Chancellor Rogers' Message, September 2026
September 15, 2026
Campus Community,
University Day 2026 gave us the chance to gather as a community and take stock of a year in which ECU did what it said it would do. One year ago we set a $5 million savings target for the first year of our fiscal health work; we identified $6.6 million — more than a quarter of the way to our $25 million goal by 2028. We completed the first full cycle of a faculty-led review of our academic portfolio, examining roughly 107 programs across eight colleges. On July 1 we brought three consolidations to life: the College of Health and Human Sciences, a unified ECU Libraries, and the move of Integrated Coastal Programs into Harriot College. Reductions to date have come through attrition, retirement and redesign.
What matters just as much is how that progress happened. Nearly 100 faculty and staff took part directly in the academic portfolio review; the Faculty Senate’s Educational Policies and Planning Committee engaged at every milestone; and open campus forums and meetings with every affected unit were held before a decision was final. In the substantial majority of cases — 36 of 47 program decisions — the recommendation came from the faculty and the programs themselves.
The event highlighted several key areas shaping our work in the year ahead:
Strengthening Student Success. We are continuing to build a university-wide approach to student success that connects initiatives across campus. The OneECU Student Success Model provides a shared framework for supporting students from their first connection with ECU through graduation and beyond. Most importantly, this is not the work of any one division, college or office. It is an institutional commitment that requires all of us to understand our role and work together around a common purpose.
Your perspective and feedback will help shape the continued development of the OneECU Student Success Model. We encourage faculty and staff to take a few minutes to complete the University Day Student Success Model survey.
Building a Sustainable Future. ECU is making meaningful progress in strengthening our fiscal health — $6.6 million identified in year one against a $5 million target, validated by Financial Planning and Analysis. This work is about more than reducing costs; it is about being responsible stewards of our resources and creating the capacity to reinvest in priorities that move the university forward.
Adapting with Purpose. From academic portfolio review and new pathways for adult learners to research, innovation and the responsible use of artificial intelligence, ECU is responding to a rapidly changing higher education landscape. We will continue to adapt while remaining grounded in our mission and our commitments to access, affordability, academic quality and service to eastern North Carolina.
Investing in ECU’s Momentum. Philanthropic support reached $78.7 million in FY26, including $15.5 million for scholarships; sponsored awards reached $79.8 million; and the state invested more than $203 million in ECU and ECU Health. Together with growing partnerships, these investments reflect confidence in ECU’s mission and position us to continue advancing our students, strengthening our region and building on the university’s momentum.
Thank you for the commitment, creativity and care you bring to ECU every day. The work ahead is significant, but so is the opportunity before us. With a shared sense of purpose, we can continue to build a stronger ECU and deliver on our promise to our students and the communities we serve.