Scholar Programs
The College of Education awards multiple renewable scholarships ranging from $20,000 - $26,000 to outstanding NC high school seniors each year. These four-year prestigious awards were modeled after the NC Teaching Fellows Scholarship. Recipients will be expected to teach in a public, charter or government school for four years in North Carolina. Each scholarship has a residential and a programmatic component and has specific eligibility and graduation requirements. The Education Community of Scholars Program consists of the Betty S. Abernathy Scholars Program, the Alston W. Burke Scholars Program, the Phoebe Dail Scholars Program, the College of Education Hall of Fame Scholars Program, the Pat and Lynn Lane Scholars Program, the James and Connie Maynard Scholars Program, and the Edward and Sara Roos Scholars Program. Refer to the website for specific information.
Applicants must complete and submit the programmatic application online at ecu.academicworks.com. The application, application deadlines, and submission instructions can be found online for the awards.
Requests for further information about the Community of Scholars Program should be addressed to the Director, Education Community of Scholars, 138 Rivers Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353; telephone 252-328-4126; manningd@ecu.edu.
Undergraduate Research
In keeping with its commitment to excellence in undergraduate education, ECU supports individual faculty mentored undergraduate research projects and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). The Office of Undergraduate Research is located in the Division of Research, Economic Development and Engagement. The director and the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity committee establish guidelines and administer a competition for awards to fund stipends and supplies for eligible undergraduates who are engaged in research and creative projects under the mentorship of faculty. The Office is also charged with coordinating undergraduate participation in the annual campus-wide Research and Creative Achievement Week, funding travel awards for students presenting their work at extramural conferences, and aiding students seeking undergraduate research and creative projects.
The Office of Undergraduate Research maintains a website with information on the above, and links to research opportunities both on campus and off.
For further information about undergraduate research, you may contact the director at ugresearch@ecu.edu or 252-328-9476.
Office of Global Affairs
International awareness and intercultural communication and collaboration skills are essential for all university students in today’s global knowledge economy. Through the Office of Global Affairs (OGA), ECU provides academic and co-curricular programming which allows students to gain the knowledge, attitudes and skills to comprehend the world within a broad, flexible, and responsive framework that takes into account international structures and the reality of interdependence among countries. The university aims to produce educated citizens of this and other countries capable of coping with the complexity and diversity of the world. OGA oversees Global Academic Initiatives, International Students and Scholar Services, the ECU Language Academy and Student Exchange and Study Abroad Programs. The International House, home of ECU’s Office of Global Affairs, is located at 306 East 9th Street and may be contacted by calling 252-328-5829.
Global Academic Initiatives
Global Academic Initiatives (GAI) is the office within Global Affairs responsible for ECU’s award winning Virtual Exchange programming. GAI uses innovative technology-based learning strategies to provide personal, real-time interactive curricular and co-curricular global experiences to students on the ECU campus in collaboration with our network of international partner institutions. GAI’s signature program, the Global Understanding course, is a student driven, discussion class offered in collaboration with peers from 2-3 partner universities around the world. Through Global Understanding students build cultural competency skills to effectively communicate and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds. The course is offered through multiple departments on campus and most Global Understanding courses receive global diversity credit, as well as general education credit in either the humanities or social sciences. Additional virtual exchange courses on business, education, the environment, health, linguistics, and leadership are also available. For a list of virtual exchange courses offered each semester, go to https://global-affairs.ecu.edu/global-virtual-exchange/courses/ .
Students may also participate in other GAI programming including the annual Global Issues virtual student research conference and WorldWise Student Organization.
International Student and Scholar Services
The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) serves as the university’s hub for activities related to international students and scholars on campus. With the goal of expanding international student enrollment, OGA manages the recruitment, application, admission, and initial immigration process for all undergraduate or ECU Language Academy students who hold or are seeking a non-immigrant visa.
OGA supports all international students by providing essential immigration advice and vital support services while they are attending ECU. OGA sponsors an international student orientation for all new arrivals which is designed to introduce new international students to the university and help ease their transition to the United States. OGA arranges airport pick-ups for first-time international students, provides social opportunities for students through the First Friends and Global Gatherings programs, and offers professional development and employment assistance through the Career Preparation Series for International Students.
The Office of Global Affairs also manages ECU’s International Visiting Scholar program and International Student Intern program. The Visiting Scholar Program advises international scholars on immigration and personal matters, cultural adjustment, and other related concerns. Through this program, OGA also works with university deans, department chairs, faculty, academic staff and administrative employees when deciding to bring in international scholars and conducts workshops, information sessions, and orientation presentations as needed or requested by campus departments. Student Intern is a subcategory under the J-1 visa designation that gives visiting international students the opportunity to participate in an internship related a student’s specific educational objectives for up to 12 months. ECU’s International Student Intern program is available to foreign students currently enrolled and pursuing a degree at a postsecondary academic institution outside the United States.
The ECU Language Academy (ECULA) provides high-quality intensive English language instruction to international students, professionals, and community members seeking to improve their spoken and written skills for both academic and professional purposes. ECULA offers multiple opportunities for students to fully engage in American culture through on-campus classes, Conversation Hour, the First Friends Program, and participation in ECU events. Upon successful completion of the highest level of the program, students will have satisfied the language requirement for ECU admission; however, all other academic requirements for admission will still need to be met. ECULA classes meet four days a week, with Fridays being reserved for cultural immersion activities, and range from foundation to advanced level. Topics offered include the core skills of reading, writing, grammar, speaking, and listening, all with college preparedness in mind.
For more information, visit https://global-affairs.ecu.edu/intensive-english-program/.
The Office of Global Affairs offers over 200 summer, semester, and year-long programs encompassing over 50 countries. The two most common ways to study abroad are through exchange programs with partner universities or consortia and faculty-led programs.
Students who participate on exchanges are enrolled full-time at ECU’s international partner institutions. Outgoing exchange students pay their usual tuition and fees to ECU to receive equivalent benefits at their host university. With proper planning and close consultation with their academic advisors, students are able to take courses that count toward major, minor, or general education requirements which will allow the student to graduate on-time while utilizing their financial aid to help fund their international experiences.
The majority of ECU students who go abroad do so in the summer on faculty-led programs, where students travel and take a course with an ECU professor. Each year there are more than 40 faculty-led study abroad programs offered. ECU also offers one semester-long faculty-led program - ECU Tuscany. ECU Tuscany is open to every ECU student and offers a selection of general education courses every student needs for graduation.
Students may use their financial aid to pay for study abroad programs as long as financial aid eligibility criteria are met. All students are encouraged to apply for university, college and department level study abroad scholarships through the ECU Award Portal.
Acquiring a global perspective through foreign study can be an important component of every student’s education. It is a strong addition to a resume that can set students apart in job interviews or graduate/professional school applications. But ultimately, the value of studying abroad is measured through personal growth. Studying abroad can provide exciting, life changing experiences, along with unique opportunities for academic enrichment and professional development.
For more information, e-mail studyabroad@ecu.edu.
Leadership Programs
The Truist Leadership Center advocates and facilitates the incorporation of leadership development as an important dimension of academic success at East Carolina University. We believe 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 be a catalyst for leadership development throughout the university. We encourage and assist academic units, faculty, and administrators 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 practical, hands-on leadership projects. We typically fund 5-10 projects per year.
By encouraging and assisting units to embed leadership development into courses and programs, the Center seeks to advance East Carolina University’s culture of service and its aspiration to be the “leadership university.”
Requests for further information should be addressed to the Director, Truist Leadership Center, 121 Mamie Jenkins Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353; telephone 252-737-4079.
Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement
The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) is located in the Main Campus Student Center within the Department of Student Involvement and Leadership, Intercultural Affairs, and Division of Student Affairs.
CLCE encourages, supports, and shapes a culture of civic responsibility through the use of leadership education and experiential learning, empowering leaders to make positive impacts on campus and in their communities. In partnership with local, regional, and international communities, the office seeks to foster an environment where individuals learn about themselves and their community, take action through service, and advocate for lasting social change.
The CLCE team focuses on putting ECU’s joint mission of service and leadership into action. Work falls into three key categories: developing leadership identity, learning through experience, and shaping active citizens. Programs and opportunities include Chancellor’s Student Leadership Academy, Pirates Give, Purple Pantry, Alternative Break Experiences, voter engagement programs, and more.
To find out more about CLCE programs and initiatives, you also may contact our office by calling 252-328-2735. Follow us on Instagram at ECUCLCE.
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