Last Updated on January 25, 2025 4:30 pm
Friday, January 24, 2025
The Mountaineer community mourns the loss of Dr. Francis “Frank” Thomas Borkowski, who served as Appalachian State University’s chancellor from 1993 to 2003. He passed away on Sunday, Jan. 19. We honor him and the incredible contributions he made to the university in the decade he was chancellor and the decades afterward, and our hearts are with his wife of 65 years, Kay, their children and the entire Borkowski family. Please take a moment to read this story about Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski, our university’s fifth leader.
Chancellor Borkowski’s legacy of strengthening the university’s academic reputation has endured, as App State has expanded opportunities for students to earn an App State degree. We learned this week that App State is again ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Online Programs.” Our online bachelor’s programs are among the top 16% of U.S. colleges and universities — advancing 24 positions above our 2024 ranking. U.S. News also recognized our Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in nursing programs, as well as our online master’s programs in education. You can learn more about these rankings here.
The many faculty and staff who have developed and continue to set the bar for excellence for our academic program offerings, and the students who benefit from these programs, are supported by public and private funding, and we are grateful to those who recognize the value of a college education and understand the importance of ensuring access for anyone who is willing to work hard to earn a college degree.
We are fortunate to have tremendous support from UNC System President Peter Hans and the Board of Governors, who have ensured that tuition for North Carolina students has remained consistent for nearly a decade; from the state legislature, which has prioritized funding for higher education; and from private funding sources, who support the innovative research and creative endeavors of our faculty, staff and students and provide critical scholarship support to our students. These cooperative efforts have helped ensure that App State students graduate with less college debt than most of their national peers.
College affordability and challenges related to recovery from Hurricane Helene will be key topics during the Hunt Institute’s 22nd Annual Holshouser Legislators Retreat this weekend. Dr. Leslie Alexander, Watauga County Superintendent of Public Schools, and I will be representing Watauga County, serving as resource experts alongside other education leaders from Western North Carolina regarding the response and ongoing needs related to Hurricane Helene. The timing of this discussion is particularly important as new legislators take office prior to the state legislature’s long session, which convened earlier this month, and our elected leaders will prepare a new two-year budget for July 2025–June 2027.
We are proud to have several alumni in the North Carolina General Assembly:
- Representative Destin Hall ’09, Speaker of the House
- Senator Ralph Hise ’00, Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore
- Senator Danny Britt ’00
- Senator Kevin Corbin ’83, Chair of the Education/Higher Education Committee
- Senator Buck Newton ’91
- Senator Joyce Waddell ’79
- Representative Julia Greenfield ’82
- Representative Kelly Hastings ’86, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, along with our local Representative, Chair Ray Pickett
- Representative Reece Pyrtle Jr. ’89
- Representative David Willis ’96
These legislators are proud champions for our university and we appreciate all they do for Appalachian State University and the people of our state.
Before heading to the Raleigh area, I’ll have the privilege of joining the quarterly meeting of our university’s Foundation Board of Directors. This board exists to help create the best possible learning environment for Appalachian State University students — from teaching and learning, to research and service, to health and wellness, to success in academics and athletics. Their efforts help support scholarships, enhance education and research opportunities, and attract and retain outstanding faculty and staff. We thank these board members for their dedication and contributions to the success of our institution.
App State Athletics teams have been shining bright during these recent chilly days. Women’s Tennis opened its spring 2025 season with wins over Virginia Commonwealth and Temple, while Wrestling defeated Atlantic Coast Conference challenger Duke. Lilly Nichols, a first-year student and pole vaulter from Broomfield, Colorado, set program, Sun Belt regular-season and U20 Polish women’s indoor pole vault records, clearing 13 feet, 11.75 inches at the Virginia Tech Invitational, earning her a ranking of 16th in the nation. I’m proud of our student-athletes for excelling in both competition and the classroom, and with home games coming up for Men’s and Women’s Basketball and our Wrestling team, I encourage everyone to support, as you are able, our student-athletes with your attendance.
With 2025 underway, faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters from across the state and beyond are continuing the momentum of a legacy gifted to us by those who built what we are carrying forward. Thank you for your part in making our university even better, every day.
Heather Norris
Interim Chancellor
