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 Mate

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Newsletters
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1977-12-07
  • Date digitized: 2018-03-14
• Extent
  • Dimension: 11" x 8.5"
  • Pages: 4 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • The Reporter, Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_Reporter_1977-12
• Related material
  • Https://news-prod.wcu.edu/the-reporter/
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library

A Weekly Newsletter for the Faculty and Staff o* Western Carolina University Culiowhee. North Ccvokna December 7, 1977 TRUSTEES ENDORSE REMEDIAL PROGRAM, REVISE FEES, HEAR LIBRARY REPORT Western Carolina University's program of remedial activities for "underprepared" college students, hailed as "significant and exemplary" by a special Research Triangle Institute report, won further kudos last week from the WCU board of trustees. Chancellor H. F. Robinson told the board that some educators do not believe in provid­ing remedial educational work at the college level, but Western Carolina, he said, "unless you tell us different," is fully committed to the concept. "I am for your program 100 per cent," was the response of James H. Glenn of Asheville, board chairman. Other trustees gave similar endorsements. Dr. Marily Jody, coordinator of the WCU Academic Advisement Center and Western's representative for the RTI study, told the board that Florida isn't the only state facing the problem of high school students who are functional illiterates. But Western Carolina, she said, is develop­ing a coordinated system of providing remedial work for such students in six area«: provisional admission of students in summer school to give them a chance to earn admis­sion in the regular term; special English, math, reading and study skills courses, and the establishment of the WCU Counseling, Advisement and Placement Center. The Research Triangle Institute study, conducted for the University of North Carolina system, identified Western as one of only six of 15 UNC campuses with "pervasive, coordinated, integrated, and accepted programs of remedial activity. The other five are Appalachian State, East Carolina, Pembroke State, North Carolina Central and Winston-Salem State. The RTI report said that "one of the most outstanding characteristics of the remedial effort at WCU is the support and active involvement of the administration. "The chancellor was adamant in his contention that WCU has an obligation to serve the students of the western part of State and perform remediation where there was a lack of high school preparation. "As impressive as the knowledge and support of the administration was the careful thought that has gone into, and continues to be direct­ed at, both short- and long-range planning in remediation. "The establishment of the CAP Center— particularly the strategy employed by the administration—showed an acute sense of the need to develop the Center in the academic mainstream and at a pace that would ensure the acceptance of the Center and its integration with other remedial activities..." The Research Triangle Institute report also singled out an administration attitude: "Another strong aspect of the remedial effort at WCU is the confidence in and encouragement shown by the administration with departmental units to develop, evaluate and revise approaches to remedial instruction. This philosophy of departmental program development rather than a centralized but separate remedial learning center ensures the widespread acceptance of an important role for remediation and commitment of faculty and staff to these underprepared students." In a special report on Western's library— listed by the old N. C. Board of Higher Educa­tion at the bottom of the list in North Carolina—Dr. William Kirwan, WCU librarian, said the book collection today is strong and growing. Hunter Library now has more than 400,000 volumes of all types, including 225,000 books, 31,000 bound periodicals, 26,000 microfilm units the equal of 17,000 volumes, 366,000 microfiche items equal to 111,000 volumes, 40,000 government documents, and 2,300 periodicals subscriptions. The library also has a "good, hard-working staff," Kirwan said, and is serving not only the needs of students in Culiowhee but at 2 numerous off-campus centers. Western's library is growing so rapidly that the first priority of all WCU building projects is a major addition to the existing structure, Kirwan said. The last addition to the building, in 1967, was planned for a campus of 2,800 stu­dents, 70,000 volumes and an annual growth rate of 2,000 books. Today, the student pop­ulation is more than double the 1967 figure and 15,000 volumes are being added each year. The library can seat less than eight per cent of the student body and in the discipline of business alone the rate of use of the library has tripled in one year, he said. Fifty per cent of all WCU students use the library at least once a week, he said, and for every book checked out two more are being used in the library itself. But student and faculty complaints about noise and difficulty in finding materials in the five-story building were cited as problems besetting the library. The board approved reducing fees previous­ly approved for the 1978 summer term for out-of-state students from $93 per credit hour to $50 per credit hour for undergraduate students and from $95 to $50 per credit hour for graduate students. The board OK'd an increase of $2 per semes­ter hour for part-time graduate students for 1978-79 academic year to equalize the athlet­ics and University Center fee paid by graduate and undergraduate part-time students. It approved an increase from $230 to $250 per semester in food service charges, an in­crease that raises the charge per meal for a student on the meal plan from 61 cents to 66 cents. The increase will help meet antici­pated wage and food cost rises and an additional 14 meals per semester that stu­dents receive over those received under the quarter system. A proposed increase in book rental costs from $20 to $25 per semester was authorized and a telephone service fee of $25 per semes­ter was approved. All residence hall rooms will be equipped with telephones next year. "At the bottom line," Dr. C. J. Carter, vice chancellor for business affairs, said, "Western will still be a bargain" and will continue to cost less than most other public universities in the state. WORK PROGRESSES ON FOUR-LANING NC 107 North Carolina Department of Transpor­tation (NCDOT) officials now anticipate that the project to relocate 5.3 miles of NC 107 at Cullowhee will be let to contract some­time in January. The project had previously been scheduled for bid letting in November. "The project was delayed due to U. S. Corps of Engineers failure to issue a per­mit for construction of the highway adjacent to navigable waters," explained Thomas W. Bradshaw Jr., Secretary of Transportation. "We have had a number of discussions with U. S. Corps of Engineers and representatives from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. Finally, after a meeting with all parties concerned at the actual proposed construction site, an understanding has been reached that will allow the Department of Transportation to proceed and build the highway." The NC 107 project, when completed, will be a four lane facility on a new location south of the existing roadway. CHANCELLOR'S STATEMENT ON UNITED FUND "I want to express my thanks to all of the faculty and staff for their excellent cooperation and participation in the United Fund drive. Mrs. Mim Matus, Dr. Lawrence Arney, and their many ^o-workers, deserve a special vote of thanks for this highly success­ful campaign. The last report is that Western Carolina University employees have contributed $6,400, which is over the goal that was estab­lished. Thanks to all of you for this expression of your concern for those in need." STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT SET The second annual North Carolina student photography exhibition will be held at Western Carolina University February 12 through March 5. The exhibition is open to students in colleges, universities, technical institutes, and students enrolled in community art photo­graphy in North Carolina. Photos may be in black and white, color, or experimental. Each photographer may sub­mit up to five prints and all work must be 3 matted, mounted or ready to exhibit. First prize in the exhibition is $50, second prize will be photo gift certificates and third prize will be photography merchan­dise. Honorable mention will receive photograpny nooks and photography magazine subscriptions. All entries are due by January 18. There is a $3 per print entry fee for the exhibi­tion. Entry forms are available from Ray Menze in the WCU art department which is sponsoring the exhibition. CHRISTMAS IS COMING The University will close for Christmas holidays Saturday, December 24, and will re-open Tuesday, January 3, 1978. University employees will observe Dec. 26-30, 1977, and January 2, 1978, as holidays. NAMES IN THE NEWS Gary White (Earth Sciences) served as an invited grant selection panelist for the National Science Foundation's LOCI program, November 16-19, in Washington, D.C. Max M. Schreiber (Economics and Finance) presented a paper, "The Converging South," at a meeting of the Southern Economic Association in New Orleans Nov. 4. Glenn Bottoms (Economics and Finance) has presented three papers this fall. They are: "Afriat's Marginal Price Index and Indexation of Income Taxes," Southern Economic Association Meetings in New Orleans, Nov. 4? "Stability of General Economic Equilibrium and Simplicial Search Algorithms," Symposium on Extremal Methods and System Analysis, Austin,Texas, September 13; "Applications of General Economic Equilibrium through Simplicial Search Algorithms," First International Conference on Mathematical Modeling, St. Louis, September 1. Ray Menze (Art) has been invited to exhibit in the annual North Carolina Invitational Photographers Exhibition at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Winston-Salem, December 30 through February 16. The exhibit will include works by twelve North Carolina photographers. Menze will exhibit 10 recent black-and-white photos expressing the theme, "Dualities." Dr. R. Maurice Jones (head, Economics and Finance) presented a paper, "Capital - Technology Absorption Limitations: A Dilemma of Rapidly Developing Nations—The Iranian Experience," at a recent meeting of the Atlantic Economic Society in Washington, D.C. Thomas Pickering (Elementary Education and Reading) was the luncheon speaker at the mid-year Board Meeting of the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs in Fayetteville, November 15. He spoke on "Education for Today's Living." The Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, Alabama, recently purchased a wood-cut print from William Lidh (Art). The print, titled "Garden of the Psyche," is an acquisition for the permanent collection of the museum. Hal Salisbury (Continuing Education) attended the annual meeting of the Association for Continuing Higher Education in Montreal, November 6-10. Western Carolina University was accepted as a new member of the associa­tion at the convention. Before an institution is accepted for membership, a site visit is made to determine if the quality of the program meets the association's standards. A paper entitled "Convergence Theory and the German Historical School," by Max M. Schreiber (Economics and Finance) has been chosen as one of three winners in the 1977 paper competition sponsored by the Association for Comparative Economic Studies. The paper will be delivered at the meetings of the American Economic Association Dec. 29th. Tom O'Toole (History) conducted a work­shop entitled "The Use of "Roots" in the Classroom" at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Africanists at North Carolina A & T University December 3rd. Betty Siegel (dean, Education and Psychology) had a busy month in October. A partial list of her activities follows: Oct. 5, keynote address on parenting, 4 conference on "Focusing on Family Harmony," Franklin? Oct. 7, keynote address for Council of Appalachian Women, WCU? Oct. 8, addressed Annual Alumnae Fall Seminar on Conflicting Values and Decision Making, Tift College, Forsyth, Georgia; Oct. 12, gave the principal address at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Housing Officers, Greensboro; Oct. 22, addressed the Delta Kappa Gamma Society members of Region IX in Asheville; Oct. 28-29, presented a workshop on "Parents Push Self-Concept" for the North Carolina Association on Children Under Six, Bordeaux Inn Convention Center, Fayetteville. James M. Gifford (History) has been invited to be a participant in the third Newberry Conference on Teaching State and Community History, to be sponsored by The Newberry Library in Chicago in January, 1979. PUBLICATIONS Tom Dorsel, "Implementation of Variable- Schedule, Self-Reinforcement Procedures," Behavior Therapy, 1977, VIII, 489-491. CHORUS TO PRESENT "MESSIAH" The Western Carolina Community Chorus will present two performances of the Christmas portion of Handel's "Messiah" in Jackson County next week. The group, under the direction of James E. Dooley, will sing Monday in Hoey Auditorium here and Tuesday at the First Baptist Church of Sylva. Both performances will begin at 8:15 p.m. and will be free to the public. Featured soloists will be Margaret Alexander, Gloria Barham, and Jacque Culpepper, sopranos; Paula Baron, Jean Howell, and Sharon Jacques, altos? Scott Berry, tenor? and Steve Medford, baritone. The chorus will be joined in both performances by an orchestra composed of Handel's original instrumentation for this choral masterpiece. The Western Carolina Community Chorus, now in its eighth year, is sponsored jointly by the Fine Arts Center of Western Carolina University and the Jackson County Arts Council, Mrs. Linda Kotila, president. Tom Dorsel, "A New Look at Racial Prejudice," Psychology in the Schools, 1977, 14, 188-190. Donald Josif, "Rejected Location of Interstate Highway Forty, California," The California Geographer, in press. Jandhyala L. Sharma, "Comparative Analysis of Stock Price Behavior on Bombay, London, and New York Stock Exchanges," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, September, 1977. Tom 0'Toole, "Using the Personalized System of Instruction to Teach African History," African Studies Review, XX (Sept. 1977). Tom 0'Toole, Review of Philip Curtin, Economic Change in Precolonial Africa, in Africa Today, XXIV (July-Sept., 1977).