November 2018 Appalachian Connections message
Appalachian Connections
November 2018
Message from Chancellor Sheri Everts
The value of our university’s educational environment and community engagement is in large sum the reason Appalachian was recently recognized by a number of national publications and ranking programs. These newest distinctions include:
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Forbes magazine named Appalachian in its third annual “America’s Best Value Colleges 2018” list.
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Appalachian is among schools chosen by The Princeton Review for its “Best in the Southeast” section of its “2019 Best Colleges: Region by Region” website feature.
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Appalachian took top spots in U.S. News and World Report’s “2019 Best Colleges Rankings.” The university was recognized for academics, value and innovation, and placed second in the Most Innovative Schools category among Southern regional universities, in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities.
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As we celebrate Veterans Day, I am proud of the accomplishments of our staff and faculty, which continue to place Appalachian on Victory Media’s Military Friendly® Schools list. Many of our graduates serve in the military or are veterans, and about 300 of our current students self-identify as veterans.
Our students and others in the Appalachian Community serve in a number of ways. For example:
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Fifteen of our student veterans were called to action in preparation of Hurricane Florence, when Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency.
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We count among our veteran alumni:
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the esteemed Maj. Gen. Edward Reeder Jr. ’81, for whom our Student Veteran Resource Center is named;
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founder and four-year leader of Team Sunergy Dan Blakeley ’15 ’18, who spent six years serving in the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the U.S. Army Special Operations; and
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this year’s Distinguished Alumnus, Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley ’84, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
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During October, Appalachian’s Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Fine and Applied Arts collaborated for a goods drive, gathering 798 essential items for the campus food pantry and free store.
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A total of 374 racers and 75 volunteers participated in the eighth annual Spooky Duke Race and Costume Contest, raising awareness and over $11,000 in funds for the work of Appalachian’s Parent to Parent Family Support Network-High Country (FSN-HC), which supports local families who have children with special needs. An additional $10,000 in matched funds for the event was granted to Parent to Parent from The Health Foundation Inc., bringing the total to over $21,000.
It is always a highlight of my day to engage with our stellar students. My very best wishes to you and your families during this Thanksgiving season.