Chancellor Sheri Everts shares a story with Appalachian’s 2018–19 first-year students as they gather on the field of Kidd Brewer Stadium for a photo. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Students in Appalachian State University’s 2018–19 first-year class form into a block A — the university’s branded mark — as they gather for a photo in Appalachian’s Kidd Brewer Stadium following convocation on Monday, Aug. 20. Photo by Marie Freeman
The Appalachian State University campus as captured from above on the first day of classes, Aug. 21, 2018. Photo by Marie Freeman
Zach Covington, a first-year exercise science major at Appalachian, takes a moment on the first day of classes to jot down a few notes in the university’s Plemmons Student Union. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian students Jenna Dawes, far left, Dominque Haynes, second from left, and Anna Bird gather outside the university’s newly opened Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences during the first day of classes. Dawes, Haynes and Bird are all seniors majoring in Appalachian’s communication sciences and disorders program. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Dr. Trent Spalding, associate professor in Appalachian’s Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management, engages students in his Health Information Systems course in Appalachian’s Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences. Approximately 800 students will attend classes in the new facility during the first week of the fall 2018 semester, with additional classes scheduled to take place in the building on a staggered basis. Photo by Marie Freeman
A bus traveling along AppalCart’s Express Route picks up students in front of Appalachian’s Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences (LLHS). The route runs from Peacock Circle to the LLHS facility. Photo by Marie Freeman
A student studies on her laptop in the lobby of Appalachian’s Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences. The lobby features floor-to-ceiling windows and vistas of the surrounding area from many vantages. Photo by Marie Freeman
Bryan Bouboulis, senior lecturer in the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance in Appalachian’s Walker College of Business, shares a thoughtful moment with his personal finance class. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Sofia Espinal, a junior health care management major, breaks in the new furnishings at Appalachian’s Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences while browsing on her laptop. Photo by Marie Freeman
First-year students gather on the playing field of Appalachian State University's Kidd Brewer Stadium during the first day of the university's fall 2018 semester. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — True, traffic was insane, Roess Dining Hall resembled Grand Central Station at rush hour and there were scattered torrential downpours. But on the upside, Appalachian State University’s pulse quickened and the smiles were contagious as 19,000-plus students settled in for the first day of classes, Tuesday, Aug. 21.
This year’s enrollment marks the university’s largest ever, hovering just above 19,000. However, the official figure will not be released until early September, after class drop/add is completed and final census figures are submitted to the University of North Carolina System.
The first-year class, also the largest ever, has a projected enrollment of 3,370, consistent with the university’s 2 percent growth trend.
“I am pleased an Appalachian education is in high demand,” Chancellor Sheri Everts said. “We work to maintain slow and steady growth, striving to ensure we are growing at a rate we can support and sustain in order to provide a transformative Appalachian Experience to all of our students.”
Tuesday was also the first day of classes for students enrolled in the Beaver College of Health Sciences, many of whom convened in the newly completed Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences (LHHS) building, the first completed project funded by the Connect NC Bond referendum approved by voters in March 2016. A formal opening and ribbon-cutting is scheduled for the facility Friday, Sept. 21.
Three of the five departments that will occupy the LHHS held classes on opening day — Nutrition and Health Care Management, Social Work, and Communication Sciences and Disorders — with approximately 50 faculty and about 800 students slated to be teaching and learning in the building during the first week. The university expects to be fully moved in over the coming weeks.
On Monday morning, about 5,000 students, faculty and staff gathered in Appalachian’s Holmes Convocation Center to hear convocation speaker Judy Shepard — mother of slain hate crime victim Matthew Shepherd — advocate for inclusion and acceptance. Afterward, first-year students proceeded to Kidd Brewer Stadium for what is becoming the traditional photo formation of the block A — Appalachian’s branded mark.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
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