Enhancing our People Operations

Dear ECU Faculty and Staff:

One of the vision priorities in East Carolina University’s strategic plan centers on workforce success and our commitment to a culture of care, belonging and opportunity for all. Achieving our goals of increasing utilization of well-being resources, sustaining an inclusive environment, and supporting employees throughout their career journeys requires us to broadly examine our structures and practices.  In pursuit of our vision, I am announcing the following organizational change.

Effective May 1, 2024, ECU Human Resources, the Office for Equity & Diversity, and the Office of Personnel and Financial Administration are consolidating into a unified administrative unit within the Division of Administration and Finance to reimagine and redesign the university’s people services and strategies under the leadership of LaKesha Alston Forbes. Faculty personnel functions such as credentialing, promotion, tenure, and reappointment will continue to be in the Division of Academic Affairs’ purview.

Acknowledging the evolving needs of the workforce and the competitive environment for talent requires us to modernize our structures and systems to enhance the employee experience. The initial goals of this consolidation include more clarity regarding processes, reduced inefficiencies, and improved stakeholder experiences as well as enhancement of services across the spectrum of talent acquisition, learning and development, employee well-being and retention.

Stephanie Coleman, vice chancellor for administration and finance, will lead this change in structure leveraging industry best practices. There will be no immediate change in existing points of contact. The campus will receive updates from Vice Chancellor Coleman throughout the transition period and will include opportunities for stakeholders to provide feedback; a frequently asked questions page has been created and will be updated as needed.

Whenever I host a faculty or staff luncheon, I often ask participants to share their ECU story.  What brought the individual to campus, how their work connects directly to our strategic commitments, and their hopes for the university.  A theme repeated often is the importance of the people at ECU. This consolidation is intended to enhance engagement and success for all as we continue to deliver for the students and the region.

Thank you for the many ways you bring your talents to ECU each day in pursuit of our mission.

Philip G. Rogers
Chancellor