Founders Week activities this year at East Carolina University will revolve around the theme
"Celebrating a Legacy of Teacher Preparation" and will take place March 24-29.
The week-long schedule will include events focused on the community, students and alumni and patrons.
The format for the university's annual anniversary observances has migrated from the official Founders Day on March 8 to later in the month to avoid conflicts with Spring Break and other events.
Austin Bunch, chief of staff, said that leading up to the university's centennial celebration in 2007, the Founders Week theme each year will be one of the four areas of emphasis outlined by Chancellor William V. Muse in his installation address last year.
Future themes, after education this year, will be human health in 2004, creative and performing arts in 2005 and economic development in 2006.
As it did this year, the university plans to mark the official founding date of March 8 with a memorial service and chapel talk at the grave of Gov. Thomas Jordan Jarvis in Cherry Hill Cemetery in downtown Greenville. Jarvis is recognized as the "father" of ECU.
Following is a schedule of activities for Founders Week. Events marked with an asterisk (*) require a ticket, which may be obtained by calling the Special Events Office, 328-6447.
Saturday, March 8/Founders Day
- 10 a.m. Memorial service and chapel talk at the grave of Gov. Thomas Jordan Jarvis in Cherry Hill Cemetery.
Monday, March 24/Community Day
- 7:30 a.m. *Community Leaders Breakfast (Jarvis Memorial UMC)
- 9:00 a.m. Chancellor's Forum on Education (MSC)
Theme: Rural Education
Tuesday, March 25/Students Day
- 4:30 p.m. Student Celebration (Wright Fountain Plaza)
Wednesday, March 26/Students Day
- 5:30 p.m. Arts on the Plaza (Sonic Plaza at Joyner Library)
Thursday, March 27/University Day
- 10:00 a.m. Founders Celebration (Wright Auditorium)
- 11:30 a.m. *Lunch on the Mall
- 1:00 p.m. Rivers Building Expansion Celebration
- 1:30 p.m. College of Education announcement (Speight Porch)
- 6:30 p.m. *Founders Awards Dinner (Murphy Center)
Friday, March 28/Alumni and Patrons Day
- 10:00 a.m. Board of Trustees Meeting (Club Level of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium)
- Hall of Fame Ceremony as opening of BOT meeting
- 3:00 p.m. School of Education Scholarship Ceremony (MSC)
- All day School of Education Photo Retrospective (MSC-Second Floor Gallery)
Saturday, March 29/Alumni and Patrons Day
- 9:00 a.m. Class of 1953 Reunion Weekend Breakfast/City Hotel and Bistro
- 10:00 a.m. Bus tour of campus for Reunion participants
- 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 2003 Undergraduate Exhibition/Gray Art Gallery
- 2:00 p.m. Walking tours of campus for Reunion participants
- 6:00 p.m. 1953 Class Reunion/City Hotel and Bistro (ticket required-Alumni Association)
On March 27, a continuous shuttle service will be provided from the Gold Lot at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium to Wright Auditorium beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m.
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