Tomorrow starts here.

ECU Tomorrow: A Vision for Leadership and Service is the strategic plan for East Carolina University and was adopted by the university’s Board of Trustees in June 2007.

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ONE CENTURY

East Carolina University has a proud heritage. From our early days as a school for training teachers to our present status as a national doctoral research university, we have continually served our region with quality and commitment since 1907. Our commitment is an expression of our motto, Servire, or

To Serve. We believe that no university has done a better job of public service than East Carolina University, and we will continue to be a national model for how to use university resources for the greater public good.

As we conclude our first century, we have emerged as a national doctoral university that remains committed to the three traditional missions of the public university: service, teaching, and research. Our enrollment is approaching twenty-six thousand students, and we have been the fastest-growing university in North Carolina for five years. We take great pride in the record of achievement and success that has been established by our many alumni. We remember the many hard-fought victories that make up the storied tradition of Pirate athletics. We are proud of our national and international leadership in medicine, health sciences, and teacher preparation. We are proud of our award-winning excellence in the visual and performing arts. Above all, we are proud of the vital contributions our people and programs have made for the betterment of North Carolina.

As with any anniversary, there is an appropriate time to reflect on the past. But as one century ends, another quickly begins.

It is time to look ahead to our new century.

Dr. Steve BallardChancellor

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OUR VISION

East Carolina University delivers on the promise of opportunity.

We open doors. We improve lives. We transform the present, and we discover the future. In these ways and more, we serve our community, our state, our nation, and our world as together we reach toward our greatest potential.

Tomorrow starts here.

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ENDURING VALUES

East Carolina’s success is attributable to continued commitment to the values expressed throughout our first century. These core values are a source of unity. They provide a compass to help direct us through the inevitable tensions we face. They help to define our identity as individuals and as a community.

As we consider all of the shared values that define East Carolina, five are particularly important at this time in our history.

• Respect: Respect for others is at the heart of our community. • Authenticity: When East Carolina says it will do something, it will be done. • Accountability: We will be responsible for achieving our mission. • Teamwork: We are one university. We believe in collaboration, and we consistently ask, “What is best

for East Carolina University and the people we serve?”. • Commitment to Serve: We remain committed to serving our students, region, and state. We recognize

potential, actively pursue beneficial opportunities, and work to achieve transformational results.

These values will guide us as we pursue opportunities in our new century.

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NEW CENTURY OPPORTUNITIES

Throughout our history, the broad missions of teaching, research, and service have helped to guide the university and will continue to do so. However, as East Carolina University begins a new century, five specific dimensions of our mission will give sharper focus to our work. When considered in the context of our tradition, resources, and national reputation, these five areas provide the university with important opportunities for greater service and distinction in the coming decade.

• Assuring Access: Our resources and programs exist first and foremost to serve the people of North Carolina, especially as we shape the workforce of tomorrow. We are committed to a spirit of access to all the opportunities afforded by a major research and teaching university. We will develop and sustain programs that support this ideal.

• Supporting Student Success: Even as our research and extension enterprise grows, we remain committed to providing a great education in the classroom and to preparing tomorrow’s leaders through engagement, community service, and meaningful leadership experiences.

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• Creating Opportunity for the East: No institution is more important to eastern North Carolina than East Carolina University. We will prepare tomorrow’s workforce, generate the intellectual capital that drives our economy, provide hands-on engagement with our region and state, and create new technologies from our research. Our Colleges of Business, Technology and Computer Science, and Fine Arts and Communication, as well as our health sciences schools, are significant drivers of the new economy.

• Forging Effective Partnerships: We are committed to building relationships with a wide range of partners for the benefit of the people of North Carolina.

• Responding to the Greatest Needs: The founding, growth, and continued success of East Carolina are all closely related to our effective response to the critical needs of communities and individuals. No other university does more to provide teachers and nurses for North Carolina. No other university does more to bring high-quality health care to underserved people and places. As a university, we are committed to serving the needs of the individual as well as communities. We are committed to serving communities in transition that must have new educational resources, and we are leaders in the creative and entrepreneurial economies.

These opportunities represent important landmarks for our progress. Achieving them requires us to set a bold course for the university that will guide us toward success in our new century.

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OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS Education for a New Century

The Leadership University

Economic Prosperity in the East

Health Care and Medical Innovation

The Arts, Culture, and the Quality of Life

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Education for a New Century

ECU will prepare our students to compete and succeed in the global economy.

East Carolina will continue to provide programs and opportunities that take education beyond the traditional classroom and empower students with the skills and experience necessary to succeed in a knowledge-dependent, technology-driven economy.

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An East Carolina education will be a transformative experience.

ECU students will be prepared to compete in the global economy.

•Wewillberesponsivetothechangingdemandsof theeconomy,offeringexcellentundergraduate and graduate programs that provide the global skills and knowledge necessary for success in the twenty-first century.

•Wewillprovideourstudentswithastrongfoundationintheliberalarts,recognizingthatfoundation as essential for intellectual growth and lifelong learning.

•Inadditiontoarigorouseducationinspecificdisciplinesandskills,wewillprovideprogramsand experiences for our students that will develop in them the ability to interact effectively with people from many cultures and backgrounds and to synthesize diverse skills, experiences, and knowledge to solve problems.

•ECUwillinternationalizeourprograms,students,andfaculty.Wewillcreatea$5millionendowment to support global competencies.

We are committed to student learning and success.

•WewillimprovestudentretentionbydevelopingaFirst-YearExperienceprogramthatisoneof the best in the nation.

• WewillprovideadditionalsupportforminoritystudentstobuildonECU’snationalprominence in minority retention and academic excellence.

• WewillgrowtheECScholarsprogramtoincludefullyendowedscholarshipsforNorthCarolina students.

• Wewillusemeaningfulassessmentsthroughoutthecollegeexperiencetoensurethatlearningismeasured and achieved.

Through scholarships, distance education, and other quality programs, East Carolina will continue to offer higher-education opportunities to all deserving students, regardless of their background or location.

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We will make an East Carolina education accessible to prospective students and reach out to those who might otherwise be unable to achieve their educational potential.

•WewillworkcloselywithhighschoolsineasternNorthCarolinatoincreasecollegeattendance.

•WewillseekafederalTrioGranttosupportthetransitionof low-incomeandunderservedstudents from high school to college.

•WewillestablishanEarlyCollegeprogramthatwillbringhighschoolstudentsoncampustocomplete course work and get a head start on a degree.

•Wewillworkcloselywithhighschoolguidancecounselorstocreateseamlesstransitionprograms for college-bound students and to assess cultural preparedness.

•WewillpursueinnovativepartnershipsthroughtheOfficeof Admissionstotargetminorityand underrepresented groups.

•Wewillcreatea$5millionendowmenttosupportAccessScholarships.

We are committed to increasing access to higher education for all students.

• Wewillexpandourdistanceeducationprograms,deliveringahigh-qualityEastCarolinaeducation to the thousands of North Carolinians who cannot be campus residents.

• Wewillpilotnewprogramsforfirst-generationstudentsandunderservedpopulations.

• Wewillstressinclusivedesignof programsandfacilities,wherepossible,toincreaseaccessandaccommodations for persons within our community, regardless of age, ability, or circumstances.

• Wewilltailorprogramstotheneedsof workingadultsthroughweekendanddistanceeducation models.

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The Leadership University

ECU will distinguish itself by the ability to train and prepare leaders for our state and nation.

Through intensive programs that focus on service and success, East Carolina will be intentional in its efforts to prepare leaders on campus, in the job market, and in the community.

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We will build a leadership culture within the university through the development of four centers.

The Center for Transformational Leadership in Eastern North Carolina will provide programs and resources to develop service-oriented leaders in eastern North Carolina to help communities in the region achieve their full potential.

The Center for Transformational Leadership in Eastern North Carolina will engage in a variety of activities, including the following:

• Partnerwithpublicschoolstoenhancetheleadershipcapacityof students,teachers,andadministrators.

• Networkwithstateandcommunityagenciestobuildleadershipcapacity.

• Promoteeconomicdevelopmentintheregiontoprovideattractivecareeropportunitiesinorder to retain the next generation of leaders.

The BB&T Leadership Center will be viewed as a model of excellence for working with faculty to embed leadership and service-learning components into their programs.

The BB&T Leadership Center will engage in a variety of activities, including the following:

• Builda$10millionendowmenttosupportendowedchairsinleadershipforalltencollegesand schools.

• Hostanannualleadershipconferencesupportedbya$1millionendowment.

• Supporttheincorporationof leadershiptraininginprogramsandcourses,includingaleadership minor in Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, a series of leadership courses in the College of Business, and a distinguished speaker series on leadership.

Embracing a new century of service to eastern North Carolina and beyond, East Carolina’s students, faculty, and staff will continue to incorporate outreach and volunteerism both on and off campus.

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The Chancellor’s Leadership Academy will be a model for developing staff and faculty leaders, with particular emphasis on women and minorities.

Supportedbya$2millionendowment,theChancellor’sLeadershipAcademywillengageinavariety of activities, including the following:

• Provideopportunitiesforfacultyandstafftohear,workwith,andbementoredbygreatleaders in business, education, and government.

• Developsignatureforumsandworkshopsforstaffthroughouttheacademicyear,including the Women in Leadership series and the Minority Leadership series.

ECU’s Center for Student Success will ensure that all students graduate with demonstrated competency in leadership. The center will coordinate student leadership and service activities across all academic programs, beginning with orientation and the freshman seminar and concluding with a senior seminar.

The Center for Student Success will engage in a variety of activities, including the following:

• Builda$5millionendowmenttosupportthedesignandqualityof theCenterforStudentSuccess.

• Developnewleadershippathwaysforstudentsthatwillbroadentheirexperiencesandexposethem to diverse cultures and situations.

• Builda$5millionendowmenttosupportstudy-abroadandinternationalexperiences.

• Expandourstrongprogramsinservicelearningsothattomorrow’sleadershavegreatclassroom experiences, community engagement, and leadership training.

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Economic Prosperity in the East

ECU will create a strong, sustainable future for the East through education, innovation,

investment, and outreach.

East Carolina will prepare tomorrow’s professionals to have an immediate and positive impact in the workforce.

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ECU will invest in people and programs.

• Wewillinvestinacademicprogramsthatgiveindividualstherightskillsandtoolsneeded to compete and thrive in a twenty-first-century workplace.

• Wewillinvestinprogramsthatimproveaccesstoourresourcesforcommunitiesandindividuals.

• Wewillprovideongoingeducationalandlearningopportunitiestosupportthecontinueddevelopment of a competitive workforce for North Carolina.

ECU will support an entrepreneurial mindset throughout the university.

• Wewillencouragenewideasandnewapproachestoprograms,research,outreach,andengagement with the clear knowledge that only by trying can we achieve success.

• WewillstrengthenourEntrepreneurialInitiative — to provide increased practical experience for ECU students in an entrepreneurial environment;

— to create regional partnerships;

— to assist the university in developing companies and taking products to market.

From creating a tiny device that helps stutterers speak fluently to developing the most widely used form of surgery to treat morbid obesity, East Carolina researchers will continue to discover ways of improving people’s lives.

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ECU will strengthen our partnerships with business, elected officials, and economic developers.

• Wewillworkwithourpartnerstohelpcreateandachievetheeconomicandcommunitydevelopment goals for the region.

• Wewillrewardengagementwiththebusinesscommunity.

• Ourfaculty,staff,andstudentswillbedirectlyengagedinaddressingsocioeconomicissues.

• Wewillsupportinnovativepartnershipsbothwithintheuniversityandbetweentheuniversityand the community.

• Wewillachievenationalrecognitionfortheeffectivenessof oureconomicdevelopmentpartnerships.

ECU will increase investment in innovation and research.

• Wewillbethethird-largestresearchuniversityintheUniversityof NorthCarolinasystem,exceeding$100millioninexternalsupportforourprograms.

• Wewillleadininnovationinhealthsciencesandinformationtechnologyandseektodevelopproducts that compete in the growing knowledge-based economy.

• Wewillinvestininterdisciplinaryresearchcentersthatwillsupporttheregion’sgrowthinhealth care, tourism, education, marine trades, and biotechnology.

• Wewillfocusondevelopingapplied,translational,andexternallyfocusedresearchthatemphasizes the economic and physical health of our citizens.

• Wewillbenationallyrecognizedforoursuccessintechnologytransfer—theprocessof developing practical products from the results of scientific research. We will be known for our ability to apply our knowledge to improving lives and to create technologies that genuinely help people.

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Health Care and Medical Innovation

ECU will save lives, cure diseases, and positively transform the quality of health care

for the region and state.

With a School of Dentistry, ECU will provide much-needed oral health care throughout a state that has one of the largest underserved populations in the nation when it comes to dentists per capita.

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ECU will expand its medical programs and services.

• WewillexpandtheBrodySchoolof Medicineclasssizeatleast10percentandperhapsashigh as 50 percent in order to address the health needs of North Carolina.

• Wewilladduptofivenewmedicalspecialtiestothefacultyandservicemix,andwewillextend clinical services to every county in the eastern region through partnerships with local providers.

ECU will significantly expand and improve our health-care facilities.

• WewillcompletetheEastCarolinaHeartInstitute.

• WewillbuildaSchoolof Dentistrybuildingandtenregionaldentalpractices.

• WewillbuildanewFamilyMedicineCenter.

East Carolina will focus health-related research efforts especially on issues that affect the people of North Carolina.

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ECU will expand our research in health sciences with a particular emphasis on the health concerns of the region and state.

• Wewillexpandbiomedicalandhealth-relatedresearchfundingto$75millionannually.

• Wewillfocusresearchprimarilyintheareasof clinicalandtranslationalresearchinruralhealth care, racial/ethnic health disparities, diabetes and obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, sensorimotor defects, quality care, and patient safety.

ECU will extend the reach of the Brody School of Medicine.

• WewillestablishBrodySchoolof MedicineEast,aprimary-caresatellitecampusinoneof the rural areas of eastern North Carolina. This will enable the school to continue its commitment to primary care and service to rural and underserved populations while growing the subspecialty depth necessary for financial viability and physician-training needs on the Greenvillecampus.

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The Arts, Culture, and

the Quality of LifeECU will provide world-class entertainment and powerful inspiration as we work together to sustain

and improve the community’s quality of life.

Already one of the most vital arts and culture communities in eastern North Carolina, ECU will develop more programs—including the construction of a visual and performing arts center—that will further enhance people’s quality of life.

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ECU will enhance and expand its position as an arts and culture center.

• Wewillbuildaworld-classCenterforVisualandPerformingArts.

• WewilldevelopandattractexhibitsandperformancesthatwillsignificantlyenhanceGreenville’sstandingasanartsandculturecommunity.

ECU will be the catalyst for a true renaissance of downtown Greenville.

• ECUwillleverageourexpandingpopulationof studentsandstafftosupportpositivedevelopmentindowntownGreenville.

• Inpartnershipwiththecityandprivatebusinesses,ECUwillextenditsphysicalpresenceintodowntown, using new and renovated buildings for university purposes that will benefit the entire community.

With an emphasis on student-athlete success on the field and in the classroom, East Carolina will continue to build an athletics program that is an important source of community pride and entertainment.

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ECU will strengthen the athletics program and build the conference relationships and venues that best reflect the university and the region.

• Wewillexpandthefootballstadiumandimproveotherfacilitiesaswepositiontheathleticsprogram for the future.

• Wewillbeanationalmodelforconductingintercollegiateathleticstherightway—withintegrity, with commitment, and always with student success at the center.

U.P. 07-559 Printed on recycled paper. 70,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $55,193.00, or $.79 per copy.

Tomorrow starts here.