Chancellor Rogers’ Message, November 2025
November 25, 2025
To the ECU Community:
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to take a quick a moment to acknowledge all of you. ECU is a reflection of the vibrant student, faculty and staff community that calls the Pirate nation home. As I reflect on the year that has passed since last Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all that each of you contributes to making this place so special.
This past year has pushed us to explore and ask critical questions about the role that ECU must and will play in the future. We’ve looked deeply at the future ofhigher education–what our students and the world needs. We’ve challenged ourselves to explore new realities that are both exciting and, sometimes, scary. And we’ve done it all while keeping our focus on the one thing that is paramount–our students.
As we move into the holiday season, I want to call out some examples of ways in which our hard work is already pushing ECU in innovative ways that are shaping a dynamic future. This past year, we welcomed 75 new Chancellor Scholars from the class of 2029. What’s more, we expanded the program to include 30 existing ECU scholars as part of the inaugural Chancellor Scholars class. These are all leading in-state students, who will receive financial and university support throughout their ECU journey. We will further increase the size of the group in 2026 to 170. The university’s effort to recruit and retain these talented students has gained momentum among our generous donors. As a result, we’re seeing tremendous fundraising support for the program. We’ve raised over $2.6 million (in new donations and reallocated donations) and are working to further endow the Chancellor‘s Scholars so that the program will continue to grow and thrive in perpetuity.
Along with that fundraising support, we allocated funds from an existing endowment for our first ten Voyager Scholars. Our goal is to increase the number of Voyager Scholars next year as a recruitment tool for these highly qualified out-of-state students.
Our university community is dedicated to the success of all our learners and continuously evolves, innovates, and adapts in alignment with our mission. Sustaining and enhancing academic quality through strategic investments aimed at improving student outcomes, advancing faculty excellence, and expanding access to high-impact learning experiences are paramount to our student success priorities.
ECU is also a compassionate and collaborative community. A notable example is the Swipe Out Hunger Program, a partnership between the Student Government Association (SGA), the Purple Pantry, and Dining Services. This initiative aims to provide complimentary meals to students facing food insecurity. I express my gratitude to all those involved in this collaborative effort. This program and many others across our campus signifies our commitment to service and community.
We are all well aware that we have hard work to do over the next three years. While that work continues, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on theaccomplishments of the past year and give thanks for all we’ve done together. As we approach Thanksgiving, let me offer each of you my most heartfelt thank you and warm wishes for a restorative and happy holiday.
-Chancellor Philip Rogers