International AffairsEast Carolina University views the creation of international awareness as an essential obligation of the contemporary university. It provides academic and co-curricular programming which allows students to attain the knowledge and skills to comprehend the world within a broad, flexible, and sensitive conceptual framework that takes into account the reality of interdependence among countries and of international structures. The university aims to produce liberally educated citizens of this and other countries capable of coping with the complexity and diversity of the world in which we live. The International House is located at 309 Ninth Street; telephone 252-328-4829.
Students from countries other than the United States may apply to the chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures for a departmental certificate of American studies. (See Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures for requirements.)
Studying abroad is available to students with strong foreign language skills as well as for students interested in sites where English is used as the primary language of instruction. These sites include such countries as Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands. With proper planning, students may take courses in their major, minor or foundations curriculum without losing time toward graduation. Studying abroad is affordable. Students studying on exchange through ECU, UNC-EP, or ISEP programs pay their tuition and fees to ECU and receive equivalent benefits at the host institution. Students may use their financial aid to pay for their exchange programs and they are encouraged to apply for a scholarship through the Rivers Endowment Fund, designed to support ECU students going on exchange. Study abroad alumni gain a global perspective that can provide an advantage when applying to graduate schools or when applying for the first job. Admissions counselors and employers recognize that study abroad provides an opportunity to experience new cultures first hand and augment what students learn in the classroom.
Additionally, International Affairs coordinates the Rivers Distinguished Chair of International Affairs program. It ensures that throughout each academic year outstanding scholars are in residence, assisting schools or departments as well as faculty in the internationalization process through teaching, research, and conferences.
The Center’s mission is to serve as a catalyst for leadership development throughout the University. A major goal is to encourage and assist academic units and faculty to prepare students with leadership capacities to positively influence and impact their lives, their families, their communities and the larger society. That goal is pursued by providing opportunities for leadership-related projects, programs and initiatives through financial grants for leadership development agendas. By encouraging and assisting units to embed leadership development components into courses and programs, the Center seeks to advance East Carolina University’s extant service culture and its intention as a leadership development community. Requests for further information should be addressed to the Director, BB&T Center for Leadership Development, 1100 Bate Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353; telephone 252-328-6190; beardenj@ecu.edu.
The CSLCE operates under five core premises and a matrix of guiding principles which aligned with the university’s strategic plan to “Distinguish itself by the ability to train and prepare leaders for our state and nation.” The first and foundational premise is that leadership is a continual process of understanding who you are and using that knowledge to positively influence yourself, others, and society. Secondly the CLSCE is driven by the premise that civic engagement is a powerful vehicle for developing students' leadership skills. The third operating premise is that leadership is a collaborative process, and the fourth states that leadership is value-based. The final premise around which the center functions is that all students (not just those in formal positions) have the ability to apply leadership practices to real life situations. Programs and activities will be designed to encourage development in three learning stages; they will Discover, Design, and then Deliver. Within each stage, students will explore three phases of leadership – Self, Others, and Society. In the Discover phase, students start by recognizing the self--who they are, what they want, what they value, how they operate as individuals and as members of groups, and how they can contribute to the betterment of society. During the Design phase, students develop a personal strategic vision and develop strategies for motivation and self-discipline. Plans for promotion and collaboration with others are made. In this stage, students personally respond to societal challenges. The Deliver phase is structured to be transformative. At this point in their development, students will have the opportunity to transform themselves and society by performing service to the public. The CSLCE offers students points of entry into leadership development activities throughout their collegiate career. The center serves as a clearinghouse for multiple programs and hosts the Elite Pirate, Leadership Challenge Institute, Emerging Leaders Program, Student Financial Literacy, Co-Curricular Student Profile, LeaderShape, and the Walter & Marie Williams Leadership Award Program to name a few. To find out more about our programs and initiatives, visit our website at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-studentlife/universityunions/CSLCE.cfm or feel free to give us a call at 252-737-2002. |
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