East Carolina University

East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, doctoral/research university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the third-largest university in North Carolina. With a Fall 2012 enrollment of 26,947 students, it is the fastest-growing campus in the University of North Carolina system for six consecutive years.

Founded on March 8, 1907 as a teacher training school, East Carolina has historical strengths in education, nursing, business, music, theater, and medicine, and offers over 100 Bachelor degree programs, 85 master's degrees, 21 doctoral programs, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Dental Medicine, and 62 certificates.

The school also serves the region and the world through The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and the East Carolina Heart Institute (homes of the world’s first robotic mitral valve repair and creators of the Greenville Gastric Bypass bariatric procedure), the Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center, the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine, the Small Business Institute, Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, Center for Sustainable Tourism, Center for Natural Hazards, Center for GIScience, Center for Applied Computational Studies.

East Carolina has grown from 43 acre in 1907 to almost 1600 acre today. The university's academic facilities are located on four properties: Main, Health Sciences, West Research facility, and the Field Station for Coastal Studies in New Holland, North Carolina. The nine undergraduate colleges, graduate school, and four professional schools are all located on these four properties. All of the non-health sciences majors are located on the main campus. The College of Nursing, College of Allied Health Sciences, The Brody School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine are located on the health science campus. There are nine social sororities, 16 social fraternities, four historically black sororities, five historically black fraternities, one Native American fraternity, and one Native American sorority. Along with Greek life, there are over 300 registered clubs on campus

History


Public Laws of North Carolina, 1907, Chapter 820 titled An Act to Stimulate High School Instruction in the Public Schools of the State and Teacher Training is the official law chartering East Carolina Teachers Training School (ECTTS) on March 8, 1907 by the North Carolina General Assembly. The chairman of its original Board of Trustees, Thomas Jordan Jarvis, a former Governor of North Carolina now known as the "Father of ECU", participated in groundbreaking ceremonies for the first buildings on July 2, 1908 in Greenville, North Carolina and ECTTS opened its doors on October 5, 1909. Although its purpose was to train "young white men and women", there were no male graduates until 1932. In 1920, ECTTS became a four–year institution and renamed East Carolina Teachers College (ECTC); its first bachelor's degrees were awarded the following year in education. A master's degree program was authorized in 1929; the first such degree granted by ECTC was in 1933. Progress toward full college status was made in 1948 with the designation of the bachelor of arts as a liberal arts degree, and the bachelor of science as a teaching degree. A change of name to East Carolina College in 1951 reflected this expanded mission. Over the objections of Governor Dan K. Moore, who opposed the creation of a university system separate from the Consolidated University of North Carolina, ECC was made a regional university effective July 1, 1967, and assumed its present name, East Carolina University. The university did not remain independent for long; on July 1, 1972, it was incorporated into the University of North Carolina System, the successor to the Consolidated University. Today, ECU is the third–largest university in North Carolina with 21,589 undergraduate and 5,797 graduate students, including the 308 medicine and 52 dental students.

Campus
East Carolina is separated into three distinct campuses: Main Campus, Health Sciences Campus, and West Research Campus. It owns two sports complexes: Blount Recreational Sports Complex and North Recreational Complex. It owns a field station in New Holland, North Carolina.

Main
The main campus, also known as the east campus, is about 530 acre in an urban residential area of downtown Greenville. The 158 buildings on main campus comprise more than 4.6 million square feet (325,000 m²) of academic, research, and residential space. Many of the Main Campus buildings feature the Spanish–Mission style architecture; inspiration drawn from Thomas Jarvis' time as an ambassador to Brazil. He wanted to bring the unique architecture to eastern North Carolina. On the main campus, there are five districts: Campus Core, Downtown District, Warehouse District, Athletic fields and the South Academic District. On the Campus Core, there are 15 residence halls which are divided into three separate neighborhoods. The distinct feature of the main campus is the mall, which is a large tree–laden grassy area where many students go to relax. In the middle of the mall is the replica of the cupola on the original Austin building.

Athletic fields
The varsity athletics fields are located south of the College Hill residential neighborhood. Fourteenth Street divides College Hill to the north, with the athletic fields to the south. Charles Boulevard borders the fields to the west and Greenville Boulevard borders it to the south. A residential neighborhood and Elmhurst Elementary School are the eastern borders. The northern portion of the area sits Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Minges Coliseum and Minges Natatorium, along with parking. The Murphy Center, which is the primary strength and conditioning, and banquet building, is located between Dowdy-Ficklen and Minges Coliseum. The Tennis Complex, Ward Sports Medicine Building, Scales Field House and the Pirate Club Building also all surround Dowdy-Ficklen. The Ward Sports Medicine Building houses offices for football and basketball, Pirate Club, media relations and the director of athletics. The Scales Field House provides locker rooms, offices and equipment storage. The Pirate Club Building houses a ticket office, other offices and an area for Pirate Club members. South of those facilities is the Cliff Moore Practice Facility which has a pair of natural grass fields and one FieldTurf field designed exclusively for the football team. On the southern border of the practice facility is Clark-LeClair Stadium, which is the men's baseball stadium. It opened in 2005 and seats 3,000 in permanent seating with another 2,000 located in the outfield. At the southern end of the fields is the Olympic Sports Complex, which include women's soccer stadium, softball stadium, track and field facility, and Olympic Sports Team building. The Olympic Sports Complex was completed in 2011 with a price of $23.4 million. Future construction include a new $15 million Basketball development and practice facility. This building is scheduled to open in 2013. Also, Dowdy-Ficklen will have a $40 million upgrade. The upgrades will include a new press, club, and suite areas, and upper deck. This addition will increase the capacity from 50,000 to 60,000.

East Carolina has spent $92 million on athletic projects from 1998-2011. Including the proposed projects, this is increased to $145 million.

Health Sciences
The Health Sciences campus is situated beside Pitt County Memorial Hospital (PCMH). PCMH, a 861–bed flagship Level I Trauma Center, serves as the academic medical center for The Brody School of Medicine. University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina owns PCMH, leases or owns six and manages one. The area is about 2 mi west of Main Campus on 206 acre with nearly 1300000 sqft of academic and research space in 62 buildings. Other buildings besides PCMH include Brody Medicine Science Building, the East Carolina Heart Institute, Leo Jenkins Cancer Center, and the Allied Health building composed of the School of Nursing, Laupus Medical Library and College of Allied Health Sciences. The 117000 sqft Family Medicine Center opened in the fall of 2011. Ross Hall, which will house the School of Dental Medicine will be over 100000 sqft is currently being built.

West Research
West Research Campus lies on approximately 600 acre 4 mi west of the Health Sciences Campus. It consists of four buildings with 36000 sqft on the former Voice of America site. Approximately 367 acre are designated wetlands. and large areas of biology, botany and other sciences field study sites. It has an environmental health onsite wastewater demonstration facility which is open to the public and all educators. It is also the home of the North Carolina Institute for Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries with an administrative and several support buildings.

Community Service Learning Centers
The School of Dental Medicine proposes to create 10 community service learning centers to be located in rural and underserved areas throughout the state of North Carolina. The fourth-year students will be learning and providing care for the community for one year in these community centers. Five community centers have been announced. They are located in Ahoskie, Elizabeth City, Lillington, Spruce Pine and Sylva. The other locations will be announced at a future time.

Field Station for Coastal Studies
The field station is located in New Holland, North Carolina. The area serves as a field station for the coastal studies, coastal resource management, and biology programs. The main goal of the field station is economic development into the region through both environmental education and eco–tourism. It also serves as a facility for small retreats and as a base for research on coastal issues. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is adjacent to the 49925 acre Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge.

North Recreational Complex
North Recreational Complex (NRC) is an athletic complex located on a 129 acre parcel of land north of East Carolina University’s main campus. The NRC is one of the Nation's largest recreational complexes. It will augment the Blount Intramural Sports Fields located behind the Carol Belk Building on Charles Boulevard. The first of three phases of the complex opened on September 2, 2008. Phase one includes eight lighted fields, a 5.6 acre lake with a beach, walking trails/areas, and a field house. The complex is located near the intersection of the North Carolina Highway 33 and U.S. Route 264.

Phase II opened in August 2011, with the grand opening occurring on September 15, 2011. This phase includes a 5.6 acre lake on with a 51,000 sqft beach. A 2,000 sqft boat house is also located there. Canoes and kayaks can be rented at the boathouse for use in the lake. Other amenities include sand volleyball courts, horseshoes, grills, fitness equipment, six walking/running trails, a disc golf course, and an Odyssey Course which includes a 300 foot zip line.

UNC Coastal Studies Institute
The UNC Coastal Studies Institute (UNC-CSI) is a marine research institute located on Roanoke Island along the Croatan Sound on the Outer Banks. It was established in 2003, it is an inter-university The institute focus on Estuarine Ecology and Human Health, Coastal Processes and Engineering, Public Policy and Coastal Sustainability, and Maritime Heritage. The institute was proposed by East Carolina, UNC Office of the President, Dare County and its citizens, and other universities of the UNC system.

The 90,000sqft LEED certified campus sits on 204 acres. It includes dormitories, research buildings and a marina facility.

Colleges and schools
ECU is home to nine undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, and four professional schools. The oldest school is the modern day College of Education. The University offers 16 doctoral degree programs, 4 first professional degree programs, 76 master’s degree programs, and 102 bachelor’s degree programs.

The liberal arts college at East Carolina University is the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. It consists of 16 departments, making it the third largest College. The liberal arts college has its roots in the beginning of the University.

The College of Business is a professional school consisting of five departments with undergraduate concentrations in each, plus a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Accounting program. The College's beginnings came in 1936 when the Department of Commerce was organized. It later changed to the Department of Business Education, and then to the Department of Business. Finally, in 1960, the School of Business was formed. The college undergraduate program was accredited in 1967, and the graduate program was accredited in 1976 by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college is a governing school of the Graduate Management Admission Council. The college runs a Small Business Institute to advise small business owners on how to succeed.

The College of Education is the oldest and largest college at ECU. It houses and administers all of the education majors and an international open access journal, the Journal of Curriculum and Instruction. There are 17 undergraduate degree programs, 22 graduate degree programs, six advanced certifications and the Doctor of Education program. The College prepares more professionals for North Carolina schools than any other university in the state. The College scored higher than other North Carolina universities when the state board evaluated teacher education programs in 2006. In addition, the Institution of Higher Education Performance Report showed ECU was first in the number of graduates who were employed in public schools across the state. The college is considered one of the exemplary professional preparation programs according to the North Carolina State Board of Education’s Higher Education Performance Report.

The College of Fine Arts and Communication comprises four schools that range from dance to design and broadcast journalism. The college officially opened on July 1, 2003, but can trace its roots to ECU founding; the school hired art and music professionals in 1907 to train teachers.

The College of Health and Human Performance is made up of three departments and handles all of the recreational and exercise degrees at East Carolina University. It took on its name in 2003, but traces its legacy to the Department of Physical Education in 1930. It was the 1930 East Carolina Teachers College Planning Document number two priority. In 1938, the Department of Physical Education was established and Physical education became a specialty area for high school teachers.

The College of Human Ecology houses four departments and one school along with two institutes. It was first incorporated in 1968 and started to admit students in 1971. "The Carolyn Freeze Baynes Institute for Social Justice is an international forum for addressing questions, presenting ideas, and developing innovations. The Institute's focus in these activities is the identification of injustices and development of more just alternatives through systematic professional research, scholarship, and public presentation of findings and ideas."

The College of Technology and Computer Science comprises four departments. The college offers nine degrees including engineering, computer science, construction management, design, distribution and logistics, industrial engineering technology, information and computer technology, and industrial technology.

The College of Allied Health Sciences encompasses the health science majors outside of nursing. The school offers over 15 majors. All of the health sciences majors are located in the Allied Health Sciences building which is on the Health Sciences Campus beside The Brody School of Medicine. It was established in the 1967–68 school year.

The College of Nursing is a professional school that offers one undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The school was created in 1959 and now offers Bachelor of Science, Masters, and Ph.D programs. The college has over 100 faculty teaching the students everything about the nursing field while practicing in the under-served Eastern North Carolina. There are three departments within this school: Department of Undergraduate Nursing Science Junior Division, Department of Undergraduate Nursing Science Senior Division and the Department of Graduate Nursing Science. On October 12, 2007, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors permitted the re–designation of the School of Nursing to the College of Nursing. The National League for Nursing named the college a Center of Excellence. The college produces more nurses than any other school in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Graduate School consist of 85 master's degree, 21 doctoral programs and 62 certificates. It coordinates the graduate offerings of all departments in the nine colleges. The School also runs the non–professional degree programs of the professional School of Medicine. The school offers 17 master's degree in Accounting, Arts, Business Administration, Construction Management, Education, Environmental Health, Fine Arts, Library Science, Music, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Public Administration, Public Health, School AdministrationScience, Social Work and Teaching. It also offers four doctoral degrees in Audiology, Education, Philosophy and Physical Therapy.

The Brody School of Medicine is a professional school at the university. It consists of seven graduate majors, plus the Doctor of Medicine, all located on the Health Sciences Campus. The first appropriations were approved in 1974, with the first medical students arriving in 1977. The medical school is one of four in North Carolina.

The School of Dental Medicine is a professional school at the university. The school graduates one degree, Doctor of Dental Medicine. It will also have two residencies in Advanced Education in General Dentistry and Dental General Practice. The school also will offer a specialty program in Pedodontics. It was founded on February 24, 2006 at the East Carolina Board of Trustees meeting. The dental school was unanimously approved by the UNC System Board of Governors as well. The facilities are located on the Health Sciences Campus and will house the first three years of education. Dental students will complete their final year at ECU Community Service Learning Centers to be located throughout the state. The School of Dental Medicine is one of two dental schools in the state.

Research
Randolph Chitwood, a cardiothoracic surgeon with East Carolina, performed the first minimally invasive robotic-assisted mitral-valve heart surgery in the United States. East Carolina researchers also developed an electronic fluency device called SpeechEasy; the device is designed to improve the fluency of a person who stutters by changing the sound of the user's voice in his or her ear.

A faculty member at Brody School of Medicine developed the standard procedure for gastric bypass surgery. Through the ECU Metabolic Institute, researchers first discovered that 80% of type 2 diabetic patients who underwent this procedure had a reversal of the disease. The Biofeedback Lab is currently developing techniques to help service members recover from posttraumatic stress disorders and traumatic brain injuries they received in Afghanistan and Iraq. The in vitro fertilization program is ranked first in North Carolina and fourth overall in the United States. Jason Bond, a scientist in the Department of Biology, discovered many new species of spiders, including Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi and Aptostichus stephencolberti.

During an archaeological dig on Hatteras Island in 1998, archaeologists discovered a 10 carat gold 16th century English signet ring, among other artifacts. The discovered ring was the first material connection between The Lost Colony on Roanoke Island and the Algonquian peoples on Croatan Island. In 2011, underwater archaeologists raised the anchors of the Queen Anne's Revenge, the flagship vessel of Blackbeard, near Beaufort.

Libraries
J.Y. Joyner Library is the main library located beside the Mall on the main campus. It holds nearly 1.9 million bound volumes, 2.1 million pieces of microform, 532,000 government documents, and more than 24,000 journal subscriptions. The library, which houses the East Carolina manuscript collection, is the largest library east of Raleigh. It is one of the leading repositories in the nation for modern naval and maritime history. It also holds materials related to North Carolina, the tobacco industry, worldwide missionary activities, and American military history. The library is the official repository of the records of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. The J. Edgar Hoover Collection on International Communism contains many items dealing with communism worldwide. The Rare Book Collections has items dating from 1589, including a 1733 Edward Moseley map, the first to comprehensively map the colony of North Carolina and the only original copy in the United States.

The Music Library is a branch of Joyner Library located on the first floor of A.J. Fletcher Music Center. It houses approximately 93,000 items, including the entire audio recording collection. It is the largest music collection east of Raleigh. The primary users of the library are faculty and students within the School of Music and the School of Theatre and Dance, but anyone can use its resources. It began in 1958-59 academic year when a small library was created. Today a staff of five oversee the library duties.

The William E. Laupus Library is the medical and health library for East Carolina. It is the primary library for the Brody School of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Allied Health Sciences, and the School of Dental Medicine. It holds approximately 160,000 volumes (print and non–print) and 10,000 current print, non–print, and electronic serial titles. In 2006, it moved to the Health Sciences Building on the Health Sciences campus. The library is named for Dr. Laupus, a former Dean of Brody School of Medicine.

Greek life
There are nine social sororities at the East Carolina Campus, all of which own a house located at or near 5th or 10th Street. There are currently 16 social fraternities at East Carolina. The majority are located off or near 5th Street or 10th Street. Of the 16 social fraternities, seven currently do not own a house. Greek life started in 1958 with the introduction of four social fraternities: Kappa Alpha Order, Lambda Chi Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Theta Chi. Two years later, eight of the nine social sororities were founded.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) has a presence on campus, as well. There are four historically black sororities and five historically black fraternities. There are over 18 honor and 13 service or religious fraternities or sororities at ECU.

Athletics


ECU's sports teams, nicknamed the Pirates, compete in NCAA Division FBS as a full–member of the 12 team Conference USA. Terry Holland is the Athletic Director. The football team is supported by world-class spirit groups, such as the East Carolina University Marching Pirates, National Award winning Cheerleading squads, and spirit teams. Facilities include the 50,000 seat Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for football, the 8,000–seat Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum for men's and women's basketball, and Clark-LeClair Stadium, with a seating capacity of 3,000 (max capacity of 6,000+ when including outfield "Jungle" areas) for baseball. The Ward Sports Medicine building comprises 82095 sqft and houses the athletic department, Pirate Club offices and the Human Performance Laboratory. Athletes train in the Murphy Center a 52475 sqft edifice, housing the strength and conditioning facilities, along with banquet rooms, sport memorabilia, and an academic enhancement center. The Murphy Center was built for approximately $13 million and opened its doors to ECU student–athletes in June 2002.

Traditions and events
There are 314 registered organizations that contribute to a diverse and vibrant student life. Barefoot on the Mall is held every spring on the mall, gathering musicians from all genres for an all–day concert and features various games, rides, and food vendors. Freeboot Fridays are held every Friday evening before home football games in uptown Greenville. It offers free concerts, free food, children’s activities, and a beer and wine garden for adults. The Billy Taylor Jazz Festival gathers musicians from all parts of the world to participate in this unique two–day event. The Purple & Gold Pigskin Pigout Party, held each spring, is a celebration of football at East Carolina. This event features a carnival, various cooking contests including a pork barbecue team cookoff, a car show, a celebrity golf tournament, a parade, free live entertainment, and the annual Purple & Gold spring football game.

Diversity
The EDC Mini-grant Project-The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Community Relations developed this project to improve East Carolina University’s number of diversity studies, programs, and groups. This project intends to supply resources and funds towards diversity proposals offered by students, campus organizations, faculty, and staff. These programs include monitoring cultural awareness educational seminars, to improve departmental climate, to recruit diverse students, for research for curriculum improvement, among others.

Administration


There have been six presidents and seven Chancellors in the university's history. Robert Herring Wright was inaugurated as the first president of ECTTS on November 13, 1909. The chief administrator changed names after ECU joined the UNC System in 1972. The chancellor is chosen by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors on the recommendation of the board's president, and he reports to the 12–member Board of Trustees at ECU. Four of the twelve trustees are picked by the Governor of North Carolina, while the other eight are picked by the Board of Governors. The ECU student body president is an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees. The current chancellor, Steven Ballard, has held that post since replacing interim chancellor William E. Shelton on June 1, 2004.

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors are the policy-making body legally charged with "the general determination, control, supervision, management, and governance of all affairs of the constituent institutions." It has 32 voting members who are elected by the General Assembly for four-year terms. The current president of the University of North Carolina is Thomas R. Moss.

Rankings


East Carolina is currently classified by U.S. News & World Report as a National University in its first-tier rankings. In 2010, Forbes Magazine ranked the school 36th in its America's Best College Buys story. In the 2012 edition of U.S. News & World Report, The Brody School of Medicine is ranked 10th in the country for primary care physician preparation, 13th in the rural medicine specialty and 14th in family medicine. In 2010, Brody was ranked seventh on the social mission scale.

The College of Business is named one of the best business schools according to The Princeton Review for the fifth year in a row. The College of Business is also named by GetEducated.com as the third best buy for affordability and quality in the Online Masters of Business Administration (AACSB-accredited) category.

In 2009, the university was awarded the Patriot Award. The Patriot Award recognizes employers who go above and beyond what the law requires in supporting their employees who serve in the National Guard or reserves. In 2010, the university was awarded the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. It is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.

Songs
Hail to Thy Name So Fair is the alma mater at East Carolina University. It first appeared in the 1940-41 East Carolina Teachers College (ECTC)Student Handbook. It was written by Harold A. McDougle ('44) who became a part-time instructor in the Music Department from 1946-47. The Marching Pirates perform the song during all home football and basketball games. At every home football game, after the National Anthem is played by the band, the Alma Mater is played followed by the E.C. Victory song. At the end of football games, the football team walks to the student section to sing the Alma Mater and E.C. Victory song in unison.

Notable people


Pirate graduates have been influential in teaching, business, and the arts. The most notable teaching alumnus is Ron Clark, a teacher, author, and founder of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Actress Emily Procter, Beth Grant, and screenwriter Kevin Williamson, creator of Scream and Dawson’s Creek, graduated from East Carolina. Acclaimed screen actress Sandra Bullock attended, but graduated later after leaving to pursue her acting career. Class of 1974 Alumnus Rick Atkinson, wrote An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942–1943 followed by "The Day of Battle, The War in Sicily, 1943–1944" and Dan Neil wrote criticism on automobiles; both received Pulitzer Prizes. James Maynard graduated with a degree in psychology and founded the Golden Corral restaurant chain. Kelly King is the current chief executive officer for BB&T and graduated with an undergraduate degree in business accounting and a master's of business administration. Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard attended where he majored in Construction Management. Chris Johnson was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. WWE Chairman and CEO Vincent K. McMahon and his wife Linda McMahon both graduated with a degree in business administration as well. Scott Avett of the folk-rock band The Avett Brothers earned degrees in 1999 and 2000. Henry "Gizmo" Williams, Canadian Football League inductee, graduated from East Carolina University.