| Summary: | The Reporter is a publication produced by Western Carolina University featuring news, events, and campus community updates for faculty and staff. The publication began in August of 1970 and continues digitally today. Click on the link in the “Related Materials” field to access recent issues. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Anantatmula leads seminar for students in Thailand Vittal Anantatmula, professor and director of the master’s degree program in project management, conducted a seminar on “Integration of Project Management, Knowledge Management and Innovation” for doctoral students at Bangkok University in Thailand. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band performs in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Photo by Jarrett Frazier) TOP STORIES Marching band headlines closing 125th anniversary event this Friday There’s one more parade left on the itinerary this year for members of Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, who opened the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And the remaining route will be quite a bit di????????erent than the trek through the concrete canyons of New York City, as the band will march across the bucolic WCU campus to help wrap up the university’s yearlong celebration of its 125th year of existence. Titled the “It’s a Wrap Party,” the event is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5, as the Pride of the Mountains will lead a parade of students and campus organizations from Scott Residence Hall to the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center, where the band will reprise its Macy’s parade performance. The “It’s a Wrap Party” also will include remarks from WCU Chancellor David O. Belcher to bring the 125th anniversary year to a close, along with prizes, giveaways, refreshments and special recognition of alumni and students. Members of the campus and surrounding communities are invited to wear their own sports uniforms, letter jackets or other purple-and-gold apparel and join the band in the cross-campus march. Those who do not wish to participate in the parade may watch the band and others march across campus, or simply arrive at the Ramsey Center and be seated no later than 4:15 p.m. The doors to the Ramsey Center will open at 3 p.m. The yearlong celebration of WCU’s 125th anniversary began in January as hundreds of people crowded into the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center for a kickoff event highlighted by a fashion show of clothing from throughout WCU history, modeled by students, faculty, sta???????? and community members. The o????????cial 125th anniversary bash was held Aug. 26, the month in which the school that became WCU was founded in 1889. The event, attended by thousands, included a picnic on the University Center lawn, remarks from elected officials, a concert on the Central Plaza and old-fashioned games. The majority of the year’s celebration was designed around traditional highlights of WCU’s annual calendar, such as spring commencement ceremonies, Mountain Heritage Day, the Spring Literary Festival, Homecoming and alumni receptions across the state and the Southeast. For more information about the “It’s a Wrap Party,” email wcuevents@wcu.edu. To see photos of the band in parade, visit WCU’s Flickr page. By Bill Studenc CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Conley exhibit open at library An exhibit at Hunter Library titled “Robert J. Conley: A Tribute,” installed in celebration of Native American Heritage Month, will remain open through the end of December. Conley, a noted Native American scholar and WCU’s Sequoyah Distinguished Professor of Cherokee Studies, passed away in February. He was a proli????????c and award-winning author with more than 80 books to his credit and was the 2014 recipient of the Western Writers of America Award for Lifetime Contributions to Western Literature. The exhibit is on the first floor of the library and consists of an online biography and summaries of Conley’s books, a poster and a selection of books. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Fall commencement scheduled for Dec. 13 at Ramsey Center Western Carolina University will hold commencement exercises Saturday, Dec. 13, to honor its fall graduating class and some newly minted WCU alumni who received degrees after this year’s summer school sessions. The 1 p.m. ceremony at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center is open to everyone and no tickets are required for admission. Chancellor David O. Belcher will preside over commencement and deliver his charge to the fall semester degree candidates and summer graduates. Graduating student Jill Haley West White of Andrews, a secondary English education major, will deliver the primary commencement address. WCU’s fall class includes about 800 students who currently are working on final academic requirements to receive their degrees and who qualify to participate in the ceremony. Approximately 140 WCU graduates who completed degree requirements during summer school and who already have been conferred degrees also will be eligible to don caps and gowns for the event. Individuals attending WCU’s commencement should enter the Ramsey Center through one of four upper concourse doors. Those with physical disabilities should use the northeastern upper entrance, adjacent to the stands of E.J. Whitmire Stadium. For more information about commencement, contact the WCU Registrar’s Office at 828-227-7216 or e-mail registrarsoffice@wcu.edu. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Fenton to lead N.C. Council of Graduate Schools Mimi Fenton, dean of the Graduate School and Research at WCU, has been elected to serve a one-year term as president of the North Carolina Council of Graduate Schools. Fenton was chosen for the post during the council’s annual meeting held in November in Greensboro. Her primary duties as president will be to oversee the council’s annual Graduate Education Day event that will be held Tuesday, May 19, in Raleigh, and to host the organization’s 2015 annual meeting next fall at WCU’s Biltmore Park instructional site. Brian Kloeppel, associate dean of WCU’s Graduate School, is currently serving as secretary for the council, which is composed of deans and sta???????? members from the graduate schools of both public and private universities and colleges across the state. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Harrill Residence Hall Students walk outside of Harrill Residence Hall. TOP STORIES Harrill Residence Hall receives LEED gold certification Western Carolina University’s Harrill Residence Hall has become the university’s second building to be LEED-certi????????ed for its comprehensive energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features. The U.S. Green Building Council recently noti????????ed the university that the renovated nine-story co-ed residence hall had achieved LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certi????????cation at the second highest possible level – gold. Galen May, university architect, said the initial goal for the project was LEED certi????????cation at the silver level, and the ability to achieve gold at Harrill and at WCU’s Health and Human Sciences Building speaks to the university’s commitment to excellence. “The standards within Facilities Management at WCU are high in how we expect our buildings to perform,” said May. “The energy e????????ciencies and subsequent savings at Harrill Residence Hall that we are seeing now are a re????????ection of the quality expected as well as the desire to keep student costs down.” A 77,296-square-foot residence hall built in 1971, the building underwent a $15.5 million yearlong renovation completed in 2012 and now features modern suites of rooms for 354 students, kitchenettes and living and gathering spaces, air-conditioning and a 6,000-square-foot addition with an upscale meeting venue. In addition, WCU worked with Architectural Design Studio and Optima Engineering to develop “green” or energy-e????????cient elements as part of the project. In addition to recycling the old structure, the renovation featured construction of a geothermal heating and air-conditioning system that harnesses the earth’s energy by transferring heat absorbed by the earth via geothermal wells to heat the building, heat water for showers and power the air-conditioning system. Also, exterior wall insulation and canopies to control sunlight entering the building were part of the project. A display panel in the lobby shares information about the building’s green features as well as real-time energy usage data, and the residence hall has features such as energy-e????????cient LED light ????????xtures, a bottle-????????lling water station and the ability for the heating or cooling in a room to automatically turn off when a window is opened. May said installation of the geothermal system and the decision to renovate rather than demolish the existing structure elevated the project to the gold level. The total cost of the improvements are expected to be less than what the university will save in operational expenses over time, he said. David King, WCU energy management specialist, said even with adding air-conditioning as part of the renovation, energy use in the building was reduced by 40 percent – from 72 kilo-British-Thermal-Units or kBTUS per square foot to 43 kBTUs per square foot – during the ????????rst year after the renovation compared to the average usage during the two prior years. Utility costs for energy and water also decreased from an average of $71,600 during the two years before the renovation to $61,629 for the most recent fiscal year. King said with the updated building automation system, which can be accessed from any computer, sta???????? members now have more ability to show residents how the building operates and how adjusting their thermostat can contribute to energy savings. Students are able to use the temperature controls in their rooms and can take actions such as lowering the temperature a few degrees when they leave the room or at night, he said. “Being able to pull up the real-time energy usage information for the building when we do presentations has been a great educational tool,” King said. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT For more information, contact May at gmay@wcu.edu or 828-227-7442. By Teresa Killian Tate © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Brian Railsback, dean of WCU’s Honors College, gets a view of the Cuban countryside from an observation tower located on a former sugar plantation. (Photo courtesy of Brian Railsback) A horse-drawn carriage passes by the La Floridita bar in Havana, one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite watering holes. (Photo courtesy of Brian Railsback) TOP STORIES Honors College dean presents lectures as part of Cuba tour The wall of Brian Railsback’s o????????ce in WCU’s Honors College has been adorned for many years with a framed photograph of John Steinbeck, the focus of much of Railsback’s scholarly research and writing. But since Railsback’s recent return from a barnstorming trip to Cuba, the visage of another literary giant has made an appearance on the wall. It is “Papa” himself, Ernest Hemingway. Railsback, the college’s dean, spent 10 days in November traveling across Cuba on a bus and giving lectures about the Caribbean country’s literary tradition as part of an educational tour sponsored by the Harvard Museum of Natural History. He was recruited to be the traveling lecturer for the trip by Ed Mawyer, a member of the college’s advisory board who lives in Highlands. Mawyer serves as president of the Center for Life Enrichment, a lifelong learning organization located in the Macon County town, and the CLE promoted the Cuba trip as part of its package of programs. Railsback has presented summer lectures for the CLE for many years, and he is a member of the organization’s board. Railsback, who is also a WCU professor of English, said he prepared for his assignment by researching Cuban literature for several months in his spare time. He was accompanied by his wife, Sandy Railsback, on the trip, and the couple ????????ew to Miami on Nov. 6 to meet up with other members of the tour group, which totaled 21 people. The group ????????ew by chartered plane on Nov. 7 from Miami to Santiago, Cuba, and began its cross-country tour, which also included stops in Camaguey, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Havana. Along the way, Railsback presented lectures about the country’s literary tradition, with three days of discussions focusing on Hemingway’s books “To Have and Have Not,” “The Old Man and the Sea” and “Islands in the Stream.” The literary icon had a long love a????????air with Cuba, and he lived on an estate outside Havana from 1939 to 1960. On Nov. 14, the tour group visited Hemingway’s home, which has been preserved by the Cuban and U.S. governments. Visitors only are allowed to peer in the windows of the home, which is just as Hemingway left it, with books on the tables and the author’s favorite photographs on display. Railsback said the tour of Cuba included continuous visits to cultural and historic sites, but typical tourist haunts, such as the country’s spectacular beaches, were avoided because of restrictions that apply to U.S. citizens traveling in Cuba. General tourist travel to Cuba is prohibited under U.S. law. Another quirk of the trip was that ????????nding venues at which to present lectures proved to be a challenge, Railsback said. One of those venues, at the Hotel Santiago, resembled a normal class, but lectures also were presented on a moving bus and in several bars, he said. Railsback, who had never visited Cuba before the November trip, said “it was unlike any country I’ve ever been to.” The U.S. government’s embargo of Cuba, which began in 1960, has had a devastating e????????ect on the country’s people, and it appears “most maintenance, development and renovation in the country stopped” that year, he said. On the other hand, the people were extremely friendly to the Americans, and they seemed to have a common impressive trait of looking out for each other, he said. The tour group returned to Miami on Nov. 18, and Railsback said he brought back a couple of souvenirs from the trip – two art items that were allowed through customs at the Miami airport. One is a handmade plate with an etching of Hemingway, which now hangs on his wall next to Steinbeck, and the other is a coffee mug that sits on Railsback’s desk. It also is decorated with Hemingway’s image. By Randall Holcombe CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Hunter Library and Technology Commons to expand hours Hunter Library and the Technology Commons will be opening earlier and closing later every day of the week for the spring semester 2015. When classes begin Monday, Jan. 12, both the library and Technology Commons will be open from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday. The extended schedule is in response to requests from students for more time in the library building. It could be adopted permanently next fall if sufficient numbers of students take advantage of the longer hours. During the holidays and semester break before the spring semester begins, hours will vary. For information about hours of operation during those times, visit library.wcu.edu. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Kossick is featured speaker for inaugural critical care conference at Blue Ridge Healthcare Dr. Mark A. Kossick, professor of nursing and graduate nurse anesthesia simulation coordinator, presented eight lectures on Nov. 8 as a visiting professor at Blue Ridge Healthcare in Morganton. Kossick served as the featured speaker for the anesthesia department’s inaugural critical care conference. The continuing education program was attended by nurse anesthetists, physicians, critical care nurses, emergency department nurses and undergraduate nursing students from Appalachian State University. The title of the presentation was “Essential EKG Interpretation Skills for Clinical Practice.” CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Library will be open 24/7 for last two weeks of fall semester WCU students who need a quiet place to study for final exams will find Hunter Library open 24 hours a day through 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12. Free coffee and other hot beverages will be available every night starting around midnight while the library is operating on the expanded schedule. The ground floor of the library is designated as a quiet zone. Final exams will be Saturday, Dec. 6, through Friday, Dec. 12. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Metcalfe presents at international conference, co-authors journal article Sharon Metcalfe, associate professor or nursing and director of the Nursing Network Careers and Technology Program, recently presented “Promoting Inclusion of Diverse Students into Professional Nursing: A Review of Three Educational Multicultural Programs at Western Carolina University School of Nursing” at the OMICS International nursing and Healthcare Conference held in Chicago. Metcalfe also co-authored the article “Enriching the Student Experience through a Collaborative Cultural Learning Model.” The article has been accepted for publication in a special issue of Creative Nursing: A Journal of Values, Issues, Experience and Collaboration. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Michelsen authors chapter in book about crisis in Syria Niall Michelsen, associate professor of political science and public affairs and director of the department’s international studies program, authored a chapter in the book, “International Organizations and the Implementation of the Responsibility to Protect: The Humanitarian Crisis in Syria.” Routledge Press will release the book in April. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Brian Wood, certifying o????????cial in WCU’s O????????ce of Military Student Services, and Briana Ford, o????????ce director, gather holiday cards to be distributed to U.S. soldiers deployed around the world. TOP STORIES Military mom oversees ‘Cards for Soldiers’ drive on campus The task of overseeing a drive to collect signed holiday cards for distribution to U.S. soldiers deployed around the world might seem like a natural ????????t for the director of WCU’s O????????ce of Military Student Services. But Briana Ford is motivated to take on that role by another factor – her son, who is in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Qatar. The o????????ce recently concluded its annual “Cards for Soldiers” drive on WCU’s campus. The 2014 goal was 3,000 cards, but a total of 4,060 were collected. At various times throughout the fall semester, tables are set up across campus to give students an opportunity to sign Christmas cards and a variety of other holiday and greeting cards for distribution to deployed soldiers and veterans who are spending the holidays in Veterans Administration hospitals. The e????????ort also bene????????ted this year from donations of cards from participants in WCU’s lifelong learning program, LIFE@WesternCarolina, and from the American Legion, Beth’s Hallmark of Waynesville, the Western North Carolina Veteran’s Council, the Walk Skate Church of Franklin and Cullowhee United Methodist Church. “This is our fourth year doing this event, and each year the WCU community amazes me with its love and support for our service members,” Ford said. “We participated the ????????rst year as a community service project to help then-Smoky Mountain High School senior Michael Moyle collect cards. We had such a great response from WCU students that we decided to continue it the next year.” Cards collected during the drive are distributed randomly to U.S. military men and women by the Red Cross. During the 2013 holiday season, a deployed soldier who is a WCU distance learning student sent an email to Ford thanking her for the card he received. “Reading about how much it meant to him to receive a Christmas card at a time when he could not be with his family, or even in his own home for the holidays, made me realize what a big morale booster this project is for our service members and how important it is to continue this project in the future,” Ford said. Ford’s son, Airman Tripp Simmons, joined the military straight out of high school and has plans to enroll in one of WCU’s online degree programs. This will be the second straight year Simmons will not be with his family for the holidays. “I think of all the other families who are especially missing their sons and daughters during this time of year, just as we are missing our son, and that inspires me to continue this card drive to show these service members we miss them, we are thinking of them, and we appreciate them for their many sacri????????ces,” said Ford. “We want to make sure our service members never forget they have the support of Western Carolina University no matter where they are.” The holiday-season card drive may have ended, but donations of signed and unsigned cards are welcome year-round, Ford said. Individuals interested in participating in the effort should contact Ford at blford@wcu.edu or 828-227-3074. Tags: Military Student Services CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | TOP STORIES Revised graduate program in gifted education to begin this spring Western Carolina University’s newly restructured online master’s degree in gifted education will be o????????ered this spring as a cross-disciplinary, 30-hour program with a one-week field experience and will focus on helping educators promote students’ creativity and innovation. “Faculty in the School of Teaching and Learning recently revised the master’s degree program in gifted education in response to concerns that high-stakes testing practices in schools have restricted the ways teachers teach and have promoted rote learning rather than critical and creative thinking,” said Sharon Dole, a professor who directs the program. The revised program, which begins in January, is designed to take a student-centered approach and cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and self-directed learning skills, said Dole. In addition, the gifted, creative and innovative education concentration of the master’s degree program in special education has been reduced from 36 to 30 hours and is available online. Graduate-level courses from the 12-hour academically and intellectually gifted licensure program, which is also available online, can be applied to the degree. The master’s program also now includes a class on entrepreneurial innovation o????????ered by the College of Business. “We thought it was important to reduce the overall number of hours to make the program more affordable for teachers,” said Dole. The program includes a one-week ????????eld experience on campus held the last week in June during WCU’s Rocket to Creativity Camp. Rocket to Creativity has been in operation for 15 years and provides a unique opportunity for graduate students to apply creative thinking and problem-solving strategies as well as summer enrichment for children in the region said Lisa Bloom, professor and director of the special education program. The educational camp o????????ers rising second- through ninth-grade students fun but challenging hands-on activities centered on topics ranging from inventions to historical re-enactment. The launch of the revised degree program also corresponds with the recent endowment of the Sharon Dole Scholarship, which will be awarded for the ????????rst time this spring to a student in the program. Dole said she wanted to endow the scholarship to encourage teachers who demonstrate the personal characteristics of creativity, enthusiasm and passion to pursue graduate studies in gifted education in order to best prepare their K-12 students for the 21st century. To apply to the program, visit graduate.wcu.edu and click on “Apply Now.” For more information about the program, contact Dole at dole@wcu.edu or Bloom at bloom@wcu.edu. For more information about the scholarship, contact Bloom. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Jon Jicha TOP STORIES State’s fish to be featured on new specialty plates designed by art professor When it comes to fishing, Western Carolina University art professor Jon Jicha is happy angling in all kinds of waters. But recently, Jicha painted a couple of his favorite ????????sh for the North Carolina Department of Transportation to use in two new vehicle plate designs. The designs show native brook trout (the state’s o????????cial freshwater ????????sh) and red drum (the o????????cial state saltwater ????????sh) in their natural habitats. More than just attractive car tags, the plates serve to reinforce the necessity of maintaining the state’s natural resources – especially those that tend to get caught and eaten in large numbers. “My history as a ????????y ????????sherman goes back nearly 50 years,” said Jicha, a graphic design and media arts instructor at WCU since 1984. “And I believe that supporting natural habitats and our environment is a self-evident responsibility.” Jicha’s personal commitment to that responsibility began in 2007, when he noticed some specialized vehicle plates and wondered why he never saw any that depicted the state’s two celebrated fish. So he asked a district state senator to sponsor a bill advocating for a native brook trout specialty plate. It wasn’t until 2014 that the Legislature approved the measure, but it also added approval for another plate featuring the red drum (named because of its color and the drum-like sound that males produce in their swim bladder during spawning time.) “Native species of any kind need support for their continued existence,” Jicha said. “And with these plates, it was an opportunity to inject awareness and fundraising for two of our most important agencies – N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources – and their ongoing efforts to maintain our natural resources.” The sale of the plates would help fund habitat protection of red drum waters, said Patricia Smith, public information o????????cer with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries in Morehead City. “In the late 1990s, the red drum species was over????????shed and in trouble,” Smith said. “With stricter recreational and commercial management measures, the species is now well on its way to recovery. So habitat protection is very important to maintaining and enhancing the red drum population.” Currently, more than 200 wildlife species are legally protected in North Carolina. WCU students and professors help maintain that protection through wildlife inventory, monitoring and applied research study in the field. “The list of priority species in Western North Carolina is so long and the conservation challenges so great that we cannot meet our management goals and objectives without help from academic partners like WCU,” said Lori Williams, a certified wildlife biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission near Asheville. Jicha’s specialty plates idea is part of a long-term reminder to keep red drum numbers at high levels, said Smith. “The red drum is not in danger like some of our other animals, and we’re looking to keep it that way,” she said. “The license plates are a demonstration of a commitment to our native fisheries.” Only one hurdle remains: for the plates to be stamped and made, at least 500 orders for each one have to be collected before July 1, 2015. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT “That’s the minimum order for us to issue the plates for sale,” said Brian Smith, communications manager with the Department of Motor Vehicles in Raleigh. “If these specialty plates become available for issuance, customers who purchase the new plate would exchange their old plates for one of these new ones.” Before customers can order a plate through the DMV, they ????????rst have to ????????ll out an application form. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is collecting Native Brook Trout applications at http://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/NativeBrookTroutLicensePlate.aspx. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is collecting Red Drum applications at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/red-drum-license-plate1. Jicha said he hopes the idea gets enough initial support to catch on – and for a very personal reason: the more trout and red drum that ????????ll the state’s waters, the more he and other fly fishermen can enjoy catching – and releasing – them. “Fish are transformative animals that o????????er us a vehicle to a mysterious world, and the brook trout and red drum are magni????????cent,” he said. “And North Carolina is very fortunate to have both as native residents.” By L. C. Leach III © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | TOP STORIES University officials remind WCU community about adverse weather policy When wintry, inclement weather hits the region, deciding when and whether it is safe to travel to work, or if deteriorating weather conditions necessitate an early departure, ultimately lies with each faculty and staff member under WCU’s adverse weather policy. “The intent of the policy is to allow the employee to make a personal decision regarding whether they think they can get safely to and from work,” said Kathy Wong, director of human resources. Employees are asked to communicate with their supervisors as soon as possible when they are concerned that travel to or from campus would be unsafe for them, said Wong. In turn, supervisors of sta???????? members are responsible for communicating to employees during each speci????????c event whether they are designated as mandatory or non-mandatory and what the work expectations are. Employees designated as “mandatory” enable the university to continue to provide services to students, including nearly 4,000 who live on campus, during periods of adverse weather. A “mandatory” employee is one who is required to work during adverse weather conditions because his or her position has been designated by the supervisor as essential to university operations. Employees whose supervisors designate them as “non-mandatory” will be able to charge time lost to leave with or without pay, as appropriate, or work with their supervisors to be able to make up the time lost in accordance with provisions in the adverse weather policy. In addition, individual instructors who cannot travel to class meetings are asked to communicate with their department heads to discuss plans, and, if the face-to-face class meeting must be canceled, to communicate the news with their students as soon as possible. In that case, the instructor should coordinate an alternative and meaningful assignment for students, said Provost Alison Morrison-Shetlar. When necessary, the provost can cancel face-to-face classes across the Cullowhee campus or at the Biltmore Park location based on conditions at those sites. For the campus in Cullowhee, Morrison-Shetlar works with Tammi Hudson, emergency manager, to assess the safety of traveling across campus to classes, and between West Campus and East Campus. When there is adverse weather, Hudson monitors road conditions and reviews reports and weather projections. One factor she considers is whether it would be safe for Cat-Tran buses to run regular routes, she said. She then provides the information and updates to the provost. For the Biltmore Park location – a site in which students commute to classes – Morrison-Shetlar discusses conditions and concerns with Kevan Frazier, executive director for WCU Programs at Biltmore Park, before making a decision about possible class cancelations there. Frazier also consults with officials at the University of North Carolina at Asheville about area safety and weather conditions to share with the provost. When an early-morning decision must be made about whether to cancel classes, Hudson said, the goal is to provide the provost with the information she needs to make that decision and distribute it to the university community by 6 a.m. so that students and faculty have ample opportunity to make decisions about travel. If face-to-face classes are canceled for part or all of a day in Cullowhee or at Biltmore Park, the O????????ce of Communications and Public Relations posts the information on the WCU website weather.wcu.edu, emails are sent to faculty, sta???????? and students, and it is posted on the university’s social media channels. Area media outlets are asked to alert members of the WCU community to check the university website for class cancelation information. WCU is exploring using text messaging through the university’s emergency noti????????cation system to send out weather announcements starting in fall 2015, said Hudson. O????????cials note that the cancelation of classes does not close campus, and the adverse weather policy under which employees make personal decisions about their ability to safely travel to or from work and communicate with their supervisors about plans remains in effect. The cancelation of classes does not mean students will simply skip or miss the material, discussion or activity that had been planned for that class meeting. Instructors will assign meaningful online or alternative assignments to students in classes that are canceled, said Morrison-Shetlar. “The safety of every member of our university community is paramount,” said Provost Alison Morrison-Shetlar. “At the same time – even under challenging conditions – we are committed to making sure our students receive the full, quality education that they deserve.” In the event of an emergency closing, the chancellor is responsible for decisions to suspend business operations and designates to the provost operational logistics regarding such a decision. For more information about WCU’s general weather policy and links to the adverse weather policy, Cullowhee weather forecast and road conditions from the N.C. Department of Transportation, visit weather.wcu.edu. By Teresa Killian Tate CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Fred J. Bauknecht (left) demonstrates the parking meter pay station installed in August. TOP STORIES WCU appoints new parking, transportation director Fred J. Bauknecht, a member of the police, parking and transportation unit at Western Carolina University since 2009, has been appointed to the newly created role of parking and transportation director. The position has become necessary because the anticipated growth of the university will come with a variety of growing pains related to the changing parking and transportation needs of students, faculty, sta???????? and visitors, said Earnest Hudson, WCU chief of police. Enrollment projections anticipate more than 11,000 students will be studying on the campus in Cullowhee by the year 2023. Currently, about 8,000 students out of WCU’s total enrollment of 10,382 live and study in Cullowhee. “The growth of WCU and the increased demand for services really necessitate having a person in a position to improve current services while taking concrete steps to meet future demands,” Hudson said. “We must begin planning and implementing the necessary e????????orts and changes now so that we can meet the future transportation and parking needs of the campus. I have every con????????dence that Fred will be an energetic and innovative leader in these efforts.” The appointment was effective Nov. 25. The university’s strategic plan and master plan both call for an extensive reworking of the university’s parking and transportation infrastructure and procedures to help meet the demands that will come with the growth of campus, Hudson said. Among the initiatives Bauknecht will address in his new role are the university’s ????????rst parking deck, which is expected to be built near the main entrance of campus; examination of new transportation options such as bike lanes and greenways; redesign of existing road and parking infrastructure; and alternative modes of transportation. He will be responsible for administrative, operational and ????????scal oversight of all university commuter, campus access and transportation issues, including parking services, parking enforcement and the Cat-Tran Shuttle Service. The university currently has approximately 6,300 parking spaces with the goal of adding an additional 1,200-space parking deck in 2018. The university shuttle service consists of approximately 10 buses, serving four routes both on and o???????? the main campus. Ridership is approximately 380,000 and increases between 5 and 7 percent annually. A resident of Cullowhee, Bauknecht has worked as a transportation and parking enforcement supervisor at WCU since 2010. He previously was a parking enforcement officer in the department. By Bill Studenc CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2014 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home December 3, 2014 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | From left, WCU faculty Betty Farmer and Marilyn Chamberlin help set up the distribution venue for the Christmas Connection of Jackson County. TOP STORIES WCU community members help sustain holiday initiative to serve local children When coordinators of the nonprofit Jackson County Christmas Store retired after 26 years of service, two Western Carolina University faculty members stepped forward to help carry on its mission of benefiting children from families in need during the holiday season. Longtime supporters Marilyn Chamberlin, associate professor of anthropology and sociology, and Betty Farmer, professor of communications and public relations, are helping coordinate what has become the Christmas Connection. And despite the changes – a new name, a new affiliation as part of the Jackson County Family Resource Center and a new pre-holiday home at 74 Eastgate Drive in Sylva – the initiative’s mission and support from the community – including the WCU campus community – remain strong, said Chamberlin. Each year, the Jackson County Christmas Store would solicit referrals of children from families who needed assistance during the holiday season and invite the children’s parents or guardians to identify what their children needed and what they would like to be able to give them. Meanwhile, volunteers worked to acquire tens of thousands of dollars worth of donations to help meet the needs. Then, parents or guardians of the children were invited to the venue to pick up $30 worth of toys and $20 worth of clothing for each child, along with materials to wrap the gifts, a bag of candy and school supplies, a Christmas decoration and a household item such as a pot or detergent. Participants had the opportunity to pay a $3 fee to participate or receive the items for free. Last year, about 800 children were served. Chamberlin and Farmer contacted Jackson County Christmas Store retiring coordinators Elaine White and Wanda Kidd to find out how they could help continue the program. “We shouldn’t let kids go without at any time, but during Christmas season in particular,” said Farmer. “I just felt compelled to do what I could to help.” Chamberlin had supported the store in various ways, such as sponsoring a child about the same age as her daughter. Together, she and her daughter would shop for an outfit and toys based on information the child’s parent or guardian sent to the store, including the child’s favorite color, wished-for toy and clothing sizes. “I loved the idea of giving to the community and being able to include my daughter in the experience,” said Chamberlin. “I also thought it was fantastic that the store made it possible for parents to have some ownership over what their kids would receive.” In addition, Chamberlin would volunteer at the store along with students from her “Sociology of Childhood” course, who explore the challenges of charity work with children as part of the class. Farmer also became involved after supporting the store for years through her family’s sponsorship of a child and by hosting a Fitness Fundraiser aerobics class, which she will hold again at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Participants in the class are asked to donate at least $10 to support the Christmas Connection. Chamberlin is serving as the lead coordinator and president of the Christmas Connection advisory board, and Farmer is serving on the board and assisting with publicity and fundraising. About $45,000 is needed to meet the anticipated needs of about 950 children who have been identified as eligible to participate. The effort is receiving significant operational and logistical support from the Jackson County Family Resource Center, said Chamberlin and Farmer, who also are working alongside board members and an array of Jackson County residents, churches, businesses and organizations as well as WCU students, faculty and staff. Students have assisted Chamberlin with logistics such as preparing and mailing letters sent this fall asking for referrals of families needing assistance. Based on the responses, letters were then sent to families, and Lori Oxford, associate professor of Spanish, translated letters for Spanish-speaking parents or guardians. Oxford said translating the documents was a small way of helping make participation more accessible to families who speak Spanish and helping them feel more included, and she was glad to assist the WCU faculty members and CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT WCU students, from left, Shayna Garrison, Jason Shull, Catherine Scott and Kevin Rice volunteer at the Christmas Connection distribution site at 74 Eastgate Drive in Sylva. others working to sustain the endeavor. “The Christmas Connection is a big effort that requires a lot of coordination, and I appreciate all the people who work on the initiative,” said Oxford. Meanwhile, students in Farmer’s public relations classes assisted with such tasks as drafting and collating fundraising letters, developing a new logo, writing public service announcements and creating a Facebook page for the Christmas Connection. Farmer and her students also incorporated support for the Christmas Connection into their work helping coordinate and publicize the opening night of the Dillsboro Lights and Luminaries festival on Friday, Dec. 5, which has been designated as “College Night.” At the event, several collection boxes will be placed in the town to collect new, unwrapped toys for the Christmas Connection, and Dillsboro merchants will donate a percentage of their sales to support the initiative. Still other students and organizations have helped raise money and sponsor children for the initiative. “Many student organizations are sponsoring children as their philanthropic activity for the semester,” said Chamberlin. Students and staff from WCU athletics, for instance, have sponsored 30 children, said Stacey R. Miller, assistant athletic director for academics and compliance and senior woman administrator. Each athletic team has sponsored one or more children for the Christmas Connection, and athletes are volunteering at the site in December. Meanwhile, the Department of Residential Living is collecting unwrapped gifts and financial contributions for the Christmas Connection through its annual Angel Wings program through Friday, Dec. 12. Mistie Bibbee, director of residence life, said the department has been coordinating the Angel Wings program for more than 10 years. “We are excited to be continuing the tradition again this year,” said Bibbee. “We enjoy getting our residential students and the rest of campus involved in giving back to the Jackson County community.” Angel Wings trees set up in the residential living office, on the second floor of A.K. Hinds University Center and in Courtyard Dining Hall have ornaments or angels that include instructions for items that could be purchased to support Christmas Connection. Unwrapped gifts with the ornament or angel or financial donations made by cash or check, made payable to the Jackson County Christmas Connection, can then be dropped off in sealed envelopes at the residential living office located in the west wing of Scott Hall on the first floor on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. In addition, WCU athletics has planned a Teddy Bear Toss to benefit the Christmas Connection for the home Catamount men’s basketball game against Wright State on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to bring any kind of new or slightly used stuffed animal – not just Teddy Bears — to the game. At halftime, attendees will be invited to throw their animals onto the court, where they will be collected and given to the Christmas Connection to be shared with children and families who are being served. Brett Metcalf, director of marketing for WCU Athletics, said the athletics staff wanted to plan something fun for fans in connection with the holidays that would support people in need. “We can’t think of a better opportunity than to be a part of meeting a need for families and children right here in our own back yard,” said Metcalf. “We are really looking forward to the Teddy Bear Toss and hope for a great turnout from the WCU family.” Farmer said there are three primary ways members of the community can support the Christmas Connection: Donate – New toys and clothing and financial support can be directed to the Christmas Connection. Sponsor a child – Sponsors are given information about a specific child’s needs and asked to purchase items for that child. Volunteer – People can give their time to assist at the Christmas Connection venue with organizing and packaging items for families, as well as shopping for specific items to complete requests. Some WCU employees have worked with their supervisors to be able to use community service leave hours to assist at the organization, said Farmer. Other upcoming fundraisers that community members can support include an “Ice Cream for Christmas” event at Jack the Dipper in Sylva, said Chamberlin. The event will be held from noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4. A portion of profits will benefit the Christmas Connection, and the winners of a raffle will be drawn at 7 p.m. The Christmas Connection distribution site for 2014 is located at 74 Eastgate Drive in Sylva in a medical office building near the hospital and across from Eastgate Pharmacy. The venue was made available through support from Harris Regional Hospital/Duke LifePoint. For more information about donating, sponsoring or volunteering, contact the Christmas Connection at christmsaconnectionofjc@gmail.com or call the Family Resource Center at 828-586-2845. By Teresa Killian Tate © 2014 Western Carolina University.
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