This photo, taken in December by Wes Craig and Chase Reynolds in University Communications, shows the Boone campus blanketed in snow. We have all hands on deck preparing for another winter weather event this weekend!
Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: January 23, 2026
As we look ahead to this weekend, preparedness is the name of the game for App State. We routinely plan for winter weather disruptions to our normal operations, and we’re focused on ensuring the continuity of critical functions — including keeping dining facilities and residence halls open — so that students have the resources they need and the university can resume normal operations as soon as possible. You can read more here about how we make and communicate weather-related operations decisions and how we keep essential operations running smoothly, and you can follow our operational status on our university homepage.
Last week, the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching — the nation’s leader for categorizing higher education institutions in the United States — awarded our university the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. This designation recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate, through knowledge-sharing and resource partnerships with public and private entities, an institutional commitment to community engagement that enriches scholarship, strengthens civic responsibility and contributes to the public good.
A recent economic impact report — prepared with pre-Hurricane Helene data — assessed the volunteer efforts of our students, faculty and staff for a single year at nearly $3.5 million locally and more than $5 million statewide. Giving back to our community is fundamental to who we are at App State, and I am proud of our campus community for the many ways we contribute to the communities we serve.
In addition to the teaching, research and service commitments of our faculty, we work to foster this spirit throughout the student experience. Just a few examples include:
- Our Office of Community-Engaged Leadership connects App State students with academic, experiential and community-oriented programs that enhance their capacity to serve and lead for the benefit of the communities we serve. In the last decade, our students have completed nearly 320,000 service hours by volunteering at organizations throughout the High Country. These experiences not only bring value to local organizations and small businesses but also benefit our students, who learn more about their communities and make important personal and professional connections.
- Through more than 30 arts and education outreach programs, we connect university arts resources to a wide audience comprising more than 15,000 community arts patrons, local children, teachers and lifelong learners.
- App State’s Alternative Service Experiences immerse students in programs that are created and led by trained student Peer Leaders and provide direct service to communities — from Western NC to across the world — while also developing students’ translatable leadership skills and team-building experience. Last academic year, students engaged in more than 1,900 service hours and over 1,000 hours of education and training in locations that span from Grandfather Mountain to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Four opportunities are coming up that will take place during spring break — the sign-up period continues through the end of this month.
- Recently, the Sun Belt Conference recognized the impact our student-athletes have made within their communities on a local and global scale with the 2024–25 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Community Impact Award. Mountaineer student-athletes logged more than 3,300 hours of community service in the 2024–25 academic year, supporting nearly 100 organizations and contributing a projected economic impact of $117,000.
- Performing an estimated 1,200 service hours in the last year alone, our North Carolina Teaching Fellows also contribute significantly to community and leadership engagement while gaining experience that helps make them some of the most sought-after new teachers in the state. App State’s Teaching Fellows program is among the top three largest in the state, with 168 students this academic year, whose tuition, books, fees and teacher licensure costs — up to $10,000 a year — are funded with forgivable loans if they commit to teaching elementary education, special education or a STEM field in a North Carolina public school after graduation.
It is heartwarming to lead a university that values such a strong commitment to service, and I thank all of our faculty, staff and students for their efforts to engage with and sustain the communities we serve — whether through employment, volunteer service or other civic engagement.
This week, students gathered in Plemmons Student Union for the Winter Club Expo, a showcase of more than 230 clubs and organizations offering countless ways for students to get involved in campus life, meet new friends and develop their interests in ways that extend beyond the classroom. Our University Communications team was there to document the event — you can watch this video to hear what students and presenters had to say about the opportunities at the expo.
Throughout the day today, the Department of Applied Design is continuing an open studio event showcasing students’ applied design work in real-world contexts. Student- and faculty-led tours of working design studios provide an opportunity for faculty and students to share their experiences blending technical skills with design aesthetics to develop innovative and practical solutions for the everyday user. Students’ works range from designs for public spaces, to furniture, to garment and apparel design, and the experience offers students an opportunity to demonstrate their aptitude in design education and research while also practicing presentation skills in a professional setting.
Congratulations are in order for the Mountaineers Women’s Track & Field team — the overall winning team at the Virginia Military Institute Team Challenge last weekend. And, as we adjusted our Men’s Basketball game times this week to ensure we can play all scheduled games despite the weather forecast, yesterday’s win against Louisiana in the Holmes Center was very exciting, and we are looking forward to our Women’s Basketball team returning to the Holmes Center for games next week.
I wish everyone a safe weekend, and for those who enjoy winter weather, have some fun outside!
Heather Norris
Chancellor
Clockwise from top left: App State student-athletes are committed to serving communities near and far. In this photo, taken Dec. 26, 2025, Football team members spend time with patients during a visit to the Birmingham VA Medical Center while in Birmingham, AL. At the Winter Club Expo, students had an opportunity to learn about and engage with more than 230 clubs and organizations. Local children and App State student teachers benefit from our university offering homeschool learning opportunities. And the creative and innovative students in the Department of Applied Design are showcasing their work today — including this ergonomic keyboard and mouse designed by senior industrial design major Eli Poulsen — in an open studio exhibit on the Boone campus. Thank you to Kyla Willoughby in University Communications and the JLab Birmingham Bowl for capturing these photos.
