Last Updated on August 31, 2026 5:50 pm
Friday, August 28, 2026
Earlier today, faculty, staff and university leaders gathered for our annual State of the University Address to reflect on our accomplishments as a university community and look ahead to our shared strategic priorities for the academic year. I’m proud to share that, amid the significant challenges and shifts facing public higher education, Appalachian State University continues to operate from a position of institutional strength — grounded in our mission to broaden access to high-quality, cost-effective higher education and empower Mountaineer students to succeed, creating real value for our state, region and beyond.
I was joined by the following members of my leadership team, who shared updates from their respective areas and who are deeply focused on supporting student success across our App State Community:
- Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Neva J. Specht
- Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer J.J. Brown
- Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation Christine Ogilvie Hendren
- Chief Financial Officer Brad Cooper
- Director of Athletics Doug Gillin
- Vice Chancellor of University Advancement Will Sears
During the meeting, I highlighted examples across four core areas that illustrate how our collaboration — across our campuses and with our regional partners — is elevating our public impact, fortifying our position of strength and shaping the trajectory of App State, North Carolina and the broader region:
- We are advancing educational access and degree pathways through targeted investments in App State Online Flight Path programs, which are supported by our strategic partnership with Project Kitty Hawk. Enrollment in our Flight Path degree programs has doubled year over year and now accounts for a quarter of our App State Online enrollment. And by continually developing and refining the academic offerings at our Hickory campus, we are positioning App State Hickory for long-term growth and expanding opportunities to serve the Catawba Valley region.
- We are deepening community relationships, regional partnerships and local support systems through meaningful statewide and local collaboration. Some examples of this work include a first-of-its-kind pathway established in partnership with the North Carolina Community College System that translates health-related associate degree credits directly into an App State bachelor’s degree in health sciences. And earlier this year, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce named App State its 2025 Large Business of the Year for the university’s leadership, economic contributions and dedication to the community, including our shared recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.
- We are expanding our economic impact and elevating public impact research across the region and state. As an R2 institution, our faculty and students turn discoveries into practical solutions across rural healthcare, agricultural technology and emergency infrastructure. This commitment to regional vitality is matched by our broader economic footprint, highlighted by App State Athletics generating more than $100 million annually for Western North Carolina; our vibrant arts and cultural programming serving as a major cultural and economic engine by drawing thousands of visitors from across the region; and our students putting in 338,000-plus community service hours over the past 12 academic years, valued at more than $12.2 million contributed to our local community.
- And we are achieving historic, record-breaking success in institutional philanthropy. Fiscal years 2025 and 2026 now stand as the two most successful fundraising years in the university’s history. Building on this historic progress, we are preparing to launch App State’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign in over a decade.
We are also making steady progress on our new Strategic Plan and Master Plan, both of which are slated to go before the Board of Trustees for formal approval later this year, and the campus community will continue to be involved as the plan moves forward. You can read my full remarks, along with updates shared by my leadership team, on our website.
App State’s commitment to practical, community-centered research was on display last week, when U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx visited our Boone campus Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences Service Lab to learn about the Rootsii project — an initiative that aims to transform surplus North Carolina sweetpotatoes into a novel plant-based milk and food product line. Led by professor Dr. Brett Taubman and lab manager Daniel Parker, and supported by NCInnovation grant funding, the project directly supports state farmers by reducing agricultural waste, while providing our undergraduate student researchers with invaluable, applied experience bringing an innovative product from concept to market. We are grateful to Rep. Foxx for taking the time to visit our campus, her engagement with our research efforts, and her continued advocacy for our university and the region.
Connecting our mission with partners across North Carolina remains vital to our collective strength. This past week, I had the opportunity to speak at both the Rotary Club of Charlotte meeting and the McDowell County Community Forum to share how App State is navigating industry changes, expanding degree pathways and driving regional economic vitality. We are especially proud of the more than 26,000 Mountaineer alumni who are making these areas better places to live, work and raise a family every day. I am deeply grateful to Rotary Club Executive Director Christine Cipriano and UNC System Board of Governors member Joel Ford for their hospitality, invitation and leadership in Charlotte. My sincere thanks also go to App State Trustee Steven Wyatt for his university leadership and inviting me to speak at the forum, as well as McDowell County Schools Superintendent Tracy Grit, Board of Commissioners Chairman Tony Brown and McDowell Technical Community College Vice President Valerie Dobson for their gracious welcome and vital partnership.
On Tuesday, I was joined by Executive Vice Chancellors Brown and Specht and members of their staff as we met with and hosted a group of our student resident assistants at the Appalachian House as part of our ongoing series of “Lunch and Conversation” events. Gathering with these dedicated student leaders provided a wonderful opportunity to hear directly about their campus experiences, learn how they mentor and support their peers in our Boone campus residence halls and gain their perspectives on student life. Their insight, thoughtful feedback and daily leadership are essential to creating a welcoming, supportive environment across our campus community.
Advancing this university is a shared and rewarding endeavor that spans our faculty, staff, students, leadership, trustees, donors, legislators and local partners. Thank you for your continued dedication to our university community as we envision the future of Appalachian State together.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
