The Reporter, March 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.Groundbreaking Starts New Look for Campus Western Carolina University broke ground March 8 for its Fine and Performing Arts Center, a $30 million facility designed to serve both as a new home for WCU's burgeon­ing academic programs in the arts and humanities, and as a cornerstone in the university's and region's efforts to grow and develop. About 150 people gathered to watch as WCU Chancel­lor John W. Bardo, board of trustees chair Adelaide Daniels Key, and North Carolina Representative Phillip Haire (D-Jackson) took shovels in hand to officially break ground on the 121,000 square-foot center. The center is the largest of seventeen construction projects slated for the next ten years. Construction can proceed quickly because design and site preparation work, including the extension of utilities to the site, already has been completed through previous appropriations by the N.C. General Assembly. "This ceremony is, indeed, a significant occasion in the life of our university," said Key. "Many of you here today have shared with us the excitement and the anxiety that has come with following this dream of a Fine and Perform­ing Arts Center. Today brings the reality—the promise of a much-needed facility for our campus and its students, as well as for our region and its citizens." When complete, the Fine and Performing Arts Center will provide classrooms, studios, galleries, and support space for students majoring in the arts and humanities and a 1,000-seat hall for music and theatrical performances. Consolidating all of Western's fine and performing arts into an integrated complex reflects the importance of the arts not just to the campus, but to the surrounding region and its economic future, Bardo said. - . Continued on page 2 Participating in the groundbreaking ceremonies were, left to right, Adelaide Daniels Key , board of trustees chair; John Bardo, WCU chancellor; and Phil Haire, North Carolina state representative. Training Tuesdays To Enhance Skills The Office of Human Resources once again will be offering Training Tuesdays as