The Reporter, October 2001

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 c October 8, 2001 l Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University Council Seeks To Resolve Shared Issues After a year of establishing its direction and addressing problems from various campus constituencies, the University Advisory Council is looking ahead. As the youngest of WCU's governance bodies, the council supports the four campus stakeholder groups— students, faculty, staff, and administration. Each group has an equal voice in making policy recommendations that affect the campus as a whole or that substantially affect two or more groups. It is designed to coordinate university-wide ini­tiates, facilitate discus­sion of campus-wide issues, foster effective campus leadership, consult with and support constituent organizations, foster a sense of community, and make recommendations to the chancellor and other appropri­ate decision-making bodies. uWe are learning new ways to mutually support the other governance bodies and working to improve dia­logue, " said Bob Orr, Web manager in the Office of Public Information and chairman of the council. Last year, the UAC addressed the issue of twenty-four- hour visitation in the residence halls and its impact on multiple constituencies. "The council was able to discuss the issue, make recommendations and move forward," said Orr. Currently, chairmen of the other governance groups are members of the UAC, and UAC representatives are members of each of the other groups. "This reciprocal membership gives us a good sense of the information flow throughout all of the constituencies," said Orr. With the council's first anniversary in September, one on-going project is to refine the internal process of the council. The goal is to streamline the election process of UAC officers with a resolution to be presented at the December meeting. The council functions with two major committees— leadership and communications. The leadership commit­tee continues its efforts from last spring, working with the Office of Human Resources in finding ways to promote leadership on campus, including guest speakers and special events. One of the major projects of this committee is the WCU Leadership Institute, which involves forty-five supervisors and five management-level staff from all divisions in activities over the next two years. The communications committee is working to bring everyone on campus into the communications loop by making sure information is efficiently and effectively distributed. This year's leadership for the council, in addition to Orr, includes David Whitaker, student, vice chairman; Tori Ellison, director of annual giving, secretary; Jan Gilbert, associate registrar for operations, leadership committee chairman; and Debie Connelly, information and communciations specialist, Office of Public Information; communications committee chairman. The council is open to recommendations for issues of concern. These concerns may be submitted online. See www.wcu.edu/uac. Minutes of the council meetings, as well as Staff Forum and Faculty Senate meetings, are linked from the university governance Web site at www.wcu.edu/ UnivGov/. The Student Government Association will be able to provide this information in the near future. Teacher Education Program Receives Recognition Western Carolina University's teacher education program has moved to the head of the class, according to a report card issued September 12, by the North Carolina State Board of Education. Western earned a score of 136 out of a possible 150 in the Performance Report on Teacher Education Programs for 2000-01, placing WCU among the top four programs of the forty-seven institutions of higher education in North Carolina that offer teacher education programs. The report represents North Carolina's primary effort to hold colleges and universities accountable for their role in preparing classroom teachers to work in the state's schools. Each prpgram is evaluated in a variety of categories, including graduate and employer surveys, test Continued on page 2 Homecoming *01 Festivities Announced Western Carolina University students past and present will turn the Cullowhee Valley purple and gold as the university community celebrates Homecoming '01, with activities on campus and in the town of Sylva. Wednesday, October 17 •Student balloting will take place for Homecoming court, with elections to set the five-man, five-woman court. Election of the king and queen is set for Wednesday, Wednesday, October 24 • Inaugural "Power Puff' football tournament, with teams composed of both men and women, will begin at 7 p.m. in Whitmire Stadium and continue until a champion is crowned. Thursday, October 25 • Motivational speaker Johnnie Tuitel speaks on "I'd Rather Be Dancing," discussing his experiences dealing with a physical disability, to inspire listeners to think about their dreams and potentials. The free program will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Grandroom of the University Center. • Float building and banner making party, with music and food, will kick off at 9 p.m., Ramsey Center, in preparation for the parade and banner contest. Friday, October 26 • Annual Alumni Golf Tournament gets under way at 1 p.m., at Laurel Ridge Country Club, Waynesville (reservations are required). • Women's soccer team hosts East Tennessee State University at 4 p.m. • Sixth annual Homecoming parade starts at 6:15 p.m., downtown Sylva. Floats and marchers representing university and Jackson County organizations will take part. Participants will include the Homecoming Court, WCU athletic teams and cheerleaders, and the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. • Women's volleyball vs. Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. • Spirit Night celebration, including a pep rally, bonfire, music, food, fireworks and other activities, gets under way at 8 p.m. on the intramural fields adjacent to Reid Gymnasium. Teacher Education, continued from page I scores of prospective teachers and teacher education graduates, and the percentage of teachers employed. "It is quite an honor to be selected as an exemplary teacher education university," said A. Michael Dougherty, dean of Western's College of Education and Allied Professions. Western's latest marks on the "state report card" show a six-point improvement over last year's score. Dougherty attributed the increase to a growing number of partnerships with public school systems, and to widespread institutional support for teacher preparation programs at a university founded in 1889 as a teacher education school. Saturday, October 27 • African-American alumni breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m., University Outreach Center. • Reunion of t he Decades Luncheon, for alumni whose graduation year ends with a one ('41, '51 and so on), starts at 11 a.m., Ramsey Center, followed by the presentation of alumnus and service awards. Other special reunions and tailgate parties will continue into the early afternoon. • Catamounts take on Southern Conference foe Virginia Military Institute in a 2 p.m. showdown at Whitmire Stadium. • The post-game goings-on include Stompfest '01, a step show competition among African-American fraternity and sorority groups from several Southeastern colleges, at 7 p.m. in the Ramsey Center. • The fiftieth reunion for the class of 1951 will begin at 7 p.m., University Outreach Center. Sunday, Oct. 28 •Lady Catamounts will be back in action on the soccer field to take on rival Appalachian State at 2 p.m. and on the volleyball court against the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga at 6 p.m. For more information or reservations to the golf tournament or alumni events, call the Office of Alumni Affairs, 227-7335. For information on other activities, call the University Center offices at 227-7206. Each year, Western's Mountain Heritage Day Committee honors an individual or organization with the Eva Adcock Award in recognition of longtime and significant service to the festival. WCU's department of facilities management was named the 2001 recipient of the award during Mountain Heritage Day activities September 29. Receiving the award from committee member John Newman (far right) on behalf of the department of facilities management are (left to right) Roger Turk, grounds superintendent; Rick Stough, housekeeping superintendent; and Andy Degrove, maintenance superintendent. Not pictured is Andy Comrie, director of the department of facilities management. O c t o b e r 8 , 2 0 0 1 • T h e Re p o r t e r Tuesday, October 9 Training Tuesdays—"Diversity for Managers," 1-3 p.m., Room 404, BB. Registration required. (227-7218 or www.wcu.edu/hr/training) Wednesday, October 10 Meeting—Diabetes Support Group, 4-5 p.m., Rogers Room, UC. (227-2088) Thursday, October I I Class—for operators of 15-passenger vans; fulfills new university policy requiring all drivers of these vans to attend safety training program conducted by Office of Safety and Risk Management. Limited to 25 participants, 2:30—4:30 p.m., Room 378, BB. (227-7218 or www. wcu.edu/hr/tra ining) Friday, October 12 Class—for operators of 15- passenger vans. Limited to 25 participants, 9-11 a.m., Hospitality Room, RRAC. (227-7218 or www.wcu.edu/hr/ training) Lady Catamount soccer—vs. UNC-Greensboro, Southern Conference game, 4 p.m., SSF. (227-7338) •JLB Calendar October 8-21 2001 Look for regular updates on the university's Web site at www.wcu.edu/cal.html Saturday, October 13 Catamount football—vs. Wofford, Southern Confer­ence game, 6 p.m., WF/WS. (227-7338) Sunday, October 14 Lady Catamount soccer—vs. Davidson, Southern Confer­ence game, 1 p.m., SSF. (227-7338) Arti-Facts!—cultural arts program for children that links old-time traditions of the past to contemporary life presents "Going Nuts: Natural Dyes," reservations required, 2:30-3:30 p.m., MHC. (227-7129) Reading—"A Room of Our Own: A Night of Women's Poetry and Performance," 8 p.m., Cyber Cafe, Dodson Cafeteria. (227-3982) Blood Drive October 15,16,17 12:30-6 p.m. Grandroom, UC No appointment needed. Sponsored by the Honors College, Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity, and Phi Mu sorority. Tuesday, October 16 Training Tuesdays— "Customer Service 1— Advanced Connections," 8:30-11:30 a.m., Room 404, BB. Registration required. (227-7218 or www.wcu.edu/hr/ training) Wednesday, October 17 Lady Catamount volleyball— vs. UNC-Asheville, 7 p.m., Reid Gymnasium. (227-7338) Exhibitions: •** Now Showing*** Louis Finkelstein Paintings. An overview of noted lyrical abstractionist Louis Finkelstein. Through October 26. BB. (227-3591) Born of intimate Light Recent paintings by Betty Clarke. Through October 20. Chelsea Gallery, UC. (227-7206) Finely Crafted. Woodworking hand tools and furniture. Through December. MHC. (227-7129) Working the Land. Display showing the importance of agriculture in North Carolina's past, present, and future. Through December 18. MHC. (227-7129) The Old Barn: By the Creek and In the Cove, a year-long display of Jackson County barns photographed by Lloyd Cowan, featuring barns from particular sections of the county exhibited for a three-month period; fifth and final group showcases photos of more than 150 barns throughout the county. Through December 21. MHC. (227-7129) Migration of the Scotch-Irish People. (permanent exhibition). Information, illustrations, artifacts, and murals. MHC. (227-7129) Key: $ - Admission fee; HA - Hoey Auditorium ; HFR - H.F. Robinson Administration Build ing; HS/CF - Hennon Stadium/Childress Field; MHC - Mountain Heritage Center; NSA - Natural Sciences Auditorium; RRAC - Ramsey Regional Activity Center; RH - Recit al Hall, Coulter Building; BB - Belk Bu ilding; UC - A.K. Hinds University Cente r; UOC - University Outreach Center; WS/BW - Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field; SSF - Shrader Soccer Field. Thursday, October 18 Circus—Royal Hanneford Circus, 7 p.m., RRAC. $ (227-7677) Saturday, October 20 Open House—for prospective students and their families. Registration begins 9 a.m., RRAC. (227-7317) Lady Catamount volleyball— vs. UNC-Greensboro, South­ern Conference match, 2 p.m., RRAC. (227-7338) Sunday, October 21 Lady Catamount volleyball— vs. Davidson, Southern Conference match, 2 p.m., RRAC. (227-7338) Concert—Artist-in-Residence, 4 p.m., HA. Call for ticket information. $ (227-7242) Submissions: Send news items and calendar notices to WCU Calendar, 1601 Ramsey Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723 or e-mail to Reporter@email.wcu.edu. Submit items for the university's calendar on the Internet at least one week prior to the event. O c t o b e r 8 , 2 0 0 1 • T h e R e p o r t e r Western Advances in Yahoo! Listing For the second consecutive year, Western Carolina University has been named one of the 100 "most wired" colleges in the nation by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine, a national publication and guide to the World Wide Web. Western moved up three places in the rankings, to No, 65, from last year's position at No. 68. WCU scored higher than such major universities as Maryland, Texas, Yale, Syracuse, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Michigan State. Other North Carolina universities ranked in the top 100 are Wake Forest (ranked No. 20), N.C. State (21), University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (56), Duke University (63), Elon (79), and East Carolina (95). The rankings are part of the fifth annual "most wired colleges" survey results, published in the October edition of Yahoo! Internet Life magazine. WesternTo Host Hunger Discussion Local, regional, and worldwide hunger will be the focus as Western Carolina University hosts the eighteenth annual World Food Day Conference, Tuesday, October 16, in Killian 104. Highlighting the day's discussions will be a t eleconference from noon to 3 p.m. originating from George Washington University with Wenche Bath Edie. Edie will speak on the topic "World Food System: Serving All or Serving Some." She is the author of the book Food As a Human Right. Representatives of local, regional, and statewide organizations dedicated to ending hunger in North Carolina communities will present the morning sessions. Starting the morning, from 9-9:30 a.m., will be Shirley Williams-McClain, executive director of the North Carolina Hunger Network, based in Raleigh. She will address the issue of hunger and food insecurity in North Carolina and the importance of linking emergency food providers, church hunger groups, community action agencies, social change organizations, community-based organizations, and individuals in order to address the problem of hunger. Leigh Dudasik, director of programs and communications for MANNA Food Bank in Asheville, will present the next session, 9:35-10:05 a.m. She will discuss the problem of hunger from a Western North Carolina perspective, highlighting the importance of food banks as a response. Jimmi Buell, a member of the board of directors of Sylva's Community Table, will speak, 10:15-10:45 a.m., on the work that this local organization does to address the issue of hunger in Jackson County. Discussion and planning will follow the afternoon teleconference. All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Nilofer Couture, nutritionist, at 586-2454 or Ted Coyle, assistant professor of anthropology and sociology, at 227-3900. 7 Tie Reporter is publish ed by the Office of P ublic Information. Debie Connelly, editor. Mail faculty/staff notes, ev ents, notices, and changes of address to lire r\v)/Vf vCf, I vv I r\4iuacjr , vl awliU wtvlll Vt