The Reporter, June 1990

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.Reporter News for the Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University June 15, 1990 Cullowhee, North Carolina Showing students the common threads W 1 t r y . . . t o g i v e students more than just a disjointed set of ideas. I wa nt them to see the underlying structure and logic." - Dr. Robert Pittman hen I become dictator of the world, Fm going to have one big academic depart­ment," said Dr. Robert Pittman, professor of education. "In this department, the guys in math will still teach math, but they're also going to have to talk with the guys in English, and the people in education will have to talk with the folks in business, and so on," Pittman said. It's an illustration of his philosophy of "com­mon" threads—an outlook that says excellence in academics comes from finding the commonalities, or recurrent themes, among different ideas or disciplines. In teaching, he said, excellence comes from helping stu­dents find the themes that run throughout any body of know­ledge, from a single presen­tation to the university's entire curriculum. A member of the Department of Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction since 1975, Pittman was named in April as the recipient of the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award for 1990. He received the award in 1981 also, and is the first person to receive it twice since the award was established in 1976. Classroom instruction should tie concepts to­gether in the way a good story links ideas, he said. "When you sit down to read a story, you This Is the final Issue of the Reporter for the month of June. Publication will resume July 6. Pittman identify with the characters and themes of a novel much more than you would with a technical manual. I try to make my classes like that, to give students more than just a disjointed set of ideas. I want them to see the underlying structure and logic," Pittman said. That way, students are able to take with them a framework of concepts, which they can continue to fill in with new knowledge and use in new ways, even after the semester ends. For example, in the statistics course Pittman teaches this summer, graduate students make up their own research questions and go about finding the statistical solutions. What the students gain is not just a one-time answer, but the ability to locate relevant research any time they need it Does working in the School of Education and Psychology, within easy reach of new ideas in education philosophy and methodology, help Pittman know better how to be an effective teacher? In some ways, he said. "I've been exposed to some teaching principles over the years that I've been able to implement." But being able to recite teaching strategies is no guarantee of successful instruction, he added. A teacher can achieve that result only through a healthy mix of knowledge of his subject and proficiency in interpersonal relations. One good way to practice teaching skills is to become a parent, Pittman said. Parenting provides plenty of opportunities for presenting new material—how to tie a shoe, why toys should be shared—in a manner with which the "pupil" can identify. Pittman and his wife, Pamela, a library skills assistant in Hunter Library, have two sons, ages eight and eleven. Pittman has been involved with education for more than twenty years. He earned a bachelor's degree in math at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1969, taught high school for a time, and then served two years with the U.S. Army infantry. He received a master's degree at Chapel Hill in 1974 and the doctorate, also at Chapel Hill, in 1975. For several years, he has been a consultant for Haywood County public schools. - Joey Price News briefs WCU RECEIVED THE CERTIFICATE OF SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT for 1989 last month from the North Carolina Department of Labor. The safety award is given annually to employers whose employee accident rate is fifty percent below the state average for their industry group. The citation was given in recogni­tion of "the outstanding accident preven­tion efforts of Western Carolina Univer­sity which resulted in a substantial reduction of accidents and the promotion of safer working conditions during the year 1989." The university also received the safety achievement award in 1987. REGISTRATION FOR THE SECOND FIVE-WEEK SESSION of summer classes will be held 9 a.m.-noon Monday, July 2, in the auxiliary gym of the Ramsey Center. Students should bring their registration permits, approved by their advisers, for entrance to registration. New students may obtain their materials and permits to register at the Ramsey Center on the day of registration. Classes will begin on Thursday, July*$. Late registra­tion and drop-add for second session will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, July 3-5, at regular office locations. For more information, call 227-7216. SEASON TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR THE ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY'S thirtieth anniversary season. Subscribers will save up to thirty-three percent of the cost of single tickets and, along with donors to the symphony's annual fund, will have first choice of seats to special events, such as a visit next April by Met­ropolitan Opera star Leontyne Price. The 1990-91 season's "masterworks" concerts will feature renowned guest artists on piano, violin, trumpet, and cello. An all- Mozart concert in April will commemo­rate the two-hundredth anniversary of the composer's death. Other performances will include pops and "chamberworks" concerts throughout the season. For more information, call (704) 254-7046. WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY Monday 18 Movie, Throw Momma from the Train. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. "Tribute to Irving Berlin." A Cullowhee Music Festival event. MRH, 8 p.m. $7 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 25 Movie, Summer School. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-l 1 p.m. 2 Orientation for second summer session. Hospitality Room, RAC, 8:30 a.m. Registration for second summer session. Auxiliary gym, RAC, 9 a.m.-noon. Movie, Ruthless People. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-li p.m. Key HFR H.F. Robinson Administration Building MHC Mountain Heritage Center MRH Music Recital Hall RAC Ramsey Activity Center UC University Center Tuesday 19 Movie, Throw Momma from the Train. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Tuckaseigee kayak trip. 1 p.m. Register early at UC. $5 WCU students, $15 faculty and staff. "Mostly Mendelssohn." A Cullowhee Music Festival event. MRH, 8 p.m. $7 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 26 Movie, Summer School. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 3 Late registration and drop/add. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Movie, Ruthless People. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Tuckaseigee canoe trip. 1 p.m. Register early at UC. $5 WCU students, $15 faculty and staff. Summer early enrollment orientation. 10 3 Music-English Building, 2 p.m. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Wednesday 20 Movie, Throw Momma from the Train. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Ice cream sundaes. UC lawn. 1 -3 p.m. $ 1. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Highlights of American chamber music. MRH, 8 p.m. $7 Adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 27 Movie, Summer School. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Ice cream sundaes. UC lawn. 1-3 p.m. $1. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 4 Late registration and drop/add. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Movie, Ruthless People. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Ice cream sundaes. UC lawn. 1-3 p.m. $1. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. June 15. 1990 The Reporter J 18-July Thursday 21 Movie, Throw Momma from the Train. UC, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Orientation check-in. Scott Hall, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Opening session: Lecture enclosure G, RAC, 3 p.m. Three movies, O'Henry's, The Ransom of Red Chief, and The Cop and the Anthem. Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 3:30 and 7 p.m. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 28 Movie, Summer School. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-l 1 p.m. Orientation check-in. Scott Hall, 11 a.m.-2p.m. Opening session: Lecture enclosure G, RAC, 3 p.m. Movie, The Red Badge of Courage. Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 3:30 and 7 p.m. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. Hocy Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 5 —" ^Second-session classes begin. 8 a.m. Late registration and d rop/add. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Movie, Ruthless People. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-l 1 p.m. Tuckaseigee kayak trip. 1 p.m. Register at UC. $5 WCU students, $15 faculty and staff. Movie, The Cafeteria. Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 3:30 and 7 p.m. Opening reception for landscape paintings exhibit. Chelsea Galley, UC, 8 p.m. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Friday 22 Movie, Throw Momma from the Train. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.- 11 p.m. Nantahala raft trip. 1 p.m. Register early at UC. $5 WCU students, $16 faculty and staff. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christ ie. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens ana students. "At Home," a chamber music concert. A Cullowhee Music Festival event. MRH, 8 p.m. $7 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Orientation information fair. Grandroom, UC, 8:30-9:15 p.m. 29 Movie, Summer School. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Nantahala raft trip. 1 p.m. Register early at UC. $5 WCU students, $16 faculty and staff. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Orientation information fair. Grandroom, UC, 8:30-9:15 p.m. 6 Movie, Ruthless People. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-l 1 p.m. Nantahala raft trip. 1 p.m. Register early at UC. $5 WCU students, $16 faculty and staff. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Saturday 23 Movie, Throw Momma from the Train. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.- 11 p.m. National Teachers Exam - Core Battery. Natural Sciences Auditorium, 7:45 a.m. Book and Supply Store open special hours for orientation. 8 a.m.-l p.m. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Cullowhee Music Festival Gala. MRH, 8 p.m. $7 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 30 Book and Supply Store open sp ecial hours for orientation. 8 a.m.-l p.m. Movie, Summer School. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. 7 Movie, Ruthless People. Second floor, UC, 10 a.m.-l 1 p.m. Little Shop of Horrors. Hoey Auditorium, 8 p.m. $9 adults, $5 senior citizens and students. Sunday 24 1 8 Special programs and camps Ongoing Fisheries and Wildlife Summer Camp, through June 22. Men's Basketball Camp, through June 22. Cullowhee Music Festival, through June 23. Orff-Schulwerk courses (Levels I and EU), through June 29. Legislators' School for Youth Leadership Development (first session), through July 6. Private Industry Council Youth Leadership Development Program, through July 13. Upward Bound, through July 14. New "Many Shapes of Time" (June 18-23 ) and "Living Lightly on the Road" (June 25-30), NCCAT seminars. Men's basketball camp, June 24-29. Cullowhee Experience, June 24- July 21. Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics, June 24-July 27. New Beginnings, a program for single mothers and their families, July 1 -27. Gymnastics camp, July 8-14. Legislator's School for Youth Leadership Development (second session), July 8-28. The Reporter June 15. 1990 The Reporters published by the Office of Public Information. Mall notices and changes of address to the Reporter. 1601 Ramsey Center. 1 >450 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $132.50, or $.09 per copy. Western Carolina University Is an Equal Opportunity Institution. June 15. 1990 Workshops and conferences • Glenn Hardesty, Shirley Kool, and Ann Deupree (Financial Aid) attended the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in Louisville, Ky., in February. Kool was a nominee for vice president of the organization. • Dr. Anthony Hickey (Dean, Research and Graduate Studies) attended the annual meeting of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in February. Elections, honors, and appointments • John Creech and Lorna Dorr (Hunter Library) attended the May meeting of the Western North Carolina Library Association. Creech was re-elected treasurer of the organization for 1990-91, and Dorr was re-elected to the board of directors. • Ed Israel (Western North Carolina Tomorrow) was elected vice-president of the Southern Appala­chian Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB) Founda­tion, a nonprofit foundation formed as a means for other organizations to join SAMAB. Man and the Biosphere is an international action program created in 1971 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. • Dr. Perry Kelly (Art, retired), William E. Paulk, Jr. (English, retired), and Dr. Hubert Youmans (Chemistry and Physics, retired) were named in May as professors emeriti by the university board of trustees. • Dr. C. Don Livingston (Political Science) and J. Karl Nicholas (English) received the 1990 H.F. Robinson Social Science Achievement Award in May from Pi Gamma Mu international honor society in social science. The award is presented for distinction in education and service. • Sandra Oldendorf (Psychology) received the 1990 "Accessible Professor of the Year" award from the Office of Student Development. The award is given annually to a faculty member who has endeavored to make his or her discipline available to all students, including those with handicaps or learning disabilities. • J. Dale Pounds (Dean, Technology and Applied Science) was installed as secretary of Region V of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in Houston, Tex., April 21. Region V covers fifteen southeastern states, or more than 12,870 members of the national organization. • R. Randy Rice (Director, Housing) has been reappointed as coordinating board chairman of the executive board for the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO -1). The coordinating board oversees three committees that conduct professional development workshops and outreach for ACUHO-1, which has more than 800 institutional members housing more than two million students. Rice's term as southern district representative for ACUHO -1 runs through July 1991. • Danny Williamson (Athletics) was chosen in April as the 1990 Southern Conference "Outdoor Men's Track and Field Coach of the Year." Williamson, who coaches men's and women's track and field teams, led both teams to third-place finishes in the championships. He also coaches men's and women's cross-country teams. Other activities • Dr. Eva Adcock (Music) coordinated a work­shop entitled "What is Kindermusick?" on campus April 21. Carol Harris, a widely known authority on music education for day-care children, served as clinician for the workshop. • Dr. Richard Berne (Chemistry and Physics) was a consultant on science laboratory activities for the Atlanta (Ga.) Public School Science Coordinators organization April 29. Exhibits Photographs of mountain scenes by Larry Tucker, photographs of Southern Appalachian wildflowers by Dr. James Wallace, and "Diversity Endan­gered," a poster exhibit. Natural Sciences Building, 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays. "The School at Cullowhee," a historical exhibit; "Bells in the Valley," a historical slide show on WCU; and "Migration of the Scotch-Irish People," a permanent exhibit. Mountain Heritage Center, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. 4The Self as Other," self-portraits by nine artists. Belk Building Art Gallery, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday- Friday and by appointment (227-7210), through August 1. Chinese brush paintings by Professor Zhao Haoru (through June 28) and acrylic landscape paintings by Linda Maybeny-Best (July 2-August 3). Chelsea Gallery, 10 a.m.-ll p.m. Monday-Friday. The Reporte