RBC Bank creates endowment at ECU

RBC Bank market president for the Carolinas and Virginia speaks to ECU College of Business students on April 24.

The College of Business at East Carolina University April 24 announced the creation of a $500,000 endowment from RBC Bank. 

The charitable gift will support students enrolled in a new course called “Strategy First,” an innovative freshman-level class. The course is designed to introduce students to business strategy, and it focuses on current events using Business Week magazine as the “textbook” for the class. 

Thanks to RBC Bank’s endowment, students enrolled in Strategy First will pay nothing for textbooks or course materials.

“We are pleased to announce this gift to the ECU College of Business,” said Steve Jones, RBC Bank market president for the Carolinas and Virginia, and chairman of the Board of Visitors at ECU. “The mission of the Strategy First program strongly aligns with RBC Bank’s commitment to education, and we are glad to be able to show our support.”

Dr. Frederick Niswander, dean of the College of Business, said, “Textbook cost is a concern at ECU and in the UNC System. RBC Bank’s generous gift will not only help expose business students to timely and relevant issues, it will also eliminate the cost of textbooks for students in this class. RBC Bank should be commended on its foresight and its support of higher education. The purpose of this gift is groundbreaking in the state and the nation.”

Every year, RBC Bank’s endowment will positively affect more than 700 undergraduate students who take Strategy First – a key component of the college’s recently revamped curriculum. 

-Jennifer Brezina