Student Affairs

Civic Literacy Fellows

In August, the Office of Community-Engaged Leadership hired 12 Civic Literacy Student Fellows as part of the greater Civic Literacy Initiative. These fellows play a vital role in building an informed, active, participatory student body through peer engagement and campus collaboration. Since their start, the fellows have been instrumental in fostering civic engagement and education across campus. Despite many challenges, including Hurricane Helene, the fellows were dedicated to engaging students in democracy this fall. Here are some of their highlights:

• 57 Civic Literacy presentations were scheduled for class, organization, and staff meetings across campus. Due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene, 35 in-person presentations were successfully delivered to 642 participants, and the remaining 22 groups were provided a pre-recorded presentation.
• 40 tabling sessions facilitated by the Civic Literacy Fellows focused on voter education and registration, promotion of Civic Literacy, and post-election engagement
• They successfully updated voter registration information for 200+ students between August 12th and October 11th
• Party at the Polls: This program, geared towards promoting and celebrating early voting, was a collaboration between Community-Engaged Leadership, Campus Activities, Student Government Association, Club Council, and Young People's Alliance with 400+ students in attendance

Additionally, we strongly believe that the work of the Civic Literacy Initiative has directly benefited students and our campus community. The following are reflections shared from our fellows:

• “For me, this position has been my first jump into the world of nonpartisanship. Focusing on education and voter engagement with other passionate people has been so rewarding and refreshing.”
• “Working with the Civic Literacy Fellows has been so inspiring, seeing my peers' passion for voting and civic engagement, huge voter turnout on campus, and enthusiasm around learning about the impact of your vote.”

We also believe that increased civic literacy and engagement on campus contributed to a well-rounded student experience. This is demonstrated in the following reflections shared from our fellows:

• “I have learned what it looks like to have a dialogue surrounding civics and realize that no matter how different we are, we all pull from the same values that make us human.”
• “I have learned life-long lessons on communication through this work. The ability to communicate across difference with others is useful and needed for all parts of life”

The Civic Literacy Fellows are looking forward to continuing their work and engaging students in civic education, post-general election. Be on the lookout for an updated list of events and programs for Spring 2025!

Spring Alternative Service Experience (ASE) Learning Partners Needed

The office of Community-Engaged Leadership is looking for learning partners for spring break. Learning partners need to be faculty, staff, or graduate assistants. Ideally the learning partner would help as an alternate van driver, handle the program's budget, and provide general support to the students. Let Elayna Coleman know if you're interested and want to discuss further! They are hoping to fill all open learning partner positions by January 13.

The Role of a Learning Partner

Learning Partners primarily assist with responding to issues, supporting the student leaders, and logistics such as budgeting and transportation. Student "peer leaders" have been working to plan spring break programs since September. Now, they are looking for professional staff members to support them in their leadership development, provide valuable perspective to the group, and assist where needed. See the information below for a detailed overview of the role.

2025 Programs

Programs and locations are detailed on the ASE website and listed in brief below. If you are interested in serving, please reach out and let Elayna know which program(s) you would be interested in assisting with:

• The Elephant Sanctuary (Hohenwald, TN), led by Katie Kyer and Dana Lheureux
• Restoration & Exploration at the Coast (Bulls Head Island, SC), led by Devin Axtell and Krista Martinez
• Youth Outreach (Cedartown, GA), led by Malli Mason
• Affordable Housing in Appalachia (Moreshead, KY), led by Fox Neumann and Campbell Butner - this is a first-time ASE program we are excited to offer this year!

If you have any questions or need to set up a call to discuss the role further, please contact Elayna Coleman at [email protected]. Thanks for considering!

Inaugural First-Generation College Celebration at App State

By Dr. Lamont Sellers & Dr. Shernita Lee

There was excitement in the air on Friday, November 8th, as the campus celebrated its inaugural First-Generation College Celebration Day. This celebration was created in 2017 with the Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and the Council for Opportunity in Education. FirstGen Forward continues “to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity by advancing an asset-based, national narrative of these students’ experiences and outcomes” (https://firstgen.naspa.org/engagement/first-generation-college-celebration).

The Plemmons Student Union's first floor buzzed with activity. The campus First Generation Student Support Advisory Board and partners from App State’s Academic Affairs and Student Affairs joined other institutions nationwide to acknowledge and celebrate our First-Generation College Students. We marked the occasion with flair with a photo booth, giveaways, message board, and food. First-Gen students participating in the December commencement ceremony picked up their graduation cords and wore them with pride at the recent ceremonies. Music was in the air, and Yosef's appearance for photos topped off the event.

Appalachian State University has always been committed to first-generation students. In recent years, we have observed a steady increase in identifying first-generation students. We aim to create a community for those students to feel inspired and motivated, as well as a sense of belonging and, most importantly, pride! Based on fall 2024 data from the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning, approximately 1 in every three students identify as first generation. Undergraduate students comprise 95.5% of our first-generation student population, and the remaining 4.5% are graduate students. With 6,449 First-Gen students, we know each has a story for why they chose App State, what they want to achieve during their time here, and the torch they carry in being the first in their family to obtain a degree.

This work resonates with our students and establishes an intentional culture of support for first-generation students. One student said, “I’m honored and excited to be a part of my graduating class as a first-generation student.” Another student said, “I truly appreciate the extra effort. It's hard to believe I'm a mom, 31, first generation, and graduating!” This reminds our students that they are not alone and that other first-generation students are aiming for the momentous goal of obtaining a degree from App State.

We look forward to continuing the celebration in the spring on April 3 and 4, 2025, to celebrate spring graduates and continue the momentum around first-gen student support.  

App State University Celebrating 125 Years!

As you know, our dear University turned 125 years old this year.  Several events were planned, but due to Hurricane Helene had to be rescheduled. Below you will find a couple of the rescheduled events to help us celebrate this incredible milestone. You should be receiving a University email with more details soon. 

The Bell Ringers Ceremony has been rescheduled for November 21st at 10:00 am in the BB Dougherty Lobby.  

What is the Bell Ringers Society?  The ringing of the Founders Bell, an iconic symbol of App State’s history — was established Sept. 5, 2019, as the university celebrated its second annual Founders Day. Twelve members of the App State Community were selected to ring the bell 10 times each to signify the university’s 120th anniversary as an innovator and leader in higher education. New members are inducted into the society each year to ring the bell. These 12 bell ringers below were the inaugural members of App State’s Bell Ringers Society:

• Dr. John Thomas.
• Reba Moretz ’52 ’53.
• Julia Adams ’56.
• Doris Stam.
• Philip Byers ’85.
• John Blackburn
• Jerry Moore.
• Penn Broyhill.
• Jeannine Underdown Collins ’79 ’81.
• Dr. Rennie Brantz.
• Sammy Hartley ’72 ’73.
• Dejon Milbourne.

The 12th Anniversary Student Celebration will take place in the Solarium from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm (November 21st as well). This will include free pizza and T-shirts, a photo booth, games and activities for students. All of campus is invited and encouraged to join in the fun.