ECSU cuts ribbon at new 'one-stop shop' Welcome Center
|
Posted By: S. Moore on August 04, 2023 When Elizabeth City State University students return to campus later this month for the 2023-24 academic year, they’ll find a “one-stop” shop for nearly every service they need. ECSU officials held what Provost Farrah J. Ward called a “grand opening” Friday at the university’s new Welcome Center for prospective students, incoming students and returning students. “We are proud of what we have achieved together,” ECSU Chancellor Karrie Dixon said at the ribbon cutting ceremony. The facility, which occupies the 26,281-square-foot building that previously housed the Information Technology Department, is intended to be a “one-stop shop” for student-focused services. The renovated building is now home to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Transfer Services, the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs, and the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center. The Welcome Center also hosts the offices of the Registrar, Cashier, Student ID Cards, Student Accounts, and Financial Aid and Scholarships. A press release from ECSU notes the building “also includes a 768-square-foot theater-style auditorium with a 3 LCD laser projector. Dixon said the ECSU strategic plan “focuses on improving the student experience” and in keeping with that goal, intends to “remove irritants.” One irritant identified in the plan was the challenge some new and returning students faced navigating the campus to find the various services they needed to enroll and begin the semester. “This was an idea to clear up those irritants,” and does so by creating a “seamless process,” Dixon said. Dixon noted that the building features a timeline of the institution’s history and other features that highlight university points of pride. Over the last five years, ECSU’s enrollment has grown more than 50 percent, and Ward continues to work hard to boost enrollment, Dixon said. The new Welcome Center will help that effort, she said. “We have strategically branded this facility,” Dixon said. “The technology is brand new thanks to the generous gift from the Thurgood Marshall Technology Fund,” Dixon said. Paquita Yarborough, executive director of capacity building for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, said TMCF was delighted to invest in ECSU’s new Welcome Center as part of the HBCU Transformation Project. The project’s focus is to support retention and enrollment strategies at historically black colleges and universities. Yarborough said TMCF is working with Blue Meridian Partners on the HBCU Transformation Project. Blue Meridian Partners has invested more than $160 million in HBCUs, Yarborough said. The idea to open a Welcome Center for students at ECSU gained momentum after a number of staff from the university attended a national conference for college student services professionals. TMCF funded their attendance at the conference, and staff returned excited about the notion of creating a “one-stop shop” at ECSU for prospective and incoming students, and returning students. Yarborough said conversion of the former IT building into the one-stop shop Welcome Center turned out extremely well. “This building is exceptional,” Yarborough said. Ward said ECSU Chief of Staff Alyn Goodson “played a significant role in seeing this all come to fruition.” She mentioned that it was Goodson who first mentioned to her the idea of using the university’s former IT building for the Welcome Center. “It was at that time that the light bulb really went off,” Ward said. Staff across multiple divisions of the campus began envisioning how the building could be transformed, she said. Ward said it’s amazing that the Welcome Center is opening only seven months after the university made the initial decision to move forward with the project. Everyone pulled together to make sure that it would happen, she said. The TRIO Educational Opportunity Center is located on the first floor of the Welcome Center. Monica Miller, director of TRIO, explained that the program helps prospective students earn a GED if needed and provides an array of services to help them apply for and enroll in college. According to the U.S. Department of Education website, TRIO are federal outreach and student services that “identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.” “TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs,” the site states. ECSU’s TRIO Center targets students in Beaufort, Chowan, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington counties. SOURCE The Daily Advance Elizabeth City If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest News
 |
This is a test of the web site content.This is a test of the web site content. This is a test of the web site content. This is a test of the web site content. This is a test of the web site content. This is a test of the web site content. ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 10 Views • February 13th, 2026 |
 |
Truist Partners with TMCF to Advance Leadership and Career ReadinessTruist is honored to serve as a corporate sponsor the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s (TMCF) signature leadership experience, DevCon – Potomac, held February 18 – 22. This premier event brings ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 170 Views • February 11th, 2026 |
 |
🎤 LAST CHANCE: Earn $50 USD in the Orchid Audio Project⏰ Final Call – Registration Closing Soon
The Orchid Audio Project is almost at capacity, and this is your last opportunity to participate and earn $50 USD for a simple audio recording task.
...more
Yazmín Müller • 93 Views • February 11th, 2026 |
 |
The Memorial Day Getaway's Returns for Its 18th Annual Celebration?A Black Luxury Forward Memorial Day Experience Headlined by 2 Chainz
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic | Memorial Day Weekend
The Memorial Day Getaway returns this Memorial Day Weekend for its 18 ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 188 Views • February 10th, 2026 |
 |
Bethune-Cookman University To Host Inauguration For Dr. Albert D. Mosley On April 14Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) will mark the inauguration of Dr. Albert D. Mosley as its eighth president on Tuesday, April 14, marking a new era of leadership for the historic institution.
Founde ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 202 Views • February 9th, 2026 |
Popular News
 |
North Carolina HBCU Unity DayShaw University - Elizabeth City State University - Johnson C. Smith University - Fayetteville State University - Livingstone College - North Carolina A&T State University - North Carolina Central Uni ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 104,162 Views • August 8th, 2016 |
