Value Added

Vice provost for academic affairs leads and represents campus, community. Could Carol Burton ’87 MAEd ’89 be the quintessential Catamount? A lot of people would say yes.  

Streaming Now

Not long ago, Drew Starkey ’16, one of the stars in a hit Netflix television series, had doubts about whether his hope for a full-time career in the entertainment industry was realistic.  

The Show Must Go On

The School of Stage and Screen turned to technology to present a virtual version of a Shakespeare classic. Theatrical stages from coast to coast may have gone dark in this time of social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but that has not stopped the folks from the School of Stage and Screen at Western Carolina University from sharing their talents with the public. In the grand tradition of “the show must go on,” WCU students and faculty presented William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” via Zoom, the videoconferencing service that has exploded in popularity as millions of students and workers find themselves studying and working remotely because of the coronavirus crisis.   

Promise Kept

More than two years after its debut, the groundbreaking tuition reduction plan known as NC Promise is, by most accounts, a solid success that is meeting the goals of improving access to higher education by providing a financial leg-up to undergraduate students who might not otherwise be able to afford it and lowering student loan debt. Enrollment has increased significantly at Western Carolina University and two other University of North Carolina System institutions that are part of the plan. Students say the lower tuition cost is making a difference in their lives, and the amount of student debt incurred is on the decline.  

No Bones About It

As a forensic anthropologist, Western Carolina University assistant professor Nicholas Passalacqua has always believed he was doing important work through his teaching and his research.  

Read His Story  

Spring commencement, fall ceremonies rescheduled over 4 days in December

WCU is planning a four-day series of ceremonies to honor spring, summer and fall 2020 graduates.   

Angela 'AJ' Grube named as next College of Business dean

Angela “A.J.” Grube, a member of the faculty in the College of Business for more than 20 years, has been named to lead the college as its next permanent dean, effective Jan. 1.  

Chancellor appoints Richard Starnes to provost

WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown has announced the appointment of Richard D. Starnes as the next provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, effective immediately.  

WCU to waive application fee for freshmen as part of statewide campaign starting Oct. 19

WCU is among the institutions of higher education that will participate in “North Carolina Countdown to College,” an annual campaign to support college access through the waiving of freshmen application fees.