News

An annual effort to encourage faculty and staff members to make financial contributions to Western Carolina University is now underway, including the resumption of a friendly competition among campus divisions and academic colleges.

For Paxton Myers and Dana Boyer, longtime supporters of Western Carolina University’s athletics program, giving back to their alma mater feels like more than just making financial contributions. It also feels like keeping a promise.

A retired professor in Western Carolina University’s College of Business has created an endowment fund that will provide resources for mentorship programs for current faculty members within the college.

Universities and colleges across the United States are finding that an ever-increasing number of students on their campuses are dealing with a variety of mental health issues, ranging from anxiety and depression to thoughts of suicide.

Alexander “Alec” Harris, former recreation and events supervisor for the municipality of Jersey Village, Texas, is the new director of development for Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professions.

Following a period of decreased activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was exacerbated by the impacts of Hurricane Helene, the Association of Retired Faculty and Staff of Western Carolina University has embarked upon a process of organizational reinvigoration.

Members of Western Carolina University fraternities and sororities contributed more than $1.5 million to the Catamount Club during the 2024-2025 edition of the Greek Challenge, an annual competition to see which organizations can raise the most money in support of the university’s athletics program.

Nearly 150 incoming first-year students at Western Carolina University received an early welcome to their future alma mater and a few lessons in “all things Catamount” during a series of July receptions across North Carolina and in Atlanta.

Prospective members of Western Carolina University’s Catamount Club had at least 1 million reasons for joining the university’s athletics booster organization for the 2025-2026 season.

In June 2025, the House v. NCAA Settlement reshaped college athletics by allowing Division I schools to provide more financial support to student-athletes, including backpay for past NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities and a new revenue-sharing model.