STRATEGIC ACTIONS:

ENHANCEMENT OF ACADEMIC STANDARDS:

•Because most departments completed their review of all courses, syllabi, class scheduling, and assessment of student learning through portfolio and other measures of assessment, several departments have revised or renovated their curriculum and have developed new, quality programs to take full advantage of contemporary issues and interests, as well as the diverse expertise of our faculty:

•The Music Department created a B.A. in Music Performance;

•The Art department proposed an M.F.A. degree;

•The Political Science and Public Affairs department is proposing to offer a track in Criminal Justice for its M.P.A. Degree;

•The English department is developing a track in Professional Writing for its M.A. degree.

•A number of new courses were added to various departmental offerings, most notably the Modern Foreign Language department's new Russian language course in fall 1998 which serves as a non-western language option, and a course in Environmental Sociology which will be permanently established as part of the Anthropology/Sociology curriculum.

•Other departments reviewed their curriculum to raise standards:

•The Art department requires that a student receive no less than a C for any Art course to count in the major.

•The Natural Resources Management program made changes to increase the required hours in the major;

•The Modern Foreign Languages program enacted limits for the number of courses native speakers could take in their own language.

•Both the Math/Computer Science and Biology curriculums are deleting and replacing some of their lower-level courses with updated, upgraded courses to keep up with changes in the fields.

ENHANCEMENT OF ENROLLMENT:

•Departments were active in recruiting students, with members of all departments participating in the Fall and Spring Open Houses.

•A number of faculty participated in various Family Nights throughout the spring semester.

•The Modern Foreign Language department targeted their specific audience by writing approximately 800 letters to honors students and high school students with language background.

•The "Summer Ventures" program, a state-sponsored program held on-site at WCU, enabled the Math department continued success in recruiting gifted secondary students.

•The University Music Friends raised over $5000 for scholarships to help recruit high school students.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARTICULATION:

•Members of the College of Arts and Sciences participated in the Articulation Agreement meetings in Raleigh, resulting in most of the Pre-Major Articulation Agreements being complete for majors within the College of Arts and Sciences.

TACTICAL ACTIONS

INTERNATIONALIZATION OF CURRICULUM AND THE CAMPUS:

•"The Summer in Great Britain" program continues to thrive, team-taught by two members of the English and History departments.

•The Modern Foreign Language Department continues their North Carolina/Germany student/faculty exchanges.

•Faculty were involved in numerous professional development activities in an international arena:

•a member of the Anthropology/Sociology department conducted research in Kenya;

•a member of the Art Department had a solo exhibit in Germany and was a Visiting Artist at an Art school in Provence, France;

•one faculty member in Geosciences will travel to China this summer as part of the Fulbright-Hayes Group project grant;

•a member of the Math department presented a paper at an international conference in Austria;

•a member of the English department was a part of an NEH Summer Seminar in Paris.

ENHANCING STRATEGICALLY ADVANTAGED PROGRAMS:

•The History department founded a Cherokee Studies track for the M.A. in History;

•The Chemistry department initiated a track in Environmental Chemistry.

•The Endowed Chair in Electronic and Commercial Music Performance, which was successfully filled this year, will bring Dr. Bruce Frazier's impressive expertise and repute to the Music department and College, as well as attract regional audiences.

•The Sequoia Chair in History is in the process of being funded with matching support monies for the federal grant having been recently received from Harrah's in Cherokee as well as local constituencies.

OPERATIONAL ACTIONS

INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY:

•Faculty attended 357 workshops/seminars (a 839% increase over last year), many of which were computer related, revealing not only active professional development, but a college-wide commitment to the technology initiative.

•The English department adopted the Daedalus computer software to facilitate teaching composition in the computer classrooms and conducted numerous training sessions for its faculty. Thus, in the fall, freshmen will be working with state-of-the-art technology combined with state-of-the-art pedagogy.

EXPANDED COMMUNITY OUTREACH:

•The College continued its support of the Hudson Library Lecture series in Highlands for the eighth consecutive year in which members of the College faculty make presentations to Highland residents who underwrite this series.

•The College also continued, for the fourth year, our series of special Opening Night Theatrical Galas for residents of Cashiers-Highlands. A group of 26 residents are transported to campus for the opening night of the major theatre performances, followed by a reception with the cast and director.

•With the support of the Advancement Office, the College also organized a similar evening for The Music Faculty Showcase Performance at which residents of Cashiers were bused to campus, attended the performance and a reception with the Music faculty, guest performers, and student performers. Based on their expressed interest in supporting WCU, arrangements are in progress for a "package" of Fine Arts events/receptions throughout the year involving this group.

•The English department sponsored a number of renowned authors, including a Pulitzer Prize winning poet, in their Visiting Writing Series, drawing audiences from within the University and the community.

•The Art department sponsored a number of exhibits in the Belk and Chelsea Galleries which drew audiences from the region.

DEVELOPING BUILDING PROGRAM FOR FINE AND PERFORMNING ARTS CENTER:

Progress continues to be made on plans for the proposed Fine and Performing ArtsCenter. Faculty in the Music, Theatre, and Art departments consulted at length with architects and engineers about the logistics of the building design. At this point, working architectural drawings are set, awaiting funding to begin construction.