The Reporter, January 1988

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.T^ THE REPORTER A Weekly Newsletter for the Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University Cullowhee, North Carolina Let it snow! Surviving season'tsh efi rst heavy blast from Mother Nature The snowstorm that blasted much of the state during the sec­ond week of January came as no surprise to those who heeded the predictions of weather forecast­ers. The intensity of the snowfall was unexpected, however, as were the lingering frigid tempera­tures that in some places have prevented the snow's melting even until now. Officials say that Western maintained operations well de­spite the accumulated twelve to sixteen inches of hardpacked snow. Registration and the start of spring semester classes came on schedule, and university offices did not close during regular business hours, although a mix-up in communication caused some university employees to miss a day's work. On the first several days after the snowfall, housing and traffic problems were kept to a minimum on campus as students had not yet returned from Christmas vacation. A primary concern was that students would have problems traveling through the snow and ice blanketing the Southeast to make it back here in time to register and check in to dorms before classes began on January 12. The imminent arrival of students quickened the pace of the crews clearing the campus, according to James Culp, director of the physical plant. Since few cars were parked outside resi­dence halls as the snow fell, parking lots were completely covered, and addi­tional effort was necessary to clear the parking spaces as well as the lanes in the lots before students returned. January 22, 1988 1 ffilBMi Physical plant's Mike Fanne r makes ligh t work of a mound of the e arly January snow with one of the fron t-end loaders hired from lo cal companies to help clear the campus. 'The uncommon freezing tempera­tures made the meltdown slow, and the ground was so frozen that where the snow was packed it was almost glued to the ground," Culp said. "Six to eight inches of loose snow we can handle with our own plows, but this time, because of the volume of snow and because the students were about to return, we decided to call in contractors to help." Culp makes such decisions together with C.J. Carter, vice-chancellor for business affairs. Front-end loaders and dump trucks from local excavating companies were hired to help clear traf­fic lanes and parking lots. The snow was piled near the baseball field on the southern end of campus. Culp added that this snowfall was the first he knew in his thirteen years at Western that had made snow hauling necessary for clearing all parking spaces. He said the physical plant considers basic needs in clearing after any snowfall. First, routes are opened that emergency vehicles could use if needed. Then routes are cleared for personnel in essential campus operations, such as food services. Finally, sidewalks, steps, and parking are opened for students, faculty, and staff. "By the time students did make it here, roads and parking lots had been well cleared, thanks to the physical plant and the outside contractors that were hired," said Glenn Stillion, vice-chancellor for student de­velopment. 'The roads on campus had been better cleared than out in the public road system, so that we had no appreciable problems." The communications error that kept some employees at home occurred Janu­ary 7 when announcers on the six o'clock news of WYFF-TV in Greenville, S.C., said that Western would be closed the next day. Actually, the station had received a statement saying that registration for WCU's courses in Asheville would be postponed from Thursday evening until Saturday morning and afternoon. At the time no other closing or postpone­ment decisions had been made by the administration. An editor at WYFF has apologized for the mistake. He said that the station has recently computerized its process for reporting weather-related announce­ments and that the software was being used for the first time during the storm. The Office of Public Information is responsible for disseminating the cont'd next page mmmmm News briefs Trustees approve new appointments J.C. Alexander, Jr., associate professor of speech and theatre arts, was named associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences on December 4. The appointment was announced by Chancellor Myron L. Coulter following approval by the board of trustees. Alexander, a native of Kinston, has been a member of the faculty for fifteen years and has been chairman of the faculty since 1985. At its December meeting, the board also approved the appointment of Tammy Haskett as pro­gram director in the Division of Con­tinuing Education and Summer School and confirmed the appointment, announced earlier, of Herb Krusen as interim head basketball coach. NCCAT seeks applicants for r esident position The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) has announced a position opening for a center fellow. As a member of the NCCAT residential faculty, this fellow will jo in others in planning and conducting seminars on interdiscipli­nary subjects for K-12 teachers; serve as a mentor for independent study projects that are undertaken by teacher-scholars; participate in NCCAT research, evaluation, and outreach activities; and work closely with and advise the center's director and associate director. Applicants should hold terminal degrees and have academic backgrounds that reflect exposure to the arts, humanities, and sciences. Experience in designing and conducting programs for elementary and secondary school teachers is desirable. Salary for the position will be commensurate with qualifications and experience up to a maximum of $40,000 for a twelve-month contract. Appointment will be on July 1. Applicants should send a letter of application, resume, credential set (if available), and the names and addresses of three references no later than March 1 to R. Bruce McPherson, NCCAT director. NCCAT is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and a constituent unit of The Univer­sity of North Carolina. Biology's new scholarship goes to Alewel Sally Ann Alewel of Murphy has been awarded the Department of Biology Scholarship, given this year for the first time. The $500 scholarship was awarded in honor of Clinton F. Dodson, professor emeritus of biology, who headed the science department for thirty years until he retired in 1968. A $10,000 Award of Academic Excel­lence that the biology department received in 1986 funds the scholarship, which is to go annually to an outstand­ing biology major in honor of someone who has made significant contributions to the department. Alewel was chosen as this year's recipient by the scholar­ship committee, made up of biology department members, because of her outstanding achievements and extensive involvement in extracurricu­lar activities, according to Frederick Harrison, professor and head of the department. Alewel plans to attend dental school, specializing in care and treatment of children's teeth. Snow cont'd university's announcements of closings or postponements. Jim Rowell, associate director of the office, said that broadcast mistakes are understandable and almost inevitable in bad weather, when stations often must be run understaffed because many of their employees are not able to make it to work, as was the case at WYFF. Also, radio and television stations handle a large volume of announce­ments from churches, factories, and schools during inclement weather, so it is essential that statements be brief. Problems increase with the complexity of the announcement. "The radio and television stations see it in terms of black and white—either you're open or you're closed," Rowell said. "Unfortunately, universities have a lot of gray areas, so the potential for confusion is always present. There are checks and doublechecks for us and for the stations, but that doesn't always keep mistakes from happening." When there are campus cancellations or postponements the Office of Public Information combines all schedule changes into one concise statement for release to broadcast media. The univer­sity switchboard also gets a copy of the statement. Depending upon circum­stances, announcements from Western may include information about day or night classes in Cullowhee, WCU classes at UNC-A or in Cherokee, and credit courses as far away as Hickory and Morganton. After the university switchboard has been given the official announcement, WWCU radio on campus and WRGC radio in Sylva are notified first among the media. Next, the Office of Public Information contacts WHNS-TV and WLOS-TV in Asheville, WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, S.C., and WYFF, along with others as necessary to cover the main highway arteries leading to WCU from cities in Tennessee and both Carolinas. During bad weather, Western's policy generally is to remain open. Announce­ments to the contrary are exceptions to the rule and can be checked for accuracy by calling the switchboard at 227-7211 or by listening to WRGC radio (680 AM). - Joseph Price January 22, 1988 The Reporter •mmrnrn People and places • John Bell (History) attended a meeting of the North Carolina High­way Historical Marker Advisory Committee in Raleigh on December 4. The committee considered twenty proposals and approved twelve. • Ann Chambers, Carol Mellen, and Ginny Hawken (Special Services) at­tended the North Carolina Consortium of Equal Opportunity Programs, November 30-December 2, in Winston- Salem. Hawken presented a workshop entitled "Computer Assisted Services: Tracking, Tutoring, and Handicap Services." • Gurney Chambers (Dean, Educa­tion and Psychology) was the keynote speaker at the annual drive-in confer­ence of education Region Eight's school volunteers in Lake Junaluska on December 10. Chambers was recently appointed by the Division of Teacher Education of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to a committee to advise on program ap­proval and actions required to imple­ment the objectives of the report, The Education of North Carolina Teachers. • Elly Davey is the new head of the cataloging department in Hunter Library. A native of Michigan, Davey comes here from the Michigan Library Consortium, where her duties included providing training and support to mem­ber libraries for all aspects of work with an on-line computer system and related cataloging activities. She received the Master of Science in Librarianship from Western Michigan University in 1982 and has worked with the Kalamazoo College Library, Southwest Michigan Library Network, Sandusky Public Library, Madison Heights Public Library, and the Detroit Public Library. • Mario Gaetano (Music) presented a percussion clinic at Gilman High For services rendered Chancellor Myron L. Coulter receives a plaque of app reciation from Dr. Hok e Smith, chairman of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), on the occasion of Coulter's November retirement as AASCU board member and secretary-treasurer. Coulter had served on the board since 1981 and as secr etary-treasurer since 1984. School in Ellijay, Ga., on December 4 for area students and directors. Also, the multimedia composition "Colored Threads This Time," for harp and ma­rimba, which Gaetano wrote in collab­oration with more than twenty-five composers and artists from throughout the United States, was premiered at Southwestern Adventist College in Keene, Tex., in September. This work, which was commissioned and per­formed by the group Talea, has more recendy been performed at Kansas State University, Tabor College, and other colleges in Dallas and Houston. • Myron Leonard (Management and Marketing) was recendy named abstracts editor for the Journal of Direc t Marketing, a new publication. He will guide more than thirty abstractors from several universities. Leonard has also been appointed literature review editor for the Journal of Marketing, the major journal in the marketing field. • Bronwen Sheffield, Sarah Wil­liams, and Karen Clarke (Upward Bound) attended a meeting of the North Carolina Council of Educational Opportunity Programs (NCCEOP), November 30-December 2 in Winston- Salem. Clarke presented a workshop entitled "Avoiding the Storm: Counsel­ing as a Year-Round Approach." • Otto H. Spilker (Health, Physical Education, and Recreation) attended the convention of the North Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Educa­tion, Recreation, and Dance in Greens­boro, November 12-14. He presented two hydrorobics sessions and assisted in an elementary school physical educa­tion session. • John H. Wakeley (Vice-Chancel­lor, Academic Affairs) attended the annual meeting of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) in San Francisco, November 11-15. At the meeting, Wakeley submitted his final report as director of seminars, completed a three-year term on the board of directors, and led a seminar for new deans. mm The Reporter January 22, 1988 Campus events THEATRE - Dates have been changed for the operetta Naughty Marietta. The new dates for the show are Sunday- Wednesday, Feb. 17-20 and 24-27, at 7:30 p.m. in Niggii Theatre. A matinee performance will be offered on Sunday, February 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students, youths, and senior citizens. For more information, contact the speech and theatre arts department at 227-7491. GROUPS FOR GROWTH - The Counseling, Testing, and Psychological Services Center will offer several "Groups for Growth and Change" this spring: Assertiveness Training, Con­fronting the Alcoholic System, Couples Enhancement, Creative Relaxation, Developing Healthy Relationships, Dreamwork Group, Feelings and Food, Men's Group, Problems with Eating: A Support Group, Psychotherapy Group, and Women: Our Roles and Relation­ships. The groups begin meeting the week of February 2. They are open to all students, staff, and faculty. Participa­tion is confidential. For information or to register, call the Counseling Center at 227-7469 by Friday, Feb. 5. FOR CAMPUS GOURMETS - The WCU chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educational Office Personnel (NCAEOP) will compile and publish a university-wide cookbook this spring. Proceeds from sale of the cookbook will be used to contribute to NCAEOP's annual Christmas project. Submissions are welcome from all university employees. Each recipe, along with the name of the person submitting it, should be typed or printed legibly on a 3" x 5" or 4" x 6" note card. Ingredients and preparation steps should be checked for accuracy. All recipes should be sent to Sylvia DuPree in Parks and Recreation Management in McKee 109 no later than February 29. Any questions concerning the cookbook project can be directed to DuPree at 227-7435. • New program approved in electronics technology A new undergraduate degree in Elec­tronics Engineering Technology, the first four-year program of its kind in the state, has been established here. The new program, authorized by The University of North Carolina's Board of Governors, leads to a Bachelor of Sci­ence degree in the School of Technol- Yucatan trip explores ancient Mayan culture Two faculty anthropologists will lead a fifteen-day trip to the Yucatan penin­sula in Mexico next May. Anne Rogers, an archaeologist, and Patrick Morris, an ethnologist, have traveled extensively in the Yucatan. They will teach courses in the ethnology and archaeology of the Maya in conjunction with the trip. Dates for the trip are May 7-21, with departure from Adanta. It will be the eighth trip the two faculty members have conducted for students and others interested in studying Mayan culture, one of the oldest native American cultures still in existence. Many of the area's inhabitants wear traditional dress and follow styles of architecture dating to ancient times. The group will visit more than twenty archaeological sites, many colonial towns and villages, and the Gulf and Caribbean coasts of Mexico. Among the sites to be visited are Kabah, Sayil, Labna, Uxmal, Dzibilchaltun, and many more. Participants may receive six hours of credit for the trip. Cost per person is $1,195, plus tuition for those who want academic credit. This includes roundtrip air fare from Atlanta, accommodations in Mexico, transportation for tour-related activi­ties, admissions to sites, health insur­ance, and Mexican airport tax. Reservations must be made by February 15. For additional informa­tion, contact Rogers or Morris in the department of earth sciences and anthropology at 227-7268. • ogy and Applied Science. The degree builds upon the basic engineering tech­nology foundation already in place in the manufacturing engineering technol­ogy program and will serve both four-year students and graduates of two-year institutions. The new EET track's designers plan for it to educate students in complete electronic systems. "We expect to pro­duce graduates qualified to supervise and control electronic and related manufacturing processes, and to man­age electronic engineering projects and organizations," said J. Dale Pounds, dean of the School of Technology and Applied Science. Students will take a wide range of courses in a fully accredited curriculum. A senior design project will require application of engineering principles to a project that involves product concep­tion, planning, design, development, construction, testing, and evaluation. Program applications are being ac­cepted now, and the initial courses will be offered this fall. For more information, contact William W. Medaris, coordinator of the new track, in the School of Tech­nology and Applied Science, 224 Belk Building, or call 227-7272. • January 22, 1988 The Reporter is published by the Office of Public Information. The Reporter REPORTER Cullowhee, North Carolina Back to basics Orff process taps deep-seated musical abilities They chant. They snap. They clap, walk, run, and dance. They sing melo­dic and rhythmic patterns, move in time with them, and play them on in­struments like tambourines, maracas, and xylophones. They create musical pageants through improvi­sation and perform them from memory. Students in a classroom where Orff-Schulwerk instruction is used leam more than just the mechan­ics of music; they compose music of their own, using talents they may have never realized they possessed. Orff-Schulwerk, or "school-work," is a brand of music theory and educational methodology that stresses the inseparability of music, movement, and speech. The methodology was started in the 1920s by German composer and educator Carl Orff (1895-1982), and adapted for use primarily with children after World War II. Today, Orffs philosophies are taught worldwide by hundreds of thousands of educators who share his belief that all humans have an in­herent musicianship that should be developed as early as possible. Member­ship in the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA), and in other or­ganizations like it around the world, grows yearly. Orff instruction is easily found in the Music-English building during a part of each summer. Since 1982, the music department has been building a wide reputation for hosting lively Orff workshops, attended by music educators from throughout the Southeast. The workshops feature Konnie Saliba, head of graduate Orff Studies at Memphis State University, and on alternate years, Jos (pronounced "Yos") Wuytack, professor of pedagogy at the Lemmen Institute of the University of Leuven, Belgium. This summer, Margaret Dugard, a widely acclaimed Orff clinician and public school teacher from Nashville, Tenn., will also be featured as instructor in one workshop. Eva Adcock, associate professor of music and WCU's Orff workshop coordinator, explains that the Orff process emphasizes rhythm as music's strongest element. "You start with a chant or a simple song, which might be taught either by rote or by reading notes," Adcock said. A Weekly Newsletter for the Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University January 29, 1988 "Then you develop it by adding instrumental accompaniment, which is taught to everyone from its simplest to its final form, which is sometimes complex." The process continues with the adding of dance, and soon the original chant is transformed into a small, complete musical pageant, with the class divided into instru­mentalists, dancers, and singers. An entire music and dance piece might be improvised based only on a chant of the students' names or a simple rhyme, Adcock said. Orff is taught in four levels, with individual courses devoted to each. Guidelines for the content of each course are established by AOS A, which has approved all Orff courses at Western. After Dugard's Level I course this summer, Wuytack will teach "Potpourri," which is a suggested introduction to Orff and a pedagogical workshop for current clinicians. Although it is geared to children's instruction, the Orff method is ad­justable to all ages. Educators them­selves are taught the method by experience: they chant, sing, clap, and dance their way to what Adcock calls "a tremendous musical climax." Adcock said the most exciting devel­opment in WCU's Orff program is a new graduate concentration in Orff now in the works, to be offered jointly by WCU and Memphis State. Pending approval by university committees, the option for an eleven-hour concentra­tion in Orff would be added to the Master in Music Education (M.M.Ed.) degree program. cont'd next page People and places • Marilyn Feldman (Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction)