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Orientation for incoming Boone campus and App State Online students is underway, with sessions scheduled in August for our incoming Hickory campus students. I thank our New Mountaineer and Family Engagement staff, along with our dedicated Student Orientation Undergraduate Leaders, for their work to welcome App State first-year and transfer students and their families. This incredible team is laying a strong foundation for student success by guiding our newest Mountaineers through essential university resources and helping them foster lasting connections with peers, faculty and staff to ensure they feel right at home. Thank you to Kyla Willoughby in University Communications for capturing this photo of students and families on Sanford Mall.

Message from Chancellor Heather Norris: June 26, 2026

Friday, June 26, 2026

With Orientation underway, incoming Mountaineer students are gaining a thorough overview of the scholarly opportunities and vibrant campus life that define the App State Experience. More than 4,700 students and 3,750 families are registered to participate in summer orientation sessions — at our Boone and Hickory campuses and online — with over 2,600 students having already completed orientation. This introduction to the university lays a vital foundation for student success, guiding new Mountaineers through our institutional resources and helping them foster meaningful connections with peers, faculty and staff. New Mountaineer and Family Engagement staff, alongside our dedicated Student Orientation Undergraduate Leaders, drive this massive effort through their dedicated work, and I thank them for ensuring a successful start for these students and their families.

Earlier this week, we announced the winners of this year’s Chancellor’s Innovation Scholars Program, whose forward-thinking projects are turning campus expertise into solutions that will help strengthen our communities and build a stronger, more secure future for our region.

  • Western North Carolina Cyber Resilience Initiative: Directed by Christopher W. Taylor ’09 ’11, practitioner-in-residence in the Walker College of Business, this Hickory-based cybersecurity clinic will provide hands-on learning opportunities for App State students while helping regional small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity readiness. The three-year initiative will engage students in conducting security assessments for at least 20 businesses, advancing regional cyber resilience.

  • Trades Pathways Initiative: In partnership with myFutureNC, this project aims to address the region’s workforce gap in the skilled building trades by creating field-based career pathways that connect higher education, hands-on learning and employment opportunities. The initiative supports the state’s myFutureNC goal of having 2 million residents aged 25–44 hold an industry-valued credential or postsecondary degree by 2030. Led by associate professor Dr. Andrew Windham, the project team includes Dr. Jamie Russell, director of the Appalachian Energy Center; Dr. James Beeler, executive director of the Office of Rural Promise; and Jason Miller, associate dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts.

These projects exemplify App State’s commitment to driving economic growth and resilience across Western North Carolina, and I look forward to the lasting, positive impact they will have on our region’s communities.

Broadening access to educational opportunity is central to App State’s mission. This spring, the university’s Aspire Appalachian program added three new North Carolina community college partners, bringing its network to 36 institutions — representing 62% of the state’s community colleges. Through this Aspire expansion, more transfer students across North Carolina now have a clear, supported pathway to completing their bachelor’s degrees at App State, with guaranteed admission and personalized guidance throughout the transfer process.

Tomorrow, An Appalachian Summer Festival — App State’s annual celebration of the performing and visual arts — kicks off its 42nd season with a performance by Punch Brothers at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. The five-week festival will feature acclaimed artists such as Gladys Knight, Straight No Chaser, Darren Criss, Rick Springfield and The Jayhawks, along with an array of classical music, dance, theater, film and visual arts. Each year, this beloved summer tradition showcases the power of the arts to inspire, connect and enrich our communities, and I look forward to another memorable season.

Our student-athletes continue to excel both in competition and in the classroom, with Mountaineers across numerous athletics programs recently earning Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators. To qualify for this honor, student-athletes must be key contributors on their teams, maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA and be at least a sophomore, both academically and athletically. And Women’s Tennis player Savannah Dada-Mascoll has received national recognition as the 2026 Division I Women’s Most Improved Player, an honor presented by the International Tennis Association in recognition of her leadership, dedication and performance.

Looking ahead, the university will be closed Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day, which marks the 250th anniversary of the nation’s signing of the Declaration of Independence.

I hope you enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday with family and loved ones. This newsletter will take a short summer break, returning July 17 with the latest App State updates. I look forward to reconnecting with you then!


Heather Norris
Chancellor