECU
Academic Program Plan through the Request for Inclusion process or, by special
circumstance, through the Academic Council in consultation with the Faculty Senate’s
Educational Policies and Planning Committee.
In addition to institutional oversight, the UNC system authorizes constituent universities to
offer a degree program only after careful internal and external review, including the Letter
of Intent to Develop a New Academic Degree Program and the Request to Establish a New
Academic Degree Program. The UNC system planning documents specifically seek evidence
that proposed programs align with the system, university, and unit missions. Further, these
documents address program delivery modes, whether campus-based, online, or off-campus
instructional sites. All programs are expected to meet similar, high standards of quality,
regardless of delivery mode. An example of a new program working its way through the
process is the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Letter of Intent that has recently received
UNC-SO approval.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU offers educational programs that (a) embody a coherent course of study,
(b) are compatible with the stated mission and goals of the institution, and (c) are based
upon fields of study appropriate to higher education.
CR - 9.2
Program Length
The institution offers one or more degree programs based on at least 60 semester credit
hours or the equivalent at the associate level; at least 120 semester credit hours or the
equivalent at the baccalaureate level; or at least 30 semester credit hours or the equivalent
at the post-baccalaureate, graduate, or professional level. The institution provides an
explanation of equivalencies when using units other than semester credit hours. The
institution provides an appropriate justification for all degree programs and combined
degree programs that include fewer than the required number of semester credit hours or
its equivalent unit.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors (BOG) grants authority to plan and
develop a coordinated system of higher education in North Carolina in accordance with
the Constitution of North Carolina Article IX, Section 8. General Statutes of North Carolina
Section 116-11authorizes the BOG to determine the functions, educational activities, and
academic programs of the constituent institutions, which include East Carolina University
(ECU), and to determine the types and program length of degrees awarded. The UNC
System Office (UNC-SO) Code, Appendix 1, Section III – Delegations of Duty and Authority
to Board of Trustees confers authority to the UNC 17 institutions such that each institution
determines when an individual student has fulfilled the criteria to be awarded a particular
degree authorized by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. See Standard
10.7 for ECU policies on awarding credit.
ECU requires a minimum of 120 semester credit hours (SCH) for all baccalaureate degrees;
a minimum of 30 SCH for all master’s degrees; and 30 or more SCH for all degree programs
at the research doctoral and professional practice doctoral levels, except where appropriate
justification is provided. ECU has one professional practice doctorate whose range falls
below the minimum semester hour range in one concentration (see “Graduate Programs”
below for justification). The ECU Academic Program Inventory details the SCH necessary for
completion of each undergraduate and graduate degree program.
Effective Spring 2018, UNC Policy 400.1.5, Fostering Undergraduate Student
Success requires that baccalaureate degree programs must be limited to no more than 120
SCH of study. Exceptions are allowed only if the SCH requirement beyond 120 SCH is
approved by the ECU Board of Trustees and the BOG. For any program authorized beyond
120 SCH, ECU must notify prospective students in its recruitment materials that time to
graduation may be delayed. Any program authorized for 135 SCH or more (UNC Regulation
400.1.5[R]) is officially designated as a five-year baccalaureate program. At the time this
policy and regulation went into effect in 2018, 28 programs exceeded the 120 SCH limit.
Deans were instructed to request exceptions to the new requirement by May 1, 2018, and
to submit program revisions to reduce credit hours to 120 SCH for all other baccalaureate
degrees by Fall 2018 for campus review and approval. Two degree programs, the BSN in
Nursing and the BS in Engineering, requested exceptions due to specialized accreditation
standards and necessary rigor for professional practice; all others have been reduced to 120
SCH.
A list of all degree programs is provided on the Institutional Summary Form Prepared for
Commission Reviews.
Undergraduate Programs
Course and program SCH requirements for all undergraduate degree programs are
published in the undergraduate catalog. The official undergraduate catalog is provided in an
HTML version, which is updated as needed and fully reviewed annually. Minimum
baccalaureate degree length regulations (120 SCH) also are published in the Undergraduate
Catalog: Academic Requirements for Degrees and Minors. ECU has no undergraduate
degrees with fewer than 120 semester hours.
Combination Programs
The ECU Graduate School established a new accelerated bachelor’s/master’s program
policy in Spring 2018 to address combination (accelerated) degree programs to award both
a baccalaureate and master’s degree upon completion of the programs of study. The
Graduate School drafted the policy based on comparisons with other four-year institutions
and sound educational practice. The policy was approved by the ECU Graduate Council,
presented to the Faculty Senate for formal faculty advice, and approved by the chancellor
for implementation. A small number of combination programs were created before the new
institutional policy was enacted, and faculty in those programs submitted revisions in fall
2018 to meet the policy standards; full approval is expected in spring 2019, with publication
in the 2019-2020 university catalogs published in July.
Combination programs are intended only for undergraduate students with advanced
academic standing who meet the policy’s minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
Individual combination programs may specify additional or higher standards. “Students who
meet minimum admission standards are recommended for provisional admission to the
Graduate School by the graduate program’s graduate admission committee at the time
students apply as undergraduates” (Graduate School Policy on Accelerated
Bachelor’s/Master’s Program).
Faculty must submit a request for each proposed combination program, and each is
reviewed thoroughly on a case-by-case basis through the regular campus approval process
at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section
VII, describes the review process, and it is approved through the ECU curriculum
management system. Faculty planners must submit a justification for why the combination
program is desirable, including the gap they are attempting to fill, how the program
addresses the assessment of student learning, and how the proposal reflects information
derived from student or alumni surveys, as applicable. Other required information includes
delivery mode(s), other affected academic units, how the program will be administered,
when students may apply and start taking graduate-level courses, specific courses that may
be double-counted for credit (maximum of 12 SCH), and contingency exit strategies from
graduate study if necessary for timely completion of the baccalaureate degree. Approved
combination (accelerated) programs may be found in the undergraduate and graduate
catalogs, as follows:
• Accelerated Bachelor/Master of Arts in Mathematics
• Accelerated Bachelor/Master of Science in Network Technology
• Accelerated Bachelor/Master of Science in Information and Computer Technology -
Network Technology (pending publication, 2019-
2020 catalog)
• Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Communication/Master of Arts in
Communication (pending publication, 2019-2020 catalog)
Graduate Programs
General requirements for all graduate programs, including minimum program length, are
published in the graduate catalog. As with the undergraduate catalog, the official graduate
catalog is provided in an HTML version, which is regularly updated and reviewed annually.
A minimum of 30 SCH is required for all master of arts and master of science degrees.
There are no master’s degrees with fewer than 30 SCH.
Minimum length for ECU’s doctoral programs is 30 SCH in the subject area beyond the
master’s degree, with one exception, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. This
degree, which has a number of concentrations in various nursing practice areas, allows
degree completion for one concentration with 27 SCH beyond the master’s degree. The
Nurse Anesthesia concentration in the DNP allows this exception due to the amount of
coursework required at the master’s degree level (69 SCH).
The University offers five professional practice doctoral degrees:
• The Doctor of Medicine, which requires 184 SCH beyond the Bachelor of Science degree.
The plan of study for the MD program is found in the Catalog of the Brody School of
Medicine.
• The Doctor of Dental Medicine requires 408 SCH over 11 terms. Curriculum information
about the School of Dental Medicine for the 2018-2019 academic year can be found
under Prospective Student Information on the School of Dental Medicine website.
• The Doctor of Physical Therapy requires completion of 106 SCH.
• The Doctor of Audiology requires a minimum of 99 SCH. Information describing program
length of the AuD degree can be found in the Graduate Catalog.
• The Doctor of Nursing Practice requires 27-90 SCH, depending on the entry pathway and
specialty area of study. Program length is found in the Graduate Catalog.
How Program Length is Established and Monitored
East Carolina University meets and adheres to the program length and program content
guidance provided in the UNC Academic Program Guidance, Degree program, page 2, which
clearly indicates the minimum number of program-specific SCH required for degrees at each
level:
As a general rule, in order to be considered for degree program status, a course of
study should require at least 27 semester hours in the proposed program area at the
undergraduate level; at least half the number of hours required for the degree at the
master’s level; and at least 21 hours in the proposed program area at the doctoral
level. Anything less than this within an existing degree program should be designated
a concentration, a decision that can be made at the campus level. For teacher
education programs, the President may issue regulations and/or guidelines setting
parameters for required second academic concentrations (page 2).
New Programs and Review of Existing Programs
Departmental faculty recommend the length (SCH) of all proposed new degrees in
accordance with UNC Academic Program Guidance, Degree program, page 2, which was
described in ECU’s report on Standard 9.1. The on-campus ECU review process is described
in the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section VII (Academic Program and Curriculum
Development). Review of proposed new degree programs and final approval of new degrees
is done at the UNC System level (UNC Policy Manual, Chapter 400.1.1[R], Regulations for
Academic Program Planning and Evaluation).
Additionally, every seven years each ECU academic unit without a specialized accreditation
undergoes an external review of its degree programs. Units with specialized accreditation
undergo review according to their programmatic accreditors' guidelines. Beginning with an
internal self-study document, ECU faculty respond to questions about academic degree
programs, and the curricula which constitute them. Content and length of degree curricula
are examined as one part of the Unit Academic Program Review process by faculty from
ECU’s designated peer institutions. Since program reviews began at East Carolina
University, no academic unit has been cited by review teams for either insufficient or
excessive curriculum degree hours.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU offers degree programs based on at least 120 semester credit hours or
the equivalent at the baccalaureate level; or at least 30 semester credit hours or the
equivalent at the post-baccalaureate, graduate, or professional level.
R - 10.2
Public Information
The institution makes available to students and the public current academic calendars,
grading policies, cost of attendance, and refund policies.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) makes current academic calendars, grading policies, cost of
attendance, and refund polices available to students and the public. These informational
documents and policies are linked from a variety of university webpages for use and
reference by university faculty, staff, and students, as well as the general public, and apply
to all campuses, sites, and modalities of instruction, including distance education.
Academic Calendar
The university academic calendar is developed by the Faculty Senate Calendar Committee
and presented to the Faculty Senate which makes a recommendation to the chancellor who
has final approval of the calendar. This information can be accessed from a link in the
resources section of the ECU homepage and in both
the undergraduate and graduate catalogs by the University Calendars link. The academic
calendars can also be accessed from the Students link on the Office of the Registrar website
and the New & Current Students link from the ECU Online website. The School of Dental
Medicine (SoDM) publishes their academic calendar on the SoDM website. The Brody School
of Medicine (BSOM) publishes its academic calendar for new and returning students through
the Admissions Bulletin on the BSOM website.
Grading Policies
Grading policies are developed by the Faculty Senate and approved by the chancellor.
Approved grading policies appear in the Faculty Manual, Part VI, section I, VIII – A-F (pages
6-9) and are included in the Academic Regulations section of both
the undergraduate and graduate catalogs.
In addition, grading polices can also be accessed from the Students link on the Office of the
Registrar website and the Prospective Students, New Students, and Current Students
sections of the Graduate School website. The Brody School of Medicine establishes grading
policies for the school which are available on the BSOM Student Affairs website. The School
of Dental Medicine outlines its grading policies in the SoDM handbook (pgs. 71-74).
Cost of Attendance
The Office of Student Financial Aid publishes ECU’s estimated cost of attendance (COA) for a
student for a given academic period (fall, spring, and summer). The COA is also accessible
from the under financial resources tuition section of the New and Current Students link on
the ECU Online website. ECU calculates the COA by including tuition, fees, room and board,
books and supplies, transportation, loan fees, and personal expenses. The COA is provided
for undergraduate, graduate, medical, and dental students, and graduate and
undergraduate students attending summer terms. Each of these estimates is further broken
down into subsets such as resident versus non-resident, residential versus commuter, and
on-campus versus distance education.
Refund Policy
ECU’s refund policy is posted on the university Cashier’s Office website and is accessible
from the Drops/Withdrawals link in Students section of Office of the Registrar’s website.
This page also has a direct link to the current refund schedules for the Brody School of
Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine. The policy also appears in both
the undergraduate and graduate catalogs. Refund information for students enrolled in
distance education programs is available on the ECU Online website.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU makes available to students and the public current academic calendars,
grading policies, cost of attendance, and refund policies.
R - 10.3
Archived Information
The institution ensures the availability of archived official catalogs, digital or print, with
relevant information for course and degree requirements sufficient to serve former and
returning students.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) is compliant in its obligation to ensure the availability of
archived official catalogs, digital or print, with relevant information for course and degree
requirements sufficient to serve former and returning students. ECU
Policy REG02.20.01 (Undergraduate) and Policy REG10.20.01 (Graduate) outlines academic
regulations identified in the university’s undergraduate and graduate catalogs. Academic
regulations are valid until such time as revisions are made in a regulation. No student
pursuing his or her first baccalaureate degree or double major will be permitted to graduate
under a catalog issued more than five years prior to the date of his or her graduation. No
student pursuing a second baccalaureate degree will be permitted to graduate under a
catalog issued more than three years prior to the date of his or her graduation. Revisions to
academic regulations are posted in both the undergraduate and graduate catalogs upon
approval and are in effect as stated in the regulations.
All catalogs are published online for use and reference by the university faculty, staff, and
students, as well as the general public. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for
compiling new catalogs every year and maintaining archived catalogs. The Brody School of
Medicine (BSOM) publishes catalog information by attendance year from the M-1-M4
Orientation & Information or Scheduling links on the Brody School of Medicine Office of
Student Affairs/Registrar website. The School of Dental Medicine (SoDM) publishes catalog
information by attendance year in the SoDM Student Handbook link on the SoDM Enrolled
Students webpage.
Current and archival editions of both the undergraduate and graduate catalogs are available
online and in digital formats, sufficient to serve the needs of prospective, current, former,
and returning students; and alumni. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for
maintaining all archived catalogs. Catalogs from 2012-2013 through current undergraduate
and graduate catalogs are available from the University Catalogs link on the Office of the
Registrar website. Archived undergraduate and graduate catalogs between 2002-2003 and
2011-2012 are archived online and accessible from the Office of the Registrar’s ECU
Archived Catalogs webpage. The university no longer prints catalogs. Older printed editions
(1953-2010) are housed and archived in the Office of the Registrar. Students can access
these printed copies by emailing a request to regi[email protected]. These emails are forwarded to
the Archived and Microfilm Records department for reply.
Archived catalogs for BSOM are housed both in print and digital format in the BSOM Student
Affairs/Registrar's Office. Former and returning students can access to archived catalogs by
emailing a request to the BSOM registrar. Archived Course Handbooks for the SoDM can be
accessed through the Alumni link. Former and returning students may gain access by by
logging in with their ECU user name and passcode.
The undergraduate and graduate catalogs are updated with curricular and program changes
that are initiated, prepared, and presented for review through ECU’s curriculum
management system. Policies and procedures for teaching and curriculum regulations,
procedures, and academic program development are outlined in the Faculty Manual Part VI,
Section VII. All changes completing the approval processes are forwarded to the Office of
the Registrar for catalog update. In addition, new and revised policies and regulations
passed by the Faculty Senate and Graduate Council are also forwarded to the Office of the
Registrar to be included in the catalogs. Selected members of the university community
annually review all catalog information for accuracy, including policies, in working editions
prior to publication. Both the undergraduate and graduate catalogs are generated through
ECU’s catalog management system and published annually.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU makes available complete, accurate, timely, accessible, clear, and
sufficient archival catalog information to serve the needs of the alumni and former and
returning students.
R - 10.5
Admissions Policies and Practices
The institution publishes admissions policies consistent with its mission. Recruitment
materials and presentations accurately represent the practices, policies, and accreditation
status of the institution. The institution also ensures that independent contractors or agents
used for recruiting purposes and for admission activities are governed by the same
principles and policies as institutional employees.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) publishes admissions policies that are consistent with
its mission. Students are admitted to the university on the basis of academic qualifications,
without regard to protected classes (i.e., race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national
origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, age, disability, political affiliation, and
veteran status) as defined in the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination Policy.
Undergraduate Admissions Requirements and Practices
Undergraduate admission policies for all categories of undergraduate students are published
in the undergraduate catalog. All categories of undergraduate admission standards are in
compliance with the state-wide policy established in the University of North Carolina’s
(UNC) Minimum Course Requirements and Minimum Admission Requirements. The UNC
minimum requirements outline that students should hold a high school diploma or its
equivalent and outlines minimum course requirements in English, mathematics, science,
social studies, and foreign languages. Admissions staff review academic credentials for each
applicant and offer admission to those who meet UNC requirements and deemed most
competitive in the applicant pool.
Freshmen
Admission requirements for freshmen are listed below:
• Official certificate of graduation (or its equivalent) from an accredited secondary
school and a satisfactory scholastic record.
• Fifteen acceptable units of secondary school credit, including in English, four course
units emphasizing grammar, composition, and literature; in mathematics, four
course units including algebra I, algebra II, geometry and a higher level
mathematics course for which algebra II is a prerequisite (fourth unit of mathematics
is required of students graduating high school in 2006 and later); in science, three
course units, including at least one unit in a life or biological science (for example,
biology), at least one unit in a physical science (for example, physical science,
chemistry, physics), and at least one other laboratory science course; in foreign
language, two course units in same language (two units in foreign language are
required of students graduating high school in 2004 and later); and in social studies,
two course units, including one unit in US history.
• Satisfactory scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test
(ACT).
Transfer Students
General admission requirements for transfer students are listed below.
Official transcript(s) from each regionally accredited college, technical institute, or university
previously attended showing the following:
• A 2.5 grade point average (GPA) on all hours attempted. (Admission to programs in
some professional schools may require a GPA which is higher than that required by
the university.) A minimum of 24 transferable semester hours is required for transfer
consideration which must include the equivalent college credit hours for ENGL 1100:
Foundations of College Writing.
• Honorable dismissal and eligibility to return to the college or university at which last
matriculated. (Attendance only at summer school does not apply.)
• Students who will be 21 years old at the time they propose to enroll may submit
their application for transfer admission, with 24 or more transferable hours from a
regionally accredited institution are not required to provide a high school transcript
or general educational development tests (GED) certificate.
Students who are under the age of 21 and do not have 24 transferable credit hours will be
required to submit final high school transcript and official test scores.
International Students
East Carolina University actively seeks to attract international students into its
undergraduate and graduate programs. The Office of Global Affairs serves as a
clearinghouse for the admission of international students. Academic assessments, financial
evaluations, and immigration issues as well as admissions are handled through this office.
Admissions requirements for international freshman and undergraduate transfer students
are:
• Graduation from a secondary school and submission of academic records and an
official English translation. Transfer applicants should request a course-by-course
evaluation of their university-level coursework from an evaluation agency.
• Non-native speakers of English are required to provide an evidence of English
proficiency by submitting one of the following:
o Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of minimum 527 (paper-
based) or 71 (Internet-based)
o International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.0 or higher
o 450 SAT I Critical Reading or 19 Combined English/Writing scores section of
the ACT
o Applicants who have completed at least 30 credit hours at a U.S. institution of
higher education and received a grade of B (3.0) or better for an academic
English writing/composition course will be exempt from the English
proficiency requirement.
o Applicants may choose to attend the ECU Language Academy (ECULA) instead
of taking the TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, or ACT. To meet English proficiency
requirements, applicants must successfully complete the highest level of the
ECU Language Academy (ECULA).
• Completion of an application for international undergraduate admission
Applicants Who May Require Special Consideration or Exceptions to Policies
UNC Policy regarding Chancellor’s exception guides ECU's admissions exception process.
Students who feel special circumstances should be considered during the admissions review
may request a holistic review. The intent of this ECU policy is to offer students the
opportunity to present evidence of demonstrable promise of academic success at ECU. The
review will consider all information supplied by the applicant with emphasis placed on, but
not limited to high school grade point average trends, college grade point average, rigor of
course work, duration or time away from high school or college, and other information the
applicant considers critical to the review of their application.
For example, a transfer student with an overall GPA including all previous work below the
ECU minimum of 2.5, but who has successfully earned a 3.0 over the course of their last 24
credit hours might be offered admission through the holistic review process. Another
example, a high school senior who does not meet the UNC minimum admission
requirements but who has a demonstrated artistic talent might be offered admission
through the holistic review process. Freshman applicants requesting a holistic review should
contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at admi[email protected]; transfer applicants
requesting a holistic review should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Out of the approximately 17,500 applicants for new full-time students in Fall 2018, ECU
admitted 20 students through the chancellor's exception process.
Graduate Admissions Requirements and Practices
Graduate admission policies are published in the graduate catalog. Admission to a graduate
program at East Carolina University is based on an evaluation of an applicant’s overall
record, experience, personal qualifications, and proposed area of study. The Graduate
Admission Office housed in the graduate school provides centralized support for collecting
admission applications and required documents. It distributes completed applications to
graduate program directors and faculty admission committees for decisions on the
admissibility of applicants through the use of third-party software products called Radius
and AppReview by Campus Management. Radius combines robust CRM and application
management functionality for tracking students from the prospect stage through
enrollment. AppReview provides a streamlined process to expedite application reviews,
student selection, and offers of admission. Both Radius and AppReview monitor
decentralized graduate admission decisions at the program level for timeliness, quality and
adherence to University standards. Instructions for applicants are maintained and published
by the graduate school on its website. Transfer credit and credit by examination policies are
published in the graduate catalog. The Graduate Council reviews and develops Graduate
School policy, including requirements for admission and recommends changes to the dean
of the graduate school, the academic council, and the chancellor.
Graduate Application Requirements
In order to be considered for admission, graduate applicants should submit the following
items:
• All applicants are required to submit a completed online application with a
nonrefundable application fee.
• Graduate programs have varying entrance examination requirements for degree-
seeking students with the most common tests being the Graduate Records
Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and the
Millers Analogies Test (MAT). Specific details regarding entrance examination
requirements by program are available on the Graduate School website. Select
graduate programs waive the test score requirement for high-performing students
that meet alternative prerequisites approved by the Graduate School and many
programs do not require entrance examination scores for holders of the master’s
degree or more advanced degrees. Official score reports from any program that
requires a standardized graduate admission examination must be sent directly to the
Graduate School from the testing agencies. The university will accept examinations
taken within the past 10 years; however, individual programs may have more
specific time requirements.
• Official transcripts are required for all earned post-secondary degrees and all post-
secondary course work completed within 5 years of the date of graduate application.
Additional transcripts are required for transfer credits in excess of 50% of the credits
required for a post-secondary degree. Post-secondary degrees and course work
include all educational work completed at the bachelor’s level or higher.
• Official transcripts and diplomas showing a full education history are required from
all foreign institutions attended unless a course-by-course evaluation of the
transcript from a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)
accredited agency is submitted.
• English proficiency is required of all applicants whose native language is not English.
[Details are included below and on the Graduate School Website.]
• Letters of reference, if required by the program, should be sent from persons who
can attest to the applicant’s academic competency or ability to do graduate work.
• A completed Statement of Purpose essay is required if mandated by the program.
• Individual programs may have additional application requirements such as auditions,
interviews, portfolios, narratives, etc. that are published on the Find Your Graduate
Program Search Tool website.
Graduate International Students
In order to be considered for admission, international graduate applicants should submit the
following items:
• Completed Graduate Application
• The Graduate School requires official transcripts and diplomas showing a full
education history in native language of issue as well as an official, notarized or
certified copy in English
• Letters of recommendation
• English Proficiency: Non-native English speakers who have not completed at least
one year of education (minimum of 18 credit hours) at a United States school, are
required to take a standardized English language exam or complete the ECU
Language Academy (ECULA). The Graduate School accepts either the TOEFL, the
IELTS, or Pearson Test of English (PTE). The Internet-based Test of English as a
Foreign Language (iBT TOEFL) score of 18 on each section for a total minimum score
of 78, IELTS score of 6.5, or PTE score of 65 (with 60 on each section) is required to
meet the language exam requirement.
• Official reports of standardized admissions test results must be sent directly to the
Graduate School by the testing service (GRE or GMAT).
• Financial information, along with certified evidence of financial resources to cover
educational costs and living expenses
Brody School of Medicine
Admissions requirements for the Brody School of Medicine (BSOM) are outlined on
the Application Process link under the BSOM Office of Admissions webpage.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required of all applicants who seek admission
to the Brody School of Medicine. While most successful applicants will have completed an
undergraduate degree before enrollment, each applicant must have the equivalent of at
least three years of acceptable work at an accredited college or university prior to
matriculation in medical school. No specific undergraduate major is required, but the
applicant must have completed one year of each of the following courses:
• General Biology or Zoology with laboratory (Botany alone is not sufficient to meet
this requirement)
• General Chemistry with laboratory (which must include both qualitative and
quantitative analysis)
• Organic Chemistry with laboratory
• Physics with laboratory
• English (or writing intensive courses)
The Application Process link outlines information on admissions requirements, selection
factors, the application procedure, interviews, the decision timeline, and acceptance
procedures. The BSOM Admissions Committee evaluates applications and select applicants
to conduct interviews. The Admissions Committee is composed of 30 to 34 volunteer
members (basic science faculty, clinical faculty, medical students). The above information is
published in the online Bulletin, on the BSOM Admissions website, and provided to
applicants via campus visits, phone calls, and personal consultations upon request. The
Admissions Office hosts an annual professional development conference for all admissions
committee members, during which this and other information is made available to them.
School of Dental Medicine
Admissions policies for the School of Dental Medicine are published on the Prospective
Students information page.
Admissions requirements include:
• A completed AADSAS Dental School Application
• Completion of the Dental Admission Test (DAT)
• A Residency Certification Number (RCN) through completing the Residency
Determination Service (RDS) Online Interview
• Successful applicants must have completed - or be on track to complete - an
undergraduate bachelor's degree prior to dental school matriculation. All prospective
students are required to have a bachelor's degree from an accredited US or Canadian
college or university. No specific undergraduate major is required, but regardless of
the major interest area, applicants must complete - at a minimum - the following
specifically required courses:
o Biological Sciences (8 semester hours)
o General/Inorganic Chemistry (8 semester hours)
o Organic Chemistry (8 semester hours)
o General Physics (8 semester hours)
o English (6 semester hours)
o Mathematics (6 semester hours)
Applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee and candidates under consideration
are invited for an interview with the committee. The Admissions Committee meets
periodically throughout the admissions cycle to review applicants based on the selection
factors outlined in the admissions process.
Sample Admissions Materials
Undergraduate Admissions Letter
Undergraduate Denial Letter
Transfer Admissions Letter
Transfer Denial Letter
International Admissions Letter
International Denial Letter
Graduate School Admissions Letter
Graduate School Denial Letter
Graduate School Admit by Exception Letter
Medical School
Dental School
Recruitment Materials
In publication of all recruitment materials, East Carolina University abides by the
professional policies and ethical standards at the forefront of national, regional, and state
professional associations including the following: the American Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the National Association of Graduate
Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), the Association
of International Educators, the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions
Officers (SACRAO), and the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions
Officers (CACRAO). ECU is also a member of the National Association of College Admission
Counseling (NACAC) and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling
(SACAC) and follows their professional and ethical standards. Additionally, ECU is a member
of several regional associations in other primary out-of-state markets, e.g., Virginia
(VACRAO), New Jersey (NJACAC), and adheres to the practices and ethical standards of
these organizations.
Undergraduate Recruitment Materials
ECU’s University Communications work in partnership with of the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions and the Graduate School to produce admissions materials and student
recruitment materials. Printed and electronic student recruitment materials including those
for distance education are reviewed and approved in keeping with ECU’s University Image
Manual. All publications listing courses and degree requirements must go through
the academic review process by the institution’s Division of Academic Affairs.
The Academic Review Approval process is published on the university Website. The
originator of a recruitment material is required to complete a signature sheet attesting that
recruitment materials have been checked against two official sources for academic review:
(1) ECU academic program inventory, an official list of degree and certificate programs
offered by the university, and (2) the appropriate undergraduate or graduate university
catalog. The approval form also requires the signature of a college dean, school director, or
designee before submission to academic review. The Coordinator for Academic Program
Development who maintains the ECU academic program inventory then reviews the
recruitment materials from the academic unit to verify that the program information
is consistent with official sources. Amy misinformation must be corrected before the
material is published.
Graduate Recruitment Materials
In the development of recruitment materials, the Graduate School follows the same process
as Undergraduate Admissions. Recruitment pieces such as The Graduate School:
Opportunities through Graduate Studies, which is the only printed graduate recruitment
piece, are typically revised in the spring and summer. The Assistant Dean works with
University Marketing and Publications in the design and development of materials. Mock-ups
are returned to the Graduate School for review. Administrative and admissions staff and the
Office of Academic Program Development review and approve content of materials
including Graduate Application for Admission and Admissions and Program Information for
accuracy of admissions deadlines, requirements, and program information. The on-
line Graduate Catalog and Admissions information website play a major role in providing
information to prospective applicants. The Admissions and Program Information site
provides current information on master’s, doctoral, graduate certificate, online, and
advanced programs including their respective application deadlines.
Sample Recruitment Materials
Admitted Student Mini Guide
Campus Visit Brochure
Freshman Travel Book
Transfer Travel Book
Graduate School View Book
International Student Admissions Guide
International Student Arrival Guide
Graduate School International View Book
Diversity Mailer
ECU Online Brochure
High School Counselor Desk Reference
Honors College Admission Booklet
Spanish Flyer
MSW OCIS News Release
MSW Information Sheet
Brody School of Medicine Admissions
School of Dental Medicine, Prospective Students
Undergraduate Admissions Training
Additional processes to ensure accurate presentation of university practices and policy
include Ongoing Admissions Counselor training which includes program, policy, and
procedural announcements and meetings throughout the year as needed. Counselors
participate in university training programs sponsored by Human Resources (HR) such as the
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO),
Advising Collaborative, and others as required/assigned. Staff also receive training on
student information systems (Banner, Xtender) and are provided shadowing and mentoring
opportunities with senior staff.
Structured annual training for new and returning counselors is held in August in the form of
briefings by representatives from all appropriate academic and student affairs departments
on campus. A staff retreat training session is held for the counseling staff prior to the start
of each fall term.
Graduate Admissions Training
The Graduate School shares recruitment and admission responsibility with the colleges and
takes primary responsibility for the processing of admission applications. Graduate School
admission staff are provided robust training upon hire and throughout their tenure as
needed to ensure that received applications are processed with accuracy and expediency
and that prospective student questions are responded to appropriately. Staff receive
training on the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), operational training for the
use of our consumer relationship management software (Radius) and student information
systems (Banner, Xtender) and are provided shadowing and mentoring opportunities with
senior staff. Staff participate in bi-monthly meetings with the Assistant Dean for
information sharing, professional development and the exploration of process
improvement.
The Graduate School provides hands-on training in AppReview and Radius, our application
management and CRM systems, to program directors, admission committee members and
authorized faculty and staff within each college for the purpose of reviewing applicant
credentials, initiating communications and making admission decisions. Hands-on systems
training is complimented by information available in the Graduate Program Directors and
Coordinators Handbook and an annual Graduate Program Directors Recruiting
Workshopoffered every fall semester.
Use of Independent Contractors/Agents
Currently, apart from market lead generation, ECU does not engage with independent
contractors or agents for recruitment or admission activities.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU is in compliance with Standard 10.5. The institution publishes admissions
policies consistent with its mission and recruitment materials and presentations accurately
represent its practices and policies.
R - 10.6
Distance and Correspondence Education
An institution that offers distance or correspondence education:
(a) ensures that the student who registers in a distance or correspondence education course
or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program
and receives the credit.
(b) has a written procedure for protecting the privacy of students enrolled in distance and
correspondence education courses or programs.
(c) ensures that students are notified in writing at the time of registration or enrollment of
any projected additional student charges associated with the verification of student identity.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
Distance Education: Student Identification
10.6 a. ensures that the student who registers in a distance or correspondence
education course or program is the same student who participates in and
completes the course or program and receives the credit.
Upon admission, new students receive their PirateID usernames and ECU ID numbers within
the ECU Admissions Portal from ECU Admissions. Once received, new students login to
the PirateID (PID) auto-registration system and follow the step-by-step screens to activate
their PirateID accounts, create unique passphrases, and set up their authentication
questions. Once activated, students are able to check ECU email and access various online
systems such as PiratePort, a secure Web portal that allows students, staff, faculty and
prospective students to access secure internal campus resources and services, and ECU's
learning management system, Blackboard.
ECU utilizes a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) system to determine that students
registered in distance education courses are the students who participate in, complete, and
receive credit for the courses. The authentication system requires that students securely log
on to ECU's network using their unique username (PirateID) and with their unique and user-
determined passphrase. The MFA system offers greater protection for student email,
requiring students to use not only their PirateID and passphrase, but also a response from
their phones that will send the students a unique pin number to verify their identity when
off campus.
ECU’s Passphrase Security Standards require students to have a strong passphrase that is
resistant to hacking, and students must reset their passphrases every 90 days and not
reuse their accounts' previous six passphrases. Students are notified via e-mail or system
messaging at least three times in the two weeks prior to expiration. When students use
their PirateID and passphrase to access information through PiratePort and ECU's learning
management system, Blackboard, their login credentials are encrypted for additional
security.
Two different identification (ID) cards, the DE Student card (paper card) and the ECU 1
Card, are available to distance education students. The DE Student card grants students
access to ECU computer labs and allows books to be checked out from the ECU libraries or
UNC System libraries. If DE students choose to access an ECU computer lab, a photo ID
with signature must be presented to ensure student identification is confirmed. If DE
students choose to purchase an ECU 1 Card, which is the official student identification card,
they must come to campus and present a government-issued ID with photo and signature
to confirm their student identity.
As an additional measure to ensure that students who register in a distance or
correspondence education course or program are the same students who participate in,
complete the course or program, and receive the credit, ECU faculty may choose to include
proctored exams in their courses. DE students in the College of Business, College of
Nursing, and College of Allied Health Sciences are required to utilize proctored
examinations. To support this effort, ECU played a leadership role in the establishment of
a state-wide proctoring network, which is now known as the UNC Online Proctoring
Network. The licensing of proctors in the UNC Online Proctoring Network is coordinated by
the UNC Online Proctor Coordinator. The UNC Online Proctoring Coordinator is a staff
member of the University of North Carolina Online Services.
At ECU, Testing Services in Academic Outreach, Continuing and Distance Education
administers proctoring services. Specifically, the Testing Services unit coordinates all
proctoring activities for the university. The Director of Testing Services supervises the
training and testing certification of staff responsible for providing all testing and proctoring
services provided at the ECU Proctoring Center and the Brewster Testing Center.
The ECU Proctoring Center is available to students enrolled in DE courses at East Carolina
University and all other universities within the University North Carolina system. This site
serves distance education students who need to take exams and faculty members who need
to setup proctored exams for their Distance Education courses. This service provides
verification of student identity in assessment and evaluation. Also available to DE students
is the Brewster Testing Center which serves as an overflow location.
In addition to signing into the university’s learning management platform (i.e. Blackboard)
prior to the start of exams, students must pre-register for their exams. Students have their
identification verified using a student ID Card and a government issued ID with photo and
signature when they check-in at the ECU Proctoring Center or the Brewster Testing Center
to take their exams. They are then escorted to the testing station where exams are
administered. Proctors closely and constantly observe students by walking throughout the
testing room after students are seated. Additionally, all examinees at the ECU Proctoring
Center and the Brewster Testing Center are monitored by a video camera system, both in
the reception and testing areas.
Through secure logins and passcodes and the widespread use of proctored examinations,
ECU verifies the identities of the students who register in distance or correspondence
education courses or programs as the same students who participate in and complete
distance education courses or programs and receive the credit.
In summary, ECU ensures that the student who registers in a distance or correspondence
education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the
course or program and receives the credit.
Distance Education: Student Privacy
10.6 b. has a written procedure for protecting the privacy of students enrolled in
distance and correspondence education courses or programs.
ECU has a written procedure for protecting the privacy of students enrolled in distance and
correspondence courses or programs. The institution’s Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA) Regulation includes the following on page four of the document:
5.4 Procedures for Protecting the Privacy of Student Information in Electronic and Social
Media Enrolled in Distance or Correspondence Courses or Programs.
5.4.1 ECU recognizes the importance of maintaining the privacy and security of student
identity and student records in an environment of computer networked, digital records
storage. ECU is diligent in protecting the security, confidentiality, integrity and availability of
all student records, including student identity. The University employs strict, standard
security measures, policies, standards and guidelines in an ongoing effort to protect
information resources, including student records. Students' personal information is
protected through a variety of measures, including the administration of policy and security
practices that govern the PirateID and passphrase associated with accessing ECU's
PiratePort Portal, and other services that support the educational process at ECU. Students
are required to have a strong passphrase that is resistant to hacking. Students must reset
their passphrase every 90 days and not reuse the account's previous six passphrases. When
students use their PirateID and passphrase to access information through PiratePort and the
University's learning management systems, their login credentials are encrypted for
additional security. All mission-critical University systems, including student records, are
maintained on network servers in the University's enterprise data center. The enterprise
data center employs state of the art layered security controls and physical access controls.
Users of information systems are prohibited from accessing data or programs for which they
are not authorized.
In addition to the FERPA Regulation 5.4.1 procedure instituted by ECU, student privacy is
also addressed within the ECU Faculty Manual: Part VI, A. Access to Student Educational
Records and B. Privacy of Student Educational Records, as shown below.
ECU Faculty Manual
Faculty Manual: Part VI. Section IV.IA. Access to Student Educational Records
A. Access to Student Educational Records
The university administers student educational records in accordance with the provisions of
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as the Buckley Amendment or
FERPA. This regulation provides that the student has a right of access to student educational
records maintained by the university or any department or unit within the university,
subject to certain exceptions which are outlined in this regulation maintained. This
regulation also protects the confidentiality of personally identifiable information in student
records. Except to the extent allowed by applicable law, personally identifiable information
contained in a student educational record will not be disclosed. A copy of this regulation is
maintained by the University Registrar. All members of the campus community should be
thoroughly familiar with this regulation and comply with its provisions.
Faculty Manual: Part VI. Section IV.IB. Privacy of Student Educational Records
B. Privacy of Student Educational Records
The university administers student educational records in accordance with the provisions of
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as the Buckley Amendment or
FERPA. This regulation provides that the student has a right of access to student educational
records maintained by the university or any department or unit within the university,
subject to certain exceptions which are outlined in this regulation maintained. This
regulation also protects the confidentiality of personally identifiable information in student
records. Except to the extent allowed by applicable law, personally identifiable information
contained in a student educational record will not be disclosed. A copy of this regulation is
maintained by the University Registrar. All members of the campus community should be
thoroughly familiar with this regulation and comply with its provisions.
In summary, ECU employs strict security measures, policies, standards and guidelines in an
ongoing effort to protect information resources, including student records.
Distance Education: Student Charges
10.6 c ensures that students are notified in writing at the time of registration or
enrollment of any projected additional student charges associated with
verification of student identity.
As required in the Advertising and Student Recruitment SACSCOC Policy Statement, official
ECU publications are readily available and accurately depict tuition, fees, and other program
costs including any fees associated with verification of student identity related to distance
education. To ensure that students are aware of the possibility that proctoring fees may be
charged, ECU published the following statements on the university cashier website:
At this time the university does not impose any additional charges specifically related
to verification of student identity. Students enrolled in distance education classes in
which proctored exams are required may incur charges levied by the proctoring site
they choose. Students may obtain a list of proctors located within their geographic
area along with any associated fees on the UNC Online Proctoring Network webpage.
In addition, the Distance Education Tuition and Fees Brochure (Spring 2018) and the
Distance Education ECU Online website include the following statement: “There may be
additional fees associated with Distance Education courses for verification of student identity
for proctored examinations.” This notification has also been made available at the time of
registration, as it appears on the registration screenthat informs the student that additional
charges may be required.
In the Spring 2018, the following statement was added to the Undergraduate Catalog:
Distance Education, the Graduate Catalog: Distance Education, as approved by the Distance
Education and Learning Technology Committee and Faculty Senate.
Students enrolled in online distance education classes through ECU, or through UNC
Online, in which proctored exams are required, have access to the DE (Distance
Education) Proctoring Center, http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/deproctoring/. The
university does not impose any proctoring fees on students enrolled in its distance
education courses if they utilize the ECU proctoring center. However, students can
select alternate proctoring sites/providers and may obtain a list of proctors located
within their geographic area, along with any associated fees on the UNC Online
Academic Services website. Students may incur charges with alternate providers if
they choose to have their exams proctored at sites external to ECU. When students
select alternate proctoring sites, the university does not impose any additional
charges specifically related to verification of student identity.
Through these written notifications and procedures, ECU notifies students at the time of
registration of any projected additional student charges associated with verification of
student identity.
In summary, ECU ensures that students are notified in writing at the time of registration or
enrollment of any projected additional student charges associated with verification of
student identity.
R - 10.7
Policies for Awarding Credit
The institution publishes and implements policies for determining the amount and level of
credit awarded for its courses, regardless of format or mode of delivery. These policies
require oversight by persons academically qualified to make the necessary judgments. In
educational programs not based on credit hours (e.g., direct assessment programs), the
institution has a sound means for determining credit equivalencies.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) publishes and employs sound, effective policies and practices
for determining the amount and level of credit awarded for courses, regardless of format or
mode of delivery. All of ECU’s educational programs are based on semester credit hours;
ECU does not offer direct assessment programs. This narrative describes the following
aspects of these practices:
• The University’s definition of a semester hour of credit, course level and course
numbering system;
• Credit hour equivalencies for medical and dental programs; and
• Institutional policies and procedures for determining the credit hour value and level
for new or revised courses.
Evidence that ECU follows its own policy to determine the amount and level of credit
awarded for its courses is included in the narrative.
Semester Credit Hour Policy
University Policy
ECU Regulation 02.07.01, Definition of a Semester Credit Hour, is published on ECU’s Policy
Manual website. The policy, adopted in June 2011 and updated in Spring 2018 per Faculty
Senate Resolution #18-11, applies to all courses at all levels that award academic credit
(i.e., any course that appears on an official transcript issued by the university) regardless of
the mode of delivery or site of instruction, including but not limited to self-paced, online,
blended/hybrid, lecture, seminar, studio, laboratory, independent studies, internship,
practicum, service learning, and other experiential learning activities.
The ECU credit hour policy adheres to federal regulations (34 CFR 668.8, July 1, 2011), as
well as the University of North Carolina (UNC) System Policy Manual 400.1.6. ECU's credit
hour policy states that “a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning
outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement.” A semester credit hour is
approximately:
• One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out
of
class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or
trimester
hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the
equivalent
amount of work over a different amount of time, or
• At least an equivalent amount of work as required outlined in the item above for
other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work,
internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of
credit hours.
As a constituent member of the UNC System, ECU complies with the instructional time
requirement stated in UNC Policy Manual 400.1.6when developing academic calendars,
degree curricula, and courses, regardless of delivery format or site of instruction:
All UNC campuses must ensure that every course offered for academic credit adheres
to the standard of a minimum of 750 scheduled minutes of instructional time or the
equivalent per credit hour. The time may include required examination periods, but
may not include study days.
Credit Hour Equivalencies for Medical and Dental Programs
Two professional practice doctoral degrees at ECU have supplemented the institutional
guidelines with programmatic specific credit hour policies that comply with the federal
regulation 34 CFR 668.8, UNC’s Policy Manual 400.1.6, ECU’s credit hour policy, as well as
standards of their accrediting body. Each policy reflects the curriculum architecture and
student experience in the curriculum.
The Brody School of Medicine (BSOM) has supplemented the ECU Credit to Contact Hour
Guidelines with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which denotes how the institutional
guidelines are applied to the courses and clerkships taken within the BSOM medical
curriculum by students. The School of Dental Medicine (SoDM) has also supplemented the
ECU Credit to Contact Hour Guidelines with SOP #: SAFF.0019, which describes how ECU
guidelines are used to assign academic credit hours to coursework completed by students in
the Doctor of Dental Medicine program.
Courses Delivered Off Campus or in Alternate Delivery Modes
ECU’s credit hour policy applies to all courses, regardless of format or mode of delivery.
ECU’s undergraduate and graduate catalogs, in the Distance Education section, state that,
“Online courses are taught by the same faculty that teach on-campus courses. The level of
coursework, required readings, and examinations are the same for online and on-campus
courses.” Furthermore, ECU’s Distance Education Policies (in Faculty Manual, Part VI,
Section III, page 2) specifies the expectations for distance education courses and programs:
Programs offered via distance education shall be consistent with the mission of East
Carolina University and the academic unit offering the courses or programs. There
shall be no distinctions in academic rigor or content between programs offered
through distance education and those offered on campus. Development of new online
programs and courses will follow the same development and approval procedures as
for face-to-face programs and courses (Part VI, Section VII). Selection of courses and
programs to be offered via distance education is the purview of the offering academic
unit. The academic units shall provide oversight of programs and courses delivered via
distance education to ensure that each is coherent and complete and has learning
outcomes appropriate to the level and rigor of the course or program.
Definition of Level of Credits
ECU uses a three-letter or four-letter course prefix to indicate the discipline of the subject
area of a course. ECU’s undergraduate and graduate catalogs include a list of all course
prefixes, associated disciplines, affiliated academic units, as well as significance of course
numbers. Courses numbered 0001-0999 are considered remedial. These courses accrue no
credit towards a degree and are not calculated towards a student's grade point average
(GPA). Courses numbered 1000-1999 are first year courses, 2000-2999 are sophomore
courses, 3000-3999 are junior courses and 4000-4999 senior courses. At the graduate
level, courses numbered 5000 through 7001 are master’s courses. Doctoral courses are
numbered from 7002 through 9001.
Contact to Credit Hour Determination
In order to help faculty determine appropriate credit to contact hour assignment and
facilitate the oversight of course credit hour assignment by curriculum committees, ECU
has formalized Credit to Contact Hour Guidelines to accompany REG02.07.01. These
guidelines define parameters for both instructional method of delivery and instructional
format (e.g., clinical, colloquia, individual study, lab, internship/field experience/cooperative
education, lecture, physical activity, practicum, recitation, recital/performance/ensemble,
seminar, studio, student teaching, study abroad, and dissertation/thesis). To demonstrate
ECU’s compliance with its own credit hour policy and guidelines, examples of syllabi
demonstrating instructional format types are provided:
• ACCT 6951 - Seminar Course Example
• ART 1015 - Studio Course Example
• BIOL 2141 - Laboratory Course Example
• BIOL 3220/3221 - Lecture & Laboratory Course Example
• ELEM 4324 - Student Teaching Course Example
• BUSI 4001 - Internship Course Example & Internship Form
• CSDI 8030 - Colloquia Course Example
• Biol 3504 - Independent Study Course Example - 1 s.h.; 2 s.h.; 3 s.h.
• OB GYN Syllabus - Clinical Course Example
• MIDG 5993 - Study Abroad Course Example & Study Abroad Contact Hour Worksheet
Sample
• OMGT 6613 - Face-to-face & DE Course Comparison Example
• SOCW 6140 - On-campus & Off-site Location Comparison Example
• PHLY 6700 Syllabus & Schedule - BSOM Lecture Course Example
• DENT 8140 Syllabus - SoDM Lecture Course Example
Policy Oversight by Academically Qualified Persons
University Practices
ECU “places primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of the
curriculum with its faculty” (the Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section VII, page 2). When a new
course is proposed or an existing course needs revision, the course must be approved by
the departmental curriculum committee, the college or school curriculum committee, the
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) or Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC), and
the ECU Faculty Senate (for new undergraduate courses only). Departmental committees
are composed of faculty in the field. College/school level curriculum committees include
faculty representation from different departments. Both new course and course revision
proposal forms include required fields for course attributes (e.g., credit hour, course level,
etc.), syllabi information, and faculty’s justification for the new course or revision. Such
information allows curriculum committees to evaluate the amount and level of credits
assigned to the course. See specific examples below.
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) consists of eight elected faculty members,
the Chancellor or a representative, the Provost or a representative, the Vice Chancellor for
Health Sciences or a representative, the Chair of the Faculty or a representative, and one
student representative from the Student Government Association. See the UCC Charge,
updated in February 2016. The 2017-18 UCC Roster includes ten members with faculty
status, the Director of Academic Planning and Accreditation, and one student
representative.
The Graduate Curriculum Committee (GCC) consists of one graduate faculty member with
tenure from each college and the Brody School of Medicine (the Faculty Manual, Part II,
Section IV, page 8). Members are nominated by their respective deans through a process
established by the school or college. Members have experience in either or both master’s
and doctoral programs. There are two ex-officio members with vote, including the president
of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate or representative, and the Director of
Academic Planning and Accreditation. The Graduate Council reviews the credentials of the
nominees and approves members to serve on the GCC. The 2017-18 GCC Roster includes
nine graduate faculty members, the Director of Academic Planning and Accreditation, the
Dean of the Graduate School, and one graduate student representative. See the GCC
Charge as defined in the Faculty Manual, Part II, Section IV, pages 8-9.
These faculty groups all review proposed new courses and course revisions to ensure
consistency with the ECU Credit Hour Policy described above. If a committee does not
approve the amount or level of credit proposed, the proposal is returned to the originating
unit for reconsideration. The campus approval process for new courses or revising courses is
well documented and can be found in the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section VII.
Courses that vary in the number of credit hours based on the volume of content covered or
work performed (e.g., independent studies, independent research, special topics, etc.) are
carefully documented and reviewed in accordance with the Guidelines for Courses with
Varying Credit Hours developed by UCC and GCC. For example, special topics courses that
include varying credit hours must identify how the topic is chosen and must include a listing
of potential topic areas. All course proposals for varying credit hours must have clear,
identifiable methods of determining what needs to be completed for differing numbers of
credits.
All new or revised courses proposed to be delivered off campus, fully online, and/or in an
alternative format go through the same vetting process as face-to-face courses. The
amount and level of credit awarded to a course are the same regardless of format or mode
of delivery. According to the ECU Policy on Distance Education, “There shall be no
distinctions in academic rigor or content between programs offered through distance
education and those offered on campus.”
To demonstrate ECU’s compliance with its own credit hour and course level review policies
and practices, the following evidence is provided:
Course Renumbering:
Department of Physics - Renumbering PHYS 4700 & 4701
• PHYS 4700 Course Proposal Form
• PHYS 4701 Course Proposal Form
• PHYS Memorandum of Request
• UCC 2017-03-23 Meeting Minutes - committee discussion and course approvals
Department of Nutrition - renumbering NUTR 4700 to 3700
• NUTR 4700 to 3700 Course Revision form with justification for the change
• UCC 2018-03-22 Meeting Minutes – committee discussion, request for amendment of
proposal, and approval of change
Credit Hour Revisions:
Department of Biology - Revising 3504 to be a variable credit course
• BIOL 3504 Course Revision Form
• UCC 2017-12-14 Meeting Minutes - committee discussion and course approval
Department of Psychology – revising PSYC 4990 to be a variable credit course
• PSYC 4990 Course Revision Form
• UCC 2015-01-22 Meeting Minutes – committee discussion, request for amendment of
proposal, and approval of change
Department of Geological Sciences – revising GEOL 6601 to a different level and to be a
variable credit course
• Department of Geological Sciences, Memorandum of Request
• GEOL 6601 Course Revision form with justification for the change
• GCC 2018-04-04 Meeting Minutes – committee discussion, request for amendment,
and approval of change
Credit Hour Changes:
School of Art & Design - revision of ART 2123 from 1 to 3 credit hours
• School of Art & Design, Long Course Revision Form
• UCC 2018-09-27 Meeting Minutes - committee discussion and approval of change
Department of Public Health – revision of MPH 6702 and 7202 from 4 to 3 credit hours
• Department of Public Health, Memorandum of Request
• GCC 2016-01-20 Meeting Minutes – committee discussion, request for amendment of
proposal, and approval of change
New Course Adoption:
College of Health and Human Performance
• ATEP 6180 New Course Form
• GCC 2018-10-03 Meeting Minutes - committee discussion and approval of course
adoption
College of Nursing (with online delivery)
• NURS 8291 New Course Form
• NURS 8292 New Course Form
• GCC 2018-02-21 Meeting Minutes – committee discussion, request for amendment of
proposal, and approval of change
School of Theater & Dance (study abroad)
• THEA 3618 New Course Form
• UCC 2018-11-13 Meeting Minutes
Brody School of Medicine
• HUMS 7201 New Course Form
• GCC 2017-11-15 Meeting Minutes
Conclusion
ECU publishes its credit hour policy on its Policy Manual website and places primary
responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of the curriculum with its faculty.
Curriculum committees at departmental, college/school, and institutional levels, composed
primarily of faculty with appropriate academic qualifications, review and determine the
amount and level of credit awarded for each course. Curriculum committees apply the
university’s policy to all courses, regardless of format or mode of delivery.
R - 10.9
Cooperative Academic Arrangements
The institution ensures the quality and integrity of the work recorded when an institution
transcripts courses or credits as its own when offered through a cooperative academic
arrangement. The institution maintains formal agreements between the parties involved,
and the institution regularly evaluates such agreements.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) does not transcript any courses or credits as its own when
offered through a cooperative academic arrangement. These courses are recorded as
transfer hours in official transcripts. ECU has no joint or dual academic degrees with another
institution.
ECU is a constituent institution in a statewide distance education agreement, UNC Online
(UNCO). When an ECU student completes a course through UNCO, the earned credit hours
are transcripted as transfer hours. The UNCO Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) describes the purpose of UNC Online as “permitting students to complete their
program requirements in a timely manner by providing them with course offerings and
course delivery modes that might not be available at their home institutions (defined as the
institution in which the student is enrolled).” As stated in the MOU, “The UNCO inter-
institutional registration process is multi-institutional in nature and requires UNC system
institutions to collaborate on common practices.” The MOU then outlines the common
practices for course listings, student eligibility, student registration, grades, billing, financial
aid, institutional calendars, provision for a custodian to receive FERPA-protected student
information, and terms of termination of the agreement.
The letter of notification to SACSCOC and response letter from SACSCOC are provided here.
As stated in the MOU, the initial term of the agreement is from 2018-2021. ECU evaluates
the UNCO agreement on an ongoing basis through an annual update on overall enrollment
trends and program level enrollment trends. The MOU states that “all parties may terminate
this MOU with one academic calendar term prior written notice for any reason.”
Conclusion
In summary, ECU does not transcript any courses or credits as its own when offered
through a cooperative academic arrangement. These courses are recorded as transfer hours
in official transcripts. ECU has no joint or dual academic degrees with another institution.
CR - 12.1
Student Support Services
The institution provides appropriate academic and student support programs, services, and
activities consistent with its mission.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (hereafter, ECU or the institution) annually supports the growth,
development, and learning of nearly 29,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional
students. All academic and student support programs, services, and activities are aligned to
ECU’s mission.
Mission:
To be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation, East
Carolina University:
• Uses innovative learning strategies and delivery methods to maximize access;
• Prepares students with the knowledge, skills and values to succeed in a global,
multicultural society;
• Develops tomorrow's leaders to serve and inspire positive change;
• Discovers new knowledge and innovations to support a thriving future for eastern
North Carolina and beyond
• Transforms health care, promotes wellness, and reduces health disparities; and
• Improves quality of life through cultural enrichment, academics, the arts, and
athletics.
We accomplish our mission through education, research, creative activities, and
service while being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.
Approved by the Board of Trustees in July, 2013
Approved by the Board of Governors in February 2014
ECU’s academic and student support services specifically focus on maximizing student
success by helping our students develop the knowledge and skills needed to successfully
reach their educational and personal goals. This narrative documents the range of services
that ECU provides to support student success at all stages from orientation through
graduate education.
ECU Student Body
Many of the ECU’s programs and services satisfy the needs of the general student
population, such as the Office of the Registrar, Office of Student Financial Aid, Student
Health Services, and Campus Dining. Other programs and services specifically benefit sub-
groups of students such as first-time first year, transfer, special needs, honors, distance
education, graduate, international, medical, and student athletes. As such, the University
provides a comprehensive and changing variety of coordinated student academic and
support programs and services outside the classroom, thereby designed to enhance the
learning and development of students at all points in the educational continuum consistent
with ECU’s mission.
ECU recognizes the value of co-curricular programs and student services in the provision of
a supportive learning environment for all students, regardless of location. Most student
support programs, services, and activities are administered collaboratively through East
Carolina University’s Divisions of Academic Affairs (modified org chart), Student Affairs, (org
chart), and Health Sciences inclusive of the College of Nursing, the Brody School of
Medicine, and The School of Dental Medicine.
Enrollment Services
The Office of Enrollment Services supports the mission of the institution through its
commitment to supporting students at every step from their application for admission,
financial aid and academic advising to providing transcripts for a graduate's first job.
Enrollment Services and its affiliation of offices provide quality, timely services for student
recruitment, retention and student success at East Carolina University. As a whole,
Enrollment Services support students from their application for admission, financial aid, and
registration in classes to providing transcripts for a graduate’s first job. Enrollment Services
also supports students during their collegiate experience by offering scholarship
opportunities, academic advising, academic skills coaching, and athletics student
development. Each of the offices highlighted below is staffed with experienced and
dedicated staff willing to assist students in every way possible.
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions provides competent, courteous, respectful and
efficient professional service to prospective students and their families as they navigate
through the inquiry, application, decision and enrollment process at East Carolina
University. This office is committed to ensuring that prospective students receive the equity
and access required to achieve academic goals.
Office of Student Financial Aid
The Office of Student Financial Aid plays a critical role in making sure that students have
access to the financial resources they need to enter and complete their college studies. The
financial aid office supports students in identifying and securing financial resources to assist
students in achieving a quality education and support their academic objectives. ECU’s Call
Center is the telephone gateway to the Financial Aid and Cashier's offices. The office staff
answers general information questions and assists callers with referrals to appropriate web
resources and/or connects them to University offices to get their questions resolved.
Office of the Registrar
The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the integrity of all student records in
accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Processes for maintaining
the security, confidentially, and integrity of student records are detailed in (link to website
description) The efficient communication of registration information to students and the
smooth operation of the course registration process are essential to making sure that
students complete their courses in a timely manner and in accordance with their educational
plans.
Office of Retention Services and Undergraduate Studies
The Office of Retention Services and Undergraduate Studies (RSUS) supports the
improvement of undergraduate academic education by offering programs and services such
as academic advising, the Pirate Academic Success Center (PASC), ECU Excels, It Just Takes
One, and Starfish, an early alert and connection tool. The office also works in collaboration
with other university initiatives and programs geared toward improving the undergraduate
experience with specific focus on retention, persistence, and graduation. Each of ECU’s
individual colleges participates in the Academic Advising Collaborative. The mission of the
East Carolina University Academic Advising Collaborative is to guide, serve and support
students by partnering with academic departments and support services, to promote diverse
educational experiences, and to foster professional success and responsible citizenship.
Students have easy access to many published and service resources (such as academic
plans by major for entering freshmen and community college transfers) designed to support
their educational planning and assist their transition through to completion of degree.
Students enrolled via Distance Education (DE) also have access to advisement.
Major Advisement Program
The Major Advisement Program (MAP) provides specialized advisement services for those
students who need additional support and guidance, such as those who are undecided or
reconsidering majors, who are experiencing academic difficulty, or who have been
readmitted to ECU. ECU advisors created MAP to assist students in making this important
decision through individualized self-assessments, as well as career and major exploration.
Additionally, students receive an increased awareness of available campus resources and a
stronger link to the campus community.
Athletics Student Development The Department of Athletics is committed to excellence,
integrity, and enthusiasm. The program, comprised of 18 varsity sports (eight for men and
ten for women), belongs to the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The Student
Development Department, offers student services to over 400 student-athletes competing in
the ECU athletics program and is accredited by the NCAA. The Office of Student
Development is committed to the success and graduation of its student-athletes by
providing extensive services and diverse experiences to promote academic achievement,
leadership, and personal growth. The office supports student-athletes transition to college
through orientation, advising, and social activities with the intent of supporting each
student-athlete to degree completion.
Office of Global Affairs
The Office of Global Affairs inspires, leads and facilitates the achievement of global
competitiveness by our students, our faculty and our institution through the provision of on-
campus programs, the establishment of international opportunities and the creation of
mechanisms through which the international understanding and movement of students,
faculty and staff is encouraged and accomplished. Domestic students have numerous
opportunities to study abroad as well as participate in globally focused co-curricular
programs. The Office of Global Affairs works with a variety of departments across campus to
facilitate and support student travel as well as leverage global learning expertise.
The Office of Global Affairs provides assistance to prospective international undergraduate
students planning to study at East Carolina University. The office collects all the required
application documents, makes admissions decisions, evaluates foreign transcripts, issues
immigration documents and sends out acceptance packages. The office also coordinates
the International Student Orientation and a variety of transitional support services such as
the First Friends Program, employment, and engagement in the International Student
Association.
Office of Academic Outreach, Continuing and Distance
Education
The Office of Academic Outreach, Continuing and Distance Education (AOCDE) links distance
education (DE) students to appropriate support staff in key University offices. From
admission to graduation, ECU provides a system of support services that acknowledge the
challenges students away from the campus have in meeting the responsibilities of their
families and careers in order to be successful in their academic endeavors. Successful
distance education programs require commitment, collaboration and cooperation from all
facets of the university. The AOCDE’s mission guides its staff in assessment of each
individual situation and not to simply direct students elsewhere to address their needs, but
to ensure a successful resolution. These services provide essential support for DE students
as they make progress in online programs. ECU's regulations and procedures regarding
distance and correspondence education are described in R-10.6.
Rather than develop alternative systems for DE students, ECU has developed web based
processes that support all students, both DE and campus. Dedicated e-mail addresses for
in addition to a toll free number staffed by student service specialists, help students
navigate the online resources available to them. They provide a single point of contact for
distance-education students. (AOCDE) is charged with assisting ECU students away from the
campus by identifying the nature of their concerns and marshaling the resources of multiple
offices to bring that concern to a successful conclusion by providing students with general
information, policies and procedures, and referrals to other support services on campus.
AOCDE publications and the Options for Adult Learners website provide information about
admissions, advising, registration, bookstore services, library resources and other university
services. The Online Distance Education for Adult Learners website provides a dedicated
portal where DE students can access services from across the campus. An online orientation
helps students become familiar with the resources available to them. A series of tutorials
guide them through processes through which they can interact with the university online
and become successful DE students. A communication plan developed by AOCDE provides
DE students with an email welcome each semester directing them to the resources and
services of the office as well reminders throughout the semester with important dates and
deadlines.
Division of Student Affairs
Student Affairs supports the mission of the institution through providing programs and
services that optimize student learning and leadership, builds a safe supportive and
welcoming campus community, fosters the emotional growth and personal development of
students, and makes a positive contribution to the overall student experience.
Student Transitions
The Office of Student Transitions provides programs and services to ease new students in
their transition to East Carolina University, and New Student Orientation is one program
offered. Undergraduate orientation programs at ECU are specialized to meet the needs of
entering freshmen and transfer students. New Student Orientation is designed to promote
student personal academic success and individual development. Informative presentations,
small group discussions, academic advising, and registration are designed to help students
enter the University informed and confident about their upcoming years at East Carolina
University. During the program, special sessions facilitated by university administrators and
faculty members are offered to provide students and their families with information about
the University.
The Office of Student Transitions welcomes students to the new academic year through
convocation and offers a diverse array of First Year Programs such as Pirate to Pirate
Mentoring Program, Camp P.I.R.A.T.E.S., and Pirate Read: ECU’s Common Read Program to
prepare students for the college-level environment, learn about resources on campus, and
development leadership skills. COAD 1000 is a course specifically designed to assist
freshmen in being successful in their first year of college and beyond. Taught by academic
advisors and student life personnel trained in understanding college student development
and the academic and social issues encountered by college students, course topics include
understanding the transition from high school to college, student development and
motivation, goal-setting, learning styles, memory development, listening skills, note-taking
skills, communication, critical - thinking skills, ECU academic rules, and career development
issues.
Career Services
Career Services serves all students in their career development to succeed as professionals
in a global community through strategies that encompass career exploration, career
readiness initiatives, and opportunities to engage with employers. Methods of delivery
include career counseling sessions, classroom presentations, programming, career fairs,
interviewing, networking opportunities, internships/co-ops, and technology such as
Handshake. Career Services also provides assistance to alumni up to six months post-
graduation. Alumni can attend ECU career fairs and retain access to all online resources in
perpetuity. Career Services operates on a Career Liaison Model, providing each academic
college with a designated career counselor to provide direct services. In addition, a special
populations career counselor serves deciding students, student-athletes and the graduate
school. Career Services utilizes a wide variety of strategies to reach students and contribute
to their career development and learning. Career Counselors meet with students in one-
and-one appointments/walk-ins, present to classes, groups and organizations, and teach
classes (COAD 1000 and Careers in Biology). The department also creates and prints
educational guides and brochures that can be shared in appointments, presentations,
events, and online.
Campus Living
On-campus Living affords each resident with a supportive and learning-centered
environment in three campus locations inclusive of 15 residence halls. Programs to Enhance
the On-Campus Experience include the First Year Experience, Finding Opportunities to
Connect Undergraduates with Service (F.O.C.U.S.), the Jarvis Leadership Program, the
Global Community Program, Music Living and Learning Community, the Engineering
Learning Community, Wellness Living Learning Community, and Honors Living Learning
Community. There are currently 30 Campus Dining Locations on the main and Health
Sciences Campus offering students a variety of convenient and healthy dining options to fit
their individual taste, schedule, and geographic needs. Free podcasts available through
iTunes offer both residents and commuters a unique and portable source of important
information about smart nutrition choices, menu options, and eco-friendly tips for dining on
or off-campus. The Resident Handbook provides information on services provided in the
residence halls, dining locations, standards for residence hall living, and safety and security
matters. Because enrollment far exceeds on-campus housing capacity, Off-Campus Student
Services provides programs and services to meet the needs of commuter students and
encourage involvement in campus life beyond the classroom. This outreach is critical to
ensuring that all ECU students feel engaged as members of the University community,
regardless of where they live. Free, safe, and dependable transportation is readily available
for all students via the ECU Transit, supplemented by Safe Ride, a point-to-point van service
that operates to supplement the bus transit system.
Student Involvement and Leadership
Student Involvement and Leadership (SIL) offers a broad range of co-curricular, cultural,
educational, recreational, and social programs, which supports the university in achieving its
mission of being the cultural center of the region. SIL provides operational oversight for two
campus student centers. In January 2019, East Carolina University’s new 210,000-square-
foot Main Campus Student Center opened its doors to students, faculty and staff, alumni,
and friends of ECU for the first time. The new hub of campus is double the size
of Mendenhall Student Center (MSC), ECU’s previous main campus student center, which
was built in 1974. The new building is silver-level LEED certified with six dining options, a
grand ballroom capable of seating 1,800 people, and a jumbo outdoor movie screen.
Additional facilities and services available include an information desk; study and TV
lounges; meeting, conference, and multi-purpose rooms; a black-box theatre; Central
Ticket Office and Central Reservations Office. The Main Student Center serves as the home
for all major departments associated with Student Involvement and Leadership. The state-
of-the-art 75,000 square foot Health Sciences Student Center opened in 2016 and is the
first standalone student center on a medical campus in North Carolina as well as one of the
few in the United States. This multi-purpose facility houses various student services,
activities, and a full-service 25,000 square foot recreation and wellness center. The center
serves the students, faculty, staff, and guests of the Health Sciences Campus, bridging
community, service, and leadership across programs and campuses.
Student Activities and Organizations
While at MSC, students can visit The Office of Student Activities and Organizations to access
resources and information regarding professional and personal development opportunities
and attend educational seminars/ training programs and social and cultural activities that
are supported by the Student Activities Board (SAB). ECU has over 450 campus
organizations within 22 different interest categories such as academic, arts, cultural,
graduate, leadership, medical, military, recreational, religious, and service. Examples of
organizations include the four national Greek Councils, and the American Fisheries
Society. The Student Government Association (SGA) provides an official voice for expressing
all students’ opinions and a portal for participation in those decisions affecting students.
Greek Life
The Department of Greek Life provides students a unique opportunity to join fraternities and
sororities during their college experience. Through this department a student will receive
academic support, opportunities to develop leadership skills and participate in hands on civic
engagement and community service. Greek Life is composed of four councils: Interfraternity
Council (IFC), Panhellenic Council (PHC), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and
Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) comprising 38 fraternities and soroities with a
membership of more than 3,000 students.
Intercultural Affairs
The Department of Intercultural Affairs cultivates a transformative and culturally competent
community centered on inter- and intra-cultural learning. Through collaboration,
Intercultural Affairs develops co-curricular programs and services that facilitate cross-
cultural dialogue, promotes cultural competency development, and engages the community
in reflective experiences that encourage self-exploration and challenges bias of race,
ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, social class, or
other distinctions. Signature programs include the NC Civility Summit and the Social Justice
Symposium. Three cultural centers comprise the Department of Intercultural Affairs to help
prepare students with the knowledge, skills and values to succeed in a global, multicultural
society.
1. Ledonia Wright Cultural Center
The Ledonia Wright Cultural Center (LWCC) seeks to create and maintain a supportive and
inclusive campus environment through programming, services, and advocacy. Named for a
popular and respected university professor who advised the university's first African-
American student organization, the LWCC, serves as a facility for research, educational
programming and as the repository for the university's collection of African and African-
American art. LWCC provides assistance and advisement on the recruitment, retention and
graduation of multi-ethnic students, and provides multi-ethnic students with opportunities
to communicate their concerns. Notably, LWCC serves as the home for heritage month
celebrations; signature programs such as Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, culture Fest,
and ALANA; discussion groups, and the CULTURE Board.
2. Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center
The landmark creation of the newly named Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center, the largest
center of its kind in the UNC system, serves as a safe and welcoming environment that
promotes understanding, acceptance, and visibility of the LGBTQ community. The Peel
LGBTQ Center features expanded study and lounge areas, staff offices, a conference room,
and a lending library of more than 500 titles. Throughout the year, students may participate
in educational programs, special events, and national campaigns such as national speakers,
movie series, National Coming Out Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance, World AIDS
Day, “Gay? Fine by Me,” Bisexual Awareness Week, Asexual Awareness Week, and
Transgender Day of Visibility. All members of the university community are welcome to
participate.
3. Women and Gender Office
Opened in Spring 2019, the Women and Gender Office (WGO) serves students, faculty, and
staff at ECU from its office in the new Student Center. Resources include: a lending library,
a social and collaborative work space, and office space for our staff. The WGO offers
educational programs and events throughout the year focused on advocacy, celebration,
and education. Additionally, the WGO collaborates on campus-wide initiatives and events
such as Pledge Purple, a yearlong initiative focused on education and advocacy with the goal
of ending sexual violence, harassment, and bullying. While the WGO primarily provides
educational programs and services to support women-identified students and members of
the ECU community, all gender identities and expressions and/or gender equity allies are
welcome.
Leadership and Civic Engagement
The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) provides opportunities, support
and experiences for students to engage in the leadership process by developing
competencies, building meaningful relationships and enhancing personal growth. The Center
is intentional in creating co-curricular opportunities for students to create positive
sustainable change in real-life situations, grounding all leadership and engagement
experience in a variety of interdisciplinary theories, models and concepts along with the
guiding principles embedded in the integrated leadership framework. Program offerings are
diverse ranging from emerging leader engagement in the Emerging Leaders Program for
first year students, the Greek Emerging Leaders, and the Walter and Marie Williams
Leadership Awards Program; to deepened engagement in The Leadership Challenge, The
Organizational Leadership Challenge, Advanced Leaders, and Multi-Cultural Leader
Symposium. Special events feature a variety of conferences including the statewide,
reading circles, and a leadership movie series.
Consistent with ECU’s mission statement, the CLCE also engages students in
effective volunteer and community-based learning activities in order to strengthen
communities, promote commitment to civic responsibility, and enhance the academic
experience. Encouraging these activities supports the development of students who
understand the important role that they play as individuals within the global community
with special emphasis on awareness of community issues, respect for diversity, and
leadership development. Volunteer opportunities include the Campus Kitchen program that
pairs ECU students with the local food bank, the ECU READS/WRITES/COUNTS tutoring
partnership with local elementary schools, and events like Holocaust Awareness Day. A
popular student activity is the Alternative Spring Break (ASB), designed to educate students
about specific social issues by immersing them in diverse cultures and environments across
the country through service-learning. CLCE also serves as a key resource center for
connecting students, faculty, and community partners in a diverse range of service-learning
courses offered for academic credit.
Recreation and Wellness
Campus Recreation and Wellness (CRW) supports and encourages balanced, healthy
lifestyles for the diverse ECU community by providing leadership development through
educational and recreational programs. Students may take advantage of the award
winning Student Recreation Center operated by the department on the main campus, which
sponsors everything from outdoor adventure trips to club sportsto personal training.
Activities emphasize the development of the whole student, focusing on student leadership,
a sense of community, as well as fun and enjoyment. For students who seek an informal
athletic experience, ECU’s intramural sports program provides men’s, women’s, and co-ed
leagues, tournaments, and events in a wide variety of team sports and activities. With a
range of competitive levels, all interested students can find activities that fit their abilities.
Leadership development is facilitated through the Team Training Center with an Odyssey
Course located at the North Recreational Complex and the Alpine Tower and Low Course
located at the Blount Sports Complex. Student well-being is reinforced through the eight
dimensions of wellness programming framework (occupational, physical, emotional,
intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social, and financial). The importance of healthy living
is promoted by the student-run Healthy PIRATES/Peer Health Program and educates
students on a range of topics. Peer health educators are students trained to teach fellow
students about pertinent health issues. The wellness program also serves as a collaborator
with Campus Living sponsoring the Wellness Living-Learning Community.
Campus Recreation and Wellness offers a multitude of activities and outreach to students on
Health Sciences Campus as well. The Health Sciences Student Center Recreation and
Wellness space opened in May 2017. The 28,000 square foot facility houses cardio and
weigh training areas, a functional training room, group fitness studio, two basketball courts
and a wellness center. Programming at the facility, geared towards health sciences
students, commuters and graduate students includes fitness classes, wellness sessions,
intramural and club sport activities, and team training. Outreach on the campus includes
collaborations on numerous events including the smoke-free campus initiative, health and
fitness walks, and childhood cancer awareness.
Health, Safety, and Specialty Support Services
Dean of Students Office
ECU acknowledges that effective learning cannot occur if students fear they are at risk in
their surroundings. Located in the Division of Student Affairs, the Dean of Students is
committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment by offering to assist
distressed individuals and connecting them to appropriate campus resources. In addition,
the Dean of Students Office offers the campus community a portal for reporting behavioral
concerns to professionals on campus that can assist with solving the issue.
Student Legal Services
Student Legal Services is an advisory service directed toward helping students determine
whether representation by a lawyer is needed or beneficial in a given situation. Mediation
services and areas of advising may include landlord-tenant and lease issues, advice on city
codes, minor criminal matters, restraining orders, residency, and insurance issues.
Student Health Services
Student Health Services operates a primary healthcare facility located conveniently on the
main campus. Dedicated professionals (physicians, nurses, PAs, etc.) provide quality
healthcare to enrolled students, offering a comprehensive list of preventative and medical
services (such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation advice) to support the overall
health and well-being of the campus community.
Counseling Services
Counseling services are also committed to serving distance education students. The Center
for Counseling and Student Development has an online screening program for distance
education students as well as a network of counselors across the country that students can
be referred to. ECU cannot provide further counseling services to distance education
students beyond the aforementioned screening program and referral services because of
privacy concerns.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities promotes student awareness and
understanding of (student) rights and responsibilities as community members, engaging
students in ethical decision-making. It upholds the academic integrity and behavioral
standards of the University by adjudicating violations of the Student Code of Conduct in a
fair and consistent manner, treating each student with dignity and respect. The office seeks
to instill in students a sense of responsibility for their behavior both on campus and off
campus.
Disability Support Services
The Department for Disability Support Services (DSS) is responsible for ensuring that
individuals with disabilities have access to reasonable accommodations and services. The
department provides resources, information on policies and procedures, and the forms
necessary for support of students presenting with ADD/ADHA, deaf and hard of hearing,
learning disabilities, medical, mobility, psychological, and visual impairments. Student
support also includes facilitating access to assistive technology, accessible parking permits,
and accessible textbooks.
Social and Student Media
Student Media has an impact on the student body at ECU in many facets, such as providing
informative up-to-date information, but more importantly, Student Media provides a
working laboratory for the students to gain actual skills that can be used in the media
markets they choose upon graduation from ECU. These outside-the-classroom activities are
a great example of true co-curricular engagement and a way to reinforce what is being
taught in the classroom and read in their textbooks. At ECU, the students are exposed to
all types of media such as print and electronic forms. Currently, ECU offers WZMB 91.3
FM (student radio station), The East Carolinian (student newspaper), The
Buccaneer (student yearbook), and Rebel (student literary magazine). Many of these media
outlets have won national awards such as the Pacemaker Award, among several
others. Social media is also a great way for student services and the Division of Student
Affairs to connect with the students about special events. A majority of the Student Affairs
units have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. accounts that the students automatically
recognize and relate to for what they need for engagement, involvement, and maturation at
ECU.
Academic Support Services
Academic Affairs supports the mission of the institution through its commitment to
maintaining and delivering the highest level of academic instruction, support and guidance
needed for 21st century success.
Pirate Academic Success Center
The Pirate Academic Success Center (PASC) offers free tutoring, study groups, academic
skills coaching, mentoring assistance, community tutoring, and learning communities for
ECU enrolled students. Tutoring is available by appointment in most 1000 and 2000 level
and select upper division courses each semester and summer sessions. The PASC also hosts
night drop in tutoring Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 6:00pm – 8:00pm and extended
appointment hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00pm
to 8:00pm. Course specific tutoring and study skills resources are available to ECU students
on Blackboard (Bb). The Bb tutoring sites contain helpful videos, recorded workshops, and
test reviews. Tutor Matching Service (TMS) is an online tutor list that matches students with
PASC tutors for tutoring sessions for ECU courses. PASC staff have collaborated with Tutor
Matching Service for the convenience of students who either opt to not use PASC services or
would rather have a private tutor. TMS tutors offer their services on a pay-per-session
basis. PASC houses multiple learning communities, called CREWS. PASC CREWs are
designed to help new Freshmen or Transfer students successfully transition to ECU. CREW
members receive academic and college life transition coaching, peer academic mentoring,
social and cultural activities, priority tutoring, STARFISH monitoring, enrollment in common
classes, and learning center employment opportunities.
Advising
The mission of the East Carolina University Academic Advising Collaborative is to guide,
serve and support students by partnering with academic departments and support services,
to promote diverse educational experiences, and to foster professional success and
responsible citizenship.
The Academic Advising Collaborative is comprised of professional and faculty advisors. Most
advisors are currently housed within college advising centers, several advisors are housed
within a program, and some advisors are housed within the Academic Advising and Support
Center (AASC) which serves as a hub for the Professional Advising Collaborative (PAC).
Within this structure, undergraduate advising follows one of three models:
1. Students are assigned to a professional advisor from entrance through to
graduation. (Colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences – Criminal Justice
Business, Engineering and Technology, Fine Arts and Communication, Health and
Human Performance-Rivers)
2. Students are assigned to professional advisors until they are declared in their
major. At that time, students are assigned to a faculty member in their major.
(Colleges: Arts and Sciences, several programs within Education and Health and
Human Performance-Belk)
3. Students work with a faculty advisor from entrance through graduation. (Several
Departments in Arts and Sciences)
Student Athletics Tutor and Mentor Program
The ECU Department of Athletics Student Development Office offers current student-
athletes academic support through the Tutor and Mentor program. The program consists of
structured team study halls, individual and group tutoring, mentors, and study skills
workshops which are provided to student-athletes at no cost. The program staff is selected
from among the top students at ECU, who undergo a structured training program to ensure
the highest quality of services are provided, resulting in many successful experiences for all
involved.
Trained tutors provide support in a variety of academic courses enabling student-athletes to
experience success when working independently. Academic mentors help student-athletes
develop positive study habits and organizational skills. Structured, monitored study halls are
provided as a means to assist student-athletes in learning better time management and
goal setting skills.
Academic and Student Support Services Integrated Within
Colleges
The Honors College
The mission of the Honors College at East Carolina University is to recruit, engage, and
retain exceptionally talented students and to challenge them to attain high levels of
academic achievement. Each year a cohort of up to 200 students is accepted to the Honors
College. The Honors College fosters a diverse intellectual community dedicated to excellence
in the pursuit of knowledge, skills, and experiences within an innovative multi-disciplinary
learning environment especially designed to prepare tomorrow's leaders. They are required
to live in the Honors Living-Learning Community for their first year and participate in co-
curricular programming. Honors students have access to unique opportunities designed to
enhance their learning experience, such as the EC Scholars. The EC Scholars program is a
merit scholarship program ($40,000 over eight continuous semesters) offered to high ability
students who exhibit outstanding academic performance, engagement in the community,
effective leadership skills, and embrace a study abroad experience.
College of Business
East Carolina University’s College of Business (COB) provides an engaging learning
environment for the leaders of today and tomorrow while expanding business knowledge
and serving our communities. The foundation of our mission is the integration of four critic
elements: Think, Value, Communicate, Lead. To support the College in this endeavor,
the Center for Student Success (CSS), is a one-stop shop where our more than 4,300
students receive personalized support from a top notch-group of knowledgeable, caring staff
and faculty. The CSS consists of the COB Advising Center, COB Business Communication
Center, COB Career Center, and COB Graduate Programs. The CSS also works with the
more than 16 COB Student Organizations,. The COB Advising Center provides academic
support and guidance to our more than 3,500 undergraduate students. Educational and
social activities are designed and implemented by the academic advisors to enhance the
academic experience such as our Taking Care of Business Series, Lunch with the Dean, and
Academic Success Workshops. The College of Business Living-Learning Community gives
first-year business students a unique residential learning experience that connects
classroom learning with residence life. Students enjoy the typical advantages of living on
campus in a residence hall with the added benefit of living among other students who share
their academic goals and interests. The Advising Center oversees the COB Peer Mentor
program where current COB students serve as mentors and role models to first-year
business students. They participate in all COB events that are planned for first-year
students and hold weekly office hours to meet with students. The Graduate Programs
Office provides academic support and resources to our more than 730 graduate students
enrolled in the Master’s in business administration (MBA), Masters of Science in Accounting
(MSA), Doctor of Medicine and Master of Business Administration, (MD/MBA), Master of
Science in Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality (MS-STH), and 13 graduate
certificates. The Business Communication (BCC) strengthens undergraduate and graduate
students’ communication through workshops, class instruction, coaching, partnerships with
faculty, and online tutorials. The COB Career Centerprovides personalized coaching and
support to undergraduate and graduate business students as they prepare for a career
beyond ECU. The Career Center helps students identify and explore career options that
best suit their strengths and assists them in developing an effective strategy to attain
specific career goals. The Center is highly committed to matching our students with quality
internships and full-time positions. Our internship program has proven to be extremely
successful and serves to provide companies with topnotch students who have the skills
knowledge and enthusiasm to achieve their greatest potential.
The College of Engineering & Technology
The College of Engineering & Technology Advising Center in the College of Engineering and
Technology provides year-round student services for its almost 3000 undergraduate,
graduate, on-campus and online students, including undergraduate and graduate academic
advising, educational/academic programming, and career support. Advisors provide
academic guidance from the start of, and sometimes before, a student’s academic career,
through graduation and into their next steps beyond that level. These discussions include
pre-admission advising, academic questions and concerns, registration, career goal
guidance, and other life discussions. Graduate assistants within the advising center provide
student support for degree work and registration issues to supplement the advisor
discussions on a drop-in basis, and provide outreach to pre-admit students into our transfer
and online programs. Peer mentors, overseen by the Advising Center, and in coordination
with the program advisors, provide direct guidance and assistance to its first year students
as they move through their first year at East Carolina University. The advisors are available
via drop-in and appointments Monday through Friday, year-round. Although advisors
provide initial and general career guidance and discussion, the Career Development and
Leadership Center provides the opportunity for students to further explore their professional
and post-graduate careers, take advantage of internship and practicum opportunities,
industry tours, and mock interview opportunities. Following the lead of the Engineering
department, and their Engineering Living Learning Community, the College has created the
CREATE Living Learning Community within its First Year Program to reach all other majors
in the college, and is set to begin Fall of 2019. The College provides scholarship
opportunities directly to its students, across all programs and departments, to assist in
easing their financial burden as they work towards their professional degrees. Finally, in
support of maximizing student success, the College of Engineering and Technology has hired
an Assistant Director of Transition and First Year Programs, housed within the College of
Engineering and Technology Advising Center, to oversee the academic programming
initiatives that support first year students through their transition into ECU and into their
second year.
The College of Allied Health Sciences
Baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and continuing education programs are offered, as are
professional speech-language and hearing, physical therapy, and counseling services
through three on-site clinics. The Center for Pre-Professional Advising works with both
undergraduate and graduate students interested in studies in health professions and the
rehabilitation sciences, in addition to providing pre-dental, pre-medical, and pre-law
advising. Career Services on the Health Science Campus provides a designated career
liaison for the College of Allied Health Sciences to assist and guide students in their career
development. Student leadership is fostered through engagement in the Student Leaders
Council, nine allied health student organizations, and a variety of workshops, seminars, and
conferences such as the Interprofessional Health Leadership Conference, the Jean Mills
Minority Health Symposium, Lunch & Learns, and Reading Circles.
The College of Nursing
The Office of Student Services and Advising in the College of Nursing provides a supportive
positive environment for more than 1100 undergraduate and graduate nursing students as
they pursue their degrees. The office houses the Advising Center, available for intended as
well as declared majors. Advisors are available to assist with academic questions,
registration, drop-add procedures and graduation requirements, and are also interested in
becoming better acquainted with nursing students as individuals. Because of the rigor of
nursing school and the number of students, the Student Development and Counseling
Center is housed within the College of Nursing in the Health Sciences Building. Services
provided by this office include: group and individual counseling for academic and personal
issues, workshops to increase academic skills and personal development, and assessment
and licensure preparation. Referrals are appropriate for freshmen who intend to enter
nursing school to students in one of the graduate nursing programs. This office also
organizes student orientation and presents a variety of workshops that support student
transitions through the course of the academic program. Consultation for student issues is
available for all faculty and staff, remembering that student confidentiality is of highest
importance The Learning Resource Centerassures that nursing students have access to basic
and advanced learning technologies which enable them to competently perform essential
nursing interventions in diverse healthcare environments. Nursing students also have a
number of opportunities for leadership engagement in the College through six diverse
student organizations and the Student Leadership Council, which serves as an advisory
group. Finally, a Future Pirate Nurse Living Learning Village has been established to bring
intended nursing students together in a residential environment that provides
encouragement, support and enrichment activities that lead to success in the pursuit of a
nursing degree at East Carolina University.
The School of Dental Medicine
The School of Dental Medicine graduated its first class of 50 students in the spring of 2015
and has a current enrollment of 209 students. The vision for the school is to improve the
health and quality of life of all North Carolinians by creating leaders with a passion to care
for the underserved and by leading the nation in community-based, service learning oral
health education. Service learning is a significant part of the SoDM’s unique predoctoral
educational model with its network of eight Community Service Learning Centers (CSLC)
located in rural and underserved areas of the state. Dental students spend more than half of
the senior year practicing and living in these communities in a way that models how they
may practice after graduation. In addition, the SoDM added a Pediatric Dentistry Residency
Program in 2016 in Greenville, NC that accompanies its long standing General Practice
Residency program; both programs serving the community and surrounding counties
through primary care dentistry. The SoDM has several flourishing service-based student
organizations and numerous state dental board recognized community service events each
year providing ample opportunity for students, faculty, staff and residents to provide dental
and other services to the community in fulfillment of the school's mission.
The Brody School of Medicine
The Brody School of Medicine provides comprehensive student support services for its 300
students through its Office of Student Affairs. The Brody School of Medicine has an Office of
Admissions, which recruits and supports all pre-health students at the undergraduate level
and provides group and individual academic counseling for medical and health sciences
students. This office provides information regarding the student profile, financial aid and
expenses, and admission requirements along with coordination the Brody Scholars
Program. The Office of Medical Education is responsible for coordinating the Summer
Program for Future Doctors. The newly formed Office of Student Development and Academic
Counseling (OSDAC),formerly the Office of Medical Education and Student Development,
provides a full range of support services for medical students, consistent with the
institution’s mission, intended to promote student learning and the development of medical
students. OSDAC promotes the academic success, wellness and development of medical
students and resident physicians through a full range of academic support services.
An important aspect of beginning medical school is participation in the new student
orientation, in which students are prepared for the rigorous schedule and also get to know
their cohort through participation in team building activities. Medical students also have an
opportunity to engage in a diverse array of medical student organizations and interest
groups that support the professional development of students through networking,
community service, educational activities, and travel to conferences. The Medical Student
Council is an elected governance organization whose purpose is to represent the entire
medical student body and serve as a unified voice in the education, political, and social
interests of BSOM medical students. Confidential personal counseling and psychiatric
services are provided to medical students via the Carolina Centre, ECU Psychiatry, or
Student Health Services at no charge. In support of the Brody School of Medicine’s mission
of diversity, the Office of Student Development and Academic Counseling is a resource for
students, residents, faculty, and staff to remove unnecessary barriers to learning and foster
a more diverse community. OSDAC staff members remain aware of ongoing needs of
medical students, residents, and faculty through regular involvement in committees and
programs and feedback obtained from student surveys. Student development and academic
support is provided through numerous programs and services which are advertised through
email distribution, website postings, social media, and posted flyers. OSDAC also offers
individualized academic support services to assist resident physicians and fellows training at
Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Medical Center with meeting their academic goals.
Programming and academic support is also provided to students participating in the
Summer Program for Future Doctors and Summer Biomedical Research Program.
The Graduate School
The Graduate School provides admissions services for prospective students, including
recruitment and centralized application processes. The ECU Graduate School offers
academic support to more than 5,000 students through a variety of electronic resources
and print materials. Electronic resources include the Graduate Catalog (available online),
the Graduate School web site, and various workshops such as the Electronic Thesis and
Dissertation Workshops. A New Graduate Student Orientation event is offered live as well
as posted on the Graduate School web site. An online course in Blackboard is also available
to all new graduate students that provides orientation information. Students are able to
access that course for at least 2 semesters. Graduate school resources are revisited and
refined based on informal feedback from program directors and students, workshop
assessment instruments, Student Exit Survey data, Student Graduation Survey feedback,
and Graduate School Council meetings. The Graduate School website is updated as needed
to post announcements and student information. Dissemination of important information is
also possible through ECU Official and graduate student listserves. There is a Graduate &
Professional Student Senate (GPSS) that provides a forum for graduate students to bring
concerns to the Graduate School and departments. There is also a member of the GPSS who
represents students on the Graduate Council which is the main representative body for
governance of the Graduate School. The Graduate School promulgates academic
policies that support student progression though their graduate programs. There is also
a student grievance procedure available for students who have concerns and complaints
related to their graduate education.
Specialized Academic and Student Support Services
Technology Services
Campus computer labs in academic buildings, residence halls, and libraries allow students to
complete coursework and projects using discipline-specific and office productivity software.
Computers are replaced every four years, and hours of operation are posted on the ITCS
website. Students can print PowerPoint slides, syllabi, lecture notes, and handouts in these
computer labs. The IT Help Desk is available to help troubleshoot technical issues such as
connecting to the network, installing software, and accessing e-mail. Similarly to campus
students, distance education students can contact the IT Help Desk through a toll free
number, live chat, or by submitting an online service request.
Students access software they need for coursework in the campus computer labs or through
the Virtual Computing Lab (VCL) that provides twenty-four/seven free access to software
from any location where students have internet access. Students who need to purchase
software can do so through ECU Dowdy Student Stores at deep educational discounts.
Students can purchase computers through the ACE program. ECU makes recommendations
for minimum computer standards based on academic majors, and has vendor contracts
through Dowdy Student Stores. ACE provides troubleshooting to all students and warranty
support for Dell, Lenovo, and Apple computers. In most cases a loaner computer is
available for students while their computer is being repaired.
Through the university’s OneStopWeb portal, students can add/register for classes and
check grades. Students, both on-campus and distance education, can access course
content, post assignments, and communicate with instructors and fellow students
through Blackboardand through Second Life, a virtual world environment.
Library Support
Joyner Library provides a number of academic support services to students, including
reference and research assistance provided at a traditional reference desk and by
telephone, e-mail and text messaging, course-integrated instruction, individual research
consultations, interlibrary loan, and course reserves. The library provides access to more
than 400 subscription databases and 40,000 e-journals and offers a diverse collection of
print, online, microform, and media resources developed to enhance student learning and
support faculty research and service. Students can reserve group study rooms and a
presentation practice room. They can view DVDs and videotapes using library
equipment. Students may also check out equipment needed to complete coursework,
including video cameras, tripods, microphones, iPods, iPads, laptops, and e-book
readers. Joyner Library ensures that its academic support programs and services are
appropriate to the needs of ECU faculty and students through a variety of methods,
including faculty surveys, a student advisory group, focus groups, the Graduating Senior
Survey, the Graduate Student Exit survey, assessment of library instruction sessions,
LibQUAL+ surveys, input from the Faculty Senate Libraries Committee, gate and circulation
counts, assessment of database usage, a subject liaison program, and the interlibrary loan
“purchase on demand” program. Housed on the medical campus,
Laupus Library offers academic support for the ECU community. Through the use of gate
count statistics, LibQual surveys of students and faculty every four years, and graduating
senior surveys, Laupus Library collects statistics and feedback that inform programming.
Laupus Library also contributes to Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries
statistics and benchmarking. Like Joyner Library, Laupus Library supports a liaison librarian
program through which librarians are assigned to specific schools, colleges, and
departments to work closely with faculty and students to instruct and promote library
services and resources. Additionally, orientations and tours of the library are promoted and
encouraged in student coursework.
Student Employment
Students also receive financial support through employment in a variety of positions ranging
from hourly work-study and departmental employment to graduate assistant appointments
and special project assignments. The Student Employment Office (SEO) provides support to
the entire campus community throughout the hiring process of more than 4000 ECU
students on an annual basis. SEO maintains an online job database to help current ECU
students connect with part-time job opportunities both on campus. Working a part-time job
on or off campus enables students to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom
toward future employment. Students who work while going to school have an opportunity to
help pay with the cost of their education while gaining experience and valuable skills to
enhance their career goals.
Conclusion
East Carolina University provides student support programs, services, and activities
consistent with its mission that are intended to promote student learning and enhance the
development of its students.
Sources
R - 12.4
Student Complaints
The institution (a) publishes appropriate and clear procedures for addressing written student
complaints, (b) demonstrates that it follows the procedures when resolving them, and (c)
maintains a record of student complaints that can be accessed upon request by SACSCOC.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (hereafter ECU or the institution) (a) publishes appropriate and
clear procedures for addressing written student complaints, (b) demonstrates that it follows
the procedures when resolving them, and (c) maintains a record of student complaints that
can be accessed upon request by SACSCOC.
East Carolina University believes in addressing written student complaints in a fair and
efficient manner. The ECU Dean of Students Office is the central campus resource for
addressing student complaints and inquiries. Procedures for academic and non-academic
student complaints and inquiries are publicly posted for students on the Dean of Students
website. The procedures assist students in determining the appropriate method of dealing
with complaints and apply to all ECU students, including distance education students, as
stated on this website.
Student Complaints (Grievances) and Inquiries
The Office of the Dean of Students provides guidance to the student who makes an inquiry
or who believes that there is reason to make a complaint. The Dean of Students’ office
assists the student by helping the student determine the nature of the complaint and/or the
appropriate faculty or staff member or department that should receive the initial complaint.
Definition
A complaint or grievance (ECU terminology used) arises when a student believes, based on
established administrative policies and procedures, that he or she has been treated in an
arbitrary or capricious manner by a University department or a representative of the
University.
Student Grievance – Interim Regulation11.35.01
The Student Grievance – Interim Regulation 11.35.01 was approved on March 26, 2018 in
which the Chancellor is designated with institutional authority and is administered by the
Associate Vice Chancellor/Dean of Students.
Grievances Covered by This Regulation
A grievance against a University official arises when a student believes he or she has been
subjected to inappropriate behavior by a department or University representative (faculty or
staff) acting within their role and duty. A grievance of personal misconduct by a faculty
member or other University employee arises when a student believes he or she is the
subject of inappropriate behavior outside of the employee’s role and duties within the
University. By way of example, grievances concerning violations of the University's Freedom
of Expression Regulation may be addressed under this Regulation.
Issues of Sexual Harassment or Discrimination
The University prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex or gender in any of its
education or employment programs and activities. To that end, the Regulation on Sexual
and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence prohibits specific
forms of behavior that violate Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”);
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”). Such behavior also requires the
University to fulfill certain obligations under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization
Act of 2013 (“VAWA”) and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and
Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”). These issues should be referred to the Title IX
Coordinator. More specific information regarding formal complaints related to Title IX:
Sexual Conduct is addressed in Section 13.8.
Grade Disputes Are Not Covered by This Regulation
The grievance process for grade disputes can be found in the Academic Regulations section
of the University Catalogs located on the Office of the Registrar webpage.
Informal Grievance Resolution
Prior to bringing a grievance forward against a University office or representative acting
within their role or duty, students are encouraged to attempt a good-faith resolution of the
grievance. This attempt may be made with the party directly involved with the disputed
matter, or with the head of the department or unit in which the grievance arises. Please
note that there are cases when it is appropriate to go directly to the formal grievance
resolution process. Attempts at information resolution should be initiated within 30 days of
the incident in dispute.
Formal Grievance Resolution
Should a situation arise in which a student is unable to resolve his or her grievance
informally, the University’s formal grievance process may be employed. This process,
outlined below, should also be initiated within 30 days of the failed informal resolution if
applicable.
Step I
A formal grievance is presented in writing to the Associate Vice Chancellor /Dean of
Students. This written grievance must include the following:
• Name, address and telephone number of the person making the grievance;
• Identification of the office or individual against whom the grievance is brought;
• A description of the specific university action or individual behavior resulting in this
grievance;
• The date or period of time in which the behavior occurred and the location of the
incident; and
• A listing of all individuals who witnessed any part of the incident in dispute.
Step II
Upon receipt of the formal grievance, a designee is appointed by the Associate Vice
Chancellor/ Dean of Students to investigate the dispute. If the grievance involves a
University office or representative acting within their role or duty, the investigator
determines the involvement of pertinent supervisors, department chairs and deans in the
investigation. Depending upon the grievance, pertinent data (interviews, etc.) will be
gathered by the investigator or the university office involved in the grievance. This data is
then presented to the department for resolution.
If the grievance is based on personal misconduct by a faculty member or other university
employee, the investigator gathers pertinent information and presents it to either the
Provost (faculty complaint) or the Director of Employee Relations & Staff Development (staff
complaint).
Complaints Against ECU (Unresolved within the Institution)
According to the Student Grievances and Inquiries page of the Dean of Students website, if
a grievance cannot be resolved after exhausting East Carolina University's procedure
described above, the student may file a complaint with the following agencies:
• North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints, c/o Student Complaints, The
University of North Carolina System, 910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688,
Telephone (919) 962-4550. Inquiries may be made via email to the office or by
visiting the website The UNC System: NC Post-Secondary Education Student
Complaints and completing the Student Complaint Form.
• The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
(SACSCOC), 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033, Telephone (404) 679-
4500. A grievance may be filed using the Complaints Against Institutions:
Information Sheet and Form website to inform SACSCOC of the complaint.
• Grievances about East Carolina University may also be filed with the student's home
state by referring to the following list of state agencies.
• Distance Education (DE) students not residing in North Carolina and enrolled in East
Carolina University (ECU) may submit complaints to SARA North Carolina only after
completing the complaint process established by ECU. The SARA portal entity in the
state where the student is located will be notified that the complaint was received
and may assist as needed. Resolution of the complaint by the SARA portal entity in
the institution's home state is final. Further information regarding DE student
complaints can be found in principle 14.3.
SARA North Carolina--North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (SARA-NC)
P.O. Box 14103
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
T: (855) SARA-1-NC (727-2162)
T: (919) 549-8614 ext. 4660
Email: in[email protected]
Appeals
There are formal established appeals processes in place for student grievances that involve
an appeal of a variety of University policies. The following are policies and procedures for
the areas in which students are most likely to make an appeal:
• Suspension and Readmission Policy
• Graduate Academic Appeals
• Undergraduate Grade Appeals
• Graduate Student Grade Appeals
• Parking Appeals
• Judicial Appeals (Student Code of Conduct)
• Academic Integrity Appeals (Student Affairs)
Examples of Dissemination of Policies and Procedures
The institution primarily utilizes the ECU undergraduate catalog (index), graduate catalog
(index), and institutional webpages to disseminate information related to student grievances
and appeals.
The Dean of Students Office has a Dean of Students - Policies, Rules, Regulations, and
Procedures webpage, listing a variety of policies affecting students along with a Student
Grievances and Inquiries webpage providing information about how to address student
complaints. Any student with a grievance follows the procedure and submits a form either
electronically or by visiting the office of the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students Office
keeps an electronic record of student grievances originating through this portal.
• Academic integrity procedures are outlined in the undergraduate catalog
(Academic Integrity) and graduate catalog (Academic Integrity), and on the Office of
Student Rights and Responsibilities: Academic Conduct Process webpage.
• Academic policy appeal procedures for undergraduate students are outlined
in the Undergraduate Catalog (Academic Policy Appeal Procedures) and on the Office
of the Registrar webpage: Academic Appeals.
• Academic policy appeal procedures for graduate students are outlined in
the Graduate Catalog (Academic Policy Appeal Procedures) and on the Graduate
School webpage: Appeals Procedure.
• Grade appeal procedures for undergraduate students are outlined in
the Undergraduate Catalog (Grade Appeal Policy) and on the Office of the Registrar
webpage: Grade Appeal Policy.
• Grade appeal procedures for graduate students are outlined in the Graduate
Catalog (Grade Appeal Policy) and on the Graduate School webpage: Grade Appeal
Procedure.
• The Student Code of Conduct (Student Conduct Process) is available on
the University Policies, Regulations and Rules webpage: Student Conduct
Process and from a link on the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities: Non
Academic Conduct Process webpage.
• Policies for student conduct in residence halls are available in the Resident
Handbook and on the Campus Living webpage.
• The University policy on discrimination and harassment is located within
the Office for Equity and Diversity: University Policies webpage, along with an online
grievance form. These policies are also linked from the undergraduate catalog
(discrimination and harassment policy) and graduate catalog (discrimination and
harassment policy).
• Financial Aid appeal policies are located on the Office of Student Financial
Aid webpage.
• Parking and transportation ordinances are located on the Parking and
Transportation Services webpage along with the online system for submitting parking
appeals.
Sample Documentation of Grievances and Appeals
The following documents provide specific examples of how the policies and procedures
regarding grievances and appeals are followed at the University and how those grievances
and appeals are resolved:
Appeals and Grievances
• Academic Integrity Appeal – Suspension case upheld
• Judicial Appeal – Suspension case upheld
• Retroactive Term Withdrawal Appeal (current example)
• Tuition Surcharge Appeal
• Dean of Students complaint from student re instructor—(current example)
• Student Complaint re ECU Transit
Anonymous Complaints
To register anonymous complaints regarding any matter at the university, the Report A
Crime and ECU Cares programs are available to students through the East Carolina
University Policy Department and Dean of Students Office. The on-line reporting system
cannot track the person or the address from which the report is made. The system is
monitored daily and is provided to afford students an outlet for reporting incidents when
they feel intimidated or are reluctant to register complaints through more formal channels.
The University Behavioral Concerns Team is the campus threat assessment team at East
Carolina University. This team receives reports of concerning behavior exhibited by
individuals on campus, either through ECU Cares or as reported by team members. Those
reports are assessed to determine the level of threat to members of the campus
community, and an appropriate intervention plan is enacted and monitored to mitigate the
threat and provide support to the individual of concern. Examples of complaints addressed
by the University Behavioral Concerns Team are provided.
The University Discrimination and Harassment Policies are administered through the Office
of Equal Opportunity and Equity. Grievance procedures and the Office for Equity and
Diversity grievance form are posted online.
Conclusion
In summary, (a) publishes appropriate and clear procedures for addressing written student
complaints, (b) demonstrates that it follows the procedures when resolving them, and (c)
maintains a record of student complaints that can be accessed upon request by SACSCOC.
R - 13.6
Federal and State Responsibilities
The institution (a) is in compliance with its program responsibilities under Title IV of the
most recent Higher Education Act as amended and (b) audits financial aid programs as
required by federal and state regulations. In reviewing the institution's compliance with
these program responsibilities under Title IV, SACSCOC relies on documentation forwarded
to it by the U.S. Department of Education.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU), is in good standing with the United States Department of
Education (USDOE) Title IV programs. The University has not been placed on the
reimbursement method, nor has it been required to obtain a letter of credit on behalf of the
USDOE. ECU’s cohort default rate (CDR) is 5.1% well below the national average of 11.3%.
There are no unresolved complaints filed with the USDOE and there are no impending
litigation issues with respect to financial aid activities.
The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (NCOSA) is responsible for auditing the
financial statements for all North Carolina state agencies, including ECU. The North Carolina
Single Audit Report 2016, broken down by state agency, shows no audit findings were
reported for ECU. ECU participates in the UNC Business Process Standards, a UNC-system
effort to ensure that UNC campuses are in compliance with federal and state regulations
regarding all financial matters (payroll, general accounting, contracts and grants, financial
aid, purchasing). During the 2018 UNC Business Process Standards review cycle, Financial
Aid’s auxiliary system access review process was reviewed and found to be in compliance
with the standards. In 2015, ECU underwent a “desk-audit” for the 2013-2014 year by the
North Carolina State Education Assistance (NCSEA). The January 2016 NCSEAA Program
Review Report was received from NCSEAA notifying ECU that the corrective actions outlined
by the institution were deemed satisfactory, and the review was considered closed. The next
scheduled program review will take place in Spring 2019 and will again be a “desk-audit”
rather than an in-person visit.
Compliance with Title IV Under the Higher Education Act
On December 17, 2015, ECU received an email notification from the USDOE reminding
institutions of the December 31, 2015 deadline in which to submit a Gainful Employment
(GE) Program Transitional Certification. The letter stated in part, “Any PPA that was
generated on or after July 1, 2015 includes the GE Certification language. Therefore a GE
Transitional Certification is not required, unless you make subsequent program changes.”
(US DOE email Dec 17 2015). ECU read and interpreted the email to mean no further action
would be required as ECU had received its most recent Program Participation Agreement
(PPA) from the DOE on July 23rd, 2015 and had made no changes to the PPA between July
23, 2015 and December 31, 2015.
Consequently, on January 14, 2016, the USDOE issued a letter to ECU explaining that the
GE Program Transitional Certification was indeed required. ECU submitted the required GE
Transitional Certification to the DOE on January 22, 2016 with no protest and as directed on
page two, “If your institution believes that it has met its requirement to submit a GE
Transitional Certification, please submit supporting documentation to the GE Certification
mailbox” (DOE letter Jan 14 2016).
As a result, the University has been approved to participate in all federal aid programs and
was re-certified with a Provisional Certification for one year beginning November 29, 2017,
with a renewal application due on September 30, 2018. The reason stated for the
Provisional status was, “failure to submit to the Department of Education (the Department)
a Gainful Employment (GE) Transitional Certification no later than December 31, 2015. ECU
submitted the required GE Transitional Certification on January 22, 2016. This failure of
adherence to regulatory requirements is reflective of the institution’s lack of administrative
capability” (Nov. 2017 Program Participation Agreement, p. 3). Office of Student Financial
Aid appealed this status (Protest of Provisional PPA decision) and was advised that the
updated Eligibility and Certification Approval Report (ECAR) received by the DOE on July 23,
2015 was not deemed sufficient evidence of an updated PPA. ECU has full faith that we will
be extended a six-year certification upon the submission of the Application for Re-
certification on September 19, 2018as required in the Eligibility and Certification Approval
Report (Action Date November 29, 2017). On December 28, 2018, the Office of Student
Financial Aid responded to additional questions from the DOE in regards to our September
19th, 2018 application for Re-certification (December 28, 2018 DOE correspondence). As of
February 2019, ECU has been re-approved to participate in student financial assistance
programs authorized by Title IV, HEA Programs until December 31, 2022 as noted in the
following PPA: DEPT OF EDUC_PPA FEB 2019.
ECU receives federal financial aid funds via electronic transfer and has not been obligated to
post a letter of credit on behalf of the U.S. DOE. Federal Operation Report and Application to
Participate (FISAP) reports for 2017-2018, 2016-2017, 2015-2016, 2014-2015, 2013-14,
and 2012-13; as well as the Nov. 2017 Program Participation Agreement; and the Eligibility
and Certification Approval Report (Action Date November 29 2017) support our compliance
with the DOE’s processes regarding Title IV.
The USDOE notes that "the three-year federal student loan cohort default rate dropped from
11.8 percent to 11.3 percent for students who entered repayment between fiscal years
2012 and 2013” (National Student Loan Cohort Default Rate Declines Steadily). The East
Carolina University three-year CDR is far below the national average and is as follows:
Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 (Draft) CDR = 5.1% as of 2/26/2018
FY 2014 CDR = 5.3 %
FY 2013 CDR = 5.2%
FY 2012 CDR = 5.1%
In summary, ECU is in compliance with its program responsibilities under Title IV of the
most recent Higher Education Act as amended.
Auditing of Financial Aid Programs
ECU is one of 17 constituent institutions within the University of North Carolina (UNC)
System. The UNC System is governed by a Board of Governors, which delegates significant
responsibility to ECU's Board of Trustees.
ECU, as a member of the University of North Carolina System, audits financial aid programs
as required by federal and state regulations. The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor
(NCOSA) is responsible for auditing the financial statements for all North Carolina state
agencies, including East Carolina University. In addition to providing an opinion on the
financial statements, the NCOSA also provides a report on internal control over financial
reporting and compliance (to include Financial Aid) with rules and regulations as required
by Government Auditing Standards.
Externally funded grants and contracts are subject to audit annually by the NCOSA. ECU is
also included as part of the North Carolina Statewide Single Audit, which is conducted by
the NCOSA in accordance with standards contained in Government Auditing Standards
issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, the requirements of the Single Audit
Act Amendments of 1996, and the provisions of the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations.
East Carolina University’s Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards is shown on pages
202-205. (North Carolina Single Audit Report 2016, pgs. 202-205). (To manipulate the
readability of the previous document, it is beneficial to increase the zoom to 180%). Within
this report, the state auditor issued the Independent Auditor’s Report on Internal Control
Over Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters Based on an Audit of
Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards (North
Carolina Single Audit Report 2016, pgs. 5-6) and the Independent Auditor’s Report on
Compliance for Each major Federal Program; Report on Internal Control Over compliance;
and Report on Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards Required by Uniform Guidance
(North Carolina Single Audit Report 2016, pgs. 7-15). A summary of findings and
questioned costs broken down by state agency shows no audit findings were reported for
East Carolina University (pg. 129). The North Carolina Single Audit Report for fiscal
years 2015-2016, 2014-2015, 2013-2014, 2012-2013 and 2011-2012 had no findings
related to the University’s Federal Title IV programs. The Statewide Federal Compliance
Audit_FSA-2017 for the period ending June 30, 2017 disclosed no instances of
noncompliance that are required to be reported.
As required by the UNC System, the ECU Office of Internal Audit and Management Advisory
Services follows up on all NCOSA audit findings and issues a report to the University of
North Carolina System Office (UNC SO), Office of the President and the NCOSA as to
whether all audit findings have been satisfactorily resolved or whether satisfactory progress
has been made. If there were any audit findings pertaining to ECU in the Single Audit
Report, those would also be included in the NCOSA financial statement audit report. The
institution’s response to NCOSA audit findings is included in the NCOSA’s audit report. The
ECU annual financial statement audit had no findings related to the Federal Title IV
programs.
ECU participates in the UNC Business Process Standards, a UNC-system effort to ensure
that UNC campuses are in compliance with federal and state regulations regarding all
financial matters (payroll, general accounting, contracts and grants, financial aid,
purchasing). ECU’s Office of Financial Aid was reviewed by the UNC Business Process
Standards team during a campus visit in March 2015 and it was concluded that ECU’s
Financial Aid Office was not performing a system access review of all auxiliary systems:
Common Origination and Disbursement System (COD); National Student Loan Data System
(NSLDS); and College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC), every six months as required
by the UNC Business Process Standards (ECU – Monitoring Visit Summary Letter 2015). The
UNC Business Process Standards team recommended that procedures be implement to
assure auxiliary system access reviews be conducted every six months. In response,
Financial Aid implemented an auxiliary system access review process immediately. During
the FY 2018 UNC Business Process Standards review cycle, Financial Aid’s auxiliary system
access review process was reviewed and found to be in compliance with the standards.
The NCSEA is the state agency charged with administering inter-institutional program of
student financial assistance, created by state and federal law, as well as private resources,
designed to help North Carolinians meet the cost of higher education. One key responsibility
of the Authority is to ensure that State funds are spent in accordance with the purposes for
which they were appropriated and the rules that govern their administration. In December
2015, ECU underwent a desk-audit for FY 2013-2104. The desk-audit reviewed Education
Lottery Scholarships (ELS), Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS), Child Welfare
Postsecondary Support Program (NC Reach), North Carolina Tuition Assistance Program
(NCTAP), UNC Campus Scholarships and UNC Need-Based Grant programs. The program
review focused on, among other things, eligibility; disbursements and refunds; records and
reports; fiscal responsibility; and compliance with relevant statutes, rules, and policies
related to the administration of these programs. As a result, the January 2016 NCSEAA
Program Review Reportidentified one finding, “to improve internal controls for student
eligibility requirements”. The NCSEAA’s recommendation was that “staff need to participate
in all relevant training to stay current on the North Carolina General Statutes and Rules
Governing the student assistance programs” (page 4). ECU’s resolution response, “We have
reviewed the guidelines and the power-point presentation, materials from the CFNC.org
[website] with all concerned staff members,” was deemed satisfactory; and the review was
considered closed. The next scheduled program review will take place in spring 2019 and
will again be a desk-audit rather than an in-person visit. The NCSEAA can schedule an audit
at any time to review current or historical fiscal year records as they deem appropriate.
Conclusion
In Summary, ECU audits financial aid programs as required by federal and state regulations.
R - 13.7
Physical Resources
The institution ensures adequate physical facilities and resources, both on and off campus,
that appropriately serve the needs of the institution's educational programs, support
services, and other mission-related activities.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) has adequate physical resources to support the ECU Mission,
as well as the scope of its programs and services as outlined in the ECU Strategic Action
Plan. ECU continues to dedicate resources to support an ongoing, research-based space
planning process as evident in the development of a comprehensive 2012 Master Plan.
Resources continue to be committed for the enhancement of the computer aided facility
management system (CAFM, or AiM), to more efficiently manage space allocation,
corrective and preventative maintenance work orders, and capital project management.
Space management also continues to be enhanced through the implementation of space
policies and procedures that are the responsibility of the University Space Committee,
reporting directly to the ECU Chancellor.
Campus Portfolio Overview
ECU, located in Greenville, NC, (Pitt County), consists of approximately 1,616.80 acres;
approximately 396 acres are on the Main Campus, and 214 acres are located on the Health
Sciences Campus. There are 14.8 acres that comprise the eight Community Service
Learning Centers (CSLC) managed by the School of Dental Medicine, 129 acres are located
at the North Recreation Complex, 650 acres are located on the West Research Campus, and
213 acres comprise the Coastal Studies Institute. The University utilizes 235 facilities
consisting of over 7,148,843 gross square feet (gsf) in support of daily operations (as of
June 2018). The chart below highlights gross square footage by building
designation. (Note: Some buildings' square footage may appear twice in the chart; for
example, an athletic building like Minges Coliseum will also show up in the state-owned
buildings descriptor.)
Master Plan
ECU is committed to an ongoing, systemic, data-driven master planning process to prepare
for future physical resource needs aligned to the ECU mission. In February 2012, the ECU
Board of Trustees approved the comprehensive 2012 Master Plan that, first and foremost,
reflects the Strategic Action Plan and the Vision and Mission of the university. The two-year
master planning process considered all aspects of ECU. Detailed studies were conducted on
space utilization, space needs, building condition and deferred maintenance, campus safety
and security, utilities and infrastructure, traffic, transit, parking, academics, research,
clinics, athletics, housing, dining, and recreation facilities. The master planning process was
inclusive, transparent, and iterative and required ongoing commitments and inputs from
ECU leadership, along with the full participation of students, faculty, staff, alumni and the
community of Greenville. The ECU Master Plan presents a roadmap for how ECU will address
future growth and expansion, and the plan addresses a five-year initial planning horizon, a
fifteen-year timeline, and also a longer vision for land use. This flexible plan is intended to
be a “living document” to accommodate unanticipated future institutional needs and
changes.
As outlined in the 2012 Master Plan and as resources have been secured, several
recommendations for future facilities outlined in Report Chapter 3-The Master Plan have
been realized in projects that have been or are in the process of being completed.
Examples include:
2012 Master Plan stated in Report Chapter 3 (page 98) notes, “Changing trends in
residential living resulted in the recommendation to replace Belk Residential Hall with a
facility that combines more modernized suite-style residential options with communal study
areas.” ECU undertook a $58 million dollar project of demolishing Belk Residence Hall built
in 1966 and replacing with 208,077 gross-square-feet Gateway Residence Hall which
opened in Fall 2015. Gateway Hall is the hub for the ECU Living Learning Community (LLCs)
programs as it was specifically designed with LLCs in mind. The 728 beds in the residence
hall are in a mix of suite style with 2 double rooms sharing a bathroom between the rooms
and double room with a community bath on the hallway. There are a limited number of
double rooms with private baths. The five-story building at the top of College Hill has study
rooms on each floor, music practice rooms, meeting rooms, multi-purpose rooms, as well as
welcoming public spaces on the first floor. In addition, the project included basketball court
and sand volleyball court. (Campus Living Neighborhoods College Hill Gateway Hall – East
and West)
Pictures:
Belk Residence Hall
Gateway Residence Hall I
Gateway Residence Hall II
The 2012 Master Plan identified “a new Student Union” on Main Campus as a new building
opportunity in 2012 Master Plan Report Chapter 3-The Master Plan (page 98). The $122.2
million new Main Campus Student Center and 722 car parking deck has a projected
completion of October 2018. The 213,911 gross-square-feet building will include six dining
venues, 14,000 square-foot multipurpose room, Black Box Theater, Dowdy Student Store in
addition to lounges, study rooms, and gaming center. The project includes a 24x42 foot
outdoor digital display located above the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center.
Renderings:
Main Campus Student Center rendering I
Main Campus Student Center rendering II
Main Campus Student Center rendering III
The University Facilities Master Plan was complete in 2012 with a planning horizon of 2025.
The University is in the process of updating this plan. Currently, Campus Operations is
reviewing a proposal by SmithGroupJJR to update the Campus Master Plan. SmithGroupJJR
worked with ECU to develop the University’s first truly comprehensive Master Plan from
2009-2012.
Off-campus Instructional Sites
To ensure that the needs of Distance Education (DE) students are identified and met, each
DE program at ECU is led by a program coordinator. These program coordinators serve as
the program's central point of contact and coordinate locations that meet student need.
Evaluation of an off-campus instructional site is overseen by the program coordinator who
visits each facility prior to the implementation of the program to ensure suitability.
Furthermore, program coordinators visit each site annually to ensure the continued quality
of the facilities. The program coordinator communicates each semester with the site contact
persons to facilitate classrooms and accessibility. These facilities are well equipped with the
needed technology, and are ADA accessible as required at the state level (to include
restroom facilities, entrance/egress/etc.).
Additionally, off-campus instructional sites are deemed safe and secure for faculty and
students as is evident by each approved site having its own security guidelines and
protocols that align to the specific institution’s mission and strategic plan. For
example, Craven Community College Campus Security is tasked with securing the
environment for all campus occupants while on its campus. Similarly, Gateway Technology
Center, located on North Carolina Wesleyan College’s campus, also has a police department
that manages the security and safety of all campus occupants (North Carolina Wesleyan
College Campus Police). An MOU is signed each academic year with Craven Community
College for the use of its facilities, while the Gateway Technology Center has a renewable
annual lease agreement. The Gateway Technology Center relationship is fostered by the
Executive Director of Academic Outreach, Continuing and Distance Education who attends
Gateway Technology Center, Inc. Board Meetings monthly. The meetings cover facility
maintenance, financial reports, security, and building usage in order to strategically address
any concerns by any of the members in the collaborative relationship (Gateway Technology
Center, Inc. Board Meeting Minutes_March 2018).
Facilities Supporting Educational and Support Programs
Educational Programs
As with other institutions of higher education, enrollment levels in academic programs drive
ECU’s need for instructional space. Academic discipline and degree program requirements,
aligned by pedagogical methods to deliver instruction, trigger the demand for different
types of teaching and learning spaces (e.g., teaching labs, auditoria for lectures, and
classrooms with flexible furniture and small group study spaces for problem-based
learning). In 2013, ECU’s Faculty Senate voted and the Chancellor approved Faculty Senate
Resolution 13-36, updating the classroom scheduling process that grants room allocation
preference based on the degree to which utilization is maximized and then on specific needs
such as proximity and access to necessary technology and equipment. This process is
managed via the Banner System.
Classroom space is scheduled in accordance with Faculty Senate Resolution 13-36 to
increase efficiencies and utilization. To further understand the utilization of classroom as
well as class lab space, Space Planning conducts a study on the average room use after the
completion of the schedule run per semester. This action identifies classroom or class lab
space that is falling below the UNC System recommended percentage of 35 hours per week
for classrooms and 20 hours per week for class labs, as outlined in the UNC SO Info
Center_Room Usage Analysis. The semester utilization findings are explained at the USC
meeting to identify any changes to scheduling that needs to be addressed. The Spring 2018
findings for classrooms showed that room usage was up by 16% and that class lab usage
was up 9% (Spring 2018 Room Usage Analysis).
Additionally, Space Planning reviews classroom and class lab capacities with the Registrar to
ensure pedagogical needs are being met. For instance, the University is seeing an incline in
utilization of classrooms with a capacity range of 100+ (Fall 2018_Rooms in Use by Time).
Therefore, Space Planning is working with Facilities Services to identify adjacent classrooms
with a capacity range of 0-50 that can be merged to increase the number of available 100+
classrooms. The chart below shows the University’s current classroom and class lab counts
by capacities (as of June 2018).
In addition to annual classroom and class lab utilization reviews, Space Planning conducts
departmental and college level feasibility studies that are reviewed with the department
chair and corresponding dean annually. The feasibility studies are an opportunity to identify
what space is used effectively as well as where improvements can be made. When
improvements are needed, the deans and chairs are jointly responsible for communicating
to the Associate Director of Space Planning how they will improve utilization. If no
improvement is noted at the next annual feasibility study, then the space in question will be
up for reallocation to another department or college based on a review and recommendation
from the Space Allocation Committee.
Furthermore, the Office of the Registrar conducts a bi-annual Faculty Classroom Survey that
identifies any faculty concerns in regards to scheduling, capacity, technology and overall
satisfaction with the classroom inventory. The survey results are analyzed for ways to
improve faculty satisfaction with classroom facilities. The results are compiled into the
document entitled, “Understanding How Assigned Fall 2017 Classrooms Met Faculty
Teaching Needs: Results and Data from the Fall 2017 Faculty Classroom Survey”, and
subsequently sent to Academic Technologies (a department within Information Technology
and Computing Services (ITCS) that oversees student/classroom technologies) for
technology concerns; Facilities Services for capacity or building/room structure concerns;
and academic departments for any other ad hoc concerns.
Results from the 2018 Employment Engagement survey show that 62% of ECU employees
are satisfied with the adequacy of classrooms, offices, and laboratory spaces (2018
Employment Engagement Survey, p. 20). ECU administered an online/paper survey to
measure employee satisfaction with 15 Core Dimensions in which adequacy of classrooms,
offices and laboratories was addressed in the “Resource Constraints” section.
Space Planning also assesses faculty’s satisfaction with ECU’s facilities by examining results
of the COACHE Faculty Satisfaction Survey (national survey last administered at the
university in 2015).
(5=very satisfied, 4=satisfied, 3-neither satisfied/dissatisfied, 2=dissatisfied, 1=very
dissatisfied)
Prepared by Institutional Planning, Assessment & Research, Space Planning, October
2018
To address the lower level of faculty satisfaction with Office; Labs, research, or studio
space; and/or Classrooms, Space Planning reviews modification requests via the
Institutional Planning, Assessment, and Research (IPAR) SharePoint portal, specifically the
“Change Use of Existing Space Request”. This portal allows for
colleges/departments/employees to request modifications to their current space. A
coordinated effort between Space Planning and Facilities allows for a study of the space to
include: design review and cost-benefit analysis that provides a systematic approach to
determine options that provide the best approach to achieve desired results. Furthermore, if
a college or department needs additional office space to house new faculty or staff an
“Office Space Request” notifies Space Planning of how much and when the office space is
required.
Adequacy of Research Space
Results of the 2017 National Science Foundation Survey indicate the Net Assignable Square
Footage (NASF) by discipline which allows for comparison of NASF by discipline biennially.
The following chart shows the ECU’s NASF as of Academic Years 2015 and 2017 (2015
National Science Foundation Survey).
Prepared by Institutional Planning, Assessment & Research, Space Planning, October
2018
This biennial review allows Space Planning to look for growth and reduction trends in square
footage by discipline and adjust square footage according to need. The ability to adjust
allocation of research space is explained in the Research Space Allocation Regulation. To
ensure that research space is efficiently and effectively utilized, Space Planning conducts
biennial research space audits. The audits possess quantitative and qualitative metrics,
along with departmental benchmarks, that assist all management levels (management
levels further defined in Section 2.3.1-2.3.3 of the Research Space Allocation Regulation,)
optimize the use of research space. Whenever a research space is deemed unproductive
(falls below the 20th percentile of productivity at any space management Level (see Section
5.3 of the Research Space Allocation Regulation) as a result of the five-year report, it is
eligible to be reviewed for possible reallocation at that Level, and perhaps more often. Each
Level must document and communicate expectations and measures for productivity to the
next appropriate Level and IPAR.
In addition to the NSF Survey, Space Planning evaluates the evolution of research space
allocation by reviewing college level research space needs based on growth and reduction
trends (as shown in the chart below). This analysis allows us to see where pedagogical
needs fall from year to year as allocation of space changes based on need. Research space
needs are communicated via the IPAR SharePoint portal, specifically the “Non-Office Space
Request." When the request comes to the Space Planning queue, it has already been
approved by the Dean of the College, thus verifying to Space Planning that the need has
been college-level approved. Space Planning then investigates the research space
requirements with the requester.
Prepared by Institutional Planning, Assessment & Research, Space Planning, October
2018
Support Programs
ECU operates and maintains physical facilities (residence halls, recreational and wellness
facilities, and dining facilities), both on and off campus, to serve the needs of the
institution’s student support services. Examples of investments that the institution has
made over the past few years are outlined below.
Residence Halls
ECU’s residence halls are located on ECU’s Main Campus. Currently, there are 15 active
residence halls, totaling 1,306,050 GSF with the capacity to house 5,796 students. In order
to ensure efficient utilization of University’s residence facilities, Campus Living takes a
snapshot of the housing system to ascertain the occupancy rate. This snapshot occurs on
the 9th class day each fall. Fall 2017, 99.72% of available residence beds were occupied.
To ascertain residents' overall satisfaction with the residence halls, Campus Living conducts
an online survey that measures performance in four categories: cleaning staff; timeliness of
repairs; cleanliness of floor, community, and public spaces; and cleanliness of bathroom
facilities (Residential Overall Satisfaction Survey_2017-18). The four categories are then
factored to provide an overall satisfaction rating. This rating, along with the Facilities
Building Condition Assessments, provided the necessary information to recommend
resource expenditures to upgrade residential buildings. The 2017-18 residents survey
showed that Jones, Garrett, Jarvis, Cotten, Legacy, Umstead, Fleming and Greene Halls
were rated as having issues. Thus, the following schedule was proposed to provide a five-
year strategic plan to fix the issues residents and Facilities Services identified after further
review.
Residences that were scored as "needs work" (Tyler, Fletcher, White, and Clement) were
also reviewed and found that in most cases the increase of housekeeping presence in the
buildings resolved the majority of residents concerns. It is worth noting that Clement was
recently renovated in August 2017. Campus Living is anticipating that the overall
satisfaction of this building will score in the "good" category for the 2018-19 academic
year. Tyler, Fletcher, and White will be reviewed in the 2018-19 survey and therefore,
provide additional information to decision makers on any corrective actions to processes or
structure to improve any satisfaction issues.
Libraries
The ECU Libraries serve as the heart of ECU’s research efforts and are at the forefront of
providing innovative, efficient, user-centered services and resources for the community and
Eastern North Carolina. The three facilities dedicated to library resources are as follows:
• J. Y. Joyner Library boasts of 280,575 gross square feet that provides collections, services
and spaces that support research, teaching, and service goals of ECU, with a primary focus
on the colleges within the Division of Academic Affairs.
• Laupus Health Sciences Library has 88,755 gross square feet of space that provides health
sciences information, resources, and services for eastern North Carolina with a primary
focus on colleges and schools within the Division of Health Sciences.
• Music Library has 3,813 gross square feet that serves the music-related needs of ECU and
the region, primarily the School of Music and the School of Theater and Dance.
Recreation and Wellness
The Student Recreation Center, a 150,277-sq. ft. facility, is the primary hub for recreational
experiences at ECU. Opened in 2017, the 28,000-sq. ft. Health Sciences Campus Student
Center recreation and wellness space is the first dedicated recreation facility for a Health
Sciences campus in the state of North Carolina. The department utilizes shared space
at Christenbury Gymnasium for Intramural and Club activities to supplement existing
facilities. In addition, the Blount Recreational Complex offers students 18 acres of developed
outdoor property to be used for a variety of sports activities. The 129-acre North
Recreational Complex (60 undeveloped acres) includes eight multipurpose activity fields and
six acres of water for fishing and boating activities. Recent examples of facility
improvements include repurposing space for the addition of functional training rooms and a
yoga studio.
Student Centers
In March of 2013, the East Carolina University Board of Trustees approved a plan to build
two state-of-the-art student center facilities on the Main and Health Sciences Campuses.
Supported by student fees, building revenue, on-campus partners, and off-campus partners,
these two facilities are planned to serve current and future students, faculty and staff as
well as our over 150,000 proud alumni of ECU. These centers exemplify the university’s
mission as the leadership university, committed to student success, public service, and
regional transformation.
Construction began Summer 2015 on the $34 million Health Sciences Campus Student
Center that boasts of 77,000 gross square feet. Located in between the Health Sciences
Building and the East Carolina Heart Institute, the facility officially opened April, 2017. A
recreation center counts for one-third of the square footage as well as having a convenience
store and three dining options. Thirteen support units are housed in the facility which helps
to support the growth and development of the health sciences campus community.
Fall 2018 marked the opening date of the Main Campus Student Center, the largest
construction project on main campus since the Science and Technology Building opened in
2001. The $122.2 million student center and adjacent 700-car parking deck changes the
face of the 10th street side of campus. It covers approximately 210,000 gross square feet;
has six dining options, a large ballroom and a 42-foot-wide outdoor jumbo screen, among
other features.
Campus Dining
During AY 2017-18, a total of 3,415,165 faculty, staff, students, and guests were served
among the fifteen Campus Dining facilities that are located on ECU’s Main and Health
Sciences Campuses. Examples of dining facilities and recent improvements include:
Health Science Campus Union
The New Health Science Campus Union opened for business May 2017, which replaced the
Wedge located in the Health Science Building and the Java City located in the Heart
Institute. The Union houses a Starbucks, a Grill, a Salad Toss concept and a small
convenience store.
Main Campus Student Center
The Main Campus Student Center opened January 2019 and houses multiple dining options
including Starbucks, Raising Canes Chicken, Au Bon Pain, Panda Express, a burger concept
eatery, and a sweet shop.
For further information on ECU's student support services, see Core Requirement 12.1
(Student Support Services).
Deferred Maintenance
Campus Operations, which includes Facilities Services and Facilities Engineering and
Architectural Services, is charged with the adequate functioning of the university’s physical
resources to provide an environment conducive to teaching, research, and service, as
defined in ECU’s mission statement. North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) requires that
all 17 constituent institutions, including ECU, develop, submit, and maintain regular plans
and reports to manage deferred maintenance and identify capital improvement needs.
Examples include,
• 2017-23 Six-Year Repairs and Renovations Priorities Project Listing that indicated $79
million in future projects.
• 2017-23 Six-Year General Fund Capital Improvements Project Listing that included $886
million in appropriated capital projects.
• 2017-23 Six Year Non-General Fund Capital Improvements Project Listing that included
$135.8 million in non-appropriated projects.
ECU tracks and reports deferred maintenance through the North Carolina Department of
Administration State Construction Office - Construction Management (NC DOA Construction
Management) Facility Condition Assessment Program, which defines deficiencies and
recommends required steps to restore a facility to its original condition when built. The most
recent 2015 Facilities Condition Assessment Program (FCAP) reports were updated
November 2016. FCAP reports (2015FCAPDeficiencies-By-Building-Short-updated-11-
2016 and 2015FCAPCostSummary-By-Funding-updated -11-2016) identified over
$806,742,495 in deficiencies including $641,444,980 in general funded buildings and
$165,297,515 in non-general funded buildings. FCAP deficiencies are used to determine the
allocation of the Repair and Renovation funding received from the state and to determine if
a facility should be placed higher on the list of proposed projects for renovation or to be
demolished. As outlined in the 2017-23 Six-Year Repairs and Renovations Priorities Project
Listing, the university plans strategically to exercise appropriate maintenance of its facilities.
The following are examples to illustrate the process:
The most recent 2015 Facilities Condition Assessment Program (FCAP) reports updated
November 2016 identified replacing roof and upgrading elevators as recommended
corrections of deficiencies in Jenkins Fine Art Center. The 2011-17 Six-Year Repairs and
Renovations Priorities Project Listing that indicated $72 million in future projects included
replacing roof and upgrading/replacing elevators in Jenkins Fine Art Building noting priority
need since 2007 FCAP. Projects to replace roof and replace / refurbish elevators in Jenkins
Fine Art Center were two of the projects funded with portion of the $4.8 million in 2015-16
Repair & Renovation funds received. The projects completed in October 2017 and April
2018, respectively at total cost of $831,000.
The most recent 2015 Facilities Condition Assessment Program (FCAP) reports updated
November 2016 identified the need for new HVAC units in Willis Building as the existing air
handling units deteriorating with age as recommended correction of deficiencies. The 2011-
17 Six-Year Repairs and Renovations Priorities Project Listing that indicated $72 million in
future projects included repair heating, ventilation and air conditioning in Willis Building
noting priority need since 2007 FCAP. Project to replace air conditioning in Willis Building
was funded with $200,000 of the $4.8 million in 2015-16 Repair & Renovation funds
received. The project completed in June 2017.
Over the last 6 years, ECU has received an average of $3.5 million each year in
appropriated funds to address deferred maintenance. In addition over the last 6 years, ECU
has allocated an average of $1 million annually in non-recurring reallocation to address
deferred maintenance.
Campus Operations also works with revenue based operations such as Campus Living to
address deferred maintenance. The most recent 2015 Facilities Condition Assessment
Program (FCAP) reports updated November 2016 identified deficiencies in both Clement
Residence Hall and Greene Residence Hall. The recommended correction for Clement
Residence Hall was “renovate building.” In addition to increasing energy efficiency of the
buildings that was not specified in FCAP reports, the renovation projects described below
address the listed deficiencies. University is confident that completion of these projects will
result in the buildings’ deficiencies identified in the current report not being listed when the
FCAP reports are updated.
Clement Residence Hall underwent a complete interior renovation and replacement of roof
and exterior walls and windows in a $23.5 million project that completed in August 2017.
The renovation created common areas and lounges on each floor, moved laundry services to
central location on the first floor, and upgraded building finishes. The project also created
an enclosed outdoor patio area on the side of the building facing Reade Circle.
Beginning in Summer 2018, Greene Residence Hall began a complete interior renovation
and replacement of exterior walls, windows, and elevators in a $28.5 million project that will
be completed in August 2019. The renovation will create common areas and lounges on
each floor, move laundry services to central location on the first floor, and upgraded
building finishes. The project will correct all high rise code deficiencies and improve ADA
access in and around the building. The project will also create an additional “front door” on
the south side of the building.
Maintenance of Facilities
Campus Operations’mission is to maintain an aesthetically pleasing and safe campus
environment that is conducive to teaching, learning, and research through services provided
by Facilities Services and Facilities Engineering and Architectural Services. Campus
Operations personnel are responsible for all real property including repair, planning, minor
renovation and construction, utilities, maintenance, grounds, and housekeeping.
In July 2017, Campus Operations converted to a new asset work management system
referred to as AiM to more accurately monitor work flow, improve efficiencies, and more
accurately and consistently report activity for comparison and analysis. Routine work orders
are received from campus departments via a call center and/or AiM. Campus Operations
continues to develop its preventive maintenance program to improve facilities and
equipment life and ensure that the University is complying with regulatory codes. The
preventive maintenance program changes as new assets are identified and preventive
maintenance work orders are entered for the new assets. All the preventive maintenance
work orders that were in the previous computerized maintenance management system have
not been created in AiM to be included in the number reported for FY2017-18. This is clearly
shown by the number of preventive maintenance work orders totaling 20,581 in FY2017-18
compared to 37,993 in FY2016-17. Prior years, the number of preventive maintenance work
orders totaled 36,593 in FY2015-16 and 34,987 in FY2014-15. Preventive maintenance work
orders will be entered in AiM using the same asset definitions as used in the previous
computerized maintenance management system. Preventive maintenance work orders are
added when new buildings come on line and removed when buildings are demolished. All of
the preventive maintenance work orders associated Life Safety were considered priority,
have been uploaded into AiM, and are in the number reported for FY2017-18. Some shops
have been entering preventive maintenance work orders. The templates that automatically
create preventive maintenance work orders have been started but are not complete.
Conversion of the templates and completion of uploading the preventive maintenance work
orders into AiM is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2018. The preventive
maintenance program continues to develop as Campus Operations refines the definition of
an asset based on value and regulatory requirements and realizes improved efficiencies in
preventive maintenance and inspections.
In FY2017-18, the percentage of preventive maintenance work orders versus corrective
work orders was 41.9%. FY2017-18 is the first year reporting since AiM went live July 2017.
Over the previous four fiscal years, the percentage of asset preventive work orders to
routine work order has remained over 50%, demonstrating that the preventive maintenance
system is both cost-effective and improving the quality of the system components. The
decrease in the percentage of preventive maintenance work orders versus corrective work
orders in FY2017-18 is the result of a decrease in the total number of work orders.
Percentage of preventive maintenance work orders versus corrective work orders:
FY2017-18 41.9%
FY2016-17 54.4%
FY2015-16 53.5%
FY2014-15 52.0%
FY2013-14 52.3%
(see attached - Facilities Services work order metrics through FY17-18 and Facilities
Services work order metrics through FY17-18 chart)
The total number of work orders decreased by approximately 30% in FY2017-18 following
an increase of 2% in FY2016-17 (from FY15-16; following a 1.6% increase in FY2015-16
from FY2014-15; after steady decline since FY2011-12). The decrease in the total number
of work orders in FY2017-18 was due to decrease in both the number of preventive
maintenance work orders and corrective work orders. Campus Operations realized a 46%
decrease in the number of preventive maintenance work orders in FY2017-18 compared to
FY2016-17. As noted earlier, all the preventive maintenance work orders that were in the
previous computerized maintenance management system have not been created yet in the
new asset work management system referred to as AiM that went live in July 2017. Campus
Operations realized a 10% decrease in the number of corrective work orders in FY2017-18
compared to FY2016-17. A decrease in the number of work requests for corrective work
orders was anticipated with external users learning and growing accustomed to AiM. In
addition, internal processes associated with work orders using AiM have changed
significantly for Campus Operations staff as well. The increase in total number of work
orders in FY2016-17 was due to a 3.8% increase in the number of preventive maintenance
work orders while the number of corrective work orders remained consistent with the
number reported in FY2015-16 with an increase of only 42. Similarly, the increase in total
number of work orders in FY2015-16 was due to a 4.6% increase in the number of
preventive maintenance work orders while the number of corrective work orders declined.
Campus Operations has seen the number of corrective work orders remain level in FY2016-
17 and FY2015-16 after declining since FY2011-12. FY2016-17 is the second year since
FY2011-12 that the number of preventive maintenance work orders have increased
although the number of preventive maintenance work order remains 3% less than the
number in FY2011-12. Campus Operations realized the optimal split between preventive
maintenance work orders and corrective work orders based on data available. Analysis
determined that the leveling in the number of corrective work orders reflected reductions in
staffing and budget constraints in Campus Operations organization and the addition of
maintenance staff in the Campus Living organization. Campus Operations has realized
limitations of the computerized maintenance management system used prior to AiM in
reporting data accurately and consistently. Campus Operations anticipates that the
capabilities of AiM will assist with efforts to maintain and improve facilities and equipment
life. Campus Operations expects that the data will more accurately and consistently report
activity for comparison and analysis when AiM is fully functional. Specifically, Campus
Operations will then be able to determine if the criterion represents an optimal measure
between preventive maintenance work orders and corrective work orders.
Risk Management and Insurance
Enterprise Risk Management is tasked with maintaining insurance coverage on university-
owned property. ECU handles risk in a variety of ways including participation in the State-
administered insurance programs, through the purchase of commercial insurance, and self-
retention of certain risks. ECU participates in the North Carolina Department of Insurance
(NCDOI) program. This program provides insurance for a variety of insurance policies
(property, auto, equipment, crime, student health, etc.).
The State Property Fire Insurance Fund, an internal insurance fund for the state, insures all
state-owned buildings and contents for fire, lightning, extended coverage, and other
property losses at no cost to ECU. Through this fund, the university also purchases
extended coverage insurance and other types of property coverage through including, but
not limited to, coverage for sprinkler leakage, business interruption, vandalism, theft, and
"all risks" for buildings and contents. Those operations not supported by the State's General
Fund are subject to a $5,000 per occurrence deductible. Notably, ECU submitted a claim to
repair water damage at the Spruce Pines Service Learning Center in August 2018 (NC DOI
State Property Fire Insurance Fund_Loss Reporting Form_August 2018).
All state-owned vehicles are covered by liability insurance through a private insurance
company and handled by NCDOI. The liability limits for losses are $1,000,000 per claim and
$10,000,000 per occurrence (Certificate of Liability Insurance_ June 2018). ECU has paid
out claims on our auto insurance policy, the Summary of Claims by Year shows incurred and
paid claims from 2004 through 2017. The university purchases other authorized coverage
from private insurance companies through the NCDOI. Examples include, but are not limited
to on-loan collections of art, leased equipment, modular units, boiler machinery, musical
equipment, and boats.
Fixed Assets and Surplus Property
Fixed Assets, located in the Office of Materials Management, is responsible for ECU’s
property inventory and surplus property program. The department maintains accurate and
up-to-date records of the university’s physical property and tracks assets for the purposes
of financial accounting, preventative maintenance, and internal controls. All equipment
purchased with university funds is the property of ECU and the State of North Carolina
(regardless of the funding source) until the appropriate approvals and disposition processes
are followed. ECU maintains detailed inventories of all fixed assets and associated
depreciation as required by, and in accordance with, the State of North Carolina Accounting
System Capital and Fixed Assets Rules and Regulations.
Fixed Assets conducts an annual Fixed Assets Inventory Verification process of capitalized
items and posts departmental missing and physical inventory verification reports online.
These reports require review and update by ECU’s department heads who assume
responsibility for assets within each of their respective departments. The department heads
use the Departmental Internal Inventory Tracking Guidelines and Fixed Assets (2018)
Inventory Verification Guidelines for Departments when completing annual reports. Reports
are required on the current status and location of recorded property with a value of $5,000
or greater and controlled equipment (electronic equipment and laboratory equipment)
valued from $ $2,500 to $4,999. Departmental property liaisons (designated by the
department heads) attend inventory policy and procedures workshops conducted quarterly.
Fixed Assets performs spot inspections of departmental equipment annually. An example of
the spot check conducted for 2017 can be found in the 2017 Spot Check Summary report.
Inspection reports are forwarded to the Office of Internal Audit and Management Advisory
Services.
In 2008, the UNC Business Process Standards project was established that includes baseline
standards in key areas for tracking capital assets. UNC Business Process Standards Capital
Assets Standards (2017) have been implemented by all of the constituent institutions of the
UNC System to enhance the capital assets process.
Fixed Assets and Surplus Property are responsible for the disposal or transfer of all surplus
equipment in accordance with policies and procedures established by the North Carolina
Department of Administration State Surplus Property Agency Fixed Assets uses the Fixed
Asset Transfer Form to track the transfer of ownership or responsibility of equipment from
one department to another. If a department relocates equipment, they notify the Fixed
Assets office via e-mail.
Departments with excess equipment must surplus those items using the ECU Property
Equipment Tracking System (PETS). Equipment (not moved within the university or
transferred to another government agency) is handled by State of North Carolina Surplus
Property Agency via a bid process. Item(s) not sold via the bid process may be sold in the
East Carolina University Surplus Retail Store or are disposed of in accordance with the
Department of Administration Internal Operating Procedures for Fixed Asset Control –
Disposal of Assets by State Surplus.
Equipment is considered missing when it is listed on the previous year’s physical inventory
verification report and cannot be located. Missing equipment is recorded and subject to
audit. If equipment is stolen, the proper authorities are notified and a police/security report
filed and the University Attorney’s Office and Office of Internal Audit and Management
Advisory Services notified. To our knowledge there has not been any findings related to
fixed assets either on an internal audit or external audit in the last five years.
Technology Infrastructure and Support Services
ECU has a comprehensive, diverse, and robust information technology infrastructure that
supports a wide range of educational, research, and mission-critical activities to meet
institutional needs. This infrastructure is administered by ITCS within the Administration and
Finance Division. ITCS's mission and organization chart (ITCS) provide clarity to our work
that is led by qualified personnel.
Governance
Throughout the year, ITCS collaborates with various information technology committees to
ensure the technology infrastructure, physical facilities, and support services are adequate
and fulfill the needs of the university’s educational programs and mission. The Information
Resources Coordinating Council (IRCC) is the primary IT Governance committee at ECU and
has representatives from all areas of campus. Additional committees that assist with priority
setting, IT planning, risk assessment and planning, policy setting, and customer-centered
decision-making processes include: Web Oversight Committee, Administration Information
Systems Committee, Clinical Information Systems Committee, and Distance Education and
Learning Technologies Committee, to name a few.
Planning and Assessment
Classroom Technology standards are reviewed and adjusted based on feedback received
through a faculty survey conducted every two years by the Office of the Registrar.
Additionally, ITCS administers technology surveys to faculty, students, staff every one to
two years to obtain feedback from faculty, staff, and students on their (1) satisfaction with
ITCS services, systems, and applications; (2) use of technology tools and systems; and (3)
technology and training needs. ITCS incorporates this feedback in future planning and
implementation of technologies to support educational programs, support services, and
other mission-related activities. ITCS also administers brief surveys to faculty to obtain
feedback regarding Blackboard features and use. Three additional surveys administered that
include questions specific to ECU technology services and resources include the Graduating
Senior Survey and the Sophomore Survey.
In 2017-2018, on a 5-point scale, where 5 is very satisfied and 1 is very dissatisfied,
average student ratings were:
** This question was not included on the Sophomore Survey.
Technology Evaluation and Compliance
ITCS evaluates new and existing technology (hardware and software) for
colleges/departments to ensure compatibility with ECU’s platforms and infrastructure
(network, application and environmental controls) to identify any potential security threats.
This assessment also includes verification of compliance regarding HIPAA, FERPA, ADA,
SSN/PII, PCI and other sensitive data types.
The main Internet connection for ECU is provided by the North Carolina Research and
Educational Network (NCREN). ECU has two connections to NCREN, utilizing diverse paths,
with the primary being a 20 gigabit per second and the secondary being a 10 gigabit per
second connection.
Network Connectivity
The main Internet connection for ECU is provided by the North Carolina Research and
Educational Network (NCREN). ECU has two connections to NCREN, utilizing diverse paths,
with the primary being a 20 gigabit per second and the secondary being a 10 gigabit per
second connection.
ECU continues to expand the university’s wireless LAN capabilities. Over 2,700 access points
are now in production supporting over 23,000 concurrent users during peak times, providing
greater density for the increasing number of devices and reducing the contention for a
limited resource. The university recently upgraded high-use locations to 10G and 40G
connectivity to limit the impacts of the increasing bandwidth demands. In addition, campus
outdoor Wi-Fi access points were installed, allowing students, faculty and staff to connect to
the web with their own devices and take their studies outside of the classroom. This will
provide a greater continuity of mobile services as our users move around the campus.
Additional Wi-Fi network improvements in 2017 included: implementing
the Eduroam secure, world-wide roaming access service developed for the international
research and education community, and implementing the ecu-wifi network to provide an
open, non-secure network for ECU users to onboard to eduroam.
Enterprise Tools and Applications
To support ECU’s distance and correspondence education courses, as well as face-to-face
courses, ITCS supports Blackboard as the university’s learning management system.
Blackboard is hosted locally and upgrades occur each May. Investments in disaster recovery
and business continuity solutions provide 24/7 Blackboard access to students and faculty. In
2016-2017, average page views for Blackboard totaled approximately 651,263; maximum
page views on a single day totaled 1,548,911.
Tools that integrate with Blackboard include: VoiceThread, a video tool with features and
efficient workflows to facilitate student recording assignments, student feedback and
threaded discussion using video, audio and text. In 2016-2017, approximately 1,277 faculty
and student users created 2,331 VoiceThreads with 8,814 files imported. The Qwickly plug-
in increases efficiencies in Blackboard course development, and allows faculty to post
announcements and content into multiple courses at one time; EAC Visual Data, which
makes the process of mapping, collecting, analyzing, and reporting data easy and intuitive.
EAC Visual Data is designed to enable reliability analysis of text items and outcome
reporting at the individual test item level; the Blackboard plugin, CirQlive, which enables
faculty to schedule WebEx meetings from within a Blackboard course and invite every
student in the class. Meeting links are listed within the Blackboard course with recordings
available after a meeting is concluded; the McGraw Hill Connect building block that allows
faculty, who require these resources as part of their course, to link student scores from
Connect to an ECU Blackboard course site. Students, in courses that require the resource,
have access to a newly-implemented digital tool, Cengage MindTap, which offers organized
course materials ─ interactive multimedia, assignments, and quizzes; built-in metrics that
provide faculty insight into student engagement; faculty the ability to rearrange digital
textbook chapters, add notes, and embed a variety of content, including open educational
resources. To improve instructional resources to support IT accessibility, we are
implementing Blackboard Ally, which will provide an overall course accessibility score,
provide input on how to fix accessibility issues, and convert select content into five
accessible formats. Blackboard Analytics for Learn provides Integrated Reports, information
about student engagement and performance. Four reports are available to the Instructor of
Record (IOR) and one report can be made available to students. The amount of information
available within the reports will vary based on the design of the course. Integrated Reports
focus on learning statistics that will help faculty identify at-risk students. Reports are
derived from student access to the course, number of interaction clicks, time spent in the
course, and the number of submissions. These Integrated Reports can help students visually
see how they compare to their peers on activity, average score, and other
metrics. Starfish is an early-alert retention tool that works through Blackboard to support
student academic success at ECU. Through Starfish, faculty can inform students of their
academic performance within a course and connect students to appropriate support
resources. Starfish's goal is to offer academic assistance to those students who may be
falling behind. The Blackboard Retention Center is an additional tool that can be used in
combination with Starfish. The Blackboard Retention Center helps instructors identify
students who are at risk. Based on default and custom-created rules, each student’s
engagement and participation (grades, course access, course activity, etc.) is visually
displayed, alerting to students at potential risk. The Retention Center also allows faculty to
communicate with struggling students to help them take immediate action for
improvement.
Blackboard Collaborate (Collaborate) is a live collaborative platform that offers deep
integration with the Blackboard Learning Management System. Collaborate is a web
conferencing tool that resides within Blackboard courses and enables faculty to meet with
their students, invite guest lecturers from anywhere in the world, or hold office hours, all
from within a live virtual classroom environment. Some of the major features of Collaborate
include audio, live video, text chat, an interactive whiteboard, application and desktop
sharing, and live breakout rooms. Collaborate empowers ECU faculty to schedule
collaborative sessions and increases student access to course content. Collaborate sessions
can be recorded and archived so that students can view and review content as needed
throughout the semester.
Additional examples of enterprise tools and applications supported by ECU’s infrastructure
that provide required services to faculty, staff, and students (both on campus and distance)
include:
• Cisco WebEx
• Clickers (Audience Response)
• Microsoft Office 365
• Virtual Computing Lab (VCL)
• ECU Software Download Center
• SabaMeeting
• OneDrive Cloud Storage and Piratedrive Online File Storage
• Banner System
Technology-Enhanced Classrooms
ECU offers faculty, staff, and students over 400 technology-enhanced classrooms and
spaces across both Main Campus and Health Sciences Campus, in addition to 9 rooms in the
Coastal Studies Institute located on Roanoke Island. The types of technologies specific to
campus buildings can be viewed through the Classroom Technology database.
All standard, technology-enhanced classrooms include:
• Source audio system
• Ceiling-mounted projector
• Computer
• Laptop connection (Air Media / HDMI)
• Annotation podium monitor
• Document camera
Some rooms also offer:
• Speech reinforcement
• Camera Enabled: Software Lecture Capture/Web Conferencing
• Videoconferencing equipment
The Global Classroom, located in the Brewster Building, is a state-of-the-art teaching and
learning model which supports internet-based video conferencing and other collaboration
tools for groups. The Global Classroom model is designed to host asynchronous and
synchronous online activities. Global Classrooms are equipped with, audio, video, recording,
and teleconferencing equipment. Courses from a wide variety of disciplines employ the
Global Classroom technology with use ranging from a single guest lecturer to an entire
course. The Global Classrooms are used for distance education recording, live web cast,
archived sessions, and video conferencing, and is also the home base for Global Academic
Initiatives and their related programs.
Conclusion
In summary, East Carolina University operates, maintains, and supports physical and
electronic facilities, both on and off campus, that appropriately serve the needs of the
institution’s educational programs, support services, and other mission-related activities.
For further information on ECU’s technology infrastructure, see Comprehensive Standard
12.1 (student support services).
For further information on ECU’s distance education technologies, see SACSCOC policy:
Distance and Correspondence Education.
R - 13.8
Institutional Environment
The institution takes reasonable steps to provide a healthy, safe, and secure environment
for all members of the campus community.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) ensures a healthy, safe, and secure environment for all
campus community members (i.e. Main Campus and Health Sciences Campus) through the
synergistic efforts of several offices including: Environmental Health and Campus Safety
(EHCS), ECU Facilities Services, and Risk Management and Insurance, all of which report
directly to the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance (Division of Administration and
Finance Organizational Chart). EHCS works in collaboration with the Office of Prospective
Health who reports to the Dean of the Brody School of Medicine (Division of Health Sciences
Organizational Chart). The Office of Equity and Diversity, led by the Associate Provost for
Equity and Diversity who reports to the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic
Affairs, leads ECU’s Title IX compliance by providing training, guidance and oversight of
policy (Division of Academic Affairs Organizational Chart). Additionally, the Division of
Student Affairs, specifically the Office of the Dean of Students, plays a vital safety role as
part of its commitment to maximizing student success and development through
educational programs, developmental opportunities and supportive intervention services
(Division of Student Affairs Organizational Chart).
ECU is committed to being a model for campus safety. Campus safety is everyone’s
responsibility and requires a collaborative effort among numerous departments, faculty,
staff and students. ECU’s safety plan is outlined in the Emergency Information Reference
Manual (also referenced as “manual”). The manual is updated annually by EHCS and
published on the Environmental Health and Safety web page. The manual is designed to
help members of the ECU community plan for and respond to campus emergencies. EHCS
staff communicate ECU’s safety plan during New Employee Orientation as well as notify the
campus community via email as to when the new version is published. In addition to many
educational programs offered by various departments, the University has established
several programs in support of a safe and secure campus. For example, 100 emergency
blue-light phones have been strategically placed throughout the campus for use in
emergency situations. Additionally, ECU offers Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) classes for
all students in support of education, discussion, and self-defense techniques. ECU
offers Safety Escorts who are trained student patrol officers who provide safety escorts
during evening hours. SafeRide facilitates a safe and reliable evening commuting
environment by providing a fare-free method of transportation around campus to homes or
vehicles. Additional information on security and safety programs, including procedures for
crime reporting and providing timely warnings and notifications, can be found in ECU’s
Annual Security and Fire Safety (Clery) Report and Pirate Safety Guide. ECU's Annual
Security and Fire Safety (Clery) Report is communicated annually through official ECU email
notification (2018 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report Student Communication; 2018
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report Faculty and Staff Communication). The Pirate
Safety Guide is included in the Freshman Orientation packets as well as the Graduate School
Orientation packets. Furthermore, the Pirate Safety Guide is accessible from the ECU Alert
website via the Emergency Procedures tab. This website is ECU's hub for safety
information.
The Environmental Health & Campus Safety (EHCS) unit consists of the following
departments: ECU Police Department (ECU PD), Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S),
Emergency Management, Security Technology and Parking & Transportation services. In
2009, the Chancellor created the EHCS unit to consolidate campus safety and emergency
management functions into a more efficient and effective structure. The Associate Vice
Chancellor in charge of the EHCS unit reports to the Chancellor and is a member of the
Chancellor’s Executive Council.
ECU Police Department
The ECU PD is a full-service, 24-hour law enforcement organization with responsibilities
identical to a municipal police department. The ECU PD provides a variety of services that
range from education and awareness programs to investigations of reported crimes. Sworn
ECU Police Officers are empowered by NC State Statute § 116-40.5 which entitles the
University of North Carolina System Office (UNC SO), specifically the Board of Trustees
(BOT), to establish a campus law enforcement agency and employ campus police officers.
The agency has an authorized staffing level of 61 sworn police officers and 16 civilians and
employs additional sworn reserve police officers and student civilian patrol officers who work
in a part-time capacity. Some examples of the certification requirements for sworn police
officers are documented in the 2017 Sworn Officer Certification Compliance pages.
The ECU PD is nationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). Accreditation status is evaluated every four years; the
latest reaffirmation is published in the report entitled, Assessment Report for the East
Carolina University Police Department, 2015. The ECU PD is also accredited by
the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and is
required to submit reports on a four-year accreditation cycle attesting to its continued
compliance with accreditation standards. In December 2015, ECU was recommended for re-
accreditation as noted in the, IACLEA Joint Accreditation Review Summary based on its
compliance with accreditation standards. The IACLEA period of accreditation covered by the
December 2015 review is March 17, 2016 through March 17, 2020.
The ECU PD has an extended jurisdictional agreement with the City of Greenville for
concurrent jurisdiction within a specific area surrounding the main campus property. This
agreement allows ECU officers to investigate crimes and take enforcement action within that
concurrent jurisdiction. The department has mutual aid agreements with the Pitt County
Sheriff’s Department, Greenville Police Department, and most of the cities and towns within
Pitt County. These mutual aid agreements provide state statute authority for law
enforcement agencies to provide assistance when requested. The ECU PD also works closely
with other North Carolina State law enforcement agencies and federal agencies to include
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security, and the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA).
Safety and Security at Off-Campus Instructional Sites
Additionally, off-campus instructional sites are deemed safe and secure for faculty and
students as is evident by each approved site having its own security guidelines and
protocols that align to the specific institution’s mission and strategic plan. For example,
Craven Community College Campus Security is tasked with securing the environment for all
campus occupants while on their campus. The Campus Security are located in close
proximity to the ECU off-campus students/instructor and are available by phone while class
is in session. Similarly, Gateway Technology Center, located on North Carolina Wesleyan
College’s campus, has a police department that manages the security and safety of all
campus occupants. The Gateway Technology Center handles any issues on an individual
basis and uses 911 for emergencies. To ensure this location provides a healthy, safe, and
secure environment a blue "call box" is located outside this facility and will call directly to
the Rocky Mount City Police. For Fire, Rescue, and Emergency services large numbers have
been placed on the outside of the building, along with the name, "Gateway Technology
Center" for ease in emergency identification. An MOU is signed each academic year with
Craven Community College for the use of their facilities (2017 Craven Community College
MOU), while the Gateway Technology Center has a renewable annual lease agreement
(2018 Gateway Technology Center Lease). The Gateway Technology Center relationship is
fostered by the Executive Director of Continuing Studies who attends Gateway Technology
Center, Inc. Board Meetings monthly. The meetings cover facility maintenance, financial
reports, security and building usage in order to strategically address any concerns by any of
the members in the collaborative relationship. An example of discussion topics can be found
in the Gateway Technology Center, Inc. Board Meeting Minutes_March 2018.
Annually, the ECU PD publishes, “Safety & You at ECU." This report includes statistics of
crimes reported on property owned, leased, or controlled by the university and/or
recognized student organizations, as well as on public property immediately adjacent to or
accessible from the campuses. The report is written in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act
(Title II, Public Law 101-542) and is a Federal requirement as specified by the United States
Department of Education’s Office of Post-secondary Education (Clery Letter).
Crisis Management
The ECU Crisis Communications Plan outlines the procedures necessary to immediately
notify the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or
dangerous situation occurring on campus involving an immediate threat to the health and/or
safety of students, staff, faculty and visitors. Designated university personnel receive
instruction on how to issue statements concerning emergency or dangerous situations
utilizing the ECU Alert System, a collection of communication tools that is used to distribute
emergency notification and information. Tools include the ECU Alert Web page, ECU Pirate
email, PC Pop-up boxes that display icons and messages, ECU hotlines, outdoor and indoor
speakers, OP phone speaker interfaces, digital LCD/plasma screen messages, Twitter, and
cell phone text messaging notices. The Alert System is periodically tested to evaluate the
multiple communication systems (Alert System March 2018).
ECU also utilizes the LiveSafe app, which provides two-way communication between user
and campus safety officials to directly and anonymously report safety concerns. The app
enables users to share information, tips and safety concerns via text messaging, video,
audio attachments and live chat. It also includes a safe walk feature and a variety of safety
procedures and other resources.
The university’s emergency management team and crisis policy team utilize a cloud-based
virtual emergency operations system, VEOCI, to communicate potential hazards to the
campus community, share important procedures that have been taken to protect the
campus community or mitigate impacts from the potential hazards, maintain constant
situational awareness during and after an incident, request resources, and identify lessons
learned and opportunities for improvement.
Emergency Preparedness
The ECU Emergency Operations Plan is the comprehensive, detailed campus plan that
covers the institution’s response to multi-hazard situations. The plan is compliant with the
National Incident Management System (NIMS). Copies of the plan are distributed to those
offices with specific roles and responsibilities, as outlined in in the plan, and maintained by
the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. The plan outlines procedures to be followed
by each responsible office and is periodically reviewed, exercised, and tested to ensure that
the university’s response to an emergency will protect lives and preserve university assets
(Emergency Preparedness Training_Training, Notification, and Testing). Due to the sensitive
nature of the contents of the document, only limited information is available for public view.
The Emergency Information Reference Manual is a quick reference guide for university
personnel and is a supplement to the Emergency Operations Plan.
Emergency Preparedness Training
Training is an important aspect of ECU’s commitment to campus safety. ECU’s Office of
Environmental Health & Safety promotes the protection of human health and the
environment through high-quality EH&S training that is available both face-to-face and
online. During orientation, new employees are familiarized with the safety policy, hazard
communication policy, security procedures and emergency evacuation and notification
procedures (EH&S Orientation).
University personnel, including ECU Police, and surrounding first responder agencies
participate in emergency training on an annual basis. The training typically includes a full-
scale exercise, table-top exercise or training on policy and procedures and are designed to
assess and evaluate the emergency plans and capabilities of the University. Drills and
exercises may be announced or unannounced. In conjunction with at least one emergency
management exercise each year, ECU will notify the community of the exercise and remind
the community of the information included in the University’s publicly available information
regarding emergency procedures. A preparedness drill was recently conducted in October
2017 to simulate a response to a Hurricane event. It consisted of the following: tabletop
drill, call center drill, virtual emergency operations center drill and recovery tabletop drill.
Security Technology
Security Technology staff within EHCS work collaboratively with ECU 1Card, security
technology vendors, and ECU PD to conduct facility security assessments that help with
designing and installing the recommended security systems. Once installed and tested,
users are trained in security procedures and use of the technology. There are more than
1300 security cameras and 150 emergency blue light phones across the institution.
All residence halls remain locked at all times with key fob electronic access only for external
entrances. Security cameras cover every hall entry and exit door as well as key lobby and
service areas. The building access to residence halls is managed by Campus Living. The ECU
1Card Office manages the security access system for the academic and administrative
buildings on campus, including access authorization and approval and the university ID card
that controls access. The ECU PD monitors the access control, alarm/panic, emergency blue
light phones, ECU LiveSafe app and security camera systems.
In the event of a known threat, ECU PD has the authority to lock down a facility or several
facilities as deemed necessary by the Incident Commander as noted in ECU PD General
Order 1300-01: Emergency Operations Plan (p. 17) (see indented paragraph to
follow). The ECU PD General Order 1300-01: Emergency Operations Plan is designed to
supplement the ECU Emergency Operations Plan by outlining specific guidelines to address
particular incidents in greater detail.
Control of campus will be established and may involve limiting access to specific areas
and facilities. During the emergency any buildings at ECU, as determined by the
Incident Commander, will be secured and checked on a regular basis.
Telecommunicators will computer lock all necessary doors via the 1 CARD computer.
If the 1 CARD computer is not operational or for buildings that do not utilize the 1
CARD system, officers will be directed to manually lock all necessary doors. The
Incident Commander or designee may request assistance from Facilities Services in
securing necessary buildings if it is determined to be safe to do so. Buildings which
are housing students will be checked hourly if feasible to ensure the safety of students
and to determine the existence of or prevent damage to property. If necessary lock-
down procedures as described in ECU PD General Order 1300-05: Active Killer/Rapid
Deployment may be implemented.
As academic and administrative buildings are constructed, renovated and leased, security
technology and other measures are integrated into the facility, including security cameras,
blue light emergency phones, card access controls, alarms/panic buttons, indoor/outdoor
speakers, and LCD screens for emergency notification. The Associate Vice Chancellor for
EHCS manages an allocation of the campus safety fund, which is a recurring budget used to
retrofit existing buildings with security equipment based on priorities identified and
submitted by the various campus security units.
Cyber Security Management
In addition to protecting our physical campus and ensuring the safety of faculty, staff, and
students, ECU manages cyber security risks as part of its comprehensive Information
Security program. The Program is anchored by the Information Security Regulation, which
defines the responsibility of all employees for protecting the information in their care, as
well as management’s responsibility for ensuring employees fulfill their responsibilities and
for ensuring the security of the IT services provided by their respective units. As part of the
program, all university employees are required to take security training within 30 days of
employment and refresher training at least once every 2 years. Supervisors use a
dashboard in the Blackboard Learning Management System to monitor their employees’
coursework. In addition, automated reports are delivered monthly to divisional
representatives for tracking and enforcement within the departments.
Additionally, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) leads the detection and remediation of
cyber security threats through the use of the latest in threat management tools that
facilitate Intrusion Detection and Prevention, Data Loss Prevention, and Security
Information and Event Management (SIEM) processes by investigating computer incidents
and coordinating the University’s response to data breaches. The Information Security Office
oversees the use of cyber security insurance, which reduces the University’s financial
liability for data breach response activities and extends the University’s response capabilities
through the addition of contracted professional services.
The Information Security Office conducts an annual Enterprise Information Risk Assessment,
using the ISO/IEC 27005 framework for Information Risk Management, that identifies
information-related threats to ECU’s critical business processes, which if acted on would
impair the University’s capability to fulfill its mission and key objectives. The goal of this
Assessment is to provide actionable intelligence to university decision makers on the
treatment, avoidance, acceptance, and management of information risks.
Office of Environmental Health and Safety and Office of
Prospective Health
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety operates in a collaborative effort with the
Office of Prospective Health to help ensure a healthy, safe, and secure environment for all
members of the campus community. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety and the
Office of Prospective Health provide policies, education and training, program management,
and consultative services that comply with the provisions of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of North Carolina (§ 95-126), and the North Carolina State Employees Workplace
Requirements Program for Safety and Health. For example, Hazard Communication is one of
several critical training programs provided to the University community. The purpose of this
program is to identify and communicate hazards that employees may encounter. The
program requires impacted employees to receive training upon initial employment with the
University. Training is based on policies, for example the Chemical Hygiene Plan is
introduced and explained during Hazard Communication training that explains the
requirements for using hazardous chemicals in laboratories. The policy is posted on ECU’s
Policies, Rules and Regulation (PRRs) web page where all PRRs can be found.
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety is charged with providing risk identification,
risk evaluation, and risk management techniques for the prevention of injury and protection
of life, property, and the environment. EH&S is responsible for the following programs: Fire
and Life Safety, Laboratory Safety, Environmental Management (to include: Food
Safety; Sustainability; Water Quality; Animals on Campus), Industrial Hygiene, Workers’
Compensation Managementand Emergency Management.
Program responsibilities for the Office of Prospective Health include: Biological Safety and
Waste Management, Radiation Safety, Employee Health, and Infection Control.
EH&S and the Office of Prospective Health are staffed with qualified personnel with the
necessary knowledge, skills, and training to manage the university’s environmental health
and safety programs. Staff knowledge is continuously enhanced through field experience,
presentations, group problem-solving sessions, collaboration with other environmental
health and safety departments within and outside of the university system, and training
through professional organizations.
The safety and environmental program evaluation process is accomplished through a variety
of internal and external assessments. Several regulatory and state agencies conduct
inspections and audits. The NC Office of State Human Resources Safety and Workers’
Compensation Division periodically audits the safety, industrial hygiene and workers’
compensation programs. The Hazardous Waste Branch of North Carolina Department of
Environmental Quality also inspects our facilities and records for hazardous waste violations
(Inspection examples: Main Campus Compliance Evaluation and Health Sciences Campus
Compliance Evaluation). The North Carolina Department of Occupational Safety and Health
(NCOSH), and other regulatory agencies, can conduct unannounced inspections or request
such as: internal investigations in response to employee complaints, as they deem
necessary. For example, on April 5, 2018 ECU was notified of an air-quality complaint and
was advised to investigate and report findings to NCOSH. ECU investigated the air-quality
complaint on April 10th, 2018 and found that the air-quality was within acceptable limits. In
the April 16, 2018 response to the NCOSH, The Office of Environmental Health and Safety
identified corrective actions to help occupants report concerns and monitor the area for
preventative maintenance (NCOSH complaint and ECU response 2018).
The Office of Prospective Health conducts employee screenings and immunizations to meet
OSHA and other requirements, medical evaluations for infectious exposures, and evaluation
and treatment for work-related illness, injuries, or other exposures as requested by the
EH&S. Current students and employees can also gain access to health and wellness
programs and services via Student Health Services and ECU Physicians.
Animal Care
Any individual wishing to use vertebrate animals in research or teaching activities at or
funded by ECU must seek approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC) and obtain an approved Animal Use Protocol (AUP) prior to obtaining or using
animals. All individuals listed on the AUP must be assessed by the Office of Prospective
Health for inclusion in the ECU Infection Control Policy: Occupational Health Program.
Hazard and animal related disease training is also required. If hazardous physical, chemical,
or biological agents are used in animal research, the appropriate subject matter experts in
these areas must approve hazard use prior to final AUP approval. Individuals not using
animals in research but exposed to animals directly or indirectly also receive training
consistent with the risk level. All approvals must be obtained before personnel are allowed
card access to the animal housing and use areas. The Department of Comparative Medicine
maintains an Emergency Response Plan for Animal Care which addresses natural disasters,
pandemics, and extremist activities.
Building Access (ECU 1Card)
The ECU 1 Card is the official photo ID card for ECU. All students, staff, and faculty need
this card whenever they are asked to show university identification. An ECU 1 Card is
obtained by visiting the 1 Card office with a valid state issued ID card, paid cashier’s receipt
for current semester or Letter of Employment, and knowledge of ECU ID number. Disabling
of ECU 1 Card access and/or clearance levels is manually updated as Human Resources
(HR) advises via a termination report sent to the 1 Card office. Building access is
determined by the role of the applicant. For example, upon onboarding a new employee, a
request form signed by the employee’s supervisor is sent to the 1 Card office approving
access to buildings that the employee will occupy based on their job duties. If at any time
the employee’s access should change, a new signed form is submitted to the 1 Card office
instructing additional access or removal of access.
ECU 1 Card manages the security access system for Main Campus, the Health Sciences
campus, and off-campus facilities. This involves controlling the security access of access
points to include exterior/interior doors and elevators across campus. Card reader access
points allow patrons to access a building, room, or area via their ECU 1 Card with authorized
pre-approval. Control points allow patron access to a building, room, or area only during
scheduled unlock times. Monitoring points are generally designated for doors that remain
locked 24/7 and are usually not used as an entry point to the building, room, or area.
Facilities
Facilities Services publishes construction standards to ensure that facilities are made safer
through the installation of the appropriate safety equipment, security measures, and proper
egress. All plans for the construction and/or renovation of facilities are reviewed by key
personnel from the following units that report the Vice Chancellor of Administration and
Finance: Facilities Engineering and Architectural Services, Facilities Services, Information
Technology and Computing Services (ITCS), Telecommunications, Materials Management,
Environmental Health and Safety, and affected building occupants (Division of
Administration and Finance Org Chart). The City of Greenville Fire and Rescue Department
also participates in design reviews to evaluate building access for emergency vehicles. They
also conduct periodic site visits to plan fire and rescue responses to emergencies and
conduct on-site training exercises to familiarize response staff with the campus. ECU Police
Department personnel are trained in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
(CPTED) and use these design parameters to ensure that facilities and grounds promote
safety and support crime prevention principles. Proposed plans are sent to the Office of
State Construction for consideration and approval.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services’ (NCDHHS) Environmental Health Unit
conducts annual sanitary inspections (NCDHHS Inspection Report, 2018) of all campus
facilities. Facilities Services and EH&S accompany these agencies on their inspections and, if
deficiencies are noted (NCDHHS Inspection Report, 2018, p.4), work orders are generated
to correct the deficiency noted (Work Order 18-043170). Laboratory safety, clinical safety,
and facilities and grounds safety inspections are conducted by EH&S, Office of Prospective
Health, ECU PD, and Facilities Services throughout the year.
Facilities Services uses the Annual Fire and Safety Inspection conducted by the North
Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) to assess the safety of the university’s real
property. North Carolina General Statute 58-31-40 requires the NCDOI to inspect each
state-owned building at least annually in order to identify any conditions that may be
detrimental to the safety of the building or its occupants. These inspections are based on
the North Carolina Building Code and the NFPA fire codes, as well as other standards and
insurance criteria. ECU is responsible for correcting the reported deficiencies in a timely
manner to improve life safety and to prevent property losses. For example, the 2018 Annual
Fire and Safety Inspection: ECU Campus identifies deficiencies noted by the State Fire
Marshall on main campus by building. (ECU also receives an Annual Fire and Safety
Inspection report for the Health Science campus.) The deficiencies annotated on the 2018
Annual Fire and Safety Inspection: ECU Campus are transcribed by Facilities Services
personnel into Microsoft Access for ease in tracking and reporting. Facilities Services
generates the 2018 DOI Report that notes the findings from the 2018 Annual Fire and
Safety Inspection report and what solutions are in place to correct the deficiencies. This
report is sent to the NCDOI, specifically the State Fire Marshall, to communicate the plans
to correct the noted deficiencies.
Facilities Services’ trained inspectors perform regular inspections of all facilities to identify
maintenance deficiencies and safety issues. Facilities Service – Utilities Services has a Life
Safety Shop with electricians, fire alarm technicians, and life safety technicians responsible
for the various life safety systems including, but not limited to, fire extinguishers, fire
suppression systems, sprinkler systems, fire pumps, emergency lighting, fire alarms, etc. All
Facilities Services personnel are charged with performing inspections of facilities and
grounds during the course of their work. If a deficiency is found, the Facilities Services
personnel submit a work order to correct it through maintenance or installation of corrective
equipment.
Campus Living maintains a high level of security and door control. Campus Living and EH&S
conduct fire drills a minimum of four times per year. Processes are then evaluated and the
feedback used to inform and enhance future drills (Residence Halls Fire Drill Report 2018).
Disability Support Services
Disability Support Services (DSS) (reporting to the Division of Student Affairs) and the
campus community strive to ensure that all programs and services are accessible in a safe,
barrier-free manner. Students at the University level must self-disclose a disabling condition
and the need for accommodation. Staff are on hand at Open House, Admitted Students Day,
and all Orientation sessions to provide guidance on available services. Additionally, faculty
are encouraged (COB Syllabus Instructions), and most comply with, the request to include
the following statement on all syllabi:
East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a disability must be registered
with the Department for Disability Support Services.
Furthermore, DSS assists with the following initiatives that strengthen compliance with ADA
requirements:
Campus Operations Design Review: The ADA Coordinator/Director of DSS is included in the
pre-construction review of all renovations and new construction. The goal is to ensure that
the 2010 standards for accessible design are followed with an emphasis on accessible, safe
paths of travel.
Report a Barrier: Each page of the ECU website template has a “Report a Barrier” link for
reporting ADA accessibility issues. (Report a Barrier Examples).
The ADA transition plan 2016: As required, the university has a working ADA transition plan
for bringing the campus into full compliance. Based on the deficiencies noted in the report,
two to three projects are selected each year for improvements focusing on accessibility and
enhanced path of travel throughout campus.
Dean of Students Office
The Dean of Students Office (reporting to the Division of Student Affairs) supports a
healthy, safe, and secure environment for all students. The Dean of Students supervises
the Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) and the Office of Students
Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR).
CCSD’s programs and services, such as individual counseling, group counseling, substance
abuse counseling, and victim advocacy to name a few, are designed to enhance personal
growth through developmental, preventive, and therapeutic programming designed to
facilitate skill development, improve function and increase understanding of self and others.
As such, individual and group programs and outreach activities are designed to enhance the
quality of life for ECU students in the areas of cognitive, emotional, social, career, and
academic development.
OSRR fosters student growth by promoting students' awareness and understanding of their
rights and responsibilities as community members. OSRR administers the Student Conduct
Process (Student Code of Conduct). It addresses student conduct and creates
developmental learning opportunities in an effort to engage students in ethical decision-
making.
East Carolina University Behavioral Concerns Team
The University Behavioral Concerns Team (UBCT) operates to receive, collect, consider,
assess, and intervene upon information on behavior of concern exhibited by a student or
group of students, a faculty or staff member, or a visitor to the campus. The team gathers
and reviews all available relevant evidence, speaks with the individual of concern and other
involved parties as appropriate, conducts a threat assessment based upon the information
available, develops a personalized plan of intervention, and coordinates the implementation
of the plan of intervention through collaboration with relevant campus resources and
affected University departments on the record of its proceedings (UBCT Employee and UBCT
Student Examples).
CARE Team
The CARE Team assesses whether individuals pose a risk to themselves or others and to
intervene when necessary, to identify and provide assistance to those in need. The team
takes a preventative approach to risk assessment by offering resources, referrals, and
support to both the concerning individual and those impacted by their behavior. The
multidisciplinary team, which is comprised of faculty and staff from across the institution,
functions as the central collection point and repository for information when concerns are
raised about a student who may be at risk for harming self or others and/or who may pose
a significant disruption to the campus environment. The goal of the team is to identify,
prevent, and reduce the risk of violence on campus and to promote the safety and well-
being of all members of the University community. The Care Team is committed to
improving campus safety and student success by proactively and collaboratively managing
situations and individuals that pose, or may reasonably pose, a threat to the safety and
well-being of the campus community (CARES Student Example). The dean’s staff works
closely with the ECU PD to address student inquiries about persons of concern.
Office of Equity and Diversity: Title IX, Title VII, VAWA, and
Clery Act
East Carolina University strives to be a national model for student success, public service,
and regional transformation and is built upon tolerance, civility, and mutual respect.
Consistent with these values, the University is committed to providing a safe and non-
discriminatory learning, living, and working environment for all members of the University
community. The University’s Office for Equity and Diversity (OED) provides leadership in the
university's efforts to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. OED promotes a
diverse, respectful, and inclusive environment for the university community (i.e. main
campus and health science campus) through educational programming, training and
seminars. The Office promotes equity in university-wide educational opportunities,
programming and employment in order to sustain a diverse and inclusive learning, living
and working environment.
The scope of the OED encompasses institutional equity and diversity functions involving
education, intervention, compliance, consulting, programming, outreach and assessment.
Institutional practices, in support of the principles of diversity and equity, are monitored in
this office. Our goal is that the guiding principles of equity and diversity are applied and
assessed institutionally pertaining to administration, academics, budgets, and strategy.
The University prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex or gender in any of its
education or employment programs and activities. To that end, the Regulation on Sexual
and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence (from here to
fore referenced as, Regulation) prohibits specific forms of behavior that violate Title IX of
the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”); Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(“Title VII”). Such behavior also requires the University to fulfill certain obligations under
the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (“VAWA”) and the Jeanne Clery
Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”). ECU
does not have any open or pending investigations by the Office of Civil Rights.
The University prohibits Sexual Assault, Offensive Touching, Sexual Exploitation, Dating and
Domestic Violence, Stalking, Sexual or Gender-Based Harassment, Complicity in the
commission of any act prohibited by this Regulation, and Retaliation against any person for
reporting an allegation of prohibited conduct under this Regulation or participation in any
investigation or proceeding under this Regulation (collectively, “Prohibited Conduct”). These
forms of Prohibited Conduct may be unlawful, undermine the character and purpose of the
University, and will not be tolerated.
The University adopted the Regulation with a commitment to: (1) eliminating, preventing,
and addressing the effects of Prohibited Conduct; (2) fostering the University’s community
of trust, in which Prohibited Conduct is not tolerated; (3) cultivating a climate where all
individuals are well-informed and supported in reporting Prohibited Conduct; (4) providing a
fair and impartial process for all parties; and (5) identifying the standards by which
violations of the Regulation will be evaluated and disciplinary action may be imposed.
Employees or Students who violate the Regulation may face disciplinary action up to and
including termination or expulsion. The University will take prompt and equitable action to
eliminate Prohibited Conduct, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects. The University
conducts ongoing prevention, awareness, and training programs for employees and
students to facilitate the goals of the Regulation. Every member of the University
community should foster an environment free of Prohibited Conduct. All members of the
University community are encouraged to take reasonable and prudent actions to prevent or
stop an act of Prohibited Conduct. The University will support and assist community
members who take such actions.
To demonstrate the University’s compliance with the Regulation and applicable procedures,
a copy of a redacted case file has been provided. The investigation occurred in the Spring
2018 academic semester and was conducted using the Appendix A procedures associated
with the Regulation. Specific identifying information was redacted per privacy/student
record policies.
In addition to the Regulation, the University, through the Notice of Nondiscrimination and
Affirmative Action Policy, prohibits discrimination, harassment and related retaliation based
on the University’s recognized protected classes: race/ethnicity, color, genetic information,
national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual
orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status.
Purpose of the SMRT Committee
Upon receipt of a report of prohibited conduct committed by a student, the Sexual
Misconduct Response Team (SMRT) will make an initial assessment of the reported
information to respond to any immediate health or safety concerns raised by the report and
to determine whether there is reasonable cause to believe a policy violation could have
occurred such that an investigation is warranted. An allegation of Prohibited Conduct will be
investigated regardless of any SMRT determination if investigation is recommended by the
Title IX Coordinator or designee.
The purpose of the SMRT is to assess the immediate resource needs of the Complainant(s)
and Respondent(s), recommend any corrective actions needed to address campus
environmental concerns, monitor reports for any patterns or trends, and determine whether
there is reasonable cause to conclude that a violation of policy has occurred and, if so,
initiate an investigation. The SMRT will refer conclusions on any patterns or trends to the
Division of Student Affairs for utilization in the development and presentation of prevention
and awareness efforts.
Frequency of Meetings
The SMRT convenes (in person, by telephone, or by video conference) weekly or as needed
to review information received from a report of prohibited conduct and to review new,
relevant information as it becomes available.
Criteria for the Evaluation
The SMRT will evaluate every report of Prohibited Conduct by a student. Per the Regulation
on Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence,
Prohibited Conduct includes Sexual Assault, Offensive Touching, Sexual Exploitation, Dating
and Domestic Violence, Stalking, Sexual or Gender-Based Harassment, Complicity in the
commission of any act prohibited by the Regulation, and Retaliation against any person for
reporting an allegation of Prohibited Conduct under the Regulation or participation in any
investigation or proceeding under the Regulation (collectively, “Prohibited Conduct”).
In its initial assessment, the SMRT will confirm the parties have (as applicable):
• Been assessed for their safety and well-being and offered the University’s immediate
support and assistance;
• Been informed of their right to seek medical treatment and received explanation of the
importance of obtaining and preserving forensic and other evidence;
• Been informed of the right to contact law enforcement, decline to contact law
enforcement, and/or seek a protective order;
• Been informed of the University’s and community resources, the right to seek appropriate
and available remedial and interim protective measures, and how to request those
resources and measures;
• Received a written explanation of all available resources and options and been offered the
opportunity to meet to discuss those resources and options;
• Been informed of the University’s Alternative or Formal Resolution options under these
Procedures; ascertained the Complainant’s expressed preference (if the Complainant has, at
the time of the initial assessment, expressed a preference) for pursuing Alternative
Resolution, Formal Resolution, or neither; and confirmed each of the parties has had the
opportunity to discuss any concerns or barriers to participating in any University
investigation and resolution under these Procedures;
• Received an explanation of the University’s prohibition against Retaliation and that the
University will take prompt action in response to any act of Retaliation;
• Assessed the nature and circumstances of the report, including whether it provides the
names and/or any other information that personally identifies the Complainant, the
Respondent, any witness, and/or any other third party with knowledge of the reported
incident and whether there is reasonable cause to conclude that a violation of University
Policy could have occurred;
• Ascertained the ages of the Complainant and the Respondent, if known, and, if either of
the parties is a minor (under 18), insure the Title IX Coordinator or designee contacts the
appropriate child protective service agency;
• Communicated with appropriate University officials to determine whether the report
triggers any Clery Act obligations, including entry of the report in the daily crime log and/or
issuance of a timely warning, and take steps to meet those obligations.
SMRT Committee Members
As determined by the co-chairs, the SMRT may include select members of the University
Behavioral Concerns Team (UBCT) and shall include, at a minimum: (1) the Title IX
Coordinator or his/her designee, (2) the assigned investigator, (3) a representative of the
Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR), (4) a representative of the ECU Police
Department (the ECUPD Representative), (5) a representative from the Dean of Student’s
Office, and (6) the University’s Clery Compliance Officer. A representative of the Office of
University Counsel will serve as an advisor to the SMRT. In addition, the SMRT may include
a representative from Campus Living, the Counseling Center, or Student Health Services,
depending on the circumstances of the reported incident and the status of the Complainant
and the Respondent (SMRT Committee Members).
As evidence for how this committee is used to provide a safe and secure environment please
see attached the past three (3) SMRT Agendasand two (2) Case Review Sheets
(SMRT) (information redacted to comply with FERPA and HIPPA).
Health and Wellness Services for Students and Employees
ECU offers resources to keep students and employees healthy. Student Health Services is a
healthcare resource for students. ECU Physicians offers an acute urgent care service for
employees, and Human Resources supports an Employee Assistance Program.
Student Health Services
Student Health Services (SHS), accredited by the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory
Health Care (AAAHC), provides quality healthcare to current ECU students. SHS has two
locations, one on the main campus and one on the Health Science Campus. The main
campus hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; in addition, Saturday and
Sunday hours are available for acute care from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. during the fall and
spring semesters. The hours of operation at SHS on the Health Science Campus are
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
After hours, students may utilize a free, 24-hour nurse call service to obtain medical advice.
Eligible students are able to purchase the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) offered
through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.
ECU Physicians
ECU Physicians operates an acute urgent care service called Rapid Access. This service
provides all ECU Employees and their immediate family members access to same-day
appointments with a physician or an Advanced Practice Provider for urgent general care
conditions, such as such as fever, nagging cough, cold or flu like symptoms, minor injuries,
or other acute, non-emergent conditions. Annually, approximately 1350 individuals contact
the Rapid Access Appointment Line for assistance. Individuals who call the Rapid Access
phone line are scheduled for an appointment with an appropriate primary care clinician.
Appointments are scheduled the same day or within 24 hours.
Employee Assistance Program
ECU cares about its employees and is dedicated to a healthy work-life balance for
employees. ECU acknowledges that both work and personal life may be stressful at some
point in time during an employee’s career. In order to provide an avenue for employees to
confidentially discuss personnel matters that may or may not be impacting the employee in
the workplace, ECU offers an Employee Assistance Program that includes confidential
assessments and referrals for employees who work a minimum of 30 hours per week. The
goal of the Employee Assistance Program is to provide counseling options to employees for
a variety of needs, including but not limited to, anger management, coping skills, substance
abuse, grieving the loss of a loved one, marital and family, and stress management. If ECU
employees are managing personal issues well, this reduces the distraction in the workplace
and will result in a safer, healthier, and more productive work environment. ECU pays the
co-pay for the first visit and a portion of the co-pay up to two additional visits. Employees
must present their one-card at each visit.
Conclusion
The University considers the personal physical safety of its students and employees
necessary for a successful learning environment. It is our hope that a well-informed
University community will be a safe one. The institution, through interdepartmental
communication and transparency, takes reasonable steps to provide a healthy, safe, and
secure environment for all members of the campus community.
R - 14.4
Representation to Other Agencies
The institution (a) represents itself accurately to all U.S. Department of Education
recognized accrediting agencies with which it holds accreditation and (b) informs those
agencies of any change of accreditation status, including the imposition of public sanctions.
(See SACSCOC policy "Accrediting Decisions of Other Agencies.")
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
ECU represents itself accurately to all U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) recognized
accrediting agencies with which it holds accreditation and informs those agencies of any
change of accreditation status, including the imposition of public sanctions. Thirty-nine
educational programs offered by ECU are accredited by 15 USDOE recognized accrediting
agencies as follows:
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition
and Dietetics (ACEND)
• Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)
• American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational
Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation (APA)
• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
• Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA)
• Council for Education for Public Health (CEPH)
• Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
(CAA)
• Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)
• Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
• National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
Detailed information about program names and review dates are published on the
Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research (IPAR) website. To ensure each program
describes ECU accurately to all USDOE recognized accrediting agencies with which it holds
accreditation, ECU publishes an annually updated standard description of ECU and ECU’s
SACSCOC accreditation status on the IPAR website. In addition, IPAR offers resources to
programs during their self-study process, which includes the standard description of ECU
and the statement of ECU’s SACSCOC accreditation status. Furthermore, IPAR conducts an
annual audit of program accreditation status and monitors accreditor’s USDOE recognition
status. Programs’ self-studies and letters of affirmation are collected, reviewed, and saved
in an inventory. If programs do not include the standard description of ECU and/or the
statement of ECU’s SACSCOC accreditation status, ECU provided such information to the
accreditor separately. To illustrate compliance, ECU provides the following examples of
program self-studies:
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE): Nursing (MSN) (Self-study
Report Page 3)
• Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME): Nurse Midwifery (PM)
(Self-study Report Page 1)
• American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational
Therapy Education (ACOTE): Occupational Therapy (MSOT) (Electronic Self-study
Screenshot of Uploaded Document)
• American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation (APA): Health
Psychology (PhD) (Self-study Report Page 1)
In addition, ECU complies with the Federal Misrepresentation regulation 34 CFR 668.50 (c)
(1) (i) which states:
(c) Individualized disclosures. (1) An institution described under 34 CFR 600.9(a)(1)
or (b) that offers an educational program that is provided, or can be completed solely
through distance education or correspondence courses, excluding internships or
practicums, must disclose directly and individually--
(i) Prior to each prospective student's enrollment, any determination by the
institution that the program does not meet licensure or certification
prerequisites in the State of the student's residence; and
(ii) To each enrolled and prospective student--
(A) Any adverse action initiated by a State or an accrediting agency
related to postsecondary
education programs offered by the institution solely through distance
education or
correspondence study within 30 days of the institution's becoming aware
of such action;
ECU programs are required to report to IPAR immediately any decision of accreditation
status (e.g., reaffirmation of accreditation, request for additional information, request for a
progress report, an imposition of public sanctions, etc.). Since the last reaffirmation, ECU
has not voluntarily withdrawn accreditation from any U.S. DoE recognized accrediting
agencies, and no agencies have taken negative actions against any ECU programs. Should
this happen, IPAR will inform SACSCOC and all other USDOE recognized accrediting
agencies.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU describes itself in identical terms to each recognized accrediting body with
regard to purpose, governance, programs, degrees, diplomas, certificates, personnel,
finances, and constituents, and keeps each USDOE recognized accrediting body, including
SACSCOC, apprised of any change in its status with one or another accrediting agency.
R - 14.3
Comprehensive Institutional Review
The institution applies all appropriate standards and policies to its distance learning
programs, branch campuses, and off-campus instructional sites.
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
East Carolina University (ECU) is in compliance with distance education (DE) related
requirements, standards and polices applied to its distance learning programs and off-
campus instructional sites. ECU’s Distance Education Policy approved by the Faculty Senate
and the chancellor (most recently updated April 24, 2018 – Resolution #18-43) and
published in the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section III, guides the development, delivery,
and assessment to its distance education programs and off-campus instructional sites. ECU
does not have any branch campuses. ECU identifies off-campus instructional sites and
distance learning/online delivery of programs to be distance education (hereafter referred to
as Distance Education or DE), in as much that approval for each is granted by the University
of North Carolina System Office (UNCSO) through the Request to Deliver documentation
and once approved, programs are listed within the distance education selection of
the UNCSO Program and Degree Finder website. Complete documentation and descriptions
to support compliance are provided in the narratives of compliance referenced in the
heading sections below. These headings correspond to those in the SACSCOC Resource
Manual for Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, Appendix C:
Guidelines for Addressing Distance and Correspondence Education, Off-Campus
Instructional Sites, and Branch Campuses. This section summarizes the case for compliance
with all DE related standards and provides one coherent description of distance education at
ECU.
Mission
If the institution offers predominantly distance and correspondence education
programs as its primary mode of delivery, this should be reflected in the
institutional mission. Likewise, if expansive use of extended sites is the primary
means of program delivery, that should be reflected in the institutional mission.
Otherwise, the mission should not be inconsistent with the nature of such
locations and modes of delivery. See Core Requirement 2.1 (Institutional mission).
Although DE is not ECU’s predominate mode of instruction for educational programs, the
institution has set forth a Mission and Strategic Plan that addresses the incorporation of
distance learning programs and off-campus instructional sites. The mission reads as
follows:
To be a national model for student success, public service, and regional
transformation, East Carolina University:
• Uses innovative learning strategies and delivery methods to maximize access;
• Prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and values to succeed in a global,
multicultural society;
• Develops tomorrow's leaders to serve and inspire positive change;
• Discovers new knowledge and innovations to support a thriving future for eastern
North Carolina and beyond;
• Transforms health care, promotes wellness, and reduces health disparities; and
• Improves quality of life through cultural enrichment, academics, the arts, and
athletics.
We accomplish our mission through education, research, creative activities, and service
while being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.
(Approved, UNC Board of Governors, February 2014)
ECU's first commitment, as published in our 2017-2022 Strategic Plan, Capture Your
Horizon (approved by the Board of Trustees, BOT minutes 7-28-2017), is “Maximize Student
Success”. The success of our students is the ultimate measure of our university. We will
support excellence, expand opportunity, and celebrate achievement.” Listed below are the
goals specific to distance education:
• We will leverage our leadership in distance education to improve accessibility for key
student populations. We will establish targeted programs supporting seamless transitions to
ECU for active military, veterans, and transfers. We will encourage the return of "part-way
home" students to complete their degrees. We will lead the UNC system in the enrollment
and graduation of students from rural counties.
As stated in the Distance Education Policies, “Programs offered via distance education shall
be consistent with the mission of East Carolina University and the academic unit offering the
courses or programs.”
Degree-granting Authority
If the institution has physical sites in states or nations outside of the main
campus, these should have appropriate governmental operating authority and/or
degree-granting authority, if required. Similarly, if the institution has
distance/correspondence education students enrolled from other states, it should
provide evidence of state authorization, if required. If such authorization is not
required, evidence should support that it is not needed. See Core Requirement
3.1.a (Degree-granting authority).
ECU has degree-granting authority from the appropriate government agency.
UNCSO has given ECU degree-granting authority since the North Carolina General Assembly
established the state higher education system in 1971. The General Statutes of North
Carolina Section 116-4 establishes ECU as one of 17 constituent institutions comprising the
UNC System. The authority to plan and develop a coordinated system of higher education in
North Carolina is vested in the UNC Board of Governors (BOG) in accordance with
the Constitution of North Carolina Article IX, Section 8. General Statutes of North Carolina
Section 116-11 authorizes the BOG to determine the functions, educational activities, and
academic programs of the constituent institutions, such as ECU, and to determine the types
of degrees to be awarded. The UNC Policy Manual, Chapter 100.1, The Code - Appendix 1,
Delegations of Duty and Authority to Boards of Trustees - Section III - confers authority to
the 17 institutions such that each institution determines when an individual student has
fulfilled the criteria to be awarded a particular degree.
ECU has no physical sites in states or nations outside of the main campus with
governmental operating authority and/or degree-granting authority. The institution does
have distance/correspondence education students enrolled from other states.
ECU is an approved and active participant in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement
(SARA). The institution is authorized to operate in the other 48 SARA states and two
territories under SARA. California is not a SARA state and does not regulate public
institutions outside California. Therefore, approval to offer programs to residents of
California is not required. Massachusetts does not require approval of programs that do not
have a physical presence. Since ECU does not have a physical presence in Massachusetts,
ECU is not required to obtain approval from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.
Multi-level Governance
If branch campuses have their own boards, the relationship of these boards to the
governing board of the institution should be clearly explained. See Standard 4.3
(Multilevel governance).
Not applicable. ECU does not have any branch campuses.
Faculty
Oversight of faculty teaching at extended sites and in programs offered
predominantly via distance or correspondence education should be explained [see
Standard 6.3 (Faculty appointment and evaluation)]. If students can earn 50
percent or more of the credits for a program at an extended site or via
distance/correspondence education, there should be explanation of the
responsibility for program coordination [see Standard 6.2.c (Program
coordination)]. It would also be appropriate to explain the role of faculty
development activities in preparing faculty to offer and teach courses using
different modes of delivery [see Standard 6.5 (Faculty development)]. Faculty
teaching at all sites and via all modes of delivery should be included in faculty
rosters provided for Standard 6.2.a (Faculty qualifications). Faculty at branch
campuses should be included in discussion of other parts of Section 6 (Faculty).
Administratively at ECU, distance education is considered an instructional modality and as
such is administered in the same manner as face-to face-instruction, as stated in the ECU
Faculty Manual Part VI, section III. The instructor teaching a distance education course shall
have the same control of content and instruction as in face-to-face courses, consistent with
university policies on instruction and academic freedom. ECU’s distance education
programs and the responsibility for their quality are housed in the academic colleges and
departments. The Undergraduate and Graduate Curriculum Committees play a significant
role in guiding the development and implementation of distance education courses. Only
those proposals demonstrating suitable content and sufficient quality and rigor shall be
approved. The academic units provide the oversight of programs and courses delivered via
distance education to ensure that each is coherent and has learning outcomes appropriate
to the level and rigor of the course or program. Oversight from the Office of the Provost
ensures that academic units adhere to the distance education policies.
Program coordination of off-campus instructional sites (50 percent or more credits earned at
site) is overseen at the College/school level offering the degree program by program
coordinators. Program coordinators visit each facility (Craven Community College and
Gateway Technology Center) prior to the implementation of the program to ensure
suitability. Furthermore, the program coordinators visit each site annually to ensure the
continued quality of the facilities. The College/school communicates each semester with the
site contact persons to facilitate classrooms and accessibility. These facilities are well
equipped with the needed technology and are ADA accessible as required at the state level
(to include restroom facilities, entrance/egress/etc.). For further information, see the
Physical Resources section of this document.
The responsibility for academic programs whether offered on the campus or via distance
education remains the same. At ECU, the hiring, staffing, credential review, and evaluations
of all instructors teaching distance education courses and programs are the responsibilities
of unit administrators. Additionally, unit administrators are responsible for ensuring that
each instructor teaching distance education courses has the appropriate distance education
training. Instructors who teach distance education courses and programs shall have the
same academic qualifications and credentials as instructors who teach face-to-face courses.
The instructor is primarily responsible for ensuring the rigor of programs and the quality of
instruction offered through distance education. Faculty who teach one or more distance
education courses must complete an initial university training program.
In addition, instructors are required to engage in at least one training activity each
academic year that addresses advances in the methodologies and technologies used in
distance education. Training is documented in the annual report of faculty teaching one or
more distance education courses. Faculty unable to attend an in-person training can watch
via video offered by the ECU Office for Faculty Excellence and submit a reflection to the
director of OFE for approval.
For each of East Carolina University’s undergraduate and graduate academic programs
delivered through distance education, the number of full-time faculty members is adequate
to support the mission of the institution and to ensure the quality and integrity of each of its
academic programs, addressed in Section 6 (Faculty). For online courses taught during
the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years (excluding summer terms), 74% of
undergraduate student credit hours were from courses taught by full-time faculty and 84%
of graduate student credit hours were from courses taught by full-time faculty. During the
same time period, for remote site courses, 59% of undergraduate student credit hours were
from courses taught by full-time faculty and 64% of graduate student credit hours were
from courses taught by full-time faculty. Further information regarding DE courses can be
found in principle 6.2.b.
Institutional Planning
If the institution has broad goals and outcomes regarding growth and
development of off-campus sites and distance education, these should be pointed
out in the discussion of Core Requirement 7.1 (Institutional Planning). Similarly, it
should be clear whether extended sites and/or distance education students are
part of the QEP (Standard 7.2) and if not, why not.
ECU’s 2017–2022 Strategic Plan, Capture Your Horizon reflects our mission and serves as a
proclamation of our commitments to the challenges set forth by the UNC System. ECU
focuses on three commitments in our strategic plan that we have identified as critical to our
continued growth, one of which is relevant to improving accessibility through distance
education.
ECU's first commitment, as published in Capture Your Horizon, is “Maximize Student
Success”. The success of our students is the ultimate measure of our university. We will
support excellence, expand opportunity, and celebrate achievement.” Listed below is the
goal specific to distance education:
• We will leverage our leadership in distance education to improve accessibility for key
student populations. We will establish targeted programs supporting seamless transitions to
ECU for active military, veterans, and transfers. We will encourage the return of "part-way
home" students to complete their degrees. We will lead the UNC system in the enrollment
and graduation of students from rural counties.
Units’ describe actions taken toward accomplishing their strategic planning goals in an
annual progress report. Examples of unit progress reports with goals and actions, specific to
distance education, include the College of Engineering and Technology (CET), which is
committed to increasing the number of CET courses offered online or hybrid formats, or in
face-to-face format with significant online content. A goal of the College of Fine Arts and
Communication (CFAC) is to grow enrollment by 5% in programs targeted toward working
professionals, such as: MAEd, MFA (low residency in ceramics), MA in Communication, BS in
Communication (online), and MM in Music. Identifying community college programs that are
compatible with the College of Health and Human Performance (HHP) majors and
establishing articulation/bilateral agreements is another example of a unit goal specific to
distance education. All ECU unit 2017-2022 Strategic Plans can be found on the
ECU Capture Your Horizon website.
ECU's Quality Enhancement Plan--"Write Where You Belong"--is a multi-faceted, multi-year
project to integrate, align, and reinforce writing instruction for all students from the day
that they begin their first classes at ECU to the day that they complete their degrees and
transition into the workplace or advanced study. It is a plan to implement and assess a
focused set of initiatives designed to improve student learning across the university. Data
has been collected and evaluated on the success of the project and is documented in
the QEP Impact Report. The ECU Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers distance education
students the opportunity to consult with a trained writing center consultant, either in an e-
Tutoring appointment, or a Meet Online appointment. Our OWL allows off-campus students
to ask specific questions about their writing in any stage, from brainstorming to the final
draft. While our online consultants do not simply proofread or edit anyone's paper, they
gladly answer questions and try to provide feedback that will help any student become a
better writer.
Student Achievement
An institution is not required to report separate student achievement data by
location of instruction or by mode of instruction. However, it should be clear from
narratives how these sites and modes are incorporated into broader institutional
statistics and into outcomes assessment measures. Institutions with multiple sites
or with a broad array of distance learning programs may find it helpful to consider
location or mode of delivery as a key variable in developing ways to use
assessment results for program improvement. See Core Requirement 8.1 (Student
achievement), as well as all of the student outcomes sub-standards in Standard
8.2 (Student outcomes: general education). It should be noted that an institution
does have an obligation to establish comparability of instruction across locations
and modes.
The institution identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student
achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission, the nature of the students it serves,
and the kinds of programs offered. Multiple measures are used to document student
achievement, which is inclusive of distance education, off-campus, and campus students.
ECU tracks student achievement in a variety of ways. The two primary sets of student
achievement indicators are:
• Institutional metrics aligned with the UNC System Strategic Plan: five-year graduation
rates, rural and low-income completions, critical workforces, and degree efficiency. All
metrics were defined by UNC with goals negotiated between ECU and UNC.
• ECU selected metrics: six-year graduation rates, one-year retention rates, and licensure
pass rates.
Pass rates on licensure examinations are a critical measure of student achievement.
Programs strive to meet or exceed national benchmarks when they are available, track and
evaluate student performance on licensure exams, and take actions to improve rates if
necessary. The targets for the licensure pass rates are determined by program faculty
based on national benchmarks. ECU’s licensure examination pass rate goal is to meet or
exceed state or national average, when available. Overall pass rates are inclusive of
distance education students and are maintained by the appropriate units in the colleges.
ECU monitors and publishes the licensure examination data for specific academic programs
in a dashboard.
For more information on student achievement see standard 8.1 (Student Achievement).
Assessment of student achievement is also critical for continuous program improvement.
Programs delivered through distance education are fully integrated into the university-wide
assessment program. Since all distance education programs and courses originate in the
academic unit, the academic unit develops the assessment plan for the program regardless
of the mode of delivery. To ensure quality and content of these educational programs,
the ECU Distance Education Policies states that faculty and administrators within academic
units oversee all distance education programs. The curriculum and evaluation of DE courses
(including courses taught at off-campus instructional sites) are conducted under the same
procedures and personnel as on-campus courses.
The Office of Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research coordinates the assessment
of student learning outcomes in academic degree programs. A standard format for reporting
on program student learning outcomes includes a summary of the curricular or pedagogical
actions taken by faculty to improve student learning; results from student artifacts; an
analysis of the results; and the actions planned in the next academic year. A Unit
Assessment Coordinator (UAC) is responsible for engaging the faculty in assessment related
activities and reporting annually in the institutional tracking system, Nuventive Improve.
Regardless of delivery mode faculty define program level student learning outcomes and
assess the extent to which students meet the criteria set.
All academic programs develop an outcomes assessment report for each distinct academic
program. Bachelor’s, masters and doctoral degrees in the same field represent three distinct
programs. If there are two degrees at the same level in the same area but with only slight
distinctions, these may be combined at the faculty’s discretion. Examples are: 1) a B.A. and
a B.S. degree in the same field in which the difference between required curricula resides in
only one or two courses; 2) two masters’ degrees in the same area that differ only by
requiring a thesis in one case and an independent project in the other. Programs with both
face-to-face and distance education sections of the same course should employ the same
learning objectives and assessment instruments in order to demonstrate comparable
outcomes.
Information on student outcomes assessment can be seen in Standard 8.2a (Student
outcomes: educational programs).
Educational Policies, Procedures, and Practices
If branch campuses have academic policies or practices that vary from campus to
campus, this should be explained in Standard 10.1 (Academic policies). Narratives
in Standard 10.2 (Public information) should make clear how key public
information is conveyed to students across sites and across modes of delivery.
ECU does not have any branch campuses.
ECU makes available to students and the public current academic calendars, grading
policies, and refund policies in both the official undergraduate and graduate catalogs and
through the institution’s website. More information can be found in standard 10.2 (Public
Information).
ECU’s University Communications unit has primary responsibility for admissions materials,
student recruitment materials, and fund-raising materials. All student recruitment pieces
including those for distance education must be created or approved by the University
Communications in keeping with ECU’s guidelines for writing and editing publications.
Examples of recruitment materials for distance education include the ECU Online Flyer and
the ECU Online website. All publications listing courses and degree requirements must be
approved by the dean/director/designee prior to submission to academic review and must
be consistent with the ECU academic program inventory (API) and the ECU academic
catalogs.
Cooperative Academic Arrangements
Off-campus programs and distance/correspondence education are areas where
contractual or cooperative agreements often occur. The nature of these
agreements should be clear, as should that the institution has the capacity to
ensure the quality and integrity of programs offered via such arrangements. See
Standard 10.9 (Cooperative academic agreements).
Not applicable. ECU has no joint or dual academic degrees with another institution.
Academic Governance
If an institution has extended sites and/or distance/correspondence education
programs, Standard 10.4 (Academic governance) should clarify the responsibilities
of the faculty for the content, quality, and effectiveness of curricula, including
those offered at off-campus sites and via distance or correspondence education.
As evidenced in the Faculty Manual, Part VI, Section III, the responsibility for academic
programs whether offered on the campus or via distance education remains the same. ECU
has maintained that all academic programs, regardless of delivery method, be developed
and administered by the academic units that offer them. The hiring, staffing, and credentials
review of all faculty are maintained in the individual academic units. Additionally, each
distance education academic degree program shall be assessed in the same manner and the
same frequency as the unit's assessment of academic programs offered on campus. The
unit administrator shall review assessment results with assigned instructors and the
departmental faculty to facilitate the continual enhancement of the unit’s distance education
program.
The university recognized the unique demands of a significant distance education program
and has developed committees and working groups in the true sense of shared governance
to help guide and shape policies related to distance education.
The Distance Education and Learning Technology Committee, a standing committee of the
Faculty Senate that meets monthly, reviews program quality and policies and future
directions relating to distance education; examines and recommends policies relating to
distance education; ensures timely, informed faculty opinion on any technology action in
any area that may affect significantly the university’s academic mission; recommends policy
related to the academic use of technology; and initiates, reviews, and makes
recommendations on proposals to plan, implement, revise or eliminate technology
initiatives, goals, standards, policies, procedures or actions that significantly impact the
University’s academic mission.
Academic Planning and Accreditation (APA), a unit of Institutional Planning, Assessment and
Research, facilitates the curriculum and program development process through
administration of Curriculog, ECU’s curriculum management system, and direct consultation
with faculty planners. APA and Academic Outreach - Continuing and Distance Education
(AOCDE) process requests to deliver new and existing academic programs through distance
education. Consultation with the unit curriculum liaison, personnel in the Office of the
Registrar, and personnel in Academic Planning and Accreditation (APA) is recommended at
the onset of curriculum and program development.
The Academic Program Development Collaborative Team (APDCT), an advisory body to the
Academic Council, is composed of the Undergraduate/Graduate Curriculum Committee
chairs; Educational Policies and Planning Committee (EPPC) chair; dean of the Graduate
School; representatives from Academic Outreach, Continuing and Distance Education
(AOCDE); Institutional Research, Academic Planning and Accreditation, and Division of
Health Sciences; and the Chair of the Faculty Senate. APDCT collaborates with faculty
planners to strengthen program proposals and makes recommendations to the Academic
Council, EPPC, and the dean of the Graduate School (as applicable) on developing
programs.
ECU conducts a seven-year Academic Program Review (APR) of all undergraduate and
graduate programs in a department/school, no matter the delivery mode. Faculty are
engaged in a reflective process of thoughtful study and evaluation of program quality and
alignment to ECU’s values, mission, and commitments in support of our students and the
region. Program review is an integral part of the university’s ongoing assessment and
strategic planning processes designed to enhance the quality of all educational programs.
Library and Learning/Information Resources
Institutional narratives and documents should be explicit as to how students at
off-campus sites and those enrolled in distance or correspondence education
programs have access to adequate and appropriate library or related collections
and services. All three parts of Section 11 (Library and Learning/Information
Resources) will generally have supporting narrative related explicitly to location
or mode of delivery.
Two libraries serve all students enrolled at East Carolina University. J.Y. Joyner
Library serves students enrolled in courses and degree programs in East Carolina
University’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences and the Colleges of Business,
Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health and Human Performance, Engineering and
Technology. The Music Library, housed in the Fletcher Building, is considered a branch of
Joyner Library. The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library serves students in the Brody
School of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Allied Health Sciences, and the
School of Dental Medicine. Both libraries provide special services for distance education
(online and off-campus site) students and routinely assess those services.
Students enrolled at East Carolina University as distance education students are provided
special services to ensure access to the Libraries’ physical and electronic collections. Many
librarians and staff members work directly with distance students as services are provided.
Information about distance education services can be found on the ECU Libraries Distance
Education web page. Off-campus access to library resources is available to all students by
authentication through a proxy server. The students authenticate themselves by using their
ECU Pirate ID and passphrase. Further information regarding services are available on
the Distance Education Services - Students page.
Both libraries provide library orientations, instruction sessions, and research assistance to
distance education students using a variety of methods including web conferencing,
resources embedded in the course management system, pre-recorded video, and in person
at the request of the teaching faculty member. Library orientations are provided
through online tutorials, videos, and research guides (LibGuides) which introduce services to
distance students and instruct students in the use of specific library research
tools. Assistance with research and one-on-one consultation services are provided through
instant messaging, text messaging, e-mail, telephone, or in-person. Instant messaging and
text messaging reference services are available 89 hours per week during fall and spring
semesters and 69 hours per week in the summer. Additionally, students may request
assistance using the Ask a Librarian web page. Students may also have contact with liaison
librarians who partner with faculty to provide instruction, synchronously or asynchronously.
Orientation sessions are also offered to faculty members to provide information about
library services which can be conveyed to students in distance courses.
Both Joyner and Laupus Libraries currently offer an extensive collection of online databases
and collections which include eBooks, abstract/indexing information, primary sources,
business and statistical data, and a myriad of other information appropriate for the majors,
programs, and courses offered at ECU. Many of these resources offer full-text access to
individual articles and books. If students wish to determine if the libraries provide full-text
access to a particular journal or book, students may use the E-Journal/E-book Portal.
Students enrolled in distance education courses may check out books from both Joyner and
Laupus Libraries, as well as request scans of articles from the Libraries’ print and microform
collections for delivery by email. DE students who are able to come to campus, may check
out books by providing their ECU (Banner) ID number or using the DE Student Card (which
also allows access to other UNC System libraries). If a DE student is unable to come to
campus the Document Delivery process can be used, which mails the book and other media
materials to the DE student’s physical address; via UPS ground service. Further information
about obtaining materials at a distance is available through the Interlibrary Loan/Document
Delivery websites.
Joyner Library is open 142 service hours per week (24/5) during the fall and spring
semesters, with extended hours during final exam periods and an abbreviated schedule of
approximately 85 hours during summer sessions. Laupus Library is open 95.5 hours per
week during regular semesters; during exams hours are extended to 119.5 per week.
Academic and Student Support Services
It is common to see explicit reference to off-campus sites and to distance
education in narratives relating to academic and student support services. The
standard does not require identical services regardless of location or mode of
delivery, but it should be clear as to the nature of services across locations and
modes, and that the services match the needs of students by location and mode.
See Core Requirement 12.1 (Student support services).
Rather than develop alternative systems for DE students, ECU has developed web-based
processes that support all students, both DE (online and off-campus site), and campus.
Careful planning and dedicated resources have permitted ECU to move from paper-based
processes to a system where all ECU students can interact with the university in the same
manner.
There has been the campus-wide effort to make distance education programs a mainstream
activity of the university and of the academic departments/schools rather than functioning
as separate programs maintained by a separate administrative unit. ECU recognizes the
inherent strength of this model and has diligently pursued the development and support of
distance education programs as a core component of its educational and service missions.
Under this model Academic Outreach, Continuing and Distance Education assumes an active
role in assisting with logistical issues, student support and recruitment, marketing, and
reporting/planning support while academic departments/schools maintain responsibility for
program faculty, curriculum, and program integrity. All activities are supported by a core
university commitment to ensure the funding resources, infrastructure, and support systems
are required to maintain quality programs.
From admission to graduation, ECU provides a system of support services that
acknowledges the challenges students away from the campus have in meeting the
responsibilities of their families and careers while pursuing academic endeavors. ECU’s
mission guides the institution to assess each individual situation and provide situation-
specific responses to student needs.
The ECU Online Writing Lab (OWL) is one example of a service which offers distance
education students the opportunity to consult with a trained writing center consultant, either
in an e-Tutoring appointment, or a Meet Online appointment. Our OWL allows off-campus
students to ask specific questions about their writing in any stage, from brainstorming to
the final draft. While our online consultants do not simply proofread or edit anyone's paper,
they gladly answer questions and try to provide feedback that will help any student become
a better writer.
In addition, the ECU Online student services area serves as a bridge between the student at
a distance and the academic and administrative units of the university. ECU Online is
charged with assisting ECU students away from the campus by identifying the nature of this
specific student population’s concerns and marshaling the resources of multiple offices to
provide students with general information, policies and procedures, and referrals to other
support services on campus. The needs and challenges of DE students away from the
campus are far more complex and their expectations in regard to service are often at a
professional level demanded each day in their career settings.
Undergraduate DE students have access to tutoring, and study skills consultations with
professional staff and tutors through the is Pirate Academic Success Center (PASC).
Sessions are held in person or virtually using the phone, Skype, Facetime, and digital
tutoring on Bb. Enrolled ECU students also have access to Tutor Matching Service, a
community tutoring service with PASC tutors and tutors throughout the UNC system.
Graduate DE students can take part in study skills consultations – meaning they can meet
with a professional staff member using the phone, Skype, and Facetime. They can build and
review their study skills, enhance class strategies, and receive support and encouragement.
Finally, the ECU Proctoring Center is an approved site in the UNC Online Proctoring Network.
To ensure the academic integrity of the examination process, the ECU Proctoring Center is a
facility where distance education students can take computer-based and paper-based exams
in a secure, quiet and comfortable environment. Students enrolled in DE classes at East
Carolina University and other universities within the University of North Carolina System can
take proctored exams at the ECU Proctoring Center at no charge.
Other services offered to DE students include:
• Enrollment Services/Admissions
• Registrar
• Financial Aid
• Cashier's Office
• Academic Advising
• Dean of Students Office
• Career Services
• Center for Counseling and Student Development
• Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Department for Disability Support Services
Specific information regarding the academic and student support services are addressed in
more detail in Core Requirement 12.1 (Student support services).
Student Written Complaints
Students at off-campus locations or taking courses via distance or correspondence
education have rights to file written complaints with the institution. Narratives
should make clear how this information is accessed for these students. See
Standard 12.4 (Student complaints).
The Office of the Dean of Students is the central campus resource for addressing student
grievances and inquiries, including those of distance education students. The office provides
guidance to students who believe that there is reason to make an inquiry or complaint and
can assist by helping students determine the nature of the complaint and/or the appropriate
faculty or staff member or department to discuss/receive the initial complaint. All issues and
concerns must be filed through this office.
Students not residing in North Carolina and enrolled in a North Carolina institution that
operates under SARA North Carolina may submit complaints to the organization listed below
only after completing the complaint process established by the institution attended by the
student. The SARA portal entity in the state where the student is located will be notified that
the complaint was received and may assist as needed. Resolution of the complaint by the
SARA portal entity in the institution’s home state is final.
SARA North Carolina--North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (SARA-NC)
P.O. Box 14103
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
T: (855) SARA-1-NC (727-2162)
T: (919) 549-8614 ext. 4660
You may reach SARA-NC by email: information@saranc.org
Please visit the SARA-NC Student Complaint Process and complete the SARA-NC Student
Complaint Form
For more information regarding student written complaints see Standard 12.4 (Student
complaints).
Financial Documents
A characteristic of a branch campus is a degree of budgetary independence from
the main campus. Institutions with branch campuses will need to discuss this,
including budget approval processes, as part of its narrative in Standard 12.2
(Financial documents).
Not applicable.
Not applicable. ECU does not have any branch campuses.
Physical Resources
There should be explicit reference to the adequacy and appropriateness of the
physical facilities and resources at off-campus instructional sites and branch
campuses within Standard 13.7 (Physical resources). For branch campuses, the
coverage under this standard will be very similar to what is provided for the main
campus; use of a subheading for each branch campus might be considered. For
smaller off-campus sites, the facilities should be discussed, whether or not under
the direct control of the institution. Institutions offering distance education
programs generally include a brief discussion of the learning management system
and the IT backbone available to host the service.
The university is committed to providing accessible technology and educational resources to
all students. Computer labs, learning platforms, web pages, multimedia content and
applications are accessible to everyone including individuals with disabilities. ECU works to
comply with accessibility standards to enable all users to fully participate. By establishing an
accessibility and compliance program and keeping up to date with current trends in
educational technology, learning platforms and web development, ECU has addressed the
needs of all students and ensures access. Some of the assistive technologies available to all
students (DE and campus) include JAWS 16 screen reading program, Duxbury Braille
Translator 11.1 software, and the CCTV electronic magnification system.
Evaluation of off-campus instructional sites is overseen at the college/school level offering
the degree program. Program coordinators visit each facility prior to the implementation of
the program to ensure compliance. Furthermore, the program coordinators visit each site
annually to ensure the continued quality of the facilities. The college/school communicates
each semester with the site contact persons to facilitate classrooms and accessibility. These
facilities are well equipped with the needed technology and are ADA accessible as required
at the state level (to include restroom facilities, entrance/egress/etc.).
For additional information concerning physical resources see 13.7 (Physical Resources).
Institutional Environment
Institutions are responsible for the institutional environment at off-campus
instructional sites and at branch campuses, whether or not the sites are under the
direct control of the institution. Contracts, emails, surveys, and other documents
might be relevant for inclusion under Standard 13.8 (Institutional environment).
Off-campus instructional sites are deemed safe and secure for faculty and students as is
evident by each approved site having its own security guidelines and protocols that align to
the specific institution’s mission and strategic plan. For example, Craven Community College
Campus Security is tasked with securing the environment for all campus occupants while on
their campus. The Campus Security are located in close proximity to the ECU off-campus
students/instructor and are available by phone while class is in session. Similarly, Gateway
Technology Center, located on North Carolina Wesleyan College’s campus, also has a police
department that manages the security and safety of all campus occupants. The Gateway
Technology Center handles any issues on an individual basis and uses 911 for emergencies.
To ensure this location provides a healthy, safe, and secure environment a blue "call box" is
located outside this facility and will call directly to the Rocky Mount City Police. For Fire,
Rescue, and Emergency services large numbers have been placed on the outside of the
building, along with the name, "Gateway Technology Center" for ease in emergency
identification. For more information on institutional environment, see standard 13.8.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU applies all appropriate standards and policies to its distance learning
programs and off-campus instructional sites.
R - 14.4
Representation to Other Agencies
The institution (a) represents itself accurately to all U.S. Department of Education
recognized accrediting agencies with which it holds accreditation and (b) informs those
agencies of any change of accreditation status, including the imposition of public sanctions.
(See SACSCOC policy "Accrediting Decisions of Other Agencies.")
Judgment
Compliance Non-Compliance Not Applicable
Narrative
ECU represents itself accurately to all U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) recognized
accrediting agencies with which it holds accreditation and informs those agencies of any
change of accreditation status, including the imposition of public sanctions. Thirty-nine
educational programs offered by ECU are accredited by 15 USDOE recognized accrediting
agencies as follows:
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition
and Dietetics (ACEND)
• Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME)
• American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational
Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation (APA)
• Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
• Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA)
• Council for Education for Public Health (CEPH)
• Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
(CAA)
• Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)
• Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
• National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
Detailed information about program names and review dates are published on the
Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research (IPAR) website. To ensure each program
describes ECU accurately to all USDOE recognized accrediting agencies with which it holds
accreditation, ECU publishes an annually updated standard description of ECU and ECU’s
SACSCOC accreditation status on the IPAR website. In addition, IPAR offers resources to
programs during their self-study process, which includes the standard description of ECU
and the statement of ECU’s SACSCOC accreditation status. Furthermore, IPAR conducts an
annual audit of program accreditation status and monitors accreditor’s USDOE recognition
status. Programs’ self-studies and letters of affirmation are collected, reviewed, and saved
in an inventory. If programs do not include the standard description of ECU and/or the
statement of ECU’s SACSCOC accreditation status, ECU provided such information to the
accreditor separately. To illustrate compliance, ECU provides the following examples of
program self-studies:
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE): Nursing (MSN) (Self-study
Report Page 3)
• Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME): Nurse Midwifery (PM)
(Self-study Report Page 1)
• American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational
Therapy Education (ACOTE): Occupational Therapy (MSOT) (Electronic Self-study
Screenshot of Uploaded Document)
• American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation (APA): Health
Psychology (PhD) (Self-study Report Page 1)
In addition, ECU complies with the Federal Misrepresentation regulation 34 CFR 668.50 (c)
(1) (i) which states:
(c) Individualized disclosures. (1) An institution described under 34 CFR 600.9(a)(1)
or (b) that offers an educational program that is provided, or can be completed solely
through distance education or correspondence courses, excluding internships or
practicums, must disclose directly and individually--
(i) Prior to each prospective student's enrollment, any determination by the
institution that the program does not meet licensure or certification
prerequisites in the State of the student's residence; and
(ii) To each enrolled and prospective student--
(A) Any adverse action initiated by a State or an accrediting agency
related to postsecondary
education programs offered by the institution solely through distance
education or
correspondence study within 30 days of the institution's becoming aware
of such action;
ECU programs are required to report to IPAR immediately any decision of accreditation
status (e.g., reaffirmation of accreditation, request for additional information, request for a
progress report, an imposition of public sanctions, etc.). Since the last reaffirmation, ECU
has not voluntarily withdrawn accreditation from any U.S. DoE recognized accrediting
agencies, and no agencies have taken negative actions against any ECU programs. Should
this happen, IPAR will inform SACSCOC and all other USDOE recognized accrediting
agencies.
Conclusion
In summary, ECU describes itself in identical terms to each recognized accrediting body with
regard to purpose, governance, programs, degrees, diplomas, certificates, personnel,
finances, and constituents, and keeps each USDOE recognized accrediting body, including
SACSCOC, apprised of any change in its status with one or another accrediting agency.
