The Board of Trustees of Western Carolina University met in regular session on March 8, 1993, in the Board Room of the Robinson Administration Building. Chairman William F. Forsyth called the meeting to order at 2:45 p.m.

The following members of the Board were present: Mrs. Allen, Mr. Allman, Mrs. Blankenship, Mr. Cagle, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Laughter, Mc. McKee, Mr. Moore, Mr. Pine, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Woody.

Others present included Chancellor Coulter; Vice Chancellors Carter, Dooley, Stillion, and Wakeley; Assistants to the Chancellor Dowell, Ambrose, and Ramsey; Dr. Wright, Chair of the Faculty; Mr. Travis, Director of Athletics; Mr. Kucharski, Legal Counsel; and Mrs. Anderson, Information and Communication Specialist in the Office of Public Information.

Mr. Wilson moved that the minutes of the December 4, 1992, meeting be approved as circulated. Mr. Allman seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

Mr. Wilson asked that Vice Chancellor Carter discuss the following items:

1. Consideration of Naming Campus Facilities

Dr. Carter proposed that the baseball stadium be named for Lamar Hennon, a friend and benefactor. and that the Psychology Conference Room in Killian Building be named for Mr. Taylor Huskins, a former member of the university faculty who is now deceased. Mr. Wilson moved that both proposals be approved, Mr. Allman seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

2. Consideration of Right-of-Way Request

Dr. Carter indicated that the Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority has recently acquired an acre of land for construction of a reservoir on what is known as Brown Hill. This property is located just beyond the university's reservoir site. In order for them to get to their site, they must cross university property and have, therefore, requested an easement which would give them a 12-foot right-of-way across our property and provide that the right-of-way is revocable in the event that (1) the university subsequently needed the right-of-way for expansion of its own reservoir, (2) if the Authority personnel failed to maintain the security of our reservoir site (Our reservoir site has a chain-link fence around it and has to be accessed through gates.); or (3) if the university should sell or convey that property to any other party. It also agreed that the Authority will restore the road up to the site to its original condition after they have completed their construction. Thereafter, the university and the Authority would jointly maintain the access road. Dr. Carter believes it is to the university's interest to make this access available to the Authority so that they might move ahead with the development of their own treatment and distribution facilities and become the supplier of those public utilities in the community as well as in this end of Jackson County.

Mr. Wilson moved that the request be approved, Mr. Moore seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

3. Report on Land Acquisition (for information only)

Vice Chancellor Carter reported on the acquisition of a piece of property owned by Eugene Hooper which adjoins current university property. WCU had tried for a number of years to acquire this property, particularly for a site for the NCCAT facilities, but was unsuccessful at that time. Mr. Hooper agreed to sell the property at a mutually agreeable price; however, at the same time the property came under the jurisdiction of a bankruptcy court who released the property to the mortgager who foreclosed on the property and WCU bought it at the foreclosure sale. Closing has occurred.

Chancellor Coulter noted that Dr. Judy Dowell was standing in for Mrs. Ruth Shuler today during her trip to Germany.

1. Budget Reduction Plan requested by Governor Hunt

WCU, as well as all other state agencies, has recently been requested to submit two different plans: one asking for a one percent reduction in funds over each of the next two years and one asking for a two percent reduction in funds over each of the next two years. Western has complied with this request. Its effect would be a loss of $375,000 for each year under the one percent plan and a loss of about $750,000 for each year under the two percent plan. The two percent plan would require the sacrifice of some positions which we had just regained due to enrollment increases. The Governor is looking for a total of $50 million in reductions through this program from all state agencies.

2. Government Performance Audit Committee

This is a $3 million study for the legislature to find savings in state government. Several of the recommendations do affect higher education: - Tuition increases to provide for 25 percent of the cost of resident student's education. This would increase tuition by nearly 70 percent over the next four years. The Board of Governors is taking a positive position against this recommendation and advocating retention of the current formula for funding universities, and the maintenance of low tuition.

- There are four additional recommendations by GPAC which are as follows: (1) The General Assembly should direct the Board of Governors to conduct a one-time review of all degree programs; (2) The General Assembly should also mandate that productivity reviews of all program areas be part of the UNC biennial planning process. This is to be done over a 2-3 year period in various phases. (3) The General Assembly should support continued and expanded use of graduate centers, CONCERT, and cooperative degree programs and by enacting funding or other changes that will eliminate barriers and disincentives to these alternative delivery mechanisms. (4) Maintain and strengthen divisions of effort between the four institutions that offer doctoral programs, but especially between UNC-CH and NCSU.

The Governor is looking for another $50 million from the GPAC recommendations listed above. There is to be a summit meeting of all governing bodies of educational systems this week in Raleigh to examine the impact of GPAC recommendations.

3. Capital Improvement Bond Issue

This is still a live issue. It includes items which total around $300 million. It is strongly advocated by our Board of Governors but much discord centers around the issue. Individual legislators differ greatly on their view of the situation. The Consolidated University Alumni Association continues to be supportive. In addition to the bond issue, UNC General Administration has requested that each of the universities submit an updated request for our capital improvements to upgrade the amounts of all new construction and major renovation projects to bring them to "state of the art" levels. Our original request was $9.6 million out of the $300 million bond issue. It is now $13.4 million with the submission of a nearly $3.9 million upgrade of our request for the Belk, Moore, Camp Lab, and Reid Gym projects.

4. Revenue Outlook

There are mixed projections in regard to the state's revenue outlook. Some say a rosy short term but a less favorable long term to end of this decade. We are running around $60 million ahead so far this year. The Governor is planning a $105 million increase in university budgets for the biennium, but we aren't sure what his priorities are. The Governor is recommending low salary increases: three percent total - two percent across-the-board and one percent merit. He also wants $2 million appropriated to recruit outstanding faculty. Chancellor Coulter reminded the Board of the current policy requiring a 30 percent reduction in the salary of retirees which then serves as the cap for new hired in those positions. WCU has reverted $220,000 through January this year.

5. Legislative Bills

There are two legislative bills of special importance to WCU: (1) funding for the Mountain Aquaculture Research Center of $200,000 for each year of the biennium; bill is being sponsored by House members Jenkins, Ramsey, Beall, and Nesbitt; (2) bill to expand Electronic Communications Network has been proposed to link WCU to eight other universities in the system. Funds requested total $800,000. There has been no action to write this bill thus far.

6. Fisher Creek Watershed

The Town of Sylva has agreed to give WCU access to the Fisher Creek watershed to build a trout research facility to be used by the Mountain Aquaculture Research Center.

7. Legislative Commission on the Preparation and Advancement of Public School Administrators

This commission has completed its study and made recommendations, one of which is to abolish all 12 master's degree programs in the UNC system which prepare school administrators and reopen competition among universities to establish only five or six programs across the state. This will be a major political fight and could have serious consequences for several major regions of the state.

8. Death of Dr. Adcock

Professor Eva Adcock passed away on Sunday, March 7. She had recently been designated as Professor Emeritus in the Department of Music.

9. Indicators of Quality

Chancellor Coulter mentioned a number of the many good things currently happening at Western:

- For the first time Western is ranked in the first quartile (top 25 percent) of public and private regional universities in the South, as published in the annual U. S. News and World Report rankings.

- Western now has the first and only North Carolina Institute for College and University Teaching. This is especially significant because of the newly initiated emphasis upon college teaching.

- Nathan and Carolyn Arthur of Asheville have given $50,000 cash to resurface our running track.

- WCU's chapter of the N. C. Association of Nursing Students recently received the organization's state "Chapter of the Year" award.

- Professor Rick Harrison, Professor of Biology and 1991 winner of the O. Max Gardner Award, has just been named the editor of the Journal of Morphology, effective January, 1995.

- Progress is being made toward securing our first Distinguished Professorship at Western. A gift of $150,000 is being prepared by friends in Cherokee toward a Sequoyah Professorship.

- Western received an "outstanding International Continuing Higher Education Award" given by the American Association for Continuing Higher Education. The award was for our Bachelor's degree program for Jamaican teachers.

- An undergraduate student, Linda Culpepper, won the state's highest award for undergraduate research in history, the Hugh T. Loeffler Award from the N. C. Historical Association. This is the first time the prize was not won by a Duke, Chapel Hill, or Wake Forest undergraduate.

- 82 of our athletes were recently awarded citations for earning an average of B or better this year.

- One of our football players, Willie Williams, was the first WCU player to play in the Blue-Gray All-Star Game.

- Two coaches won Southern Conference "Coach of the Year" Awards: Steve Hodgin for football and Danny Williamson for women's track and field.

- The athletics auction in Maggie Valley netted $27,000. The Charlotte auction is scheduled for March 20.

Vice Chancellor Carter noted that copies of two audit reports were in the materials provided to each trustee: (1) the International Program Fund of WCU, Inc., and (2) the audit of the university by the State Auditor of North Carolina. There are only two findings in the report upon which the University must act: (1) standards for making federally guaranteed loans to students; and (2) reimbursement of university personnel for dinner meal when no overnight stay is involved. Auditors indicate that it must be treated as taxable income; the university takes exception and will pursue to determine who is correct.

Mr. Laughter indicated that the Senior Gift Committee was beginning to narrow their choices of gift possibilities to the university; SGA elections will be March 31' and a resolution passed increasing the GPA requirement for SGA president from 2.0 to 2.25.

Dr. Wright said the Faculty Senate is beginning discussion of general education requirements and specifically those dealing with oral communication skills. Discussion is also taking place on graduation rates and the faculty grievance process.

Mr. Woody moved that the Board go into Executive Session to discuss those items allowable under the Open Meetings Law. Mr. Laughter seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

(Minutes of the Executive Session are not included here because of their confidential nature; they are, however, a part of the official minutes book.)

By common consent the Board reconvened in regular session..

Mr. Pine moved that all personnel actions discussed in the Executive Session be approved. Mr. Cagle seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

Upon motion of Mr. Pine, seconded by Mr. Moore and unanimously approved, the following resolution was adopted:

When the Board of Trustees, in 1967, was informed of the impending retirement of President Paul A. Reid, it began a nationwide search for a worthy successor, concluding in the selection of Alex S. Pow, a principal academic officer of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.

His appointment on July 1, 1968, seated him as the sixth president in the life of the University, and brought to the institution a leader of broad intellectual powers, strong organizational skills, and energetic commitment to progressive chance.

Where the University sought new academic development, he led. Thus was encouraged faculty interest in formulating an array of new academic programs, notably in the health sciences and social work.

Where he saw opportunities for widening the scope of the institution and broadening the experience of its students, he built. Thus were expanded the institution's graduate offerings and regional service activities, of the latter notably continuing education; and thus was opened for students new horizons of student development, including opportunities for study abroad.

Where the University lacked resources, he was a convincing spokesman. Thus was obtained improved assistance from the state and from the institution's constituents, and thus came stronger support for and better understanding of the University.

In these and myriad ways, Alex S. Pow opened new avenues of achievement for faculty and for students, with whom he had a special affinity and by whom he was held in great esteem.

By that stern measure of man's achievement--the passage of time--the presidency of Alex S. Pow stands well. The academic structures, the student life concepts, the international component, the advancement activities, the internal governance framework, and many other elements that serve the University today are rooted in the leadership of Dr. Pow.

A grateful University acknowledges its indebtedness to him, and extends to Mrs. Pow and to their children and grandchildren, this Resolution, expressing sympathy at the death of this courageous man, whose professional achievements, remarkable as they were, are not his only legacy to Western Carolina University. For, in contending with illness and infirmity, he exhibited indomitable spirit, personal strength, enduring faith, force of will, and depth of character by which institutions and individuals may overcome adversity and triumph in life.

Adopted by the Board of Trustees of Western Carolina University, March 8, 1993.

With no further business to be transacted, the meeting was declared adjourned.