The Reporter, May 2015

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 May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | Shoes were tted to children in South Africa on this “Distribution Day,” March 24, 2015. (Photo: Samaritan’s Feet) TOP STORIES Campuswide learning theme goes big next fall For the first time, the interdisciplinary learning theme for Western Carolina University will be in place for two academic years beginning next fall. “Africa! More Than a Continent” was the unanimous choice of the steering committee selecting the theme, and the members felt that the size and scope of the subject deserved emphasis throughout 2015-16 and 2016-17. Carol Burton, associate provost for undergraduate studies, said the tagline provided an opportunity to emphasize that size and scope. “There are so many misconceptions about Africa,” she said. “So many people think of it as a single country. The Mercator maps we see distort the size of the continent; it looks smaller in comparison to, say, North America. But Africa has 54 countries.” The second largest land mass with the second largest population in the world also has a rich diversity of climates, ecologies, economies and cultures. “That gives us the opportunity to have a great campuswide conversation about a beautiful, diverse, culture-rich continent,” Burton said. “One of the things a learning theme does is help us have a conversation that pushes the edge, enlightens and inspires us – whether it is about a place, period or person, and we’ve had all of those.” Burton said that Africa is “a provocative topic to me, personally. But what really excites me is the opportunity to propose it, not only to our students, but to the public.” The two-year span gives plenty of time to present the conversation more widely. “Once we launch a learning theme, we want to get it out early so that disciplines can plan to embed it in courses and activities,” Burton said. “We’ll take a two-pronged approach: a rst year for general awareness about geography, food, culture, basic issues; then in the second year, an embedded, deeper approach – including, hopefully, travel-learning opportunities.” Among the many opportunities aorded by the theme, a unique one for service learning has presented itself. “We’re forming a partnership with Samaritan’s Feet, an international charity that supplies shoes for children,” Burton said. “It was founded by Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Ohonme, who has four children – one of whom attends WCU. This partnership will open many opportunities for grassroots involvement of people who are interested.” In weeks to come, as more planning and preparation for fall semester takes place, work will progress on a website oering instructional materials and other information created with the help of Hunter Library and Coulter Faculty Commons, Burton said. Previous interdisciplinary learning themes have been: 2009-2010 “Josena Niggli – A Celebration of Culture, Life and Art” 2010-2011 “Sweet ‘n Low – An Interdisciplinary Journey to Living Well” 2011-2012 “The WCU Poverty Project” 2012-2013 “Citizenship and Civility” 2013-2014 “The Decade of the 1960’s – Take it All In” 2014-2015 “North Carolina: Our State, Our Time” By Keith Brenton 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 © 2015 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Chancellor to speak at A-B Tech commencement Chancellor David Belcher will speak at the commencement exercises for Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville, Saturday, May 16, at 2 p.m. The title of his presentation is “Point of Departure.” For more information about the event, see the A-B Tech web page https://www.abtech.edu/graduation. Tags: David Belcher 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 © 2015 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | These mid-20th century era apartments are being vacated for demolition later. TOP STORIES Faculty apartment complex to cease operations; parking lot planned The Department of Residential Living is getting out of the business of providing short-term housing opportunities to Western Carolina University faculty and staff as a 35-unit apartment complex in operation since the 1960s closes later this year. Located o of Long Branch Road across N.C. Highway 107 from the main WCU campus, the complex will be demolished and replaced by a parking lot designed to help alleviate the anticipated parking crunch expected to accompany the addition of more than 400 beds to the university’s inventory of student housing in fall 2016. The decision to level the aging apartment complex is based on simple economics and on a sharpening of focus on the need for student housing, said Keith Corzine, assistant vice chancellor for campus services. “Those apartments are 50 years old, they are not air-conditioned, and they have seen no major renovations or upgrades since they were built back in the 1960s,” Corzine said. “We faced the fact that we had to make a business decision and that we did not want too much money tied up in faculty apartments given our limited resources. Simply put, faculty apartments do not meet our primary mission of providing student housing.” Although discussions about taking the faculty apartments oine have been in the works for several years, the timetable for action on the project was kick-started by the November 2013 fire that damaged a two-story structure on Centennial Drive in the heart of the WCU campus, Corzine said. After the re, university ocials weighed numerous options concerning what to do with the re-damaged property and other nearby structures in the commercial strip, which is owned by the Endowment Fund of Western Carolina University. The Board of Trustees of the Endowment Fund decided in February 2014 against replacing or repairing the structures, choosing instead to proceed with demolition of the property followed by private development of a n e w mixed-use facility on the site. When opened in August 2016, the new 120,000-square-foot building is expected to contain a total of about 420 additional student beds, along with dining and retail establishments. “We knew that a mixed-used development was in the cards in our university master plan, but when the re happened in November 2013, it was the rst in a series of dominos to fall,” Corzine said. “The re moved the mixed-use project up a notch, and the fallout from adding those additional beds is that we found ourselves in need of additional parking.” The antiquated faculty apartment complex oers one of a handful of potential sites for that parking, he said. “The university recognized the need to be able to accommodate more parking in as cost-effective a method as possible, and basic surface parking is still the most cost-effective method,” he said. The land where the apartments are located could handle slightly more than 500 parking spots if fully utilized, he said. To prepare for the end of on-campus faculty and sta housing, the Department of Residential Living last year began phasing out the number of renters living in the complex, limiting the length of leases (or user agreements) to one year. Most of the rental agreements begin expiring at the end of May, although a couple of the residents are expected to remain in the complex until January. Current plans call for demolition of the apartments in late winter or early spring 2016, with completion of the parking lot in time for the opening of the school year and the new mixed-use facility in August 2016. University ocials are in the process of determining whether the new lot will be paved or gravel, and guring out who will be allowed to park in the new lot. “The faculty apartments have served us well with the intent to provide transitional housing to incoming faculty and sta at a reasonable rate,” Corzine said. “A lot of people have beneted from the apartments over the years. But now we nd ourselves in the situation where we cannot aord to invest what is needed to be invested in order to upgrade the units.” Had the university decided to renovate the apartments, renters would have faced a major increase in monthly rental fees to recoup those expenses, he said. In addition, more off-campus options have been made available in recent years with the growth of nearby apartment complexes. 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 © 2015 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | Jeremy B. Jones ACHIEVEMENTS Faculty member’s memoir takes gold Jeremy B. Jones, assistant professor of English at Western Carolina University and author of “Bearwallow: A Personal History of a Mountain Homeland,” has won a gold medal for his work in the autobiography/memoir classification of the 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards. “Bearwallow” recounts Jones’ return with his wife to the Southern Appalachian homeland settled by his ancestors about 200 years ago, where he took a job as a teacher alongside his own childhood teachers and experienced an ongoing connection with the mountain for which the memoir is named. “Region can shape people in a specific way,” Jones said in a December interview with Bethany Chafin of public radio station WFDD in the Piedmont. “The book asks, overtly in the early part, ‘What does it mean to be mountain people and how are we shaped?’ It’s not artifice for the book; I genuinely was asking that question.” The “IPPY” Awards, launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers. Established as the first awards program open exclusively to independents, over 3,000 recognitions have been awarded to authors and publishers around the world. For more information about the competition and the complete list of this year’s winners, see the organization’s web page at independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1936. By Keith Brenton Tags: Jeremy Jones 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 © 2015 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | TOP STORIES Finalists chosen from among WCU Quality Enhancement Plan proposals Western Carolina University is one step closer to identifying the focus of its 10-year Quality Enhancement Plan, which is an integral part of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges reaccreditation review planned for 2017. The QEP Topic Selection Committee has narrowed the eld of 55 submitted proposals for the QEP down to eight nalists. The nalists will develop white papers on their topics over the course of the summer, and the campus will vote on the winning idea in September. “After reviewing the long list of submissions, it was incredible to see that several important, campuswide issues and opportunities rose to the top as themes,” said Sloan Despeaux, associate professor of mathematics and chair of the QEP Topic Selection Committee. “Ultimately, the selection committee was able to identify eight themes that were the focus of multiple submissions, and we selected the most well-developed proposal in each of those themes as the nalists. We have asked the nalists to consider other proposals with similar themes as they craft their more fully developed white paper proposals that will be presented to campus this fall.” As a component of the accreditation process for WCU, SACSCOC requires that the university develop an acceptable QEP that focuses on learning outcomes and/or an environment supporting student learning. In addition, WCU must ensure that it has the capacity to implement and sustain the QEP, that a broad base of stakeholders was involved in the process, and that the QEP identies goals and a plan to assess their achievements (as taken from the SACSCOC Handbook). The eight themes, as well as the winning proposals and authors, are: THEME 1: LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Winning proposal: “Online with 2020,” submitted by Sue Grider, Laura Cruz, Martha Diede, Susan Fouts and Tony Miller. THEME 2: COURSES TO CAREERS Winning proposal: “Life Skills,” submitted by Shauna Sleight. THEME 3: DIVERSITY AND CIVILITY Winning proposal: “Investing in a Diversified Institution.” THEME 4: ENGAGED AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Winning proposal: “Regional Community Engagement: Creating a Personal Habit and Campus Culture of Civic and Community Engagement,” submitted by Adam Ray and Lane Perry. THEME 5: TEACHING ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY Winning proposal: “SUSTAIN: WCU as a Living Learning Laboratory,” submitted by Lauren Bishop, Laura Cruz, Andy Coburn and Josh Whitmore. THEME 6: INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION Winning proposal: “Creativity and Innovation,” submitted by Lisa Bloom and Sharon Dole. THEME 7: CULTIVATING INTENTIONAL LEARNERS 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 Winning proposal: “Mindset: Cultivating Intentional, Persistent Learners,” submitted by Chesney Reich, Laura Cruz, Martha Diede, Russ Curtis, Shawn Hudson, David Onder, Alison Joseph and Ellen Sigler. THEME 8: PREPARATION FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS Winning proposal: “Placement, Emporium, Math Success,” submitted by Jeff Lawson, Nory Prochaska and John Wagaman. © 2015 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Proceeds from dance boost new parks and recreation management scholarship Western Carolina University’s Parks and Recreation Management Program hosted its inaugural Catamount Community Dance recently in Reid Gymnasium to raise funds for the program’s new student scholarship fund. Students taking a course in parks and recreation “Management and Administration” planned, organized, implemented and evaluated the event. Heidi Turlington of the Health and Physical Education Program was the caller and live music was provided by PRM faculty members Maurice Phipps and Ben Tholkes, and PRM alumnus Aaron Caldwell. Forty-ve individuals participated in the dance, including Dale Brotherton, head of the Department of Human Services, and Dale Carpenter, dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions. Proceeds from the dance, more than $300, have been added to the scholarship fund, said Debby Singleton, who teaches in both PRM and HPE. The PRM faculty began exploring the idea of creating a scholarship to benet students in the program last year, Singleton said. Paperwork was completed recently and fundraising has begun to endow the Phipps-Tholkes-Singleton Scholarship at $10,000 by 2020. More information about the scholarship is available by contacting any member of the PRM faculty. Becky Lindsay, adjunct instructor for the Parks and Recreation Management Program and sta member in Student Support Services, and PRM student A.C. Smoker (foreground) kick up their heels at the Catamount Community Dance. 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 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 © 2015 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Staff Senate awards three scholarships Because of donations through payroll deductions and fundraisers beneting the Western Carolina University Staff Senate Scholarship Fund this year, the Staff Senate was able to award three scholarships. Students who are children and relatives of SPA and EPA non-faculty employees, and who will be attending WCU, are eligible to apply for the Sta Senate Scholarship. This year’s awardees, all sophomores receiving $1,000 each, are: Tiffany Brown, biology major, granddaughter of Virginia Owen of the Division of Information Technology Tiffany Frady, math education major, daughter of William Frady of IT Hannah Adams, elementary education major, daughter of Jerry Adams of the University Police Department Pictured (from left to right) are Annette Parris, secretary of Sta Senate; Tiany Brown, awardee; Martin Brow, chair of the Sta Senate Scholarship committee; Tiany Frady, awardee; and David Rathbone, chair of Sta Senate. (Hannah Adams, third awardee, was not present for the photograph.) The University Club recently sponsored a fundraiser for the scholarship fund and raised more than $1,500. Staff Senate is an elected body that represents WCU’s permanent, non-faculty employees and seeks to improve the quality of life at the university. UClub hosts its TGIF events at the Moore Building on Fridays from 5-7 p.m. (including the summer). There is an online form to join at http://www.wcu.edu/faculty-staff/uclub-the-university-club/join-the-uclub.asp. Lisen Roberts, past president of the UClub, presented the check to Martin Brow, chair of the Sta Senate Scholarship committee, to help fund the three scholarships at a gifting ceremony at the 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 Chancellor’s Residence on Friday, May 1. © 2015 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home May 6, 2015 Email This Post Print This Post Share | Jessica Sims NOTEWORTHY NEWS Student awarded $11,000 counseling fellowship Jessica Sims, a graduate student at Western Carolina University, has been selected by the National Board for Certied Counselors Foundation to participate in a minority fellowship program for addictions counselors. Sims, of Prospect Park, New Jersey, will receive $11,000 in funding and training to support her education and facilitate her addictions counseling service to underserved minority transition-age youth (ages 16 to 25). A May graduate earning a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from WCU, Sims also is a graduate of Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. She taught rst-year undergraduate counseling students at WCU in fall 2013 and fall 2014. Lisen Roberts, director for the clinical mental health counseling and school counseling program at WCU, said Sims’ graduate assistantship included working for WCU’s Oce of Intercultural Aairs. Sims has spent 2014-2015 interning at Jackson County Psychological Services in Sylva. “This national award is a reection of Jessica’s commitment to the profession,” Roberts said. “As a counselor-in-training, she proved herself early on and consistently to have high-quality counseling skills and dedication to serving the mental health needs of the region.” Sims said she was thrilled when she learned that she had received the fellowship. “Words cannot adequately explain what an honor this opportunity is,” she said. “This fellowship exemplies my goals of serving underserved populations and working toward bridging the gap in mental health disparities.” Specically, Sims is interested in working with children and families with a specialty in addictions. She said she believes that this fellowship has brought her closer to achieving her goal and she vows to work hard to bridge the gap in mental health disparities. For more information about the master’s level program in clinical mental health counseling at WCU, visit the website counseling.wcu.edu. The fellowship program is made possible by a grant awarded to NBCC by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in September 2014. The foundation is contracted by NBCC to administer the program, as well as other training and collaboration activities that are open to all national certied counselors. The goal of the program is to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health care out