MOVING FORWARD

Cunningham honored as Dean Emeritus

The chancellor’s thoughts on his first 90 days and marking the end of an era at the medical school were part of the East Carolina University Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 30.

Dr. Cecil Staton addressed the board, remarking on how his first 90 days as chancellor have been a whirlwind of activities and mentioned several of the accomplishments earned by the university in that time, including being named a 2017 Top 100 Best Value College in the country and the 2.4-percent enrollment increase over fall 2015.

“Hardly a day passes without learning something new and amazing about the university,” said Staton.

Staton honored the Brody School of Medicine’s outgoing dean, Dr. Paul Cunningham, by naming him Dean Emeritus. Cunningham announced his intent to step down from the leadership position in early 2016 after serving Brody School of Medicine for 29 years, eight as dean.

“His commitment to Brody’s mission and the healthcare of the citizens of eastern North Carolina is a monumental gift that has lasting meaning,” said Staton of Cunningham.

After receiving a standing ovation, Cunningham addressed the board and said his time at Brody wasn’t always perfect, “but has been the most satisfying experience I’ve had in my career.”

As the search for a new dean at the Brody School of Medicine continues, Dr. Nicholas Benson will serve as interim dean effective Oct. 1. He currently serves as the vice dean of Brody, interim chief of staff for the Division of Health Sciences and medical director of ECU Physicians.

This year the Brody School of Medicine welcomed its 40th class and Staton addressed his intention to pursue an increase in class size from 80 students to 120 in the next five years. He highlighted the recognition Brody recently received from the American Academy of Family Physicians naming Brody among the top five medical schools in the country for the percentage of graduates going into family medicine.

Also at the meeting the board passed a resolution in support of the proposed integration of ECU Physicians and Vidant Medical Group within a new entity with shared governance and that operates under a name that reflects the university’s contributions, values and mission. The Board encouraged Staton to pursue clinical integration expeditiously in a manner that ensures ECU students will receive medical education of the highest quality; the people of eastern North Carolina will have access to the best, affordable health care in the region; and ECU faculty and staff and their Vidant partners will be best positioned to substantially grow the university’s clinical research enterprise.

UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS

During the University Affairs committee meeting, Dr. Grant Hayes, dean of the College of Education, reported on the possible creation of a laboratory school in fall 2017 as a result of state legislation passed this summer. The intent is to improve student performance in low-performing elementary schools by providing enhanced, innovative education programs for students.

The laboratory school would be a demonstration site to provide exposure and training for teachers and principals to address challenges in high-needs schools, and be used to determine best practices, provide educational research and foster professional development.

ECU has prepared by initiating a possible partnership with the Pitt County Schools and developing the framework to meet the new legislation. The regulations would require that the ECU Board of Trustees act as the board of education for the laboratory school.

Board member Danny Scott speaks with Elite Pirate student volunteers before the meeting.

“There’s a lot of things here that I’m not sure we have the expertise to manage,” said trustee Danny Scott.

Trustee Deborah Davis said Wahl-Coates Elementary in Greenville started as a laboratory school at ECU, and asked how this would be different. “It’s similar but we won’t have a whole school,” Hayes said. “We’ll have some classes.”

ECU is one of several UNC system schools being considered by UNC General Administration to establish a laboratory school.

History professor, Dr. Gerry Prokopowic, gave a Heritage Hall update and website demonstration to the University Affairs committee. The hall will be a permanent place to recognize people of historical significance to the university. “We want to present something that’s dynamic, that tells the story of the university but one that also engages,” Prokopowicz said of the website, timeline, images and video. Several faculty, staff members and students have worked on the content for the site, he said.

Trustee Davis said she would like to see the addition of oral histories from university icons. “That gives it more of a sense of personality when you hear the voices of these icons,” she said.

PROJECT UPDATES

During a lunch presentation on Thursday, the trustees received an update on the Southside expansion project for Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

J. Batt, executive director of the Pirate Club, said that six months into the campaign, approximately $12 million in premium seating commitments have been lined up, as well as $11.7 million in philanthropic contributions, for a fundraising total of $23.7 million. The total cost of the project is estimated at $55 million.

Dr. Rick Niswander, vice chancellor for administration and finance, said the fundraising is ahead of targets so far.

The stadium expansion is planned to start in December 2017, after the final home football game, and to be completed by September 2018, prior to the first home game of the following season. The project, which will add about 900 seats to the stadium’s capacity, includes luxury suites and lounges, as well as an 8,000-square-foot Field Level Club adjacent to the west end zone in front of the Murphy Center.

The trustees were also updated on construction projects and plans by Ted Morris, associate vice chancellor of Engagement, Innovation and Economic Development. Morris gave an overview of fourth-floor research spaces at the East Carolina Heart Institute and School of Dental Medicine, MATCH Wellness research space at the Brody School of Medicine; a patient-centered clinical research partnership between ECU, Vidant and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and the master plan for the Millennial Campus.

The Millennial Campus includes the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building for which voters passed a bond referendum in 2015. Lord Aeck Sargeant of Chapel Hill was selected as the designer for the project by the Board of Trustees this summer.

“We envision this as an innovation and economic development hub,” Morris said of the Millennial Campus.

In other business, the board:

• Was informed of plans to update the mutual aid agreement between the ECU and Greenville police departments.
• Approved the lease of office space at 1605 West Arlington Blvd., the lease of clinical and office space at 2150 Herbert Court, and the sublease of clinical and office space at 2325 Stantonsburg Rd.
• Received an update on student enrollment numbers.