Appalachian Connections
March 2020

Message from Chancellor Sheri Everts

Next week, App State students will put their time to a variety of uses during spring break: working, studying, participating in one of the university’s Alternative Service Experiences and visiting with family and friends. Our hope is they will return to their classes refreshed and ready to finish the semester strong. As our students prepare to travel for spring break, we encourage consideration of CDC and State Department guidance. More information is below.

Our university continues to receive national recognition and accolades, a few of which are below:

• The National Campus Safety Summit named the App State Police Department (APD) as one of the top 25 university departments in the country for “increasing the safety and security of their campus community” and “making a difference in student safety” — two critical priorities for our university.
• Since 2010, our university has retained our distinction as a Military Friendly® School, and we were designated a Top 10 school for 2020–21. Across campus, we work to empower our student veterans and active-duty military students and ensure they have access to needed resources and support.
• App State was awarded a $500,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina to support scholarships designated for community college transfer students who wish to teach in their home communities.

Each of these honors underscores the value of the Appalachian Experience.

Monitoring COVID-19

As part of our emergency preparedness practices, our emergency response team routinely monitors situations that could affect campus. At this time, the team is monitoring COVID-19. App State has a resource and information website for those in our campus community who are seeking information and guidance related to our university’s preparation and response to COVID-19. Please refer to the information on this site as the definitive source for the latest information specific to Appalachian State University.

At this time, we are closely monitoring travel guidance, restrictions and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of State (State Department). We are directly assisting students, faculty and staff who are traveling or have plans for international travel for university-approved educational or business reasons.

Students with international travel-related financial aid questions or questions regarding academic requirements related to international travel should contact the Office of International Education and Development.

It is our priority to foster a safe and productive environment for your students, and we are proud of the collective achievements of the Appalachian Community.