The last day of classes was Tuesday; the final exam period began yesterday and continues through next Wednesday; Commencement is a week from today; and final grades are due by 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19. We are officially in the midst of the end-of-semester crunch!

This time of year can be stressful, and there’s a robust support network available for the entire App State Community, including:

• The Mountaineer Meal Share and Food Hub/Free Store programs for students and employees.
  
  
• Exam preparation assistance; wellness resources and counseling services — including 24/7 crisis support — for students.
  
  
• Counseling services and other employee assistance programs for permanent and temporary faculty and staff.
  
  
• Additionally, the Appalachian Cares website offers an abundance of campus resources for the wellness, health and safety of App State Community members.

If you or someone you know is in need of any of these resources, please reach out.

Six App State students recently returned from a trip led by Chief Sustainability Officer Lee Ball and Department of Economics Chair and Professor Dave McEvoy to attend COP27, the 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. The three-week conference took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and was attended by heads of state of nearly every nation in the world — 190 countries were represented by more than 35,000 delegates. After a rigorous, multiyear qualification process, App State is now included in a group of official observers, giving our students a front-row seat to the complex problem-solving taking place at this preeminent annual conference. Attending this conference was a capstone experience in a course designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental issues regarding climate change, the negotiations process and the political dynamics of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Creating classroom-to-actualization experiences is part of what sets App State apart as the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, and these kinds of experiences prepare our students to be skilled problem-solvers in the future.

At the App State Board of Trustees’ December meeting last Friday, Chief Diversity Officer Jamie Parson presented App State’s Diversity and Inclusion Annual reports for 2020–21 and 2021–22. Each university in the UNC System is required to present annual reports on its diversity and inclusion operations and activities to its Board of Trustees. As Jamie reported, the diversity and inclusion work we do on our campus every day has tremendous impact not only with the students we educate, but also in the communities to which they return to live, work and serve. Her presentation focused on defining diversity at App State, the impact on the institution’s diversity and inclusion goals, staff with diversity and inclusion responsibilities, the institutional budget for diversity and inclusion operations and activities and App State’s signature diversity and inclusion programs. I encourage you to read the annual reports and watch the CDO presentation to the Academic Affairs committee on Dec 2.

Yesterday, we were joined by a delegation from the North Carolina General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division, who toured both the Boone and Hickory campuses and joined my leadership team and me for a discussion about App State’s many accomplishments, an overview of our progress in utilizing allocations from the best budget in university history and a capital projects update, which is one component of the UNC System’s six-year capital projects plan. These were updates I also shared with the Board of Trustees on Dec. 2. It was a thoughtful and engaging discussion, and I appreciated this team’s interest in App State.

This afternoon I will join a reception celebrating App State’s ranking as the No. 1 university for National Board Certified Teachers for the sixth consecutive year. We are so proud to celebrate App State’s recognition as the country’s educational leader in National Board Certified Teachers. App State not only prepares future educators to serve the communities where they live and work, but also continues to mentor and guide our alumni with professional development opportunities, especially in their early careers. Thank you to Dean Spooner and the faculty and staff in the Reich College of Education for your hard work and devotion to our current students and alumni, and congratulations to our Board Certified alumni. I am immensely proud of your accomplishments and commitment to excellence. Accomplishing the No. 1 status once is an honor to your alma mater — doing so six years in a row is truly incredible!

The hard work, dedication and passion for excellence of App State students, faculty, staff and alumni solidify our status as the premier public undergraduate university in the Southeast. Thank you all for the contributions you make every day.

Sheri Everts
Chancellor

Messages

• Message from Interim Chancellor Heather Hulburt Norris

  Friday, April 19, 2024

  Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends,

  I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself to those of you who don’t yet know me.

  For more than 20 years, I’ve dedicated my career to Appalachian State University. I came here because I was impressed by Appalachian’s stated mission of educational access, and when I visited, I saw it to be true. Over my time here, the faculty and staff dedication to student success, which has characterized the institution for 125 years, continues to be strong to this day.

  I joined the faculty of the Walker College of Business in 2003, and my home department remains the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance. I served the college as assistant, associate and senior associate dean, as well as acting and interim dean and then dean, before becoming App State’s provost. I served as interim provost during some of the most challenging times in university history, as we worked to provide the best possible educational experience for our students, and keep faculty and staff employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, I was appointed to the role of provost and executive vice chancellor.

  Learn more
• Message from Chancellor Everts

  Monday, April 15, 2024

  Dear Members of the App State Community,

  Earlier today, I informed UNC System President Peter Hans of my decision to step down from the office of Chancellor of Appalachian State University, effective this Friday, April 19.

  Over the last few months, I have been experiencing significant health challenges, and I must now focus on my personal health and wellbeing.

  I am incredibly proud of the growth and development of the university over the last ten years, and I look forward to seeing the development of the Innovation District and the Hickory Campus, in particular, and the many ways the region will continue to thrive with the benefit of these important state resources. I thank the faculty for the incredible contributions they have made through their teaching, research and service over the last decade, and our staff, who are the heart and soul of the institution. Most of all, I am incredibly proud of our students, past and present, who bring our university to life, give us purpose, and make real and powerful differences in communities around the world.

  I have been honored and humbled to serve as your Chancellor, and I wish you all the very best.

  Learn more
• Remarks from the December 8, 2023 Meeting of the Board of Trustees

  Friday, December 8, 2023

  Thank you, Chair Ricks, and good afternoon, everyone!

  With one week until December Commencement, we’re looking ahead to App’s 125th birthday, as we reflect on an incredible 124th year.

  But before I begin my remarks today, I would like to acknowledge the passing of Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock in October.

  As Chancellor of our university for 10 years, from 2004 to 2014, Ken established the university as a leader in undergraduate research, grew our academic enterprise significantly in the areas of health care, establishing the College of Health Sciences, opened a new building for the Reich College of Education, led significant growth in the nexus of energy, the environment and economics, and moved our athletics programs to the Sun Belt Conference and the Football Bowl Subdivision, all while growing enrollment and solidifying our reputation as a national leader in undergraduate education.

  Learn more