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April 1998
by Dr. John W. Bardo -- jbardo@wcu.edu
Celebrating Western
As we continue to work through nettles of major issues on this campus, ranging from enrollment to program mix, and from resource allocation to academic reputation, it is easy to forget the many victories that we as a faculty, staff, and administration already have had together. There has been a great deal of progress on many fronts due to the hard work of individuals and groups across the campus. With this Update, I would like to ask you to take a minute, not to consider what remains undone, but to reflect on several important projects that already have produced important results.
Governance review
In my first year at Western, a number of faculty members expressed concerns over faculty roles in governance. They did not feel that current governance systems were as effective as they could be and they felt that processes were sometimes exclusionary. Kathy Wright had expressed concerns when she was chair of the faculty and these were sustained by Terry Kinnear when he became chair of the faculty. As a result, a task force was appointed to examine the current governance structure, assess its strengths and weaknesses, and suggest means by which this system could be modified.
The governance task force is chaired by Jane Hall. Members include J.C. Alexander, Jim Busbin, Rick Collings, Andy DeGrove, Kim Dills, Bill Haggard, Casey Hurley, Terry Kinnear, Nancy Kolenbrander, Billy Norton, Peg Shafer, Gary Smith, David Whitaker, and Kara Williams. Like most good task forces, this one struggled early with attempting to understand the meaning of its mission and to organize its means of operation. However, its work progressed and recently the task force presented three alternative models for governance to the University community.
While the models are very important, we also should celebrate the process by which they were developed. As the work of the task force matured, consideration moved from notions of faculty governance to university governance. Emphasis was placed on how the various voices of the major university constituencies-faculty, staff, students, and administration-could be heard through governance. The product of this task force truly represents an effort to be inclusive. What is equally important, however, is that the models were developed through a very inclusive process.
We clearly should celebrate the work of this task force, both because of its product and because of the processes that were used in developing the product. To all who were involved-well done.
The Honors College
Another win for this campus was the way in which the Honors College was implemented. From the beginning, there was significant faculty leadership offered, first by David Dorondo and then by Brian Railsback. Faculty members and department heads from across the campus have spent a great deal of time and effort creating and delivering honors courses and honors option courses and working with students on honors contracts. Larry Bixby, Raymond Ledford, and Lynda McNeely from the CAP Center were especially instrumental in working through issues of registration and advising. And, under the leadership of Billy Norton, George Swindoll, and Wiley Harris, the physical plant of Reynolds Hall was made to fit the emerging vision for the college. This was an exciting transition that has already begun to make a real difference in both the students Western can attract and the intellectual climate of the campus.
WCU also should be proud that the Honors College is one of the few such programs in the country that includes a student Honors Board of Directors. Through this board, students already have had significant influence on the development of the college. Likewise, Sam Chontos, president of Phi Sigma Pi, Michael McCollum, and Bill Smith, all students, have been actively involved in creating the college and its electronic presence.
It is particularly gratifying as a chancellor to see an idea develop. The Honors College is an example of what can be accomplished through collaboration among faculty members, staff, and students. I will say that the Honors College is not exactly what I thought it would be-it is better. It belongs to the students and faculty of this campus, and it will continue to make a difference in Western's future.
Undergraduate research
Faculty members on this campus increasingly are taking the opportunity to work with students on primary research. Traditionally, graduate programs have encouraged this type of work, but it is less traditional for undergraduate students to become highly involved in direct research. You may not be aware, but last year three WCU students had papers accepted at the National Undergraduate Research Conference; this year twenty-four students had eighteen papers accepted. I have heard from faculty members and students that other undergraduates have had papers accepted at regional, and even national, disciplinary professional meetings. Think about what this type of experience means for a student's education, his or her potential for post-baccalaureate education, and for putting in to practice the methods of the discipline. Without the willingness of individual faculty members to encourage and mentor these students, few, if any, would have had this opportunity.
Technology in the classroom
The impetus for the technology initiatives at Western came from faculty members. People on this campus wanted to move forward and they understood that electronics technologies were going to play an increasingly important role in education. Your understanding and willingness to act were an unusual combination in higher education. As a result, Western is one of the first institutions nationally to move to this level of integration of technology across the curriculum. WCU may be among the first dozen public universities, and among the first forty public or private universities nationally, to create this type of requirement. Your work is not going unnoticed. You may be aware that Western is two to four years ahead of many of the most prestigious universities nationally in utilization of technology. In our own state, UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Wilmington have announced that they plan to have a computer admissions standard in place by the year 2000. Others are considering their options. And Western has received an important national recognition for its work. Cullowhee was listed in the March 1998 edition of Yahoo! Internet Life as the most wired small town in North Carolina and one of the 100 most wired cities and small towns in the United States.
All of the above represent University-wide initiatives. Within departments, programs, and areas of the University, faculty members, staff, administrators, and students are making a difference and celebrating achievements. I have mentioned only a few of the most broad University initiatives, but each of the others is important and makes a difference. It is not often that we take the time to sit back and reflect on accomplishments; it too often feels self-serving. However, when you are engaged in the difficult work of institution building, it is important to consider not just how far we have to go, but also how far we have come. Thanks to each of you who contribute so much every day to the life of this great University.
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