What was originally used as an academic building, Breese is now a deserted cement block on a slope of Western Carolina’s grounds. Housed inside is a large pool and a used dance studio, but the pool is facing permanent closure as funds cannot be found for repairs.
Western Carolina University’s new director of the master’s degree program in public affairs said the need for effective public and nonprofit leaders could not be greater than it is today. “I look forward to helping our MPA students channel their interest and zeal for public service into wonderful careers by building leadership, management and policy skills that make them more effective and ethical agents of change,” said Roger E.
Employees of businesses in downtown Sylva can now face a $50 fine if they are caught parking on Main Street, Mill Street and in the Ritz parking lot Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That’s all thanks to a new downtown parking ordinance, which became effective immediately after Sylva town board members unanimously approved it at their July 15 morning meeting.
The only woman to head a college or university construction management department in the United States has joined the faculty of Western Carolina University as the Joe W. Kimmel Distinguished Professor of Construction Management. J.K. Yates began her duties as Kimmel Professor and head of WCU’s department of construction management June 15.
To help offset the impact of budget cuts recently authorized by the N.C. General Assembly, Western Carolina University will raise in-state undergraduate tuition and fees by 17.5 percent beginning with the fall semester. A special provision of the state budget allows UNC campuses to increase tuition by as much as $750 for the 2010-11 academic year, a measure intended to help address a $70 million cut to the UNC system's budget.
Soon, law enforcement in the region will have another tool for fighting crime.
Recently, a $10,000 grant for analyzing and gathering crime data was awarded to Dr. Phyllis Robertson, an assistant professor in the department of human services, along with Dr. Alvin Malesky, an associate professor in Western Carolina University's psychology department.
Political scientists at Western Carolina University recently collaborated with a Western North Carolina newspaper to develop a public opinion poll designed to measure the thoughts of Jackson County voters on a variety of local issues. The WCU Public Policy Institute/Smoky Mountain News Poll is considered the first survey instrument of its type to specifically provide data about political opinions on a countywide basis, said Christopher Cooper, PPI director and associate professor of political science and public affairs.
After the scare of possibly taking time off without pay, faculty can now relax and not worry about furloughs with the new budget in place. Furloughing is defined as mandatory time off without pay. The state had recently questioned if furloughing would be necessary as a way to make up for budget cuts.
Travelers between Sylva and Dillsboro who would like to avoid traffic will soon have a means to walk instead of drive. On July 12, a recently approved construction project began on a sidewalk that will connect the two towns. The sidewalk project had been discussed for years but ran into problems because of property rights along the road.
The United States Post Office has proposed yet another rate increase to the cost of traditional mail. The Post Office is seeking to increase the cost of stamps by 2 cents to 46 cents per stamp. If approved, it would be the seventh cost increase since 2000.
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