April 21, 2026

To the ECU Community:

In September 2025, the ECU community was charged with a clear and proactive goal: identify $25 million in cost savings and efficiencies over three years to position ECU for long-term sustainability. That effort, representing approximately two percent of ECU’s $1.2 billion operating budget, was not a response to a crisis. Rather, it was—and remains—a strategic commitment to controlling our own destiny during a period of national transformation in higher education.

We write today to update the campus community on the significant progress made in Year One of that work. As we approach the Board of Trustees meeting on April 23–24, we are confident that the fiscal health initiative is on track, and that the decisions and milestones outlined in this message reflect the kind of disciplined, collaborative effort this moment demands.

Year One Progress Toward the $25 Million Goal

The fiscal year 2025–26 target is $5 million in savings—the first installment toward the three-year goal. At the time of the September 2025 University Day announcement, $4.2 million in cost savings had already been identified. Since then, the work of our academic and operational fiscal health workgroups has continued to advance across multiple fronts:

Academic portfolio optimization through the APRO process, resulting in the discontinuation of approximately 44 programs and ongoing improvement plans for 51 additional programs (detailed below).
Organizational restructuring in Information Technology and People Operations, Success and Opportunity, with phased implementation underway.
Consolidation and reorganization of academic units, including the formation of the College of Health and Human Sciences, the merger of Academic Library Services with Laupus Library, and the transition of the Integrated Coastal Programs into the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences—all on track for their July 1, 2026, effective dates.
Financial aid optimization focused on improving the timing of scholarship and financial aid awards and enhancing student recruitment and retention.
Course Section Size Guidance—adoption of a new Rule in December 2025, with recommendations now being implemented.
Summer School Optimization—adopted recommendations being operationalized this summer.

As of April 2026, through the workgroup efforts and other actions, we have identified over $2 million in savings and efficiencies and anticipate over 75% being realized in fiscal year 2027. Through the combination of the September 2025 $4.2 million and the newly identified $2 million, we have exceeded our year 1 goal by $1.2 million.

A comprehensive fiscal health update, including progress across all workstreams, will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its meeting on April 23–24. This fall, we will provide the full campus community with a detailed accounting of Year One outcomes.

Academic Portfolio Review and Optimization: Decisions

The most visible component of this year’s fiscal health work has been the Academic Portfolio Review and Optimization (APRO) process. As Provost Buddo detailed in the April First Monday update, the APRO Committee—chaired by Dr. Anne Swenson Ticknor and comprising faculty leaders from across the university—conducted a rigorous review of 107 programs across eight colleges. That work included multiple rounds of data analysis, direct meetings with program representatives, and a Final Report presented on February 27 to a joint meeting of the Educational Policies and Planning Committee (EPPC) and the Oversight Committee. A revised version was issued on March 6.

Following the committee’s recommendations and the Oversight Committee’s direct engagement with affected academic units, we have finalized the following decisions:

Approximately 44 programs have been identified for discontinuation. Of these, roughly 33 came forward through self-identification—programs and their faculty assessed the data and made principled decisions on their own. An additional 11 programs were recommended for discontinuation through Oversight Committee action based on the APRO report. That the substantial majority of affected programs arrived at these conclusions through their own review is a powerful testament to the professionalism and institutional commitment of our faculty. A list of all programs identified for discontinuation through the APRO process over two years will be made available on the website.

Programs Recommended for Discontinuation by the Oversight Committee:

Sociology (BA)
Middle Grades (MAED)
Software Engineering (MS)
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality (MS)
Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality (PB)
Ethnic Studies (Minor)
Physics (Minor)
Speech and Hearing (Minor)
Gerontology (PB)
Family and Consumer Sciences (BS)
Medical Family Therapy (PB)

A full listing of programs that self-identified for discontinuation, along with the APRO Committee’s Final Report and supporting data, is available on the fiscal health website.

How We Got Here

From the outset, this work has operated within ECU’s shared governance framework. The APRO Committee was composed of faculty leaders. The EPPC was engaged at key milestones. Campus forums provided community input. And Provost Buddo met directly with academic units before finalizing any decisions. Chair of the Faculty Mark Bowler’s leadership throughout this process has been essential to maintaining the trust and transparency that define shared governance at ECU.

Across the broader fiscal health initiative, the same principles have applied. Each workgroup has operated with distinct charges, open reporting through the fiscal health website, and a commitment to engaging the campus community. The consolidation efforts—the unified college, the library merger, and the Coastal Studies transition—have each involved task forces, steering committees, surveys, and listening sessions designed to ensure that those most affected have had voice in the process.

What Comes Next

Transition planning for discontinued programs: Current students enrolled in programs approved for discontinuation will be supported through teach-out plans that allow them to complete their degrees. While these changes have not necessitated a reduction in force, we have worked with eligible faculty through the university’s existing faculty realignment incentive program to support them in a mutually agreeable transition.

Program improvement updates by May 15: Fifty-one programs identified by the APRO Committee in November as needing to make significant changes will submit action updates to the committee by May 15, 2026. These will detail the steps each program is taking to strengthen enrollment, improve outcomes, or address areas of concern identified during the review.

Consolidations effective July 1: The College of Health and Human Sciences, the merged library unit, and the Department of Coastal Studies transition are all on track for their target effective date.

Board of Trustees (April 23–24): A comprehensive update on fiscal health progress—across APRO, administrative efficiencies, and organizational restructuring—will be presented.

Fall reporting: This fall, we will provide the full campus community with a detailed accounting of Year One fiscal outcomes, setting the stage for Year Two planning.

Acknowledgments

We extend our deepest gratitude to the members of the APRO Committee for their sustained commitment and rigor: Dr. Anne Swenson Ticknor (Chair), Dr. Mark Bowler, Dr. Kate Bukoski, Dr. Danny Ellis, Dr. André Green, Dr. Susie Harris, Dr. Debra Jackson, Dr. Rick Niswander, Dr. Tom Raedeke, Dr. Jean-Luc Scemama, Becky Welch, and Dr. Ying Zhou. Their willingness to engage deeply with program data, meet directly with faculty, and produce thoughtful recommendations has been essential to the integrity of this process.

We also recognize the members of all workgroups, the consolidation task forces and steering committees, and every faculty and staff member who participated in forums, completed surveys, or contributed feedback. This is an institution-wide effort, and the progress reflected in this message belongs to the people of ECU.

These decisions are difficult, and we do not take them lightly. But they are necessary investments in a stronger, more sustainable ECU—an institution positioned to serve our students, our region, and our state for decades to come. When we launched this initiative, we reiterated the fact that ECU has always been an institution that shapes its own future. The work reflected in this message is proof that we are doing exactly that.

We are committed to transparency, support, and continued collaboration as we move forward together. We welcome your questions and feedback. Additional information, including the full APRO report, workgroup updates, and program-level data, is available on the fiscal health website.

Sincerely,

Philip Rogers

Chancellor

Chris Buddo

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Stephanie Coleman

Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

Chris Locklear

Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff