Appalachian State University

“Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian” is an event that celebrates all research, scholarship and creative endeavors of Appalachian faculty and staff. The event consists of virtual sessions held synchronously and asynchronously throughout the week, where faculty and staff present digital posters, oral presentations, art and performances. The week will end with an awards ceremony to present the Chancellor's and Provost's Awards for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity.

Faculty, staff and students at Appalachian State University take the opportunity each year during the week of Sept. 17 to engage our campus community in discussions about the U.S. Constitution, its history and its meaning in today’s world. Join us for a series of events and educational opportunities.

Leah Hampton writes about Appalachia, corpses, ecoanxiety and smart women. Her debut collection, “F*ckface and Other Stories,” was released by Henry Holt and was named one of the best books of 2020 by The Paris Review, the New York Public Library, Slate and others. A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers, she has been awarded multiple prizes and fellowships, and her work has appeared in Ecotone, Guernica, McSweeney’s, Electric Literature, storySouth, LitHub, and many others. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Our annual fall celebration honors our founders and the first day of classes held in 1899 at Watauga Academy — the small school that flourished into the App State we know today.

Immerse yourself in the Appalachian Experience and join other Appalachian parents, families and friends for a wonderful, fun-filled weekend on campus during one of the High Country’s most beautiful seasons. This special weekend is your opportunity for a taste of campus life. Visit your son's or daughter's favorite spots on campus, get to know fellow members of the Appalachian Family, and cheer on the Mountaineers to a football victory!

Senior lecturer Trent Margrif will place events from the past in a current context based on information on tombstones. He will also explain why the cemetery on campus is also known as the Boone or town cemetery, and highlight some of the notable names from both campus and local history that are buried here.

Enjoy a complimentary ice cream social provided by Chancellor Sheri Everts. Join Chancellor Everts for the ringing of the Founders Bell and induction of the 2021 Bell Ringers Society members.

Appalachian students, faculty and staff, as well as Boone community members, are invited to join us for a panel discussion on migration policy, border violence and security, and reflections on the film Border South. Panelists include Stefanía Arteaga (ACLU of North Carolina and co-founder of Comunidad Colectiva), Jon Carter (Appalachian State University; Department of Anthropology) and John Doering-White (University of South Carolina; College of Social Work).

Learn the context of the Boone cemetery and why the Appalachian region is unique in its burial of the dead. Senior lecturer Trent Margrif will describe certain individuals buried here and place them in relation to Founders Day and the history of Appalachian State University.

Visit Sanford Mall for free snacks, music, crafts and more!

The First Year Showcase — the annual season opener for the Department of Theatre and Dance — will utilize outdoor campus spaces to create site specific performance works. Audience members will enjoy guided walks departing from the I.G. Greer Studio Theatre to view each of the dances and theatre vignettes in various locations around campus.

Open House is your opportunity to learn more about App State. Meet faculty and current students, tour campus, and learn more about financial aid, scholarships, the admissions process, and what student life at App State is really like.