Western Carolina University

Faculty and Staff Can Help Vitalize Scholarships

Betty Farmer, faculty campaign co-chair.

Too many top students miss out on Western for one reason—scholarships somewhere else, said Betty Farmer, professor of communications. “We cannot compete with other universities right now when it comes to scholarships. We have great professors and programs, and it’s a shame scholarship funding sometimes keeps us from attracting the best students,” said Farmer.

“We can help turn that around through the campaign,” she said. “A lot of us contributing even a little will add up. I hope every faculty and staff member will join me in contributing some amount. It’s so trite, but it is true: Together we can make a difference.”

Farmer also encouraged faculty to share with the development office the names of former students who could now give back. Farmer said Mike Crisp, a communications graduate, recently contributed to support a public relations conference. “We were thrilled to receive his check for $500,” Farmer said. “All we had to do was ask.”