ECU opens fall semester

GREENVILLE, NC   —   East Carolina University began its fall semester Thursday with Chancellor Richard R. Eakin citing campus improvements and urging faculty to support the statewide bond referendum on Nov. 2.
Speaking at ECU’s annual fall convocation, Dr. Eakin asked the school’s 1,100 faculty to help “educate the public on the vital importance of these bonds to the University of North Carolina in general and to East Carolina University in particular.”
The Education, Clean Water, and Parks Bond Act of 1993 includes about $34 million to ECU to construct an addition to the school’s library and to purchase property for campus expansion. The total earmarked for higher education, if the bond referendum passes, is $310 million.
“The addition to Joyner Library and the acquisition of the former Rose High School property are critical factors in our academic and physical development,” Eakin said.
In discussing some recent developments for ECU, the chancellor noted that actions by the General Assembly will add 1.38 percent to ECU’s teaching salary base and will allocate 58 new faculty positions. The new positions are the results of enrollment increases last fall.
ECU enrolled 17, 757 students last fall. About 17,500 are expected this year.
For the freshmen enrolling this fall, the chancellor said the SAT average is 920. The average is 20 points over last year’s 19-year high.
As part of his report, the chancellor also announced the largest corporate gift to date in the ECU Shared Visions campaign. The gift, for $667,000, is from the Wachovia Corporation.
Eakin said the money will be matched with a $333,000 grant from the state to underwrite the Wachovia Distinguished Professorship in Educational Leadership. It will also support the Wachovia Leadership Program for North Carolina Teachers.
“We expect this program to make a critical difference in public school teachers’ ability to accept leadership roles in their schools, their communities, and in the system of public education,” Eakin said.
Shared Visions is ECU’s first major fund raising campaign. Its goal of $50 million will endow professorship, fund scholarships, enrich academic programs, and support construction projects on campus.
With the addition of the Wachovia gift, Eakin said ECU has raised over $29 million. ECU announced the campaign last March.
ECU’s annual fall convocation for faculty is the kickoff event for the new academic year. In addition to reports by academic administrators, the program includes the recognition of outstanding teachers and student advisors.
Fall registration began this week. Fall classes start on Monday, Aug. 23.