Message from Interim Chancellor Heather Norris
At this week’s UNC System Board of Governors meeting, the Board took several actions related to App State, including:
- Approving the university to add a Doctor of Nursing Practice to our academic programs. This program will educate family practice nurse practitioners, helping meet the need for additional health care providers, particularly in rural areas of our state. This will make the third doctoral program for our university — adding to our education and psychology doctoral programs, but more importantly, it will allow us to help meet the incredible demand for rural health care professionals in North Carolina. Through the Beaver College of Health Sciences, we already offer a number of clinical services for children and adults, and this new program will help us provide even more high-quality health care for our community at large. I congratulate the Beaver College of Health Sciences on this new program and look forward to welcoming these students to App State in fall 2026.
- Approving the university to move forward with a new, 85,000-square-foot indoor athletics practice facility. The new facility will increase the size of the current practice field to 100 yards, allowing for more frequent and comprehensive practice sessions for most of our athletic programs. The larger facility will also increase its scope, to serve more areas across campus and allow for public–private health care collaborations, including new physical therapy facilities. I want to thank our alumni — in particular 1976 alumnus and Board of Trustees Vice Chair Tommy Sofield and his family, who made a lead gift in 2023 — for providing a solid financial foundation for this project.
- Allocating funds from the General Assembly’s Hurricane Relief Fund. The Board allocated funds to App State and other UNC System institutions that have students enrolled who are from the declared disaster areas. This is additional emergency aid funding to assist students with significant ongoing needs related to Hurricane Helene, and it will provide much-needed support to students who are struggling in the aftermath of the hurricane so that they can stay on track for graduation. The system is also working on our behalf with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority for additional funding to assist in covering the cost of recovery.
- Recognizing App State Police Sergeant Petey Hausley ’12 for valor. The 2024 UNC System Campus Law Enforcement Award winners included Sgt. Hausley, who earned an award for valor for his leadership and courage in 2023, when he thwarted a criminal who was intent on doing serious harm. With more than a decade in law enforcement, Sgt. Hausley joined App State Police in 2022 and is an incredible asset to the team. We congratulate him for this award, and thank him for his continued service to App State.
This week we held our annual Veterans Day Ceremony to honor all veterans, and particularly those at App State who have served in the Armed Forces. It was an honor to stand with veterans (honored in this beautiful tribute) who have sacrificed so much for our country and our freedoms. App State Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Cadet Anna Hoffman, a senior management major from Statesville and a member of the North Carolina National Guard, emceed the event, and our guest speaker, U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. George Sankey, spoke about the value of our veterans to our society and the inspirations we can take from those who have served. As he spoke about resilience and managing critical situations, as well as the emotions that come with them, I was reminded of how, as a community and a campus, we chose to come together for the greater good while facing the incredible challenges of Hurricane Helene.
Also this week, members of my leadership team and I joined the Chancellor’s Scholars Friendsgiving event. It was a lovely evening celebrating friendship and fellowship, and we enjoyed the stories students shared about their academic endeavors, their activities and their plans for the short and long term.
Our student-athletes continue to see success this season. Men’s and Women’s Basketball have shown a strong start to their seasons; both Cross-Country teams won their conference championships; and Field Hockey won their regular season conference championship. Representing the App State Tennis program, digital journalism major Savannah Dada-Mascoll and exercise science major Isabella Romanichen, both juniors, have earned a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship, which begins next week. Our Wrestling team will host nationally ranked West Virginia next Friday, and East-division champion App State Volleyball team begins Sun Belt Conference Tournament play next weekend. We’ll be cheering them on as we also cheer on the Mountaineer Football team when they take on JMU during Homecoming weekend.
Today, Vice Chancellor of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff Hank Foreman represented the university with the members of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce as part of their State of the Community luncheon. For 125 years, the university and community’s shared history has been one of building lasting institutions and lasting relationships, partnerships and friendships. It has been these partnerships that have helped our university and our community to grow and be successful, and it is these partnerships that will carry us forward. Our respect for our fellow community members, business and government leaders and education partners remains steadfast, and it heartens us to know that we are all in it together when a challenge is before us.
Also this morning, Acting Provost Specht addressed the Walker College of Business Advisory Council, and this afternoon, she represented university leadership at Walker College’s scholarship reception. Nearly 70% of our students rely on some form of financial assistance to fund their App State educations. In recent years, we have been able to award academic scholarships and aid to nearly 40% of our students, based on scholarly abilities, academic achievements and financial need. That is money they don’t have to pay back, and it makes a tremendous difference.
We are working to engage with students, faculty, staff and the tremendous community of Mountaineers who support our university, to hear and share their stories. So many people believe in this university and the potential it represents to innovate for the future, build meaningful relationships, open doors and expand horizons for our students, faculty and staff — and the communities we serve. On behalf of the entire App State Community, thank you to everyone who supports the success of our students as they work to achieve their dreams.
Heather Norris
Interim Chancellor
On Monday evening, I had the pleasure of joining the Chancellor’s Scholars for their Friendsgiving meal. It was a fun opportunity to get to know more about these students and their accomplishments, goals and App State Experiences. Thank you to Kyla Willoughby in University Communications for taking this photo of Provost Specht and me with this bright and ambitious group!
From left to right: App State Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff Hank Foreman delivered remarks at this week’s Boone Area Chamber of Commerce State of the Community luncheon, highlighting the enduring relationships, partnerships and friendships that uphold the university and community’s shared history; it was my great privilege to join U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. George Sankey and App State Army ROTC cadet and NC National Guard member Anna Hoffman in honoring veterans and their families at the university’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony; App State Police Sgt. Petey Hausley ’12, left, was accompanied by Interim Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Johnny Brown at the Nov. 14 UNC Board of Governors meeting, during which Hausley was recognized with a 2024 UNC System Campus Law Enforcement Award for valor. Thank you to Chase Reynolds in App State University Communications and the UNC System Communications Office team for these photos.
