Proposed Koch gift to WCU a bad idea
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist
The proposed $2 million gift from the Charles Koch Foundation to Western Carolina University to establish a Center of Free Enterprise raises several questions.
WCU chancellor pledges transparency, faculty involvement to vet controversial Koch money
Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher announced to faculty this week that he would engage their input and oversight in crafting the terms and conditions of a $2 million grant from the politically charged Charles Koch Foundation.
WCU leaders, faculty at odds over Koch-funded free enterprise center
Western Carolina University leaders bucked concerns of faculty when they voted last week to create a free enterprise center funded with outside money from politically-charged mega donors.
WCU community grapples with academic pursuits in the face of politically-charged outside funding
A firestorm over the outside private funding of academia and its potential to undermine intellectual freedom has erupted in recent weeks at Western Carolina University.
Faculty and university leaders have been embroiled in a debate over whether to take $2 million from the Charles Koch Foundation, a funding arm tied to the conservative Koch brothers. The money would be used to establish a Center for the Study of Free Enterprise.
SEE ALSO: WCU leaders, faculty at odds over Koch-funded free enterprise center
The Sounds of Appalachia: Giddens, Holt, Balsam Range to play WCU
“David Holt’s State of Music — Live” will take to the stage from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.
Acts scheduled to join Holt, an icon of traditional music and storytelling, are international sensation Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, award-winning bluegrass favorites Balsam Range, emerging ballad singer Josh Goforth, and the African-American gospel duo of Wilbur Tharpe and Lena Mae Perry, performing as The Branchettes.
WCU and hospitals partner for better health care
Leaders of Western Carolina University, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital announced the expansion and formalization of a partnership focused on ensuring access to quality health care in North Carolina’s westernmost counties.
WCU celebrates retention milestone, looks toward future enrollment challenges
Meeting a deadline five minutes ahead of time can be challenging, so after meeting an important enrollment goal five years early, leaders at Western Carolina University are celebrating.
WCU moving up on the dial: Winners and losers in the shifting world of radio frequencies
A protracted tug-of-war over the 95.3 FM radio frequency is finally over, setting the stage for Western Carolina University’s campus-run radio station to expand its reach well beyond Jackson County’s borders.
Western Carolina responds to increased regulations regarding sexual assault
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern
With evolving regulations and a complicated system of reporting, there is no end in sight for the work university officials are doing to put a stop to sexual violence on campus.
Onstage at WCU
Galaxy of Stars offers a variety of entertainment
A tribute to a comedic icon, a holiday show featuring the “Redneck Tenors” and a performance by an American country-pop superstar top the lineup for the 2015-16 Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University.