The President''s porch Archive
Issue 2
Thoughts from the Porch
As spring unfolds across our beautiful campus, I am filled with gratitude and optimism for Meredith College’s future. The dogwoods are in full bloom, and their delicate blossoms remind me of the constant renewal and growth that marks both this season and this moment in our institution’s history.
Following my April installation as Meredith’s ninth president, I shared my vision of making Meredith stronger – building upon the exceptional work happening across our campus and taking our achievements to even greater heights. Like the deep roots of the magnificent oaks that grace our campus, Meredith’s foundation is solid and true. Our task now is to nurture new growth while honoring the strength of our traditions.
As you’ll read in this issue of The President’s Porch, there is much to celebrate across every area of our college. From the approval of our new nursing program to Making It Count for Meredith with record-breaking giving during our tenth annual Giving Day, our community continues to demonstrate its commitment to excellence and growth. These achievements reflect the collaborative spirit that defines Meredith – the innovative work of our faculty and staff, the determination of our students, the passionate support of our alumnae and donors, and the thoughtful guidance of our trustees.
Spring at Meredith has always been a season of promise, but this year feels especially meaningful as we write this new chapter together. I invite you to read about the remarkable accomplishments happening throughout our campus community and join me in celebrating the vibrant life of our college.
As we move forward together, I am reminded that our greatest strength lies in our shared commitment to nurturing the potential within each member of our Meredith family. Like the spring itself, we are embracing renewal while remaining deeply rooted in our values and mission.
Academic Celebrations
On January 16, 2025, the North Carolina Board of Nursing approved Meredith’s application to provide a Nursing major at Meredith. Meredith received approval to recruit a cohort of 25 students each year, and the College is already recruiting pre-nursing students to enter in Fall 2025. These students will go through a secondary admission process to be part of Meredith’s inaugural cohort in January 2026. The N.C. Board of Nursing approval follows that of SACSCOC, Meredith’s college accreditors.
Professor of Music Kent Lyman presented the 2024-25 Faculty Distinguished Lecture on February 27, 2025. In the lecture-recital, Lyman showed the power of music to connect people across time. He shared vignettes that explore the life and work of musicians including Beethoven, Chopin, and Lili Boulanger. A member of Meredith’s music faculty since 2000, Lyman is a Steinway Artist and has traveled extensively as a performing artist throughout the United States, in South Korea, China, Brazil, and Italy. He has appeared with several orchestras and has collaborated with many leading musicians in the state of North Carolina and beyond.
In April, Dr. Anita Thomas was named Meredith’s provost. She is deeply committed to student success, faculty collaboration, and continuous improvement initiatives. Thomas’s leadership experience in higher education includes four years as executive vice president and provost at St. Catherine University and one year as president of North Central College. She holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology and an M.A. in community counseling from Loyola University Chicago, and a B.S. in education and social policy from Northwestern University.
Meredith supports students who apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Program participants receive grants to conduct research, teach English, or pursue graduate study abroad. Last year, two Meredith students applied for grants, and one received an English Teaching Award for Spain. This year, two Meredith applicants have been approved as semi-finalists. Associate Professor of Spanish Vilma Concha-Chiaraviglio serves as Meredith’s Fulbright advisor and has been exceptionally successful in promoting participation in the program since taking over as advisor in 2019. She has worked with 11 student applicants, four of whom have received awards. She has also coordinated visits from two Fulbright Visiting Scholars this academic year. A scholar from Nepal visited in October, participating in science and international studies classes and meeting with Meredith faculty. Another scholar from Argentina visited in April to participate in science and world languages classes.
Business and Finance Celebrations
In partnership with Meredith, Aramark has invested in the renovation and refreshing of the BeeHive and Belk Dining Hall. The most recent upgrade was to Belk Dining Hall, which now has new equipment, new LVT flooring, digital menu screens at each station, and wrapping of the cabinets. This renovation was the first step in investing in Belk Dining Hall, with additional renovations being done over spring break and with plans in place for more during the summer of 2025.
Meredith’s Office of Human Resources hosted the annual Faculty/Staff Awards and Recognition Celebration in April. This event includes longevity awards, recognition of retirees, and presentation of ten awards for employee excellence. The HR team, led by Associate Vice President for Human Resources Pamela Davis Galloway, has also continued coordinating employee enrichment events, including an Employee Talent Show and a Meredith College employee event at an NC Courage soccer game.
After many months of work, the College’s new Intranet, MyMeredith 2.0, officially launched in January 2025. MyMeredith serves as a central hub for sharing resources, updates, and information with the Meredith College community. The design and implementation of the new MyMeredith was the work of the Intranet Implementation Team, led by Instructional Design and Academic Technology (IDAT) Services. The new intranet offers a much improved user experience.
Enrollment Celebrations
Incoming Meredith students will take part in a new program called “Ready. Set. Go Strong,” which is designed to help onboard students at the start of their Meredith experience. The new online “Ready. Set. Go Strong.” replaces the previous Start Strong on-campus pre-orientation program. This revamp effort is led by Admissions and a committee of representatives from across campus. Their work is bringing together all elements of onboarding a student from the point of acceptance through arrival on campus. Onboarding also includes the use of ZeeMee, an app to help admitted students connect, and CampusESP, a platform for the parents of our prospective students.
In March, the Enrollment team added two new staff members. John Saparilas is serving as director of graduate enrollment, and Shawna Lynch-Watkins is senior associate director of graduate admissions & lifelong learning. Their focus is on enrolling adult students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Saparilas will oversee recruitment efforts across Meredith’s graduate and post-baccalaureate certificate programs. He brings over 20 years of experience in admissions and enrollment management to his new role at Meredith. With a strong background in planning and program coordination, Lynch-Watkins will develop a recruitment plan that supports the College’s enrollment goals for adult student populations and will work closely with campus partners to facilitate course enrollment for adult students.
This spring, Admissions wanted to bring more attention and celebration to the Full-Ride Scholarship for the incoming class by doing these presentations “Publisher’s Clearing House” style, in person for local students and virtually for international students. Members of the admissions team, faculty, alumnae, parents, and school officials all helped present to our scholarship recipients. These scholarships are fully funded through an endowment created by a group of generous alumnae. Admissions worked with Marketing to create oversized checks for the presentations and social media content featuring these incoming scholars. These presentations were featured on Meredith’s social media. The first presentation generated 31,130 views and 616 interactions on Facebook, 20,725 views and 1,314 interactions on Instagram, 1,658 views on TikTok, and 587 views on YouTube shorts. Each of the subsequent posts of Full-Ride scholarship presentations also generated strong engagement.
College Program Celebrations
Chaplain Stacy Pardue traveled with ten students to Washington, D.C., during spring break to meet with congressional officials and tour nonprofits addressing issues of food insecurity, including World Central Kitchen.
College Programs personnel joined with other staff, faculty, and students to plan and staff the community-based inaugural events celebrating the installation of Meredith’s ninth president, Dr. Aimee Sapp.
The Board of Trustees met during its annual spring meeting with student athletes and coaches while touring athletics facilities on campus. Trustees enjoyed time to talk directly with the student-athletes, learning about their programs and their successes on the fields, courts, and courses. Coaches talked with Trustees about recruiting, both of students and of athletics staff.
The Summer Reading Program (SRP) for 2025-26 is Ordinary Light by Tracy K. Smith, a memoir by the former Poet Laureate of the United States. The SRP Committee is jointly chaired by Chrissie Bumgardner, Co-Director of First Year Experience, and Ashley Hogan, Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of English.
Marketing and Communications Celebrations
Marketing and Institutional Advancement worked together to raise $1,634,211 from 2,706 donors in 24 hours during the College’s tenth annual Make It Count for Meredith Giving Day. Marketing’s contributions included designing ads and an awareness postcard, creating graphics and videos, filming Facebook Lives, promoting giving challenges, and creating content and managing social media posts across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for 24 hours. Social media analytics showed there were 249,212 views with over 5,000 interactions. Published content included 36 videos, 78 photos, 26 stories, and five Facebook lives. The top posts for the day were at 7:05 p.m. when the Giving Day goal was achieved, photos of the Board of Trustees, and faculty/staff photos.
The Meredith Events team has supported several internal events such as the inauguration, Celebrating Student Achievement Day, and admissions events. Recent external events supported include the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA) High School Choral Festival, which brought 2,569 high school students to perform on campus, and Congresswoman Deborah K. Ross’s second annual State of Women in Wake County meeting and panel. The team continues to book weddings for 2025 and 2026.
Director of Public Relations Melyssa Allen has coordinated significant recent media coverage for Meredith’s academic programs. Meredith’s new nursing program was featured in The Triangle Business Journal on March 11 and in a story on WRAL.com on March 15. Both stories, which featured interviews with Program Director Michelle Hartman, emphasized that Meredith’s program will help address the nursing shortage in North Carolina. Meredith’s Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences program was also recently featured in Private University Products and News, a trade publication about higher education facilities. HESS faculty member Heather Sanderson was interviewed for this cover feature about how Meredith’s CHESS Building and the Lowery Fitness Center support student learning. The Meredith Poll has also recently made headlines in outlets such as The Guardian, Newsweek, The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, WRAL, WTVD, and WUNC radio’s Due South podcast.
Institutional Advancement Celebrations
Our Institutional Advancement team has raised $11.1 million in major gifts ($25,000 or more) and in documented planned or estate gifts so far this fiscal year (as of February 28, 2025). Our major gift officers have made 637 personal visits in the first eight months of this fiscal year and presented 113 new proposals to donors. Ten new endowments have also been established.
The Office of Alumnae Relations continued to host welcome events for President Sapp, visiting the following cities: Greensboro, N.C., Jacksonville, Fla., and Richmond, Va. Senior Welcome Events across the state have started, and a total of 15 were scheduled for this semester. For the year, ten events for current students and members of the 1891 Club were scheduled. On Giving Day, the Office of Alumnae Relations hosted the campus birthday celebration and 10 regional giving day celebrations.
The Offices of Alumnae Relations and Advancement Services were instrumental in planning the Inauguration celebration for President Sapp. In addition to campus events, they worked with local businesses and vendors to create a Two Roosters ice cream flavor and Larry’s Coffee specialty blend to commemorate the occasion. Alumnae Relations also worked with Marketing to oversee the design of giveaways, coffee tumblers, t-shirts, a “Flat Aimee” for a social media campaign, buttons, and stickers.
Issue 1
Thoughts from the Porch
As the year draws to a close, it provides a much-needed pause amid life’s busyness—a time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and to dream of what’s ahead. With immense gratitude, we look back on this year’s many milestones and gifts. With confidence and hope, we look forward to a new year filled with opportunities to build on our successes and create an even brighter future together.
2024 Milestones
This year has been a particularly meaningful one for the Meredith community. We joyfully celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Alice in Wonderland tradition, a whimsical and beloved piece of campus history. We also marked another centennial: the groundbreaking for our cherished campus here on Hillsborough Street. These anniversaries reminded us of the rich traditions and enduring spirit that make Meredith so special.
A highlight of the year was the unveiling of the stunning onyx statue honoring Dr. Jo Allen’s leadership. This iconic symbol reflects the deep connections and meaningful experiences that form the heart of the Meredith journey.
This year was also marked by transitions that reflect the rhythm of college life. In May, we celebrated the achievements of a remarkable group of graduating Angels, and in the fall, we welcomed a new class of students eager to embark on their Meredith experience. These moments of farewell and welcome underscore the vibrant, ever-renewing life of our college community.
For me, this year has been one of personal new beginnings. Since joining the Meredith family this summer, Travis and I have been deeply touched by the warmth and generosity of this community. Each day, I am reminded the heart of Meredith College is its people—you—who care so passionately about this institution and make it a true home. Thank you for embracing us with such kindness and for sharing the magic of this place.
Fall Semester Celebrations
This semester has been filled with incredible accomplishments. Our students have achieved academic excellence, and our faculty and staff have fostered a strong sense of community through meaningful programming and events. A restructured approach to enrollment is already yielding positive results, and we’re excited to welcome even more future Angels into the Meredith family. Meanwhile, our advancement team has set new fundraising records, and taken the time to introduce me to so many inspiring members of our alumnae network.
As we reflect on the successes of this semester, I am energized by the possibilities ahead. Together, we will continue to honor Meredith’s proud traditions while charting a bold, exciting course for the future.
Wishing you a season filled with peace, joy, and time to cherish the blessings of the past year.
Warmly,
Aimee
Academic Celebrations
Meredith students and faculty are proud of numerous academic achievements, a few of which are highlighted here. Computer Science major Deborah Mong’are attended the JMP Discovery Summit at SAS in Cary as one of the selected inaugural Summit Scholars and the only student presenter. Dr. Emily Lada shared the opportunity with her and encouraged her to apply.
The new collaboration room in the Harris building where students can work together using technology to solve problems has been completed.
The Library sponsored its second plant giveaway this fall, distributing 151 plants. Students received a small pot to decorate, soil, and a choice of small succulent plants to care for.
Hospitality and Tourism students Abby Wilson, Emma Hodges, Gracie Dunn, Jill Jackson, Kennady Clark, Sara Dees, and Taylor Chase all earned the Emerging Meeting Professional designation, a certification offered by Meeting Planners International. This certification differentiates and elevates emerging professionals who want to set themselves apart when seeking employment. Individuals with the EMP designation signify that they possess mindsets indicative of the realities and competencies that make a meeting professional successful.
Dr. Nancy Johnson, Instructor of Accounting, published two articles in the area of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The first, titled “Study Habits Shift to Adaptive Interactive e-books: Rethinking Instructional Design,” was published in Teaching Business and Economics, a C-level journal on the Australian Business Dean’s Council List. The second article, titled “Online Versus Face-to-Face Instruction: Entry Level Accounting Students are Performing About the Same,” was co-authored by Dr. Candalyn Rade, Assistant Professor of Psychology, and was accepted for publication in North American Accounting Studies, a Cabell’s list journal.
Jake Vaccaro, reference librarian and adjunct Italian instructor, provided Italian language lessons for faculty and staff participating in the Sansepolcro trips in December and May. It has been a popular class!
New Director of Undergraduate Research, Whitney Manzo, hosted a Taste of Research event in the Library on November 4. Ten students who received undergraduate research grants presented information about their summer research work. In addition to seeing the specific presentations (like “Using Magic to Create Flashbulb Memories”), students who attended the event learned more about the Meredith Undergraduate Research program and ways they could get involved. More than 50 students, faculty, and staff attended the event.
The School of Business added eight new members to its Advisory Board:
- Trinita Carlton, Director Agile Coach, Fidelity Investments & Owner, Invision Realities
- Andrea Conner, Ecosystem Development Director (contract), First Flight Venture Center
- Olivia Ecker, Chief People Person, Vital Edge Technologies
- Erica Madden, Owner, Bloom and Change
- A.L. Nesbitt, Project Management Group Lead, CRB
- Ashley Simpson, Annual Campaign Manager, WakeMed Foundation
- Dr. Tiamesha Walker-Smith, Tiamesha, Executive Director, ATHENA of the Triangle
- Nikki Yarborough, Retired Tax Partner, Dixon Hughes Goodman
Business and Finance Celebrations
In collaboration with Jayme Aimalefoa and our Aramark partners, the BeeHive Cafe underwent major renovations, including new food options such as Mediterranean cuisine, a local barista, and a smoothie bar. Over the winter break, renovations will also be made at the main Belk Dining Hall.
In continuing to bring the community together, Pamela Davis Galloway and the HR team have hosted numerous events on campus, including the Chili Cook-Off, Halloween Costume, and Hurricanes hockey game, with future events consisting of a Campus Talent Show. In addition, Cherry Bekaert also completed the annual HR audit and reported no findings or substantive issues (clean audit).
In collaboration with the Accounting team, Technology Services has launched the Purchase Order Module to over 20 departments and units on campus. This module has replaced the need for paper documents, creating efficiencies and cost savings. In addition, Tech Services overhauled the CamCard system – upgrading the software and hardware devices around campus. With the hiring of a Senior Network Engineer, a Network Engineer, and a Director of User Services, the department can provide even higher customer service and support to the campus. The entire Technology Services department, including our student STAT team, did a phenomenal job serving the campus during this transition.
With donor funds, the College is preparing to renovate the Studio Theater and construct the Sports Complex, Dickson Community Garden, and Nursing Building. In addition, our Facilities Team has been diligently working on addressing the deferred maintenance issues on campus.
The business and finance division offices have completed several efforts and initiated others to make Meredith a better place to study, live, and work. Led by Lori Duke and the Accounting team, Cherry Bekaert completed the FY’24 financial and single audits. The final audit reports no findings or internal control issues (clean audit) for both.
College Programs Celebrations
College Program offices have provided critical co-curricular support and opportunities for students. All fall sports eligible for post-season play celebrate qualifying for Conference tournaments. Field hockey, soccer, and volleyball athletes earned Athlete of the Week honors in the USA South Athletic Conference.
In addition to regular policing duties by officers, Campus Police Chief Al White completed a course sponsored by the NC Criminal Justice and Standards Training Division that certifies him to teach criminal justice courses nationwide.
Career Planning hosted three signature events during the fall: Employer Resume Blitz, Student Organization Spotlight & Networking Night, and Career Fest/Meet the Firms/Dress for Success Mobile Boutique. These events broke attendance records and connected students with industry professionals.
The Chaplain’s Office selected 12 students to serve as Mentoring Angels, trained by Dr. CeCe Toole and Dr. Cindy Morton-Rose to teach math and literacy to elementary-aged children.
The Dean of Students helped lead discussions and a lecture related to the Summer Reading Program selection, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizen, by Richard N. Haass. Student health services held a flu and COVID clinic attended by more than 200 community members. Counseling and Disability Services hosted pop-up events for students that aimed to reduce anxiety, build healthy relationships, promote gratitude, and encourage self-care.
StrongPoints enhanced employee engagement by working to build a campus-wide strengths community and ensuring that new hires took the strengths assessment and attended a Strengths 101 workshop. The office initiated a Strengths Spotlight Series, allowing employees to focus on four strengths each month. The impact of StrongPoints is growing significantly. By September 17, StrongPoints had reached 971 students (571 last year on the same date) and 136 employees (65 on the same date last year).
Student Leadership and Service helped the Meredith Activities Board host Sizzlin’ September, featuring bands, food trucks, and student organization booths, and assisted them with sponsoring Fall Fest and The White Iris Ball. SLS also assisted the Meredith Recreation Association in its annual Corn celebration and encouraged more participation through flexible participation and more emphasis on accessibility and sensory-friendly options. In addition, the Corn Unity Service Project partnered with Rise Against Hunger, encouraging classes to work together amid class competition.
Enrollment Celebrations
The newly formed enrollment management division has been rapidly innovating. For the first few months, areas of focus have been better harnessing internal talent, increasing collaboration with departments across campus, reducing barriers for prospective students, and a Spring ’25 push. As part of the efforts to better use internal talent, Jada Douglas, Kat Fourie, Rosemary Vega Escutia, Bailey Thompson, and Grace Christenbury have been promoted to assistant admission directors. The restructuring of the counseling team is allowing for an increased focus on transfer students and cross-functional areas for first-year students. These areas include athletes, Hispanic students, honors eligible students, and an emphasis on alumnae recruitment activities.
Several admissions processes and policies have been reviewed and updated. These include removing several barriers to student application submission. The admissions office also holds twice-weekly stand-up meetings with representatives from financial assistance, the registrar’s office, and housing to better support the needs of applicants and admitted students for Spring ‘25. These changes are already beginning to show promise, with deposits from Spring entry undergraduate students up 53% compared to last year (as of December 11, 2024).
Hannah Geelhart Guemple, ’19, has been promoted to associate director of admissions, where she will manage all campus visits, admissions events, and a welcome center with a student ambassador group.
Gwynese Craighead has been tapped to lead the operations team in a newly created director-level role as director of operations and data management. This role is important as we leverage data to make informed decisions to help better recruit and retain students. One of her priorities is working with Suzanne Sharp, interim vice president of enrollment management, to create a regular reporting regimen for the campus community that illustrates funnel metrics year over year and to goals.
Kevin Michaelsen, who leads the financial assistance team, has worked to increase financial assistance for transfer students. He is also playing a key role in a new admissions referral program. The program names the Academic Merit Awards for the alumnae who refers students who are accepted as a thank you for their qualified referrals.
Institutional Advancement Celebrations
Our Institutional Advancement team has been hard at work generating support from donors, alumnae/i, and friends of the College. Our major gift officers have made 461 personal visits, hosted 34 unique stewardship events, and presented 67 new funding proposals. The fall appeal letter has raised $22,570, a 35% increase from last year.
The Class of 1973 celebrated reaching its 50th Reunion Class project goal of $200,000, establishing the Class of 1973 Campus Garden and Beautification Fund. The fund will support a part-time gardener/project coordinator and the future development of a Meredith Hues Iris garden.
The Office of Alumnae Relations has hosted six welcome events for President Sapp in the following cities: Raleigh, Pinehurst, Charlotte, Wilmington, New York, and Winston-Salem. At those events, President Sapp shared information about the new Alumnae Student Referral program, among other College updates. To date, we have received 65 referrals through this program. We continue to identify other methods to encourage alumnae to support recruitment efforts.
The Office of Institutional Advancement held its annual Retired Faculty and Staff Luncheon on September 27, 2024. For 15 years, this event has reconnected Meredith College retirees. President Sapp gave retirees updates about Meredith’s nursing program plans, graduate programs, enrollment, expanding the College’s footprint, and increasing marketing efforts. More than 50 retirees attended.
Marketing and Communications Celebrations
High awareness of Meredith College, our faculty/staff experts, and the significant events happening on campus are crucial to achieving our enrollment goals. Marketing and Communications celebrates coordinating several successful efforts in Fall ’24 to improve Meredith’s visibility. The web team launched a new online calendar at the end of September, significantly improving the previous iteration with more comprehensive content, a robust search function, and a rotating “featured event.” In the first six weeks after launch, the calendar was viewed 2,144 times, with an average engagement time of over one minute — a more than 13,000% increase in views compared with the old calendar. Homepage scrolling data shows users scrolling down at a much higher rate since Upcoming Events were added to drive users to the new calendar.
Meredith Events has supported many projects and events across campus, including several related to the annual Corn campus tradition. Recent external groups on campus include the Carolina Charter Corporation annual meeting, held in collaboration with Meredith College’s history department, the American Guild of Organists, and several weddings. The Girl Scouts returned to campus for Technoquest, bringing over 200 Girl Scouts and families to Meredith’s campus.
The public relations team, led by Melyssa Allen, worked with Meredith’s faculty and staff experts to generate significant local, regional, and national media coverage. During September and October, this media outreach work generated 50 pieces of coverage, reaching an audience of 683 million subscribers and attracting 6.3 million views.
To help generate additional sales, the Campus Store has been open for special hours for several weekend events this fall, including Think Meredith and Corn. Net sales for the November Think Meredith event showed a 74% increase over last year’s event, suggesting a strong affinity for Meredith among attendees. The Campus Store held its annual Holiday Sale from November 20 -24, posting strong online and in-store sales.
