Last Updated on August 24, 2025 12:43 pm
Friday, August 22, 2025
It’s the first week of the academic year, and I always love it! Even with more than two decades in academia, the anticipation of new beginnings always feels especially inspirational to me.
Yesterday, I convened a meeting of faculty and staff for the annual State of the University Address. As we look ahead to a new academic year, amid the significant challenges our industry is facing, Appalachian State University is operating from a position of strength — largely because of who we are as a community — bolstered by our shared university culture and history.
I was joined by the following members of my leadership team:
- Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Neva J. Specht
- Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice Chancellor J.J. Brown
- Interim Chief Financial Officer Greg Lovins
- Director of Athletics Doug Gillin
- Vice Chancellor of University Advancement Will Sears
These university leaders are highly focused on student success and supporting our university community. As we glimpse into the future, building upon our many strengths, that purpose will continue to drive us. There are incredible opportunities for us to further advance App State’s mission to serve our region and the people of North Carolina by:
- providing access to a high-quality education — with even more opportunities for experiential learning, applied research and community engagement;
- adding value to our students’ experiences, inside and beyond our classrooms, studios and labs;
- enriching experiences in both the arts and athletics; and
- using our collective talents and expertise to partner with — and serve — our communities.
And as we begin to envision who we will become as a university in the next two, five and 10 years, we will begin developing our next universitywide strategic plan. This process will be collaborative, collective and iterative — and it will include the members of our university community, as well as the greater communities we serve.
You can read more about this, as well as the full remarks from my colleagues and me, on my website.
This week included a visit from UNC System President Peter Hans, who took a tour of several capital projects underway or completed at the Boone campus — including Peacock, Edwin Duncan and Wey halls, visited with some of our student-athletes, and got a preview of the upcoming football season ahead of the Mountaineers' matchup against the UNC Charlotte 49ers in next week’s nationally televised Duke’s Mayo Classic.
More than 400 of our students are athletes who represent App State on a national level through 17 athletics programs. Through nationally televised competitions and community service, they are ambassadors for our university, serving and inspiring others. From greeting local schoolchildren as they arrive on their first day of school, to serving communities they visit while traveling for competition, to assisting with recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene, Mountaineer student-athletes contributed more than 3,355 combined hours of service while setting an important example that our university is a place where everyone feels welcome — including our opposing teams and their fans. Their work ethic extends from competition in their sports to academic excellence, and we’re looking forward to seeing their continued academic and athletic success throughout the coming year!
Later today, I will spend some time with the newest class of Chancellor’s Scholars and welcome them to their first academic year at a reception held in their honor. These scholars also represent the university in a variety of settings and are selected for this rigorous scholarship program based on their exceptional academic performance, ambitious academic goals and leadership capabilities. At Appalachian State University, we empower all of our students to develop a broader view of leadership and what it means to be a leader — while fostering their academic and personal growth.
It’s been an energizing and exciting week throughout the entire Mountaineer community, and it’s been so fun to spend time with our students, faculty and staff, engaging in enthusiastic conversations and enjoying the school spirit and welcoming surroundings.
I hope you enjoy this video that captures the excitement of this first week, and in the coming year, I look forward to working with you to build on our rich legacy while embracing the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
