Dr. John Paul “JP” Jameson, professor in the Department of Psychology, was honored by the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors with the highly prestigious James E. Holshouser Jr. Award, which recognizes faculty who exemplify — across the UNC System — a steadfast commitment to not just serving our communities but engaging with them in significant, meaningful ways. This portrait of Dr. Jameson was taken by Chase Reynolds, a member of our University Communications team.
Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: February 27, 2026
This week, I attended the February meeting of the UNC System Board of Governors. During this meeting, the Board considered many important topics — including two key action items:
- The Board voted to approve requests from some UNC System institutions, including App State, to increase undergraduate tuition rates after nearly a decade of keeping tuition flat. At App State, this means a 2.5% increase for incoming in-state students and a 3% increase for incoming out-of-state students who will enroll in the university for the first time in the fall 2026 semester. For returning App State students who are enrolled for up to eight consecutive semesters, tuition will remain fixed under the state’s guaranteed tuition program.
As our Board of Governors Chair, Wendy Murphy, shared in an op-ed this week, this was a deeply considered decision by the Board, which also came with pragmatic, administrative cost-cutting measures. Chair Murphy also shared that even with this increase, resident tuition across the UNC System will remain among the lowest in the nation.
North Carolina’s public higher education system remains, per capita, one of the top-funded in the nation by our state legislature. It’s this support that allows us to provide our students with a high-quality, cost-effective education and ensure a strong emphasis on student success. It also ensures we have the resources to proactively identify, at just the right time, those students who need support. During the joint meeting of the Budget and Finance and External Affairs committees, I was able to share App State’s perspective on how meaningful legislative support is to our university. We can enhance and coordinate our services, so that all students have the help they need — particularly at critical times — to drive their own success, complete their degrees on time and contribute to the civic and economic health of their communities across the state and region.
- The Board also voted on a policy amendment to Section VI of The Code, Academic Freedom and Tenure, which defines the meaning of academic freedom Systemwide. President Hans described both the process and the significance of this, explaining that this expanded definition was a product of ongoing work with the Faculty Assembly and also necessary as a tool for mutual understanding. In his address to the Board yesterday, he shared that “by strengthening the UNC System code to include more detail about the purpose and the parameters of academic freedom, we hope to make it easier for everyone to appreciate the privileges and the obligations that come with serving our public universities. This expanded definition offers reasonable, practical guidance for how to balance academic liberties with professional responsibilities and areas of expertise and how the rights and privileges of faculty exist alongside those of students.”
The Board also presented Dr. John Paul “JP” Jameson, professor in the Department of Psychology, with the esteemed James E. Holshouser Jr. Award, which recognizes faculty who exemplify the UNC System’s commitment to service and community engagement.
Through suicide prevention and intervention training, Dr. Jameson’s expertise has ensured health care providers throughout the region — who often have heavy and incredibly varied case loads — have the tools and strategies they need to help people who are at the highest risk. He’s implemented a rapid-response vape diversion program for high schoolers and a specific firearm suicide prevention program for communities across our area in response to emerging critical public health issues.
Dr. Jameson’s dedication to bridging the gap in mental health care, particularly in rural areas in the western region of our state, has meant more people are living healthier lives today who might otherwise not have been — and more people are enjoying a greater quality of life. His work with local health departments, school districts and community organizations has meant reliable, accessible, critical and crisis care for children and families when they needed it the most.
The rural areas of our state, in particular, are facing a critical shortage of health care, and access to quality mental health care can be especially challenging. Dr. Jameson’s work has had a measurable, widespread impact.
A video showcasing Dr. Jameson and his critically important work, which you can view here, was shared at the Board meeting. Please join me in congratulating Dr. JP Jameson. Our state, our region, our university and our students are so fortunate to have him right here, doing some of the most vital work imaginable.
Last week, Ailey II, one of the world’s most renowned modern dance companies, spent two days on the Boone campus. During their visit, the company held master classes and workshops with students in the Department of Theatre and Dance, as well as with community members. Their residency concluded with a remarkable public performance at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Interactive instructional classes like these add creative and innovative insight for our students and community members, making the company's always-popular public performances so much more meaningful. I am thankful for the private support that allows us to offer these educational residencies.
Construction on Peacock Hall’s addition is showing visible progress every day and is nearly 40% completed. The Walker College is providing regular opportunities for students, faculty and staff to take behind-the-scenes tours of the construction site and learn more about the expansion project from Dean Sandra Vannoy and her team, as well as the project management and construction teams. The addition and renovation will expand educational space, add a learning lab — to feature a stock market ticker and financial analysis tools, and provide special use areas for campus events. The project is on track for completion next year, and we’re so excited for the many ways this expansion will support the Walker College, which has the highest full-time undergraduate enrollment of any public business school in the state.
Last Saturday, App State’s Men’s Basketball team won their last home game of the season against Georgia Southern and will wrap up the regular season on the road tonight at Texas State. Our team is currently in a tie for first place with Marshall, Troy and South Alabama. Each team has one regular season game left, adding significantly to the excitement! Also tonight, our Women's Basketball team will conclude their regular season at the Holmes Center with a senior night tribute. We’ll be cheering on both of our basketball teams with plenty of Mountaineer pride tonight!
App State Athletics teams have a strong emphasis on service to our community and philanthropy that extends universitywide. During the Women's Basketball game on Wednesday, the Reich College of Education’s Appalachian Community of Education Scholars, Education Peer Ambassadors and North Carolina Teaching Fellows programs were recognized on the court for their impact in K–12 schools across the state. At last Saturday’s Men’s Basketball game, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina honored the legacy of 1976 graduate and former Board of Trustees Chair Bradley Adcock by presenting a gift to the university to establish a hardship and emergency assistance fund for students in our Murray Family ACCESS Program, which provides scholarship support to low-income students from North Carolina. This support is so meaningful — not only did it honor Bradley’s 36-year career at Blue Cross NC, but the gift to his alma mater supports a cause he championed: Expanding access so that more students can have the opportunity to earn an App State degree, and ensuring those who need a safety net can access the resources they need to thrive.
As we continue to grow and strengthen our App State Community, I appreciate working together with you every day.
Heather Norris
Chancellor
From left to right: Students were able to learn from members of world-renowned dance company Ailey II last week; future educators were honored Wednesday during the App State Women’s Basketball game; and construction for the addition to Peacock Hall is making significant progress. Thank you to Kyla Willoughby, Rebekah Saylors, Wes Craig, Chase Reynolds and Troy Tuttle for these photos.
