App State is committed to achieving and sustaining diversity, equity and inclusion for its campus community. In recent years, the university has made forward strides to ensure its campus is welcoming to all students, faculty and staff. Notable milestones include:
- Celebrating the most diverse class in university history in fall 2021.
- Adopting a Land Acknowledgement in 2022 that recognizes the original, Indigenous inhabitants of the lands on which the university is located.
- Implementing the Chosen First Name Initiative, that allows App State students, faculty and staff to use a chosen first name that is different from their legal first name (this took effect in fall 2021 for students and in fall 2022 for faculty and staff).
- Modifying the evaluation process for university scholarships in 2021, which increased the diversity of underrepresented, rural and low-income students awarded scholarships.
- Honoring App State and local community members with 2020 and 2022 Chancellor’s Awards for Inclusive Excellence, which recognize work that demonstrates an active, intentional and ongoing commitment to transformative change.
Learn more about App State’s recent milestones.
App State’s Diversity Statement
We at Appalachian State University are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence both locally and globally. Inclusive Excellence is the intrinsic value that a diverse population adds to the learning, teaching, and decision-making processes of an institution.
We understand that the successful implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence is the responsibility of the entire university community, including alumni and official university governing bodies. A diverse campus community supports an influx of broad and distinct ideas that increase learning opportunities and strengthen the impact of our community as we work collectively to achieve a just experience for all.
We actively encourage, support, and promote a global mindset and an equitable environment where all will know that they belong and are safe to express their culture, identity, values, ideas, opinions, and creativity. We are committed to creating a culture of equitable opportunities for all, one that has an expectation of fairness, justice, and equity-minded practice at all levels of the university community.
Ongoing trainings
App State regularly offers diversity, equity and inclusion trainings for faculty, staff and students, including training in implicit bias. For upcoming events and professional development opportunities, visit:
Policies and protocols
The below links provide quick access to a variety of policies, protocols and initiatives that help promote a diverse, inclusive and safe environment for the entire App State Community.
Find data
In addition to the data points listed on the main page of this site, below are sources of information related to diversity and inclusion at App State and the UNC System.
App State data
- Enrollment by race/ethnicity
- Profile reports: Various information related to program, gender, race/ethnicity, average age, full-time or part-time enrollment status and more.
- Analytics: An authoritative reference to quantifiable data about students, faculty and staff, and financial and physical resources.
- Retention
- Faculty and staff
UNC System data
The UNC System’s most recent strategic plan, implemented in 2018, set a series of system-level and institution-level goals to help strengthen each institution, improve student outcomes and expand access to affordable high-quality degrees. Several of these goals address challenges faced by underrepresented students. The below links provide access to UNC System dashboards that track the progress of the UNC System and App State.
Our staff
Meet the members of the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer.
Advisory boards
Learn about the advisory boards we have to foster the advancement of diversity and inclusion at App State.
App State Community
Read the intriguing and multifaceted stories of the people in our community, each of whom contributes to the rich fabric of excellence here.
Support Diversity and Inclusion at App State
Your donations will support the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for faculty, staff, students and alumni.