New UNC president promises to fight for higher salaries, engage WCU faculty on policy
The mood was jovial as Western Carolina University’s Faculty Senate waited over cookies and coffee for their hour with Margaret Spellings to begin. Small talk and light jokes made the minutes before her arrival feel less gravity-laden than they really were.
Market economics not relevant to all our human endeavors
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist
I had planned to call this commentary “Dirty Money.” I would begin by quoting Teddy Roosevelt, “No amount of charity in spending such fortunes can compensate in any way for misconduct in acquiring them,” setting the stage for the argument that the grant from the Koch Foundation to fund a Center for Free Enterprise at Western Carolina University, a proposal which is problematic on its merits, also suffers from the fact that its source is tainted.
WCU preps for visit from new UNC president
Western Carolina University leaders are getting ready to roll out the red carpet for the impending arrival of Margaret Spellings, the incoming president of the state’s public university system, who will be touring WCU campus on March 10.
WCU should stay away from Koch money, influence
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist
In Sons of Wichita, Daniel Schulman relates a story about Charles Koch’s attempt to apply his libertarian management theory known as Market-Based Management to Wichita Collegiate, the private school located near the Koch compound. The school, cofounded by Bob Love — an associate of Fred Koch from the John Birch Society — became embroiled in an “acrimonious uprising” after Charles Koch, who was chairman of the school’s executive council, applied techniques from his management system designed to force everyone in an institution or business into an entrepreneurial role.
Atlas’ big smug shrug
By Ron Robinson • Guest Columnist
The other day I attended a basketball game at Western Mountain University. I could not help noticing a very large person sitting in the upper decks near the rafters. He seemed intensely focused on the game and was continually smiling. Sometimes even grinning. My curiosity was growing, so at halftime I climbed the stairs to his seat.
Fired WCU worker will return to work
While most people are mourning the coming of another Monday, Rob Russell will be rejoicing as he returns to his job at Western Carolina University Feb. 15.
Blue-ribbon committee seeks balance in push-and-pull over Koch-funded center at WCU
Fears that a controversial economics policy center coming to Western Carolina University will be a vehicle to advance conservative, laissez-faire market theories have been partially quelled with the creation of a rigorous and robust faculty oversight board.
WCU faculty members discuss Koch funds
Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher had a heart-to-heart with university faculty last week about the controversy over a politically charged financial gift to WCU from the conservative Koch Foundation.
Koch money at WCU remains under scrutiny
A Western Carolina University professor with ties to the ultra-conservative Koch brothers political network worked behind the scenes with outside donors to devise a coordinated strategy that would influence the hiring of professors and use WCU to further conservative economic theory in society, according to a review of university email communications.
Fired WCU worker wins wrongful termination suit
After a former employee won a lawsuit claiming that Western Carolina University had fired him without cause, the university is appealing the decision.