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REGULAR
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Conference
Room of Bird Administration Building
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The spring meeting of the Board of Trustees of Western Carolina College met in the Conference Room of the Bird Administration Building, May 17, 1962, with the following members present:
Members absent:
Others present:
Chairman Woollcott called the meeting to order and President Reid introduced the four Division Heads of the Administration: Dr. A. K. Hinds, Dean of the College; Mr. W. B. Harrill, Director of Public Relations and Summer School; Mr. Hugh Battle, Bursar, representing the Business Department; Mr. Taylor Huskins, Director of Student Personnel, with each giving a brief oral summary of the year's activities, accompanied by a mimeographed report. (See Exhibits #1-4 on file in the President's Office) President Reid next introduced Dr. D. C. Sossomon, Head of the Institutional Self-Study group who gave the following report: A few years ago, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools adopted a new procedure as a part of its accrediting function. The new practice is the institutional self-study and is now required of all member institutions once each decade. The purpose of the self-study is simple: to improve the educational effectiveness of the college. The procedures are designed to help the college to reassess its purpose, gauge its success in attaining them, and discover ways to make improvements. To accomplish these objectives, the college uses its own personnel to conduct a thorough, objective examination of the institution. The self-study is long and difficult, but it is completely compatible with the interests of the college. Western Carolina College has begun its first institutional self-study. In February, Dr. Gordon W. Sweet, of the Southern Association, visited the campus and described the purposes and procedures to a general faculty meeting. President Reid appointed me Chairman of the Steering Committee to conduct the study. Other members are Dean Hinds, Vice-Chairman, Miss Addie Beam, Secretary, Dr. Ashbrook, Mr. Battle, Dr. Killian and Dr. Turner. The Steering Committee has appointed chairmen of fourteen sub-committees, each of which will study and report on one aspect of our institution and its work--the purpose, the educational program, the graduate program, the faculty, the nonacademic personnel, the library, financial resources, physical plant, student services, special activities, public relations-all aspects of our college work. These subcommittees will continue their work through much of next year, examining in detail our present practices and facilities, and they will make recommendations for improvements. Their work will be compiled into an institutional report for the Southern Association. In October, 1963, the Association will send to Cullowhee a visiting committee composed of outstanding college people, who will make their own evaluation of our institution and test it against our report. Finally, they will write a report of their findings and recommendations. Their report will conclude the self-study. You can readily understand from this brief description of the purpose and method of this study that we are undertaking an important, long and difficult task which will require the cooperation of our entire staff. We shall very probably have to ask some of you to contribute time and effort to the study. I sincerely hope that you appreciate the significance of the self-study and that you will give your full support. The self-study promises to be difficult but beneficial. We shall have to keep the store open while we conduct our physical and intellectual inventory. The inventory must be thorough and objective, despite the fact that we are examining ourselves. For these reasons it will be difficult. But, from the experience, we expect to emerge better acquainted with our purposes, our human resources, our virtues and faults. Certainly, these benefits will contribute directly to improvement and growth. Mrs. Dan K. Moore, Chairman of the Committee of Nine to make recommendations to the full Board of Trustees for naming the two new dormitories made the following recommendation: ''That the two new dormitories be named in honor of Miss Anne Allbright and Miss Alice Benton and that further consideration be given to Miss Cordelia Camp in a more appropriate way in teacher training.'' A motion was made by Dr. Van Gorder, seconded by Mr. Sutton and passed unanimously that the Board approve the recommendation of the Committee. President Reid gave a brief report on the building program explaining that the two new dormitories now under construction are expected to be ready for the fall term and that the addition to the health and physical education building was well under way. Since the two new dormitories are expected for occupancy for girls by the fall quarter President Reid explained to the Board the necessity of converting Madison Dormitory (now housing freshman girls) to a mens dormitory. A motion was made by Mr. Hyde, seconded by Dr. Van Gorder, and unanimously passed, that Madison dormitory be converted to house men students beginning with the fall quarter of 1962. Mr. Frank Brown, Jr. explained the problem we are faced with at the present Post Office Building which is very inadequate, especially with the new dormitories ready for occupancy by fall quarter. Mr. Brown further explained that approximately $10,000 would be needed to expand the present Post Office to meet the requirements of the Post Office Department. Upon a motion by Mrs. Moore, seconded by Dr. Van Gorder the Board unanimously approved the recommendation from President Reid that the Board of Trustees borrow the necessary funds from the Book Rental System Fund to build an addition to the present Post Office Building for lease to the U. S. Post Office Department, provided that the college re-negotiate a lease agreement with the Post Office Department, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Upon a motion by Mrs. Moore, seconded by Mr. Sutton, the following action taken by mail ballot was approved:
Upon a motion
by Mr. Mallonee, seconded by Mrs. Moore the following action of
the Executive Committee taken by telephone was approved:
Approval was secured from all members of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees by telephone on April 25, 1962. A motion was made by Mrs. Moore, seconded by Mr. Buchanan, authorizing the Chairman of the Board to appoint a special committee from the Board to honor Mr. Reuben B. Robertson for donating his portrait. Upon a motion by Mr. Sutton, seconded by Mr. Mallonee, the Board approved the following personnel matters:
Dr. Cecil
Mann, Professor of Psychology (66) Dr. W. A.
Ashbrook, Hd. Dept. ;Professor of Business (63) Dr. R. M.
Ainsley from Associate Professor to Professor (Ed.) Dr. Gerald
Eller, Assistant Professor of Science Gurney Chambers,
Instr. Education; Asst. to Alumni Secretary Miss Edythe Walker, Super. Teacher, McKee Lab. School (65) Mr. Milford Jenkins, Operator (65) A motion was made by Mrs. Moore, seconded by Mr. Buchanan, that the Board unanimously approve the employment of Dr. Rosser H. Taylor on a part-time basis with the rank of Professor Emeritus. A motion was
made by Mrs. Moore, seconded by Mr. Mallonee, and passed, approving
the prospective graduates for degrees at the May, 1962 Commencement,
conditioned upon completion of all requirements as approved by
the Dean. (See Exhibit #8 on file in the President's Office) Upon a motion by Mr. Sutton, seconded by Mr. Mallonee, the Board unanimously approved the 1962-63 College Catalog. Chairman Woollcott called for the next item listed on the agenda "Special Report on Investigation''. He asked President Reid to outline for the Board the steps of the investigation. President Reid explained that the first knowledge he had of any investigation being under way was when the matter was brought to his attention by the Vice-President for Business Affairs, Mr. Sutton. He understood from Mr. Sutton that a State Bureau of Investigation agent or agents had been in the community for about three weeks at that time. In substance President Reid continued with the report as follows: Some time after getting the information from Mr. Sutton, SBI agents Davis and Crawford presented themselves saying that they had been running down rumors in the community concerning alleged mis-use of state property and that now they had reached the place they would like permission to examine college records which might throw light upon these rumors. Permission was granted. Some time later on the afternoon of March 28, 1962, to be exact, Mr. Woollcott telephoned from Asheville saying that the Executive Committee had met during the day with Mr. Hugh Cannon, Director of the Department of Administration and that the Executive Committee needed to meet with him at the college office. The Executive Committee met from approximately 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. considering findings in the preliminary SBI report which Mr. Cannon had brought from Raleigh.
President Reid reported that resignations were received from Mr. R. C. Sutton, Vice-president for Business Affairs and Mr. Harley T. Shelton, College Engineer, dated April 2, 1962, and that copies of these resignations had been mailed to all members of the Board of Trustees. SBI Agent C. D. Davis continued the investigation. Some time later two auditors from the State Auditor's Office reported to President Reid that they had been sent to make an audit of any accounts relating to the investigation, particularly the Athletic Fund. These auditors were on the campus for a few weeks. President Reid reported that Mr. Woollcott was furnished with the second report from the SBI and that Mr. Woollcott had turned this report over to him and that it is now ready for consideration at this meeting of the Board of Trustees. There was considerable discussion, much of which was led by Mr. Woollcott. President Reid explained that he had in his possession both the preliminary SBI report and the second SBI report and that these reports were available for examination during the afternoon following the Board meeting or at any time Board members desired to examine the findings. President Reid reported that SBI agent Davis visited his office the afternoon before the Board meeting saying that neither the investigation nor the audit report was finished and that he was not sure just when there would be completed report. President Reid put the Board members on notice that when the completed report is available it may be necessary to call them in special session. President Reid presented each member of the Board with a copy of the following letter which he wrote the State Auditor under date of May 8, 1962:
Some members of the Board expressed commendation of the service rendered the Board and the College by the Executive Committee in connection with the investigation. One member of the Board, Mr. Guy Sutton, disagreed as indicated in the following statement:
President Reid asked the Board to define the procedure which should be followed in filling the vacancies of Business Manager and College Engineer. It was moved by Mr. Mallonee, seconded by Mrs. Moore, and unanimously passed, that the President of the College in cooperation with the Executive Committee of the Board fill these vacancies. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted,
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