Reporter : the faculty-staff newsletter

              News for the Faculty and Staff of W
estern Carolina Universitythe
September 26, 2005
Western will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, to allow members of the campus and surrounding communities to tour its newly remod­eled Killian Annex Building, home to many of the university’s student support offices.
Originally built in 1968, Killian Annex for many years housed the university’s developmental evaluation programs and clinical activities in mental health. After the recently completed $2.9 million in renovations, funded by the 2000 N.C. Higher Education Bond Issue, the building now contains redesigned classrooms and offices for university instruction and student activities.
The facility includes Western’s new One Stop Student Support Center, which is designed to enable students to conduct a wide range of university-related business in one single location, instead of traveling to offices spread out across campus.
Located within the One Stop center are the Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Registrar, Cat Card and Advising offices. Killian Annex also contains offices for Catamount Academic Touring Center, Career Services/Cooperative Education and Student Support Services.
The building is named in honor of the late Carl Dan Killian, who served as dean of the College of Educa­tion and Allied Professions during his four decades of service to the university.
For more information, contact Mardy Ashe, director of Career Services, at (828) 227-3812.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Set
Sept. 30 At Killian Annex
PANEL PRESENTATION TO KICK OFF
“SIGNIFICANT STUDENT LEARNING”
continued on page 2
A panel presentation addressing “Perspectives on Engaged Learn­ing” on Thursday, Sept. 29, will kick off a series of events designed to commemorate Western’s 2005-06 academic year as “The Year of Significant Student Learning.”
The events are being coordi­nated by the Committee on Student Learning, in collaboration with the Coulter Faculty Center for Excel­lence in Teaching and Learning.
“These programs and events will draw attention to factors and features of significant student learn­ing wherever it occurs – inside and outside the classroom and across the university experience,” said Glenn Bowen, director of service learning at Western, who co-chairs the committee with Alan Altany, director of the faculty center.
The Committee on Student Learning was appointed last year to focus on issues related to student learning and to coordinate programs that promote the “holistic develop­ment” of students. The committee has a broad charge – to identify opportunities for support and co­hesiveness in the student learning processes at Western, Bowen said.
The committee is composed of 11 members representing the faculty, staff and student body. Because of the pivotal roles played by faculty and the Division of Student Affairs in the lives of students, the committee named lead representatives for academic affairs and student affairs, Bowen said. Mimi Fenton, associate professor of English, is the lead representative for academic affairs, while Julie Walters-Steele, director of A.K. Hinds University Center, is the lead representative for student affairs.
The Sept. 29 panel presentation will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. in the University Center multipurpose rooms. Panelists will include Chris Cooper, assistant professor of political science and public affairs; Scott Philyaw, associate professor of history; and Michael Despeaux, coordinator and counselor in the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education.
The second event, a roundtable discussion on “Building Bridges Between Academic Affairs and Stu­dent Affairs,” will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, in the University Center Cardinal Room. Leading the discussion will be Beth Lofquist, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs; Bill Haggard, associate vice chancellor for student affairs; and Fenton and Steele.
Another panel discussion on stu­dent learning is being planned for the spring semester. It will include a va­riety of key players, such as a career counselor, psychologist, wellness expert, academic adviser, financial aid representative, faculty member and two students, Bowen said.
Other activities of the Committee on Student Learning will be to review the draft of Western’s Quality Enhancement Plan, a major component of the Southern Association of College and Schools accreditation review, and make recommendations. In addition, the committee will review recommen­dations in the American College Personnel Association/National Association of Student Personnel Administrators publication “Learn­ing Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience” and consider whether to facilitate its implementation, Bowen said.
The Committee on Student Learning is encouraging submission September 26, 2005 • The Reporter • page 2
Fujia Lu, who formerly held senior research positions at Pinkerton Computer Consultants and the University of Texas, is the new director of polling and research activities for Western’s Institute for the Economy and the Future.
As director of the IEF’s Research, Rapid Survey and Polling Center, Lu is leading a survey research unit concentrating on overnight polling, analysis and focused survey research designed to meet the quick-turn-around demands of public and private clients, and conducting long-range research projects and economic impact analyses.
“Dr. Lu is responsible for organizing, training and establishing the polling team, and enabling the polling center to be a key player in the process of public policy making on regional economic development issues,” said IEF director Paul Evans. “In addition to experience in survey research, he has research interests in topics such as strategy of economic development, voting behavior, bureaucratic corruption and international political economy.”
Lu received his master of science degree in policy economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990 and his doctorate in political science from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000. While at Texas, he was senior research associate for the university’s Thomas Rivera Policy Institute, working on such Latino population public policy issues as gender, race and ethnicity, immigration, social welfare and voting behavior.
At Pinkerton Computer Consultants, Lu served as senior research analyst and worked on a variety of demographic and educational survey data projects, including statistical analysis for the National Center for Education Statistics annual publication “Condition of Education 2000.”
Formerly known as the Center for Regional Development, the IEF conducts research, policy analysis, polling and surveys, and employment trend analysis, and crafts policy at the state and regional levels to foster growth and innovation and promote economic development. For more information, visit www.wcu.edu/ief/
of proposals for a presentation on “Student-Faculty Assessment of Service Learning” at the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Faire. The purpose of that initia­tive is to highlight the effectiveness of service learning as pedagogy and give it deeper meaning, Bowen said.
The committee also will continue to promote research on student learning, using primarily a focus-group approach, and it will coordinate the 2006 Student Affairs Integration of Learning Award, a $2,000 award given in the spring in recognition of significant efforts to integrate teaching with activities of student affairs to achieve jointly developed learning outcomes.
The Committee on Student Learning will prepare a final report next May and submit it to Provost Kyle Cart­er and student affairs Vice Chancellor Robert Caruso. The report will describe characteristics and methods of effective student learning, highlight competencies and commitments of responsible learners, and suggest how students are best prepared for personal and professional success and for fostering a just and democratic society, Bowen said.
In the report, the committee also will propose strate­gies for breaking down various barriers to faculty/stu­dent affairs collaboration on assessment, and recom­mend specific initiatives to be pursued, Bowen said.
For more information about the Committee on Stu­dent Learning and “Year of Significant Student Learn­ing” events, contact Bowen at (828) 227-7234 or Alan Altany at (828) 227-3702.
STUDENT LEARNING
continued from page 1
It will be a fund-raising event for a low purpose when Western’s Wind Ensemble presents a special concert Thursday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. in the recital hall of the Coulter Building. This concert is part of a fund-raising effort to purchase
an instrument called a contrabassoon, the lowest pitched
instrument in the woodwind family and one often used in
college- and professional-level band music.
“With the growth in numbers and quality of the music pro­gram at Western, there is a definite need to expand some of our instrumental inventory and the contrabassoon would be a valu­able addition to the department and the university,” said John T. West, professor of music and director of bands. The goal is to purchase the instrument within two years.
The Sept. 29 concert, called “The Golden Age of the Concert Band,” is patterned after the type of concerts typically pro­grammed by bands around the turn of the 20th century, West said. The program will feature overtures, marches, patriotic selections and a number of faculty soloists, including Brad Ulrich on trumpet performing “Carnival of Venice,” Eldred Spell on piccolo perform­ing “Lafleurance Polka” and William Martin singing the well-known aria “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s opera “Turandot.” The concert will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”
Tickets are $5 and will be available through the music office department or at the door. Festival seating will be used, and concert-goers are advised to arrive early for a good seat. For more information, call the music department office at (828) 227-7242.
Fujia Lu Tapped To Direct New Polling, Research Center
Wind Ensemble Plans Concert
To Help Purchase Contrabassoon
Fujia Lu (standing), director of polling and
research activities for Western’s newly launched
Institute for the Economy and the Future, works
with Jeff Zalenka (seated), the institute’s social
research associate.September 26, 2005 • The Reporter • page 3
Sept. 26 - Oct. 9, 2005
September
October
Monday, Sept.26
Banned Books Reception—History students and faculty read from controversial books; guest authors give perspectives on censorship. Refreshments served. 6 p.m. Second Floor, Hunter Library. (227-7307)
Hispanic Heritage Month—“Cuban Art,” Martin DeWitt, director, Fine Arts Museum. 7 p.m. FAPAC. (227-3761 or phackett@wcu.edu)
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Film—“Fahrenheit 451.” Discussion after film. 6:30 p.m. Theater, UC. (227-7307)
Lady Catamount volleyball—vs. Chattanooga. Southern Conference match. $, 7 p.m. RRAC. (227-7338)
Hispanic Heritage Month—“Cultural
Diversity in Spain, with the Example of the Catalan Autonomy.” Catamount Room, UC. (227-3761 or phackett@wcu.edu)
Catamount Concert Series—Dennis Jackson, guest vocalist. 8 p.m. RH. (227-7242)
Wednesday, Sept. 28–Sunday, Oct. 2
Theatre—The University Players present “The Complete History of America (abridged).” $, Wednesday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; matinee Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. HA. (227-2479 or http://theatre.wcu.edu)
Wednesday, Sept. 28
Presentation—current status of information technology at Western, Bil Stahl, interim chief information officer. 3:30 p.m. Multipurpose Room, UC. (227-7282)
Appalachian Folklife Series: Interpreting Appalachian Heritage—“Keepers of the Flame: The Mountains, the People, Their Shared Heritage.” 7 p.m. Auditorium, MHC. (227-7129)
Thursday, Sept. 29
Panel presentation—“Perspectives on
Engaged Learning.” 3 p.m. Multipurpose Rooms, UC. (227-7234)
“Films That Matter”—“Best Years of our Lives” (William Wyler, 1946). Three men come home from WWII to a changed America. 6 p.m. Room 130, FAPAC. (227-2324)
Lectures, Concerts and Exhibitions—“Her Story: Slam Poetry,” featuring female poets
La Bruja, Helenda D. Lewis, Peuo and Vanessa Hidary. 7:30 p.m. Illusions Dance Club, UC. (227-7206)
Concert—“The Golden Age of the Concert Band,” Western’s Woodwind Ensemble. $,
8 p.m. RH. (227-7242)
Friday, Sept. 30
Golf—Bob Waters Memorial Golf Tournament. Captain’s Choice. $, High Vista Country Club, Arden. (800-492-8496 or 828-495-7321)
Campus forum—to discuss draft of Western’s strategic planning process. 12:30 p.m. Cata­mount Room, UC. (227-7495 or www.wcu.edu/strategicplanning/spcommittee/index.html)
Ribbon cutting and tour—newly remodeled
Killian Annex. 2 p.m. (227-3812 or mashe@wcu.edu)
Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund-raiser—
carnival, Bourbon Street Parade and Up-All-Nite events. 2 p.m. Lawn, UC. (227-2500)
Hispanic Heritage Month—Salsa dancing
lessons, Andrés Montoya, professional
Colombian dancer. 9 p.m. Grandroom, UC. (227-3761 or phackett@wcu.edu)
Saturday, Oct. 1
Open House—for prospective students and families. 8:30 a.m. RRAC. (kspear@email.wcu.edu or 227-3168)
Dollar Tennis Clinic—all ages welcome. $,
10 a.m. CAC. (227-7338)
Catamount football—vs. The Citadel. Southern Conference game. $, 6 p.m. WS/BW. 7 p.m. (227-7338)
Monday, Oct. 3
Hispanic Heritage Month��“Community Service Agencies and the Latino Community.” 7 p.m. Multipurpose Room A, UC. (227-3761 or phackett@wcu.edu)
Tuesday, Oct. 4–Thursday, Oct. 6
The Clothesline Project—display of T-shirts made by women who are victims or survivors of intimate violence. Noon–7 p.m. Lawn, UC. (227-2627 or womenscenter@email.wcu.edu)
Tuesday, Oct, 4
Meeting—Faculty Senate Planning Team. Noon. Mary Will Mitchell Room, Brown
Cafeteria. (227-3966)
Campus Forum—to discuss draft of Western’s strategic planning process. 4 p.m. Auditorium, MHC. (227-7495 or www.wcu.edu/strategic­planning/spcommittee/index.html)
Lady Catamount volleyball—vs. Furman. Southern Conference match. $, 7 p.m. RRAC. (227-7338)
Catamount Concert Series—Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet, “From Russia With Love.” 8 p.m. RH. (227-7242)
Presentation—“‘Can I Kiss You?’: Dating, Respect and Communication” addresses issues of dating and intimacy. 8 p.m. Grandroom, UC. (227-2627)
Wednesday, Oct. 5
Appalachian Cultural Lunchtime Series—
Sheila Kay Adams, storyteller. 12:15 p.m. Auditorium, MHC. (227-7129)
Thursday, Oct. 6–Saturday, Oct. 8
Musical revue—“Side by Side by Sondheim.” 7:30 p.m.; 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. Studio Theatre, FAPAC. (227-7242)
Thursday, Oct. 6
“Films That Matter”—“Double Indemnity” (Billy Wilder, 1944), classic film noir with Fred McMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. 6 p.m. Room 130, FAPAC. (227-2324)
Hispanic Heritage Month—“La Radio Latina: Spanish Radio in Western North Carolina,”
7 p.m. Old Student Union Building. (227-3973)
Old-time Music and Bluegrass Jam—local musicians perform old-time and bluegrass music. 7 p.m. MHC. (227-7129)Friday, Oct. 7
Hispanic Heritage Month—“Perú, Its Mystery and Beauty.” Noon. Room 121, McKee Building. (227-3761 or phackett@wcu.edu)
Workshop—Judy Brown, keynote speaker for Oct. 8 Leadership Day of Dialogue. Open to all faculty and staff. 3 p.m. Multipurpose Rooms A and B, UC. (bandrus@wcu.edu)
Saturday, Oct. 8
Dollar Tennis Clinic—all ages welcome. $,
10 a.m. CAC. (227-7338)
Leadership Day of Dialogue—keynote address by Judy Brown, director, University of Maryland National Center for Smart Growth. 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Grandroom, UC. (bandrus@wcu.edu or 227-3623)
Lady Catamount soccer—vs. Coastal Carolina. $, 7 p.m. CAC. (227-7338)
Lady Catamount volleyball—vs. Georgia Southern. Southern Conference match. $,
2 p.m. RRAC. (227-7338)
Submissions: Send news items and calendar notices to WCU Calendar, 1601 Ramsey Center
Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 28723 or e-mail to: Reporter@email.wcu.edu.
Submit items for the university’s online calendar at least one week prior to the event.
Key: $ - Admission fee; HA - Hoey Auditorium; HFR - H.F. Robinson Administration Building; HS/CF - Hennon Stadium/Childress Field; MHC - Mountain Heritage Center; NSA - Natural Sciences Auditorium; RRAC - Ramsey Regional Activity Center; RH - Recital Hall, Coulter Building; BB - Belk Building; UC - A.K. Hinds University Center; UOC - University Outreach Center; FAPAC - Fine and Performing Arts Center; WS/BW - Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field; CAC - Catamount Athletic Center.Western To Host
Hurricane Relief Effort
Western Carolina University will
host a Mardi Gras-themed Hurricane
Katrina relief effort on Friday, Sept.
30, with live music, a carnival and
a parade.
Events begin at 2 p.m. on the lawn
of the A.K. Hinds University Center
and will include music by local and
Western bands, and student-run
carnival booths that will sell items,
including Mardi Gras beads and
masks, and offer games.
Proceeds from the carnival booths
will go to the American Red Cross
and Habitat to Humanity to support
relief efforts.
“The theme of the event is Mardi
Gras in an effort to show support and
celebrate the spirit of the victims of
Hurricane Katrina,” said Venus Miller,
coordinator of the relief effort.
A Bourbon Street Parade
will be held at 4 p.m.
and parade walkers
can be sponsored
for a minimum of $1. The Reporter is published by the Offi ce of Public Relations. Mail faculty/staff notes, events, notices, and changes of address to: The Reporter, 1601 Ramsey Center, or send them via e-mail to: Reporter@email.wcu.edu.
1,800 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $329.15, or $0.18 per copy. Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity Institution.
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PAID
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September 26, 2005 • The Reporter
State Employees Combined Campaign
Seeks Partners in Giving This Fall
Members of the Western community soon will be asked to become “partners in giving”
through the annual North Carolina State Employees Combined Campaign, which kicks off
Monday, Sept. 26.
The campaign is the only offi cially sanctioned fund drive conducted
on campus, and is designed to give faculty, staff, retirees and students an
opportunity to contribute to hundreds of charitable organizations through
a single campaign, said 2005-06 campus coordinator Renee Corbin,
director of professional education evaluation and accreditation.
“This marks the 20th anniversary of the State Employees
Combined Campaign,” said Corbin, who is being assisted by Eloise Hitchcock, assistant
director for personnel and planning at Hunter Library. “To date, more than $52 million in
contributions have been raised across the state over the past 20 years. The statewide goal for
this year is $5 million.”
The Western community’s contributions to the 2004-05 campaign topped $35,000, and
campus campaign organizers are hoping to surpass that amount this year.
“Our campus goal is $35,750, and a 10 percent increase in the number of givers,”
Corbin said. “Folks at Western give very generous gifts, with an average gift of $160 in
2004, but our participation rate is lower than at other state agencies. We hope to improve
the campuswide participation rate this year.”
The top 10 agencies to which members of Western community designated monies last
year were: (in order of contributions): United Fund of Jackson County, Samaritan’s Purse,
Christian Children’s Fund, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s
Association, Manna Food Bank, WNC Alliance, American Friends Service Committee and
the Brain Tumor Foundation of America.
Completion date for the campaign is Oct. 31. For more information about the State
Employees Combined Campaign, call Renee Corbin at (828) 227-3314.