Open House offers prospective Pirates a glimpse at ECU experience
On a normal fall Saturday morning, the ECU Mall would largely be quiet except for the sound of rustling leaves. However, this past Saturday, the Mall was alive with the sights and sounds of prospective students and families as part of 2024 Fall Open House.
A prospective student speaks with Karen Kus, from the College of Business, during the Academic and Campus Life Fair at Fall Open House. (ECU photos by Steven Mantilla)
Open House gives prospective Pirate students the chance to experience what ECU is like academically and socially. According to Paul Russell, interim director for undergraduate admissions, the proverbial purple carpet is unrolled for this event.
“Visiting campus is often the deciding factor in choosing where to attend college. Therefore, we use Open House to showcase what makes ECU so special,” he said. “The event gives students and parents a more comprehensive look into Pirate Nation. With sessions from key campus partners like financial aid and student affairs, along with an academic fair, academic open houses, and campus tours, we believe we are sharing the key parts of what student life is like here on campus. Our hope is that students and their families see how they will be supported and set up for success through the community that exists on campus and the people who are here to help.”
A total of 4,888 visitors from 22 states were on campus, a 31% increase in attendance from 2023. That number includes 1,378 prospective students and 3,510 guests.
Planning for the event takes months and involves coordination and cooperation from several campus groups. According to Russell, the event would not be possible without their investment.
“Maggie Baile, assistant director for campus visits, began planning this event immediately after we completed Pirates Aboard (Admitted Students Day) in March,” said Russell. “She tracks every detail to ensure the day is as seamless for families as possible. The first step was to nail down the date with athletics and the Central Reservations Office. We then partnered with student affairs to showcase student life. All academic departments were invited to come aboard and meet students.”
Russell added that admissions also partnered with campus living and dining, transit, facilities, ECU Police, housekeeping, and parking and transportation to pull off the event.
The Mall was filled with over 100 tables staffed by students, faculty and staff members, giving prospective students an idea of what life as a Pirate is like as part of the Academic and Campus Life Fair. Pirate Navigators offered tours of campus while Joyner Library and the Eakin Student Recreation Center opened their doors for visitors to see how they contribute to the ECU experience.
Hannah Trimyer of Chesapeake, Virginia, visited campus for the first time as part of Open House.
“I’m interested in the nursing program,” she said. “I liked how the campus was a bit smaller than some of the other schools I’ve looked at. I have a friend who goes to ECU, and she really likes it and told me to look into it. It’s a nice campus and I will be considering ECU when I make my decision.”
A visitor to the Academic and Campus Life Fair walks with a robotic dog from the Department of Construction Management.
Kayla Battle of Wilson and Bradley Chapman of Greenville both are interested in studying biology.
“My mom and my brothers graduated from ECU,” said Battle. “Each of them had a good experience, and I’ve been here quite a few times.”
Chapman also has family members who are ECU alumni, and he believes there’s no place like home.
“I moved to Durham to play football, but I’m kind of homesick so I want to come to ECU because I feel like it would be a good fit for me,” said Chapman.
Both Battle and Chapman were interested in learning more about housing options as well as their potential major.
One of the programming highlights was the dual main stage sessions inside the Main Campus Student Center that gave prospective students and their families an insight into life at ECU. The breakout sessions, which are repeated in consecutive hours during the morning, cover topics such as admissions, financial aid, campus living, choosing a major, the Pirate Experience and information for transfer students.
“Our main stage presentations are the most attended because they are the most widely applicable to students,” said Russell.
ECU’s academic programs took center stage in the afternoon as nearly 40 departments took part in what admissions billed as “Choose Your Own Adventure.” Prospective students heard presentations in their fields of interest from faculty members. They were able to ask questions and tour classrooms and labs while establishing connections.
Although the number of visitors for the 2024 Fall Open House is an increase over the previous year, the size of the crowd isn’t what’s important to Russell.
“Success is not all about attendance numbers for us. It is more about the interactions we are able to have with students on campus,” he said. “We want them to be able to picture themselves here as students next fall. We want students and families to build connections that will allow them to feel excited about being a part of the next class of Pirates.”