The Talent Search Program at Western Carolina University has scheduled a series of free workshops to provide information to local students and their parents about applying for federal financial aid for college with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.
Western Carolina University bestowed a posthumous honorary doctorate upon a former chairman of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors at fall commencement exercises, which honored more than 500 candidates for graduation.
Research conducted by a doctoral student at Western Carolina University may help train future human rights investigators and is already drawing the attention of international organizations.
Students in two Western Carolina University political science classes in “Active Citizenship” took the title of their courses to heart this semester as they participated in a series of fundraising activities to benefit a pair of local charitable organizations.
Western Carolina University will offer “Aqua Fitness” in the Reid Gymnasium pool on campus Jan. 22 through May 1.
Western Carolina University will offer an asthma management workshop for nurses and other interested health care professionals from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, in Room 143 of the Cordelia Camp Building.
Western Carolina University will offer “Time on Your Side,” a time management workshop, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Jan. 18, in the Cordelia Camp Building.
A former WCU administrator who served as chairman of Mountain Heritage Day for 18 years and his wife have established a $10,000 endowed fund that will help the annual event continue to thrive as one of the premier folk festivals in the Southeast.
Prospective students can learn about the 100 spring semester courses Western Carolina University will offer in Asheville during an information and registration session set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10.
Western Carolina University will offer “Learning for Fun: Stained Glass” from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, through Tuesday, Feb. 12, in the Cordelia Camp Building.
The biggest challenge facing Western North Carolina emergency responders during times of crisis is inadequate communication among agencies at the local, state and federal levels, a problem often exacerbated by antiquated equipment and a lack of communication interoperability.
Western Carolina University will offer the third annual Mountain Dulcimer Winter Weekend, Thursday, Jan. 17, through Sunday, Jan. 20, at the Lambuth Inn in Lake Junaluska.
Three Western Carolina University students recently received citations for their internship work with the U.S. Public Health Service during the summer.
The Institute for the Economy and the Future, the regional think tank and economic development unit of Western Carolina University, has a new home and a new leader, Daniel Ostergaard, former executive director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Advisory Council.
Western Carolina University’s board of trustees unanimously approved proposed tuition and fees for the 2008-09 academic year, including increases to support operational costs for a new indoor recreation center currently under construction and to begin meeting student requests for enhanced campus health services.
A Western Carolina University faculty member was honored Tuesday (Dec. 4) for assistance he has provided to Western North Carolina municipal leaders as they deliberated the long-term management of their towns’ watersheds.
Anna Fariello, curator of the craft revival digital collection and visiting associate professor at WCU, recently was named museology specialist peer reviewer for the United States Fulbright Commission.
The 2007-08 old-time and bluegrass music jam session series at Western Carolina University will continue Thursday, Jan. 3, with a performance by the McDowell Family, followed by a jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate.
The North Carolina Literary and Historical Association awarded the 2007 Roanoke-Chowan Prize for Poetry to Catherine Carter, director of WCU's English education program, for “The Memory of Gills,” her first published book of poetry.
Western Carolina University Chancellor John W. Bardo extends season's greetings to the Western community.
Western Carolina University, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Jackson County Department of Public Health are partners in the first project in the nation funded through a $417 million federal effort to expand health care access to rural America through the creation of broadband “telehealth” networks in 42 states and three U.S. territories.
It is imperative that leaders at the local, state and federal levels take steps today so that they are better able to deal with the emergencies and disasters of tomorrow. That was the message heard repeatedly Thursday, Nov. 15, as Western Carolina University hosted a day of dialogue about emergency preparedness.
WCU's efforts to ensure that students are fully engaged in the process of learning, both in and out of the classroom, earned high marks on a national survey measuring the quality of undergraduate education based upon student involvement with their studies, professors and campus communities.
Western Carolina University’s Small Business and Technology Development Center now offers financial analysis reports from ProfitCents at no charge to business owners.
Brian Gastle, associate professor of English at Western Carolina University, will become associate dean of the Graduate School, effective Jan. 1.
Although it’s too early to start making predictions about the likelihood of a white Christmas in 2007, the nation’s retailers can look forward to a green Christmas this year, as holiday shoppers will be hitting stores and Web sites armed with larger sums of disposable income than ever before.
Western Carolina University will offer beginner swing and salsa workshops for teenagers and adults Monday, Dec. 17, through Wednesday, Dec. 19, in Breese Gymnasium.
The Asheville Symphony Orchestra will perform at Western Carolina University at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
WCU and members of the Canton community will host the Canton Connection Faire on Monday, Dec. 10, to identify ways Western can help the town.
The 33-member drumline from Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will share the stage Thursday, Dec. 6, with country music superstar Keith Urban in a concert at the BiLo Center in Greenville, S.C.
The 2007-08 old-time and bluegrass music jam session series at Western Carolina University will begin Thursday, Dec. 6, with a performance by Don Pedi and Bruce Greene, followed by a jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate.
The fall “Living with the Land” folk life series will continue at Western Carolina University on Tuesday, Dec. 4, with a program featuring music scholar Betty Smith.
An educator from South Carolina will lead a program focusing on the female photographers of World War II during her visit to the Western Carolina University campus on Thursday, Dec. 6, and Friday, Dec. 7.
Western Carolina University’s School of Music will present its annual “Sounds of the Season” concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in the performance hall of the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
Santa Claus is scheduled to make an appearance when Western Carolina University’s Sport Management Association sponsors a 5-kilometer “Jingle Bell Run” on Wednesday, Dec. 5.
The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet, resident brass quintet at Western Carolina University, will perform in a faculty showcase in the recital hall of the Coulter Building at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27.
Western Carolina University will offer “You Can Get Sued for That?: Five Most Common Employment Law Violations” from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in Room 141 of the Cordelia Camp Building.
A group of students from Western Carolina University recently received a finalist award at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s College Fed Challenge competition.
Western Carolina University will host a display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt from Monday, Dec. 3, through Thursday, Dec. 6, in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom.
The inaugural winners of the Chancellor’s Meritorious Award for Engaged Teaching have involved students in activities from development of a combination stretcherwheelchair to visiting death row as part of a discussion of capital punishment.
Students from Western Carolina University recently took top honors at the American Democracy Project south regional district’s Third Annual Conference, held at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive on the Western Carolina University campus Tuesday, Dec. 4, through Thursday, Dec. 6, in the A.K. Hinds University Center multipurpose room.
“Holiday Crafts” will be the topic of an Arti-Facts! program on Sunday, Dec. 2, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
The student team called “Almost Perfect Strangers” narrowly won WCU's first College Bowl tournament earlier this month and is preparing for regional championships to be held at Virginia Tech in February.
WCU students in an elementary education methods and curriculum class are hosting “Who’s Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” – an event inspired by the TV show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
WCU’s Craft Revival Project, with its Internet-accessible collection of digitized images centered at Western’s Hunter Library, recently received a grant of $100,000 from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services through the North Carolina State Library. That brings the project’s three-year total to nearly $350,000.
The third time proved the charm for Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professions, 2007 co-winner of the Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award presented annually by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Mary Lehmann of Hendersonville, a student who is earning a certificate in gerontology from WCU, designed a survey for her final project to find out if people know what palliative care is, what it covers, where it is offered and who can get it.
The Wind Ensemble of Western Carolina University will perform its second concert of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
A research project led by a WCU psychology professor indicates that jokes about blondes and women drivers are not just harmless fun and games; instead, exposure to sexist humor can lead to toleration of hostile feelings and discrimination against women.
Western Carolina University’s most unusual musical group, the Low Tech Ensemble, will perform a concert of “gamelan” music on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m.
Western Carolina University’s Art Education program will offer the second annual Art Days from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 12, Monday, Jan. 21, and Wednesday, Jan. 23.
Seven students representing Western Carolina University will deliver presentations at the North Carolina Campus Compact Student Conference in Greenville on Saturday, Nov. 10.
Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center will continue its “Galaxy of Stars” series with a performance by The Animal Band on Thursday, Nov. 29.
The Western Carolina University Trumpet Ensemble has been invited to perform at the Orvieto Musica Trumpet Festival in Italy in June 2008.
Frank Brannon, an artist and printer who specializes in fine limited editions, will be visiting Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design on Monday, Nov. 19, to deliver a public lecture about his work and conduct a workshop with students in the book arts studio.
Although high school marching bands from four states attended the competition, only Dobyns-Bennett High School from Kingsport, Tenn., was named grand champion of Western Carolina University’s Tournament of Champions, an invitational event hosted by Western’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Western Carolina University has announced its three winners for the 2007 U.S. Constitution Day Essay Contest. The topic for this year’s contest was “Could You Improve the U.S. Constitution?,” and 28 undergraduate students entered essays into the contest.
The fall “Living with the Land” folk life series will continue at Western Carolina University on Tuesday, Nov. 13, with a presentation by Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger Brad Free titled “Trade, Timber and Tourism: The Trans-Mountain Road of the Smokies.”
A senior analyst with the CIA will discuss the 21st-century intelligence community at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, in Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
The Pride of the Mountains Marching Band at Western Carolina University will hold its annual indoor concert on Friday, Nov. 16, in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center, as part of the WCU Alumni Band weekend.
An official from a national emergency telephone number advocacy group has joined the list of speakers scheduled to share their insights in a daylong summit examining emergency and disaster preparedness at WCU on Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
A Massachusetts college professor will present a musical lecture, “The Commonwealth of Toil: Folksongs and the U.S. Labor Movement,” when he visits the Western Carolina University campus on Wednesday, Nov. 14.
WCU will celebrate its second annual Geographical Information System Day on Wednesday, Nov. 14, with presentations and workshops to showcase GIS and remote sensing projects by faculty, staff, students and off-campus individuals.
Western Carolina University will sponsor an information session in Asheville on Tuesday, Nov. 13, for individuals interested in earning a doctor of education degree with a concentration in community college/higher education leadership.
Kathleen Cummins, a senior nursing major from Clemmons, is a recipient of the North Carolina Campus Compact 2007 Community Impact Student Award.
Nine WCU faculty and students shared information about their research at the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Denver.
Author Robert Morgan will discuss his most recent work, a biography about legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone, as the 2007-08 edition of the Appalachian Cultural Lunchtime Series continues Wednesday, Nov. 7, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
The Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour will make an appearance at Western Carolina University at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
The dean of Western Carolina University’s Honors College hopped back aboard his mountain bike on Saturday, Oct. 27, and completed the final 24 miles of his 110-mile pledge bicycle ride to benefit the college’s student scholarship fund.
Western Carolina University will offer “Learning for Fun: Shag Dancing” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays Nov.19 through Dec.10 in Room 204 of Breese Gym.
Two grant proposals prepared by Cynthia Brown, assistant professor of applied criminology, won more than $2.4 million in federal funding for projects to aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The University Players at Western Carolina University will present “Lucky Stiff,” a comedic musical of farce and suspense, Thursday, Nov. 8, through Sunday, Nov. 11.
Bhutanese painter Kama Wangdi will visit the campus of Western Carolina University on Monday, Nov. 12.
The fourth annual Great Smoky Mountain Book Fair, a fundraiser for the Jackson County Library building fund, will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at Sylva’s First United Methodist Church.
Western Carolina University expanded the traditional day of service as part of Homecoming events to a month and exceeded a goal of completing 10,000 hours of community service.
WCU paid tribute Saturday, Oct. 20, to four highly distinguished alumni – an Asheville attorney who chaired the WCU board of trustees, the president of the largest veterinary distribution company in the country, a biological researcher in the Congo Basin, and a professional baseball management consultant.
Western Carolina University will host an information session for its online graduate gerontology certificate program from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the Haywood County Administrative Office and Community Connections Building, 81 Elmwood Way in Waynesville.
Aprons will be the topic of an Arti-Facts! program for children on Sunday, Nov. 4, at Western Carolina University's Mountain Heritage Center.
The dean of Western Carolina University’s Honors College had to pull the plug on his 106-mile bicycle ride for pledges just 16 miles short of his goal, but he plans to return to the Blue Ridge Parkway this coming weekend (Oct. 27-28) to complete the effort.
Rob Young, professor of geosciences and director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, has been selected to the Olympic Park Institute board and an advisory panel to the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission.
Hip-hop dancer and choreographer Bill Shannon will perform at Western Carolina University at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, in the A.K. Hinds University Center.
Three students from Western Carolina University’s environmental health program recently presented their research projects at a safety and health conference in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Bruce Henderson, professor of psychology, is serving on the Scholars Council formed to support and advise the University of North Carolina Tomorrow Commission.
The Southeast Section of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology selected a WCU faculty member and student to represent the region at the national conference to be held in Houston this spring.
WCU crowned Ramona Dowdell, a senior from Mebane, the queen and Joshua David Thompson, a senior from Lincolnton, the king of the 2007 Homecoming Court.
Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will travel to the Charlotte area on Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3, for two special performances.
Western Carolina University’s first Spanish/Latin American Film Festival will continue through the end of November with the screening of five thought-provoking films.
Ten students and faculty members from Western Carolina University traveled to Johns Island, S.C., during the university’s fall break to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
Western Carolina University will offer two “Tech Thursdays” classes with a focus on the family during November. “Making Memories Using PowerPoint” will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 1, while “Designing Family Web pages” is offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 8.
Western Carolina University’s International Programs and Services Office has developed a Japanese Outreach Program, designed to increase the community’s awareness and knowledge of Japanese culture, history and language.
Western Carolina University will host a fall gathering of about 500 educators who teach English to speakers of other languages, as the Fall 2007 Carolina TESOL Conference is set for Thursday, Nov. 1, through Saturday, Nov. 3, in downtown Asheville.
The School of Music at Western Carolina University will present “An Evening of German Romantic Music for Clarinet and Piano” on Friday, Nov. 2, and Tuesday, Nov. 6, as part of the Catamount Concert Series.
An Asheville teacher recognized as one of the region’s best told a gathering of high school students who are considering a career in the classroom that they can become teachers right now by living a full life and learning as much as they can.
The dean of Western Carolina University’s Honors College hopes to replicate a successful fundraiser from a decade ago when he begins a three-day bicycle ride to Mount Mitchell to raise scholarship money for the college’s students.
Western Carolina University’s 2007 Homecoming theme is “Heritage: A Catamount Never Forgets,” and the planning committee has lined up new and traditional events from community service to fireworks to create a celebration worth remembering.
Western Carolina University’s Tech Thursdays series will offer “Learning to Harness the Power of Google” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25, in Room 137 of the Cordelia Camp Building.
Last Minute Productions at WCU will host a performance by actor and comedian Jamie Kennedy at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26.
Western Carolina University's Staff Forum raised $10,000 to start an annual scholarship and awarded the first $500 scholarship to the daughter of a staff member.
The College of Business at Western Carolina University is offering a series of graduate-level seminar courses during the fall, spring and summer semesters, beginning Friday, Nov. 9.
For decades, American colleges and universities have rewarded faculty members with promotion and tenure based upon their professorial performance in the areas of classroom teaching, traditional research activities and public service. An innovative reward system adopted this fall at WCU adds an additional element designed to move faculty promotion and tenure decisions into the “real world.”
Western Carolina University, in partnership with Isothermal Community College, will offer students an opportunity to earn a bachelor of science in education degree beginning fall semester 2008. An information session for the program will be held at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 17, in the library auditorium at ICC on its campus in Spindale.
A “Nature’s Tracks” program on gourds will be held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
A four-day display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, an international monument to those who have died of AIDS, will open Monday, Dec. 3, at Western Carolina University. Organizers of the display are seeking volunteers to assist with several aspects of the event, including guarding the Quilt and greeting visitors during display hours.
The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University will feature “To Rise and Begin Again,” an exhibition of illustrations to be published in two Cherokee children’s books, beginning Thursday, Nov. 1, and continuing through Saturday, Dec. 1.
Students from 16 Western North Carolina high schools will gather at Western Carolina University to learn about the teaching profession as WCU’s Office for Rural Education hosts the annual Teachers of Tomorrow Day on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
The launch of Western Carolina University's Branding and Marketing Initiative will be streamed live today (Monday, Oct. 22) from 1-2 p.m. (approximately).
View the live stream Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day, held Sept. 29 on the campus in Cullowhee, gave local residents a chance to show off their foot speed, chain saw prowess and other skills in a variety of contests.
WCU will host “The Sublime Nine,” an art exhibition by nine art seniors, that will open Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Fine Art Museum on campus.
Western Carolina University will offer a Cherokee health symposium, designed for nurses, health care professionals and others interested in learning about the intersection of Cherokee culture and health care, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Hospitality Room of the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
An exhibit of photography chronicling the life of migrant workers in Western North Carolina will open Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Fine Art Museum and continue through Saturday, Dec. 1.
The Catamount Club’s Second Annual Western Carolina University Basketball Rouser will tip-off Thursday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m. at Broadmoor Golf Links in Fletcher.
A retired academic and athletic leader, Bobby N. Setzer, and his wife, Anne, have established an endowed scholarship fund that will generate an annual $500 award for football student-athletes, with preference given to engineering technology majors.
The inaugural “WHEE Walk for Women,” a community event organized to show support for breast cancer survivors and fighters, will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, on the campus of Western Carolina University.
WCU is expanding a traditional day of volunteer service as part of Homecoming events to a month of service spanning from Thursday, Sept. 20, to Saturday, Oct. 20.
Twenty-three top high school marching bands from four states will assemble for WCU's seventh annual Tournament of Champions, an invitational competition hosted by Western’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band at E.J. Whitmire Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Children will have a chance to learn about the history of photography during an Arti-Facts! program on Sunday, Oct. 7, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
The 33rd edition of Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day on Saturday (Sept. 29) was “another resounding success,” attracting one of the largest crowds in the festival’s history.
The fall “Living with the Land” folk life series will continue at Western Carolina University on Tuesday, Oct. 9, with a presentation by ethnographer Tom Sheridan on “Wilderness and Working Landscapes: Putting People Back in Nature.”
A new exhibit exploring Southern food traditions, “Southern Stews: Traditions of One-Pot Cooking,” opens Thursday, Oct. 4, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
Western Carolina University presented its Mountain Heritage Awards for 2007 on Saturday (Sept. 29) to the “dean” of Western North Carolina fiddlers and to a traditional dance group that is re-creating the ancient dances of the Cherokee in performances throughout the United States and overseas.
Several area youths recently attended Western Carolina University’s Construction Camp for Middle Schoolers hosted by The Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, and the Division of Educational Outreach.
WCU is home to a new institute that will bring together scientists, policymakers, economic development experts, natural resource managers and other interested parties in an effort to preserve regional water resources while trying to ensure economic prosperity.
Asheville photographer and author Tim Barnwell will discuss his latest book, “On Earth’s Furrowed Brow: The Appalachian Farm in Photographs,” as the 2007-08 edition of the Appalachian Cultural Lunchtime Series continues Wednesday, Oct. 3, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
WCU's Hunter Library will present “A Celebration of Librarians in Film” in honor of Banned Books Week, which will be held from Saturday, Sept. 29, to Saturday, Oct. 6.
Professors at Western are part of a multi-institutional research team organized to develop tools for improving water quality in South Africa.
The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive on the WCU campus Monday, Oct. 8, through Wednesday, Oct. 10, in the A.K. Hinds University Center multipurpose room.
Three choral ensembles from Western Carolina University will be performing across the state on a fall tour, including stops in Waynesville, Gastonia and Hendersonville.
Western Carolina University’s Tech Thursdays series will feature “Powerful Presentations” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, in Room 137 of the Cordelia Camp Building. The workshop will offer a combination of PowerPoint techniques and presentation tips that will help participants improve their presentations.
Brent Kinser, assistant professor of English, is the coordinating editor of the recently launched online version of one of the most comprehensive literary archives of the 19th century – “The Carlyle Letters Online: A Victorian Cultural Reference.”
The Western Carolina University Wind Ensemble will present its first concert of the season at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2 in the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
The check wasn’t in the mail. This time, the check was in the handshake, when Catamount Club president Tobe Childers ’61 recently accepted a gift of $25,000 from E. Jerry Coleman III, executive vice president for private wealth management with SunTrust North Carolina in Charlotte.
The Western Carolina Women’s Coalition honored Sara Stoltenburg, director of Women’s Programs and the Women’s Center at WCU, as one of four “Women to Match Our Mountains” honorees for 2007.
Western Carolina University will host a series of Constitution Day events, including a debate on foreign policy issues and a re-enactment of the signing of the Constitution.
The University Players of Western Carolina University will open the 2007-08 theatre season with Larry Shue’s comedy “The Nerd” Sept. 26-30.
A varety of hardcover and paperback books will be on sale at Hunter Library on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Western Carolina University will offer “Technology Thursdays,” a series of community and small business oriented computer workshops this fall.
Western Carolina University’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines is organizing a fundraising drive for relief efforts on the coast of Nicaragua, devastated by Hurricane Felix, a Category 5 storm that swept ashore Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Student Aaron Putnam's spoof “Cosmo of 1932” carried off nine of the possible 19 awards at the recent 48 Hour Film Festival, including the Best Film Award and Audience Award.
Performance and event schedules have been announced for Mountain Heritage Day, Western Carolina University’s annual celebration of mountain culture coming up Saturday, Sept. 29.
The Honors College at Western Carolina University presented its inaugural Honors Medallion for special service to award-winning Asheville author Charles Frazier and his wife, Katherine.
WCU will be hitting the road Sept. 24-27, distributing information about undergraduate and graduate admission as well as the variety of programs and degrees offered on-campus and through distance learning.
A long spell of dry weather during the spring and summer could provide some of the most brilliant colors seen in several years for leaf-lookers headed to the mountains of Western North Carolina this autumn.
Music of a traditional tone will be echoing around the Western Carolina University campus on Mountain Heritage Weekend – Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-29 – as an acoustic music legend pays a visit for a concert at the Ramsey Center and the university holds its 33rd annual Mountain Heritage Day festival.
“The Prince of Dark Corners,” the new film adaptation of a play written by Sylva’s Gary Carden, will be premiered at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
Rare glimpses of the African-American experience in Appalachia are featured in “Let the Thunder Roar: A Pictorial History of African-Americans of Jackson County, N.C.,” a new exhibit on display through Wednesday, Oct. 17, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
Overall student enrollment at Western Carolina University has topped 9,000 for the first time, with significant growth in the number of community college transfers and graduate students.
A 5-kilometer foot race and 1-mile “Fun Run” will be held on the Western Carolina University campus Saturday, Sept. 29, as part of festivities at WCU’s 33rd annual Mountain Heritage Day.
Local residents are invited to enter their canned, dried or baked goods in “A Gathering In,” the traditional foods competition that is just one of the contests held in conjunction with Mountain Heritage Day, Western Carolina University’s annual celebration of traditional mountain culture.
Tickets go on sale Monday, Aug. 27, for a pre-Mountain Heritage Day performance at Western Carolina University by acoustic music virtuoso Sam Bush.
The University Chorus will present an evening of choral and vocal music at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in the recital hall of Coulter Building at Western Carolina University.
A physical wall representing the “wall of oppression” built by discrimination, racism, sexism and other “isms” will be built and then torn down on the A.K. Hinds University Center lawn as part of Western Carolina University's eighth annual Diversity Week.
Western Carolina University is offering aqua aerobics classes in the Reid Gymnasium pool through Thursday, Dec. 6.
Western Carolina University’s online bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice has been given a No. 1 national ranking in affordability by the distance education information clearinghouse GetEducated.com.
Western Carolina University recently received its first delivery of biodiesel –1,480 gallons for a tank that fuels some Cat Tran shuttle vehicles, electric utility trucks, dump trucks, trash trucks and heavy equipment.
Western Carolina University will offer the second session of a grant-writing workshop, titled “Let’s Get a Grant,” from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in Room 143 of the Cordelia Camp Building.
The University of North Carolina Tomorrow Commission will host 11 community listening forums across North Carolina during September and October to discuss how the multi-campus University can best meet the changing needs of the state and its people over the next 20 years.
Western Carolina University’s online Master of Entrepreneurship Program has been recognized as one of the five best online entrepreneurship programs in the nation by Fortune Small Business magazine.
Prospective college students who want to find out what college life is all about will have an opportunity to get their questions answered as Western Carolina University holds Open House on Saturday, Sept. 15.
The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet, the resident brass quintet of Western Carolina University, will perform a benefit “Sunday in the Park” concert on Sunday, Sept. 16, to help raise funds for Alzheimer’s disease research.
Leaders at WCU and U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler agreed Wednesday (Aug. 22) to work together whenever possible for the benefit of the people of the region that the university serves and the district that the congressman represents.
The fall “Living With the Land” folk life series will begin at Western Carolina University on Tuesday, Sept. 11, with a presentation by Dave Cooper, a Lexington, Ky., resident who travels across the nation educating communities about the effects of the mountaintop removal involved in coal extraction.
Undergraduate students at Western Carolina University are sharing their innovative product, process and service ideas in a competition that began Wednesday, Sept. 5.
The Western Carolina University accountancy program will hold its annual fall banquet at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, at the Waynesville Country Club Inn.
Joan MacNeill of Webster is the new chair of the board of trustees at WCU. The newest board member is Teresa H. Williams of Huntersville.
The Mountain Heritage Center extended an exhibit on natural history explorer William Bartram through Sunday, Sept. 30.
Michael Dougherty, dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions at Western Carolina University since July 1998, will be stepping down from the position at the end of the 2007-08 academic year.
What began at Western Carolina University seven years ago as a program of community service quickly grew into a department and is now a center – the Center for Service Learning.
The Lectures, Concerts and Exhibitions Series at WCU will feature seven cultural arts programs during the 2007-08 academic year, including a theatrical show, spoken word and an opera.
The Carolinas Photonics Consortium formally announced the CPC Pilot Funding Program in a statewide video conference held August 14 at Western Carolina University.
Western’s new student e-mail service, Catamount Mail, will roll out this fall. All students will receive Catamount Mail accounts at the beginning of the fall semester. Existing WCU student e-mail accounts will be phased out by fall break.
Beginning Monday, Aug. 20, Western Carolina University students, faculty and staff who live in off-campus housing can take a Jackson County Transit bus to Western.
Actress and singer Linda Lavin, a star of stage and screen with a Tony and two Golden Globe awards to her credit, will be performing at WCU at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center.
Two employees of the city of Asheville are working toward master’s degrees in public affairs this fall through the municipality’s fellowship program with Western Carolina University.
In his annual Opening Assembly address Wednesday, Aug. 15, to kick off the academic year, Chancellor John W. Bardo told WCU faculty, staff and students that implementing the Quality Enhancement Plan (or QEP) and tenure policy changes will result in a university that is a “steward of place” for the region.
Local history writer and book critic Rob Neufeld will be the featured presenter as the 2007-08 edition of the Appalachian Cultural Lunchtime Series begins Wednesday, Sept. 5, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.
Betty Gwen Carlton, assistant professor of nursing at Western Carolina University, is the recipient of a $15,000 award presented by the North Carolina Nurse Scholars Commission.
Listeners who enjoy the classic rock ‘n’ roll hits featured on WCU’s Power 90.5 WWCU-FM radio station are getting a special treat these days, thanks to the persuasive powers of Student General Manager Kyle McCurry.
Western Carolina University is ready to raise the curtain on its 2007-08 theatre season as the University Players hit the stage with three full-length selections—“The Nerd,” “Lucky Stiff” and “Guys and Dolls”—as well as a Festival of One Acts.
Paul Heckert, professor of physics at Western Carolina University, will offer an early-morning lunar eclipse observing session Tuesday, Aug. 28, at the Jackson County Airport near Cullowhee.
Two of the nation’s leading experts in the use of DNA technology in criminal investigations will visit WCU on Thursday, Aug. 30, for a pair of public presentations made possible by Tony White, a 1969 graduate of Western.
Live audio from Western Carolina University’s summer commencement was piped to the Caribbean island country of Jamaica as WCU honored approximately 460 graduating students, including 112 Jamaican teachers, on Friday, Aug. 3.
The Society of Broadcast Engineers has announced that Padraig Acheson, Western Carolina University director of television studio operations, has earned its certified television operator professional certification.
In response to a growing need for neutral mediators to resolve agricultural disputes, a course in Superior Court mediation will be offered Oct. 7-11 by the N.C. Agriculture Mediation Program at Western Carolina University.
WCU researchers are using geographic information systems technology and radio transmitters to track timber rattlesnakes to determine whether new mountain subdivisions and road-building are pushing an animal listed as a “species of special concern” toward the endangered list.
The board of trustees of Western Carolina University will hold its quarterly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 31, in the board room of H.F. Robinson Administration Building.
The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University will begin its 2007-08 season with a celebration of the life and work of acclaimed North Carolina ceramic artist Norm Schulman.
Macon Bank and The Western Carolina University Foundation recently renamed a scholarship fund that provides financial assistance to junior- and senior-level banking majors at Western.
WCU's College of Business is ready to unveil its new Graduate Certificate Program in Project Management, which will be available beginning this fall both fully online and through a combination of online work and regular class meetings in Asheville.
N.C. Gov. Mike Easley signed a $20.7 billion budget bill Tuesday, July 31, that includes $46.2 million in funding for a new health and gerontological sciences building at Western Carolina University.
WCU freshmen have not started classes, but they already have their Freshman Reading Program assignment – “The World Made Straight,” an award-winning novel by WCU faculty member Ron Rash. Before they discuss and write about the book in their fall coursework, they will hear the author speak at Freshman Convocation.
The 2007 Meet the Cats event will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22, at the E. J. Whitmire Stadium on campus at WCU. This event is free and open to the general public.
Macon County government will host an information session for students interested in learning more about Western Carolina University’s master’s degree program in public affairs Tuesday, Aug. 14.
Prospective students can learn about the 100 courses WCU will offer in Asheville this fall semester during an information and registration session set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16.
Susan Foringer-Burk is the first recipient of a new $1,500 scholarship for graduate students studying communication sciences and disorders at WCU awarded through a fund established by Margie Gibbs Motsinger, a Western alumna and the founder of a Greensboro-based communication and rehabilitative therapy clinic.
Freshman move-in day at WCU this year will have a different twist, with the newest Catamounts scheduled to move into their residence hall rooms on Friday, Aug. 17, instead of the typical Saturday of years past.
Charlotte d’Amboise, Tony Award-nominated star of the revival of “A Chorus Line” on Broadway, is one of the visiting artists taking part in the inaugural “Broadway in the Mountains” summer camp at Western Carolina University.
Western Carolina University graduate student Jean Sitton was recently selected as one of North Carolina’s top 100 nurses.
Representatives of five universities and from private business and industry will convene – some live and in person, others via videoconferencing – at WCU for a daylong symposium Tuesday, Aug. 14, on the future of photonics in North and South Carolina.
Steep-slope development issues and farm preservation will be on the agenda as WCU hosts the Aug. 8-10 Summer Planning Institute and Leadership Conference of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association.
WCU faculty member Julia A. Barnes will deliver the primary address as the university holds summer commencement exercises at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
Western Carolina University student cyclists will ride together as “Catamounts Against Cancer” this month at the only 24-hour charity cycling event in the nation.
WCU's Helder Residence Hall will be demolished this summer as part of a group of construction and renovation projects designed to create more of a “college quad” feel on campus with green space and a pedestrian-friendly environment.
Former Georgia Tech associate head and pitching coach, Bobby Moranda, has been named head baseball coach at Western Carolina University announced today (July 16) by WCU Athletic Director Chip Smith.
Western Carolina University has been selected to appear in a service-learning guidebook for prospective college students, scheduled to be on shelves throughout the nation this fall.
WCU will offer incoming freshmen the opportunity to participate in Western PEAKS, a program designed to help students successfully make the transition from high school to college by encouraging them to make campus connections early in the fall semester.
Ninety-one rising middle school students from Western North Carolina participated in a two-week Pre-College Program at WCU designed to develop interests in science- and mathematics-based fields of higher education.
A successful effort involving a group of Highlands residents the dean of WCU's Honors College in organizing a creative writing course in Highlands over the past month has led to excitement about the prospect of WCU offering more courses next year.
The Institute for the Economy and the Future at WCU is recipient of a $171,000 contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to help emergency agencies learn how to overcome jurisdictional obstacles in dealing with natural and man-made disasters.
Two WCU faculty members contribute to a new Highlands Biodiversity Scholarship to help WCU students afford to research at the nearby interinstitutional Highlands Biological Station.
For the third consecutive year, the School-University Teacher Education Partnership at WCU is a finalist for the Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award presented annually by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
WCU and Southwestern Community College announced an educational partnership agreement for SCC’s Macon County Campus in Franklin during a signing ceremony held on the WCU campus on Friday, June 22.
A new inter-institutional agreement among five universities in North and South Carolina is designed to help researchers more quickly move their ideas in the emerging high-tech area of photonics from campus laboratories to the marketplace.
Teresa Cruzan, a communication disorders student at WCU and resident of Asheville, is the recipient of the North Carolina Student Achievement Award presented by the North Carolina Speech, Hearing and Language Association.
When Mark Holliday, professor of computer science, pondered how to participate in The Campaign for Western, his thoughts turned to John Proffitt, one of his first students at Western. Proffitt started a scholarship fund two years ago to benefit computer science students.
WCU's College of Education and Allied Professions recently received a $212,000 grant from the University of North Carolina General Administration for its “2+2 E-Learning” initiative to help satisfy the state’s need for mathematics and science teachers.
WCU will offer the grant-writing workshop “Let’s Get a Grant: Insider Tips” from 9:30 a.m. to noon, Friday, July 20, in Room 143 of the Cordelia Camp Building.
WCU will host the 18th annual Mountain Artisans Summertime Fine Art and Craft Show in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center on Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8.
Western Carolina University will continue with its Summer Concert Series on Tuesday, July 10, with electric violinist Tracy Silverman.
In response to a growing need for health care professionals in the Western North Carolina mountains, WCU in 1999 launched a new master’s degree program in nursing that emphasizes community and rural health issues. Since its inception, the program has produced approximately 50 graduates, many of whom are now working in the region.
Gibbs Knotts, a Western Carolina University political science and public affairs professor, recently teamed with the town of Sylva to create a survey for business owners about their opinions on local issues and services.
Western Carolina University is leasing a parcel of land near a dam on the Tuckaseigee River near the back entrance of campus to Duke Energy, which plans to upgrade a public recreation area and improve river access for kayakers and canoeists.
The Board of Trustees at WCU approved establishment of a new center that will serve as a regional resource for environmental education, research and service focused on the unique mountain ecosystems of Western North Carolina and surrounding areas.
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees approved an administrative title change for one top administrator and learned of several others as part of its quarterly board meeting Friday, June 1.
Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will offer a “Mini-Camp for Middle Schoolers” for rising sixth- and seventh-graders from 8:30 a.m. to noon June 26-28.
The cost of parking on campus just got a little easier to handle for WCU faculty and staff. The university’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a change in previously adopted parking fees for the 2007-08 year to enable employees to pay the cost through payroll deduction.
The majority of collegiate textbooks about river contamination lacked all of the information for assessing water quality that Jerry Miller, the Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor in Environmental Science, wanted his students to have. So Miller and his wife, Suzanne Orbock Miller, decided to take matters into their own hands.
Sue Swanger, director of Western Carolina University’s master’s degree program in accountancy, recently won the Outstanding Educator Award from the N.C. Association of Certified Public Accountants.
The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University recently opened a new exhibit on natural history explorer William Bartram.
Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will offer “Mountain Mysteries,” a camp for rising fourth- and fifth-graders, from 8:30 to noon June 18-22.
WCU will host a drop-in lunch and learn information session in Shelby about its graduate-level distance learning gerontology certificate program from noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 11.
Western Carolina University will offer the Tiny Tot Swim Program, designed for children ages 6 months to 5 years old, June 11-15 and June 18-22 in the Breese Pool on campus.
Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center will offer its third annual Galaxy of Stars Series, set to premiere on September 8.
Advancing from the loser's bracket of the NCAA Baseball Championship Regional, Western Carolina was two outs away in the top of the ninth inning from forcing a deciding championship game against top-seeded North Carolina. However, down to its final two chances, the Tar Heels held on in the bottom of the frame to advance Monday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.
A group of Western North Carolina high school students will fly to Montana to explore and participate in service-learning projects on two Native American reservations through a new summer enrichment experience offered by Educational Talent Search at WCU.
The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees approved multi-year contract extensions for both of the university’s head basketball coaches Friday, June 1.
The Master of Fine Arts Program at Western Carolina University will host a series of presentations by visiting artists Thursday, June 14, through Wednesday, July 25.
During Asheville Chamber of Commerce's recent "Business After Hours" event (May 24), WCU Chancellor Bardo invited chamber members to visit Western's Cullowhee campus and see for themselves how the university is helping businesses and promoting economic development throughout the region.
WCU, in partnership with the Center on Health and Aging in Erw
