Becoming Pirates | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's note: The author of this post, Crystal Baity, is a contributor to ECU News Services.


    For the first time, new student orientation at East Carolina University will be delivered online instead of in person this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic. While orientation will be different, organizers have been working to ensure students are prepared to successfully embark on their first year as Pirates.

    Students can register for orientation through PiratePort beginning Monday, June 8. A series of modules must be completed before registering for fall semester classes. The modules will introduce students to resources and services at ECU through short videos and graphics, and should take less than 90 minutes to complete, said Corrinn Schwabrow, assistant director of the ECU Office of Student Transitions.

    "As much as we'd love for it to be in person and longer, we know students won't sit online for hours. This is just-in-time information in order to be successful," Schwabrow said.

    Previously orientation had been on campus for new students and family members across 10 sessions lasting a day and half each June and July. Incoming students would meet with academic advisers, eat in dining halls, tour campus facilities and learn ECU traditions like no quarter, the fight song and chants for purple, gold and arrrgh.


    To give students a similar experience, several live sessions are planned throughout the summer on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Webex. Students and family members will be able to ask questions and learn more about academic requirements and resources, and majors in individual colleges and schools during College Days.

    Interest sessions will include housing and dining, intercultural affairs, student leadership and involvement, study abroad, Greek life, recreation and wellness, and more, said Karen Slough Smith, associate director of the Office of Student Transitions at ECU.

    Orientation assistants or OAs - ECU upperclassmen who guide new students and parents through activities - will be having chats and webinars on subjects such as living with a roommate, time management and what to expect on campus. Question-and-answer sessions will be split into student and parent editions.

    "We are trying to make it as interactive and enjoyable as we can, supplemented by live events," Schwabrow said.

    OAs also will use social media to connect with students. One ECU orientation assistant, Kerrington Keyes, had his "Something New" TikTok challenge go viral after the campus shutdown. The challenge was filmed in Umstead Hall in February and has been videoed by LeBron James, Wiz Khalifa and others.

    The cost for orientation has been reduced to $85 (regularly $155) and includes the student's ECU ID card (1 Card), online modules and programs, fall programming and additional information for families.

    After students register for orientation, they can access the modules in Canvas. Once the modules are successfully completed, students will be given access to PIER (Pirate Introduction to ECU Registration) to sign up for classes.

    Plans for orientation have been shared with students through their ECU email accounts, which should be checked often. More information is available on the orientation website.

    For specific questions about orientation, contact the Office of Student Transitions at 252-328-4173 or orientation@ecu.edu.

    For questions about PIER, students should contact the ECU Academic Advising Collaborative at 252-328-6001 or advising@ecu.edu.