Message from Interim Chancellor Heather Norris

Friday, September 13, 2024

Fall weather is here, and we’re noticing it at both the Boone and Hickory campuses. When members of my leadership team and I visited the App State cross-country teams on Monday morning it was a brisk 50 degrees! We wish Coaches Brad Herbster and Annie Richards, along with the teams, the best of luck in their meet today and for the rest of their season.

This week the UNC Board of Governors, the body responsible by North Carolina law for oversight and governance of the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina, held its September meeting. During this meeting:

  • The Board voted to hold in-state undergraduate tuition flat for the ninth consecutive year. Fee increase requests will be capped at 3% and limited to those critical to maintaining core activities, or offset by commensurate decreases to another fee.

  • The Board also considered performance funding, and while no action was taken, we’ll continue to stay attentive to these conversations.

  • App State was found to be among the institutions whose educator preparation programs were fully aligned to the UNC System’s Literacy Framework and utilize high-quality materials and resources across the programs’ literacy courses. Because our program was ascertained to be fully responsive to feedback from the Board in 2023, reviewers of our program did not suggest additional revisions. Thank you to the many faculty and staff in the Reich College of Education for their work to bring this program into full alignment.

  • The Board approved a recommendation from the Committee on Educational Planning, Policies and Programs to approve a new degree for App State — a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and learning in the Reich College. Thanks to a lot of great work in the Reich College, Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management, this online program will be available in the spring 2025 semester through our partnership with Project Kitty Hawk.

  • The Committee on University Personnel reported on voluntary turnover rates for employees. Systemwide, the report indicated that voluntary turnover rates have largely returned to pre-COVID levels and are lower than those in our College and University Professional Association for Human Resources comparison groups. In the coming weeks, we’ll examine our university’s numbers and will work with Faculty Senate and Staff Senate to share that information.

  • The Board reviewed the reports submitted by each constituent institution describing the actions taken to achieve compliance with the Equality Within the University of North Carolina policy, adopted on May 23, and how any savings related to these actions have been redirected to initiatives that support student success and well-being.

    As I have shared in messages since May 23, each university was charged with certifying — by Sept. 1, 2024, and on or before Sept. 1 annually thereafter — full compliance with the commitment to institutional neutrality and nondiscrimination required by law and this policy.

    After the UNC System shared guidance with its constituent institutions on June 28, I convened a working group to help assess the areas specifically referenced in the guidance and to ensure we are complying with the new policy as expected. This group, which has met regularly for many weeks, includes representation from Academic Affairs; Athletics; Enrollment Management; External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives (including Human Resources and University Communications); General Counsel; and Student Affairs.

    We had no layoffs: Some eliminated positions were vacant and unfilled, some positions were realigned and some employees were selected for other open positions at the university based on their qualifications.

    Additionally, members of the Student Affairs leadership team spent the summer months talking with staff and student leaders to discuss the programmatic and operational changes we are implementing to be in compliance. We are still providing support for all of our students, faculty and staff, and will continue to do so.

    This Resources webpage provides links to numerous resources for all members of the App State Community to engage with university groups, resources and initiatives, and also to find support through offices, centers, clubs and other support systems.

    • For students, the Office of the Dean of Students is always a good place to start if you aren’t sure where to go.

    • For faculty, the Academic Affairs team is available to help answer questions and navigate any uncertainties.

    • For staff, Human Resources offers on-campus and off-campus employee assistance options, which, of course, are also available to faculty. 

    At App State, we realized just under $1.2 million in savings related to personnel, programmatic and operating expenses. Of that, about $398,000 was redirected and we have so far not reallocated the remaining amount, which is just under $800,000. I will work with campus leadership to ensure we are thoughtfully reallocating these funds toward measurable objectives for student success.

    You can find background information on the policy revision and resources by visiting App State’s Equality Within the University of North Carolina webpage, which includes a link to the UNC System’s Equality Policy website and a link to our university’s 2024 Annual Certification and Report.

    I want to reiterate a few points I have shared since May:

    • UNC System President Peter Hans and the Board have clearly and repeatedly stated the new policy reaffirms academic freedom and doesn’t touch or impact what is taught in our classrooms or researched in our labs.

    • We’re embracing the priorities put forth by UNC System President Hans of freedom of expression, academic freedom, nondiscrimination and institutional neutrality.

    • Our respect for the work of faculty, staff and students, and our commitment to academic freedom, are stronger than ever.

The night before the Board of Governors meeting, university leadership and I hosted a reception attended by several state legislators in Raleigh. We took this opportunity to share several key accomplishments, including:

This event was also an opportunity to say “thank you” for their enduring support and share our latest tribute to our 125-year institutional history — a then and now video that we are showing to prospective students prior to their campus tours.

At Appalachian State University, we take the responsibility of our taxpayer support very seriously. We are proud that the investment with which our legislators have entrusted us pays dividends, and we will work to ensure it continues to do so.

On Tuesday, Acting Provost Neva Specht and I joined Dr. Dixie Rawlins and Dr. Matthew Cannon — president and senior dean of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), respectively — in a signing ceremony to commemorate an agreement between our institutions. This agreement guarantees App State graduates who meet certain criteria will have an on-campus interview for admission to VCOM, and recognizes the rigorous education standards App State has in place for our pre-med undergraduates. We were joined by alumna Pamela Hon, who earned her Bachelor of Science in nutrition from App State in 2019 and is now a first-year student at VCOM. Thank you to the faculty and staff for making this agreement a reality, and opening more doors for success to our students.

Last night, Provost Specht joined the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce in celebrating its 75th anniversary. We were so pleased they chose to hold this event on App State’s Boone campus, continuing a long-standing tradition that began when our university was under the leadership of Dr. William H. Plemmons. I am proud of the long history and shared heritage we have with the Boone community. Together, we have enriched the quality of life for residents, increasing prosperity, wellness and opportunity. App State is proud to be part of this community. We value our partnership with this community and hold members of our shared community in the highest respect. Happy anniversary to the Chamber!

Looking ahead, I hope you will all plan to attend our 125th Anniversary Celebration and the induction of our newest members of the Bell Ringers Society during Founders Day on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 10:30 a.m. on Founders Plaza. This is a celebration that would not be possible without the Chamber, the town, the county and the people of the High Country, and we hope you will all be part of this celebration.

Tomorrow, Mountaineers everywhere will be watching as we take on the East Carolina University Pirates at ECU, beginning at 4 p.m. I look forward to seeing many of you filling the stands, and I’m sure we’ll hear the cheers from around the world in Greenville. Best of luck to Coach Clark and the team for another victory against our in-state rivals!


Heather Norris
Interim Chancellor