Office of International Affairs
Gaining an international awareness is essential for all university students today. Through the Office of International Affairs, ECU provides academic and co-curricular programming which allows students to gain the knowledge and skills to comprehend the world within a broad, flexible, and responsive framework that takes into account the reality of interdependence among countries and of international structures. The university aims to produce educated citizens of this and other countries capable of coping with the complexity and diversity of the world. The International House, home of ECU’s Office of International Affairs, is located at 306 East 9th Street and may be contacted by calling 252-328-5829.
International Admissions and Services
The Office of International Affairs coordinates ECU’s international student recruitment and admissions program, working with its own staff and others within the university to expand the international representation within its degree-seeking student body. Additionally, the office offers all students and faculty a variety of opportunities to participate in international travel and learning experiences through semester, or year-long programs. Fulbright and other scholarship or fellowship opportunities, teaching and research, or work experiences are a few of the activities addressed for students and faculty.
Students from countries other than the United States may apply to the chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures for a departmental certificate of American studies. (See Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures for requirements.)
ECU Language Academy
The ECU Language Academy (ECULA) provides high quality intensive English language instruction to international students and professionals seeking to improve their spoken and written skills for both academic and professional purposes. There are opportunities for students to engage in American culture through on campus classes and the use of ECU facilities. Upon successful completion of the highest level of classes offered at the ECULA, students will have satisfied the language requirement for admission to ECU; however, all other academic requirements for admission will still need to be met.
ECULA classes range from advanced beginner level to superior level and meet five days per week, four hours per day. Topics include: reading and vocabulary building; note-taking and study skills; oral communication skills; and writing for college.
For more information, go to http://www.ecula.ecu.edu.
Student Exchange and Study Abroad Programs
The Office of International Affairs offers a full range of over 200 summer, semester, and year-long programs at universities around the globe, emcompassing over 50 countries.
Reciprocal tuition/fee exchanges make participation in these programs affordable. Students studying on exchange pay their usual tuition and fees to ECU and receive equivalent benefits at the host institution abroad. Students may use their financial aid to pay for their exchange programs and are encouraged to apply for scholarships through the Rivers Endowment Fund, designed to support ECU students who study abroad.
Students are enrolled full-time at their host schools abroad and choose coursework that complements their program of study at ECU. With proper planning and close consultation with their academic advisors, students are able to take courses that count toward major/minor requirements or the foundations curriculum. Study abroad participants earn credits toward their ECU degree program without losing time or delaying graduation.
Acquiring a global perspective through foreign study is an important component of your education. It is a strong addition to a resume, and a point of interest that sets students apart in job interviews or graduate/professional school applications. Ultimately, the value of studying abroad is measured through personal growth. Combined with opportunities for academic enrichment and professional development, studying abroad is an exciting, life changing and beneficial experience.
To learn more, visit www.studyabroad.ecu.edu or e-mail studyabroad@ecu.edu .
The Thomas W. and Izabel B. Rivers Endowment Fund
The endowment fund established by Thomas and Izabel Rivers promotes the internationalization of ECU by providing financial support for study abroad students. Awards are made for the fall and spring semesters, as well as for summer sessions. Rivers applications are evaluated by a faculty panel. Information and applications are available on the Office of International Affairs Web site.
For faculty, the ECU Office of International Affairs coordinates the Thomas W. Rivers Distinguished Professorship in International Affairs (Rivers Chair). When the endowment has sufficient earnings, this program brings outstanding foreign scholars to live and work in residence hear at ECU. The Rivers Chair assists schools, departments and faculty in the internationalization process through teaching, research, and conferences.
International Scholar/Student Services Program
The Scholar/Student Services Program oversees administrative processes of the J-1 status to keep the university in compliance with all Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of State (DOS) regulations related to SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System), and also monitors USCIS (US Citizens and Immigration Services) requirementst that may apply to an J-1 international exchange visitor. Scholar/Student Services coordinates and advises international scholars and students in academic and personal matters, cultural adjustment, and other related concerns. The office also advises and works with university deans, department chairs, faculty, academic staff and administrative employees when deciding to bring in international scholars or students, and conducts workshops, information sessions, and orientation presentations as needed or requested by campus departments.
Global Academic Initiatives
Global Academic Initiatives (GAI) uses innovative technology based learning strategies to provide personal, real-time global experiences to students on the ECU campus. The Global Understanding course is GAI’s signature program. It is offered through the anthropology, communication, English, ethnic studies, foreign languages, hospitality leadership, international studies, political science, psychology, and sociology departments. ECU students may receive foundations credit, as well as diversity credit for these courses. Global Understanding is taught as a student led, live discussion class with two-three other countries and is centered around topics ranging from family to cultural traditions, to the meaning of life. ECU students work collaboratively with students from more than 60 partner institutions in 33 countries to explore these and other topics. ECU’s global understanding program has been recognized worldwide for its pioneering efforts to create structured, meaningful discussion between students from diverse cultures. ECU students can also participate in lectures, common course modules, and other global courses. Additionally, students may participate in the annual Global Issues virtual student research conference and other extra-curricular activities offered by GAI.
Leadership Programs
BB&T Center for Leadership Development
The BB&T Center for Leadership Development advocates and facilitates the incorporation of leadership development as an important dimension of intellectual attention, inquiry and activity at East Carolina University and in higher education. Major emphasis is placed on the proposition that every university student is being prepared as a leader, and therefore being empowered as an agent of positive change in society.
The Center’s mission is to serve as a catalyst for leadership development throughout the University. A major goal is to encourage and assist academic units and faculty to prepare students with leadership capacities to positively influence and impact their lives, their families, their communities and the larger society. That goal is pursued by providing opportunities for leadership-related projects, programs and initiatives through financial grants for leadership development agendas.
By encouraging and assisting units to embed leadership development components into courses and programs, the Center seeks to advance East Carolina University’s extant service culture and its intention as a leadership development community.
Requests for further information should be addressed to the Director, BB&T Center for Leadership Development, 1100 Bate Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353; telephone 252-328-6190; beardenj@ecu.edu.
Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement
The Center for Student Leadership and Engagement (CSLE) is located in 109 Mendenhall Student Center within the Department of Student Involvement and Leadership. The mission of the center is to provide opportunities, support and experiences, in alignment with ECU’s Integrated Leadership Framework, for students to engage in the leadership process by developing competencies, building meaningful relationships and enhancing personal growth. The CSLE is responsible for creating and implementing programs that aid in ECU’s Leadership University Initiative. The center is dedicated to building intentional opportunities for students to create positive sustainable change and believes that leadership is a relational process of inspiring, empowering and influencing positive change.
The CSLE is rooted in a variety of interdisciplinary theories, models and concepts. This theoretical foundation is central to the pedagogy of their work and is utilized to support and sustain experiences for the East Carolina University community. It is the vision of the center to create a premier center for the study and integration of leadership practices that fosters and sustains a culture of engagement, and learning for all students.
Programs that the CSLE offers are designed in accordance with ECU’s Integrated Leadership Framework which categorizes the student leadership experience into five pillars: Knowledge, Relationships, Ethics, Well-Being and Service.
The first pillar, Knowledge, serves to emphasize accountability for learning, recognizing learning potential by broadening ones knowledge base, and inspiring others to engage in the learning process.
Empowering others to engage in the leadership process is one of the primary purposes of the Relationships pillar. Along with, gaining an understanding of self and others, engaging in meaningful and respectful dialogues across differences, and fostering environments that encourage connection – all while communicating with respect.
Through the Ethics pillar, the CSLE strives to create opportunities to engage the community in sustainable positive change that exercises utilizing values in decision making, and model socially just values and behaviors.
The Well-Being pillar encourages adapting a healthy lifestyles to sustain well-being. The pillar is representative of a commitment to continual growth and developing an understanding of personal well-being.
As ECU’s motto is “to serve”, the Service pillar represents the CLSE’s commitment to creating connections that explicitly align leadership and service that will inspire others to engage in serving the community.
The CSLE offers students points of entry into leadership development activities throughout their collegiate career. The center serves as a clearinghouse for multiple programs and hosts the Elite Pirates, Chancellor’s Student Leadership Academy, Leadership Odyssey, Leadership Reading Circles, LeaderShape©, L.E.A.P. workshops, Leadership Extreme Trips, Social Justice Symposium, and the Walter & Marie Williams Leadership Award Program to name a few. To find out more about our programs and initiatives, visit our website at www.ecu.edu/studentleadership or e-mail at studentleadership@ecu.edu. You also may contact our office at feel free to give us a call at 252-737-2091.
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