Fred Hinson, senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, will retire from Western Carolina University on Jan. 1 after more than 45 years of service.
In 1966, Hinson joined the WCU faculty and spent nearly 30 years teaching various courses, including microbiology, human anatomy, physiology, freshman biology, botany, zoology, microbial ecology and parasitology.
His administrative responsibilities to the university grew from there.
“I started out by taking care of all the curriculum, and taking care of many types of faculty development grants,” Hinson said. “I took care of all the curriculum of all the colleges, took care of the WCU catalog and also the faculty handbook.”
Hinson also did many different things as the senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.
“In 2003, I became a senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs in charge of enrollment management,” Hinson said. “I had 13 units that reported to me.”
The units that reported to Hinson were: admissions, orientation, advising, student support services, disability services, financial aid, registrar, career services, academic success program, the tutoring center, the writing center, the math tutoring center and the One Stop.
“I was the one that was responsible for setting up the Killian Annex building with the One Stop operation,” Hinson said.
While enjoying all of the duties he has had at WCU over the years, Hinson found teaching microbiology, human anatomy and physiology to be among the favorites.
“Those were fun courses to teach,” Hinson said.
Hinson has seen many changes over the years during his time in Cullowhee.
“When I came here there were 1200 students, now there’s 9300 students,” Hinson said. “I’ve seen an increase in the academic quality in the students, I’ve seen a transformation in the physical facilities of the campus.
“Brian Railsback and I were the ones who co-chaired the committee to establish the Honors College, that’s one of the most important things that I’ve been a part of here,” he added.
Hinson said during retirement he won’t miss attending committee meetings, though he will “miss working with and helping students and all of the other folks that have reported to me.”
Hinson received four awards while at Western Carolina University, The Chancellors Distinguished Teaching Award in 1981, the Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Award for faculty in 1990, a UNC Board of Governors Excellence Teaching Award in 1996, and the Paul A. Reid Service for Administrators Award in 2006.
