Trustees elect officers in first meeting of academic year
- Cassie Burt was elected chair, Dave Fussell vice chair and Van Isley secretary of the ECU Board of Trustees in an organizational meeting for the 2026-27 academic year.
- Chancellor Philip Rogers highlighted a $203 million allocation for university initiatives, salary increases and capital projects through the state budget.
- The board approved minor revisions to the parking and traffic ordinance.
With a summer of momentum continuing, the East Carolina University Board of Trustees elected officers Thursday during its organizational meeting for the 2026-27 academic year.
ECU Board of Trustees chair Cassie Burt is flanked by vice chair Dave Fussell, left, and secretary Van Isley. (Photo by Ken Buday)
Citing the work of all trustees, Cassie Burt accepted the role of board chair for the second straight year. She, along with Dave Fussell as vice chair and Van Isley as secretary, received unanimous support.
“It is an honor and I am very humbled,” Burt told trustees. “I am very happy, but this is not a one-person thing. We speak as a board. We speak as one voice, and so I appreciate the input in all of our discussions here today and anytime we’re all together, the great ideas that are thrown out there, I appreciate the engagement. We have a really great board right now, and I am honored to be chair and to lead this board.”
In his remarks to the board, Chancellor Philip Rogers said the state’s $203 million investment in employee salary increases, the Chancellor’s Scholars program, capital projects, the Brody School of Medicine and other healthcare initiatives affirms ECU’s public value.
“These investments are not simply line items in a budget. They are expressions of public trust,” Rogers said. “They recognize ECU’s distinctive role in expanding access to higher education, preparing the workforce North Carolina needs, improving health outcomes in rural and underserved communities, strengthening regional economies and serving as a trusted anchor institution for eastern North Carolina.”
Trustees welcomed Student Government Association President Ryan Grant. In his first meeting as a voting member, Grant told trustees how the SGA spent this summer building momentum for its initiatives — from support of food insecurity on campus and suicide prevention to student engagement through freshmen orientation and increased social media traffic.
“Although the summer is typically a quieter period on campus, our administration has used this time to build a strong foundation for the upcoming academic year,” he said.
In board action, trustees approved:
- a minor revision to the parking and traffic ordinance to reflect a new gateless exit with license plate recognition technology in the parking garage next to the Main Campus Student Center
- capital project advanced planning for an HVAC study and flat roof replacement at the West End Dining Hall as well as servery renovations at Todd Dining Hall
- TA Loving as the construction manager at risk for phase 3 renovations to the Mendenhall building.
The board is next scheduled to meet Sept. 24-25.