Last Updated on March 9, 2025 11:02 am
Friday, March 7, 2025
Greetings from Pensacola, Florida!
I’m joining our Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams, as well as their families and Mountaineers from all over, for this year’s Sun Belt Conference Basketball Tournament. Both teams play today — our Women’s Basketball team plays at 3 p.m. EST and the Men’s Basketball team at 8:30 p.m. EST. Whether you’re watching in person or via ESPN+, I’ll be cheering right along with you, loud and proud, for these outstanding student-athletes and the coaching staff who support them.
During a busy last week:
- I had the opportunity to speak with the UNC Board of Governors’ Committee on Strategic Initiatives about the success we have seen through our partnership with Project Kitty Hawk. App State was among the first institutions to form a partnership with Project Kitty Hawk, a nonprofit affiliate of the UNC System. We currently offer five streamlined App State Online degree programs, all designed for nontraditional learners — as part of a statewide effort to expand higher education access to millions of working adults in North Carolina. Enrollment in programs powered by Project Kitty Hawk represents about 33% of our online growth from 2023 to 2024 and comprises nearly 7% of our total enrollment of online students. These increases are significant for a partnership that is less than a year old. Our ability to create and deliver these programs reflects the commitment of PKH to fostering and supporting students in finding their paths to success. I thank the UNC System and Board of Governors for their vision and guidance, the NC General Assembly for their investment, and our faculty and staff for creating innovative solutions to meet our students’ — and our state's — educational needs.We also shared information with the Committee on Budget and Finance about the housing market in the High Country and the need to provide more student housing opportunities as we work to address the needs and challenges of our Boone campus students — especially sophomores, juniors and seniors who would like to remain in App State housing beyond their first year.
- Also, last Friday, we established the Mofford and Giffin Food Hub at our Hickory campus. In North Carolina, more than 11% of our state’s population experiences food insecurity. App State’s food hubs help our university community rise above the challenges of food insecurity and thrive. Last semester, we welcomed over 3,000 visitors to our food hubs, and we distributed more than 28,000 pounds of food on our campuses in 2024. We extend our thanks to David Mofford, a 2009 alumnus of App State and a Hickory native, who served as Student Government Association president during his time at the Boone campus, and his spouse, Zac Giffin, for their support, which is helping us extend these services to the Hickory campus.
This week:
- We hosted a Staff Connect social on the Boone campus on Tuesday afternoon. It was a fun event with terrific food and music, and it offered an opportunity for our staff to build friendships, network and yes — hold several impromptu meetings — for the benefit of our students, faculty and university.
- On Wednesday, Acting Provost Neva Specht and I joined UNC System Board of Governors member Philip Byers ’85 on a visit to our young Mountaineers at App State’s Academy at Middle Fork lab school. These young students work very hard on their studies and I am proud of what they have accomplished so far this year. Thank you to Reich College of Education Dean Melba Spooner, Dr. Hannah Reeder, Dr. Amie Snow and the exceptional educators at Middle Fork for hosting us. We applaud your dedication to these students and their success.
- Yesterday, more than 2,400 Mountaineers joined together to share their support of our university during our 12th Annual iBackAPP day — the university’s annual one-day giving event. Thank you to everyone who participated! It’s wonderful to see supporters from across the country and around the world share their love and support for our university and the work we do to enrich lives throughout the state and beyond.
It’s hard to believe we are at the midpoint of the spring semester, but here we are! Next week is spring break, and most academic activities will pause as our students and faculty take a break from the classroom. I wish you all an enjoyable break from the regular routine, and I look forward to seeing everyone back again when we resume classes on March 17.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
