ECU trustees celebrate the dedicated service of past, present and outgoing leaders

East Carolina University’s Board of Trustees meeting on Friday echoed a familiar theme: service.

The university’s motto, Servire, was on full display as administrators celebrated the remarkable service of past, present and outgoing leaders at ECU.

Former board chairman Vern Davenport received the prestigious Trustees Award for Distinction, with several special guests and alumni at the presentation including his wife Julie, past chairman Steve Jones, former trustees Vince Smith and Kel Normann, and past ECU Student Government Association president Ryan Beeson.

Chancellor Philip Rogers and trustees chair Cassie Burt presented the award, which recognizes those who have provided extraordinary leadership and innovation to the university in meeting its mission of student success, public service and regional transformation. Burt noted among Davenport’s lengthy service that he led the search committee that brought Rogers back to ECU as its 12th chancellor in 2020.

Cassie Burt, chair of the ECU Board of Trustees, and Chancellor Philip Rogers, right, congratulate outgoing SGA president Daniel Walker.

“I’m proud of the work we did together,” Davenport said. “I’m very honored. I’m very appreciative.”

A Grifton native, Davenport played football at ECU, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business.

“This is a special place,” he said. “The real honor of this is the friends I have made as a result of being here.”

Rogers said that ECU is forever grateful for Davenport’s leadership.

“Vern’s dedication to ECU and this region is remarkable. He lives out our motto of service and represents the very best of our university,” Rogers said.

During the meeting, trustees recognized outgoing Student Government Association president Daniel Walker for his exceptional leadership and demonstrated spirit of service. New SGA president Ryan Grant will join the board at its next scheduled meeting in August.

Providing final comments as their terms end were Mark Bowler, faculty senate chair; Bri Wood, staff senate chair; and Toby Thomas, chair of the ECU Board of Visitors.

During committee reports, board member Vanessa Workman recognized chief audit officer Wayne Poole on his pending retirement after 20 years at the university. “ECU is a better and stronger place because of your leadership,” Rogers said.

As ECU closes the spring semester, the board approved conferral of degrees for 4,028 new graduates. The last day of classes is April 28 and commencement is May 8.

The class of 2026 includes 78 medical students, 49 dental students and 45 students who completed their degrees through ECU’s Flight Path program, a fully online program designed for returning, adult learners who are balancing work, family and life responsibilities. Fifty of those students across 21 degree programs had dropped out but reenrolled and are now finishing their college degree.

Following a closed session at the end of Friday’s meeting, the board approved the appointment of Dr. Phil Lewis as dean of the College of Engineering and Technology. Lewis, who grew up in Zebulon, comes to ECU from Texas A&M University, where he served as professor and head of the Department of Construction Science in the College of Architecture. He will start July 1.

Board members discussed the following in committee meetings Thursday:

Budget, Finance and Infrastructure

The committee heard a presentation on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. Revenue is projected at $1.19 billion with expenses at $1.18 billion, both about $7.2 million higher than the current year budget. The committee voted unanimously to approve the budget, which was unanimously approved by the full board on Friday.

The committee also approved leases for the Eastern AHEC building and another for T-Mobile’s use of a portion of the roof on White Residence Hall. The design elevations for the new outpatient behavioral health facility received approval as did capital expenses for the planning of Laupus Health Sciences Library renovations and the first phase of American with Disabilities Act compliance renovations to restrooms in the Brewster Building. All received full board approval through the consent agenda.

Audit, Risk Management, Compliance and Ethics

Stephanie Coleman, vice chancellor for administration and finance, shared with the committee an updated enterprise risk register with the top 10 perceived risks for the 2027 fiscal year. Coleman presented a chart that compared the 2026 risk with the 2027 risks and highlighted the addition of artificial intelligence (AI) as a new risk.

Alex Keddie, senior associate athletics director for compliance, updated trustees about the House v. NCAA settlement and its impacts on the athletic department. The settlement went into effect on July 1, 2025, and introduced new roster and scholarship limits as well as a new enforcement entity, the College Sports Commission (CSC).

Poole informed trustees of the results of an external quality review of ECU’s office of internal audit and management advisory services. The independent external review found that ECU’s auditors conform with all 52 standards.

The committee approved the fiscal year 2027 annual audit plan that was approved by the full board as part of Friday’s consent agenda.

Committee on Strategy and Innovation

Trustees heard an update on efforts to rein in costs at ECU. Last fall, Rogers announced a three-year plan to shave $25 million — or about 2% — from the university budget. As of this week, about $6.2 million in cuts have been identified, putting the effort ahead of schedule, the chancellor said.

On Thursday, Provost Chris Buddo and Coleman listed work by the Academic Portfolio Review and Optimization committee to discontinue approximately 50 academic programs that aren’t meeting expectations — most of those as recommended by their own faculty after a rigorous review of 107 programs across eight colleges. They also described plans to consolidate the two libraries into one unit, consolidate ticket offices, move Integrated Coastal Studies into the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences and merge the College of Health and Human Performance and the College of Allied Health Sciences into a single College of Health and Human Sciences.

Rogers reiterated this work in his remarks to the board on Friday.

“Programmatic discontinuations are consequential decisions, and we need to be mindful of the human aspects associated with these changes,” he said. “I’m proud of how we’ve engaged as a campus leading to these outcomes.”

He noted several academic and operational workgroups are underway including strategic enrollment, recruitment and retention, facility rental revenue, financial aid optimization, going cashless on campus, increasing environmental efficiency and reducing operating costs, and organizational assessment of marketing and communications across ECU.

“As these groups finalize their work, we’ll carefully consider the recommendations and establish the relevant action plans. Throughout the summer we’ll evaluate our progress and establish priorities for academic year 2026-27,” Rogers said.

University Affairs

The committee heard from Chris Stansbury, senior associate vice chancellor of student affairs, and Allen Guidry, associate provost for learner operations in academic affairs, on creating pathways and removing barriers for student success, ECU’s No. 1 priority.

They detailed five strategic components that include data-informed policies and practices, student experience, learning environment, student well-being and professional readiness. Critical needs under focus are: retention benchmarking that includes early signals and coordinated interventions to reduce attrition; earned credit hour benchmarking that align degree plans; course availability and registration policies while promoting minimum credit hours; advising standardization; strategic scholarships that are centralized to align with enrollment goals; and student-centered transfer pathways.

Graduating ECU seniors David Young and Kaitlyn Dimmitt shared more about their academic journeys after transferring from a North Carolina community college to ECU’s College of Engineering and Technology. David Batts, Bachelor of Science in industrial technology (BSIT) program coordinator, discussed the program’s growth through N.C. community college articulation agreements. The program has grown from about 150 students in 2003 to 700 students in 2026, graduating about 200 students each year. Batts said BSIT aligns with 56 associate and applied science degrees across the state.

Athletics and Advancement

Vice Chancellor for Advancement Christopher Dyba announced to the Athletics and Advancement Committee that the ECU Foundation had committed to match gifts that establish a Chancellor’s Scholars endowment.

Dyba said that 68 Chancellor’s Scholars endowments have been created to date. One scholarship endowment has been 100% funded by the Board of Trustees, and the members of the Board of Visitors have endowed one, as well. The ECU Foundation board of directors, which is matching all funds, has collectively established an endowment too.

He also reported that fundraising across all campus priorities has reached $65 million for the year. More than $12 million was raised in March during the 10th annual Pirate Nation Gives.

Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert reported to the committee that ECU senior Kendall Benson has received the first Matt Maloney Postgraduate Fellowship. She will begin her work with the Pirate Club in June.

In other business, the committee:

• Approved nine new members and eight re-appointments to the ECU Board of Visitors, which was formally presented to the board Friday by ECU trustee Scott Shook, who noted that former trustee Vince Smith would returning to serve ECU. Officers will be Ryan Beeson, chair; Brad Osborne, vice chair; and Lance Metzler, secretary.
  • Tom Campbell, Scott Chase, Robert Cherry, Barnanne Creech, Lewis Gale, Phil Kirk, Phil Tetterton and Andrew Wasilick were reappointed for a second term.
  • Spencer Elliott, Todd Hunt, Allison Katschkowsky, Hunter Nichols, Chad Sary, Smith and Rich Spain have been appointed to the Class of 2030. Jenna Mallberg and Randy Stitt have been appointed to the Class of 2028.
• Recommended naming Gate 9 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for Robbie Taylor and Family, which was approved by the full board Friday.

From left, Chris Stansbury, senior associate vice chancellor of student affairs, ECU seniors Kaitlyn Dimmit and David Young, and David Batts, BSIT program coordinator, talk about transfer student pathways and partnerships with N.C. community colleges.

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