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WCU TODAYWestern Carolina University has thrived under the leadership of the late Dr. David O. Belcher. Duringhis tenure, Western Carolina reached an unprecedented level of visibility both within the Universityof North Carolina System and across the state and region. As a result, Western Carolina Universityis extremely well-positioned to continue a period of remarkable strength and optimism. Pride in theUniversity is at an all-time high among students, faculty, and staff. Student success, as measuredin terms of retention and graduation, is at a record level. And confidence in the University amonglegislators, donors, and alumni has never been higher. Chancellor Belcher has left Western CarolinaUniversity in the strongest possible position for his successor.Student SuccessWestern Carolina University’s long-range strategic planenvisioned enrollment growth complemented by increasingadmissions standards, articulated a focus on increasingendowed student scholarships, and reinforced theinstitution’s historic commitment to Western North Carolina.The Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesiais one of several graduate programs offered at WCU’sAsheville instructional site.WCU has seen steady increases in enrollment, with the sizeof the student body increasing by more than 24 percentsince fall 2011. The University’s freshman-to-sophomoreretention rate hit 80 percent in fall 2016, five years ahead ofthe strategic plan’s target date.As part of a regular process to continually enhance andmodernize the academic enterprise of WCU, the facultyand the University administration underwent a process ofacademic program prioritization to align those programsto WCU’s mission and strategic directions, ultimatelyeliminating twenty-three programs and identifying eightfor additional investment. The University also reorganizedseveral administrative units as part of an effort to improvethe effectiveness and efficiencies of campus businessprocesses.The University consolidated graduate and undergraduateacademic programs previously offered at locations acrossBuncombe County at a new off-campus instructional site inBiltmore Park Town Square in Asheville, strategically locatedalong the fast-growing Interstate 26 corridor of Buncombeand Henderson counties, and has continued to expandacademic offerings there.WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 7

WCU Students enjoy a 17:1 student to faculty ratioA new 600-bed residence hall for the upper section of campus is beingbuilt on a parking area between Judaculla Hall (formerly Central DriveHall) and Brown Hall. The new facility is needed to help meet thedemands of a rapidly growing student population, university officials say.(Architectural rendering provided by Clark Nexsen)The early phases of construction of a replacement for WCU’s 1970s-vintageNatural Sciences Building are underway, with completion slated for 2021.The building is designed to provide the modern laboratory facilities neededto teach students in the burgeoning science, technology, engineering andmath fields. (Architectural rendering provided by Lord Aeck Sargent)8 CHANCELLOR SEARCH

Campus Master PlanAs an extension of the strategic plan, the University alsoinitiated a revision of WCU’s master plan to guide thedevelopment and improvements of the campus over the nextseveral decades. Among the changes to the physical plant: Noble Hall, a mixed-use facility consisting of a blend ofretail, dining, and student housing, which opened in fall2016. A fully renovated and expanded Brown Hall, which openedin fall 2017, that included additional dining options andstudent programming space for a growing campus. A new 600-bed residence hall for the upper section ofcampus, which began construction in spring 2018. Approval of additional housing for 750 students, to bebuilt on the lower campus. Planning for a medical office building, to be constructednear the Health and Human Sciences Building as partof WCU’s Millennial Initiative, which is a comprehensiveregional economic development strategy designedto enable the University to engage in public-privatepartnerships that enhance educational opportunities forstudents and increase the ability of faculty to conductresearch, while also promoting regional development. Structured parking facility, the University’s first, which is inthe planning stage. Complete renovation of the campus energy productionfacility (steam plant), which is in design phase.The newly renovated Brown Hall opened in fall 2017,expanding dining options on the Cullowhee campus.WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 9

Legislative AdvocacyCampus ClimateWestern Carolina University played a pivotal role in threesignificant statewide initiatives with tremendous impact onpublic higher education and for Western North Carolina.Over the past seven years, the University has built anincredibly strong team in support of WCU’s mission. Thechancellor’s Executive Council enjoys remarkable access andsupport on campus and with the UNC System and Board ofGovernors. Western Carolina University has strengthened,through strategic hiring, its commitment to universitymarketing, communications, diversity and inclusion, externalrelations, student success, enrollment management,economic development, and community engagement. In March 2016, North Carolina voters approved astatewide bond package that included 110 millionfor replacement of WCU’s 1970s-era Natural SciencesBuilding; early site work on the new state-of-the-art STEMbuilding, Apodaca Science Building, already has begun andthe new facility is expected to open in 2021. In May 2016, WCU was selected for inclusion in the NCPromise tuition plan, a state higher education investmentcommitment that dramatically lowers tuition paymentsfor students who choose to attend WCU and two otherUniversity of North Carolina System institutions beginningin fall 2018. In August 2017, WCU opened The Catamount School,a middle grades laboratory school, planned andadministered by WCU’s College of Education and AlliedProfessions. The Catamount School is one of eightlegislatively mandated lab schools that will be managed bythe UNC System.Building a Culture of PhilanthropyIn recent years, Western Carolina University made significantinvestments in its development and alumni affairs functions.The staff in Advancement has been expanded. The Universitydeveloped and implemented a volunteer Board of Visitors toamplify and elevate WCU’s story to a broader audience.As part of a focused effort to foster philanthropic supportfor WCU students, the University has added more than 200new endowed scholarships in the past five years.Western Carolina University launched the quiet phase of itssecond comprehensive fundraising campaign, called “Leadthe Way,” with a hugely successful Leadership Summit inOctober 2015, and is now in the midst of the public phaseof the campaign, with a goal of raising 60 million byspring 2019.10 CHANCELLOR SEARCHWestern Carolina University also leveraged unique, historical,artistic, and athletic events to develop pride and celebratesuccess. From honoring the University’s 125th anniversaryto enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime celestial spectacle of atotal solar eclipse, and from celebrating a championshipCatamount baseball season to cheering on the Pride of theMountains Marching Band, the level of joy and optimism ispalpable on campus.Members of the Western Carolina University campuscommunity have enthusiastically embraced the inspiring anduplifting vision of putting students first, to be in the businessof changing lives, and to own their own University. Thenext Chancellor will have the opportunity to help guide thiscontinued journey.NC Promise Tuition PlanWestern Carolina University has long been committed toproviding an affordable and accessible quality education.Beginning in the fall of 2018, WCU’s affordability reached anew level with the introduction of the NC Promise TuitionPlan. Western Carolina University is one of three UNCSystem institutions that are part of NC Promise, a groundbreaking new North Carolina program to drive collegeaffordability. What that means for students and parents isthat the cost of tuition has dropped to 500 per semesterfor in-state undergraduate students and 2,500 persemester for out-of-state undergraduate students beginningin the fall of 2018. Fees, along with room and board, are notaffected. This new program applies to all new and returningstudents, transfer students, students in online programs andinternational students, not just to incoming freshmen.

THE CHANCELLORThe Chancellor works closely with the Western Carolina Board of Trustees and with a wide range ofinternal and external constituencies to build upon the existing strengths of the University and to providethe personal and professional leadership to chart its future course. The Chancellor is expected to valueboth the human and financial resources of the University and to advance its standing within the nationaland international community of higher education.More specifically, the Chancellor is expected to: Understand and appreciate the history and mission ofWestern Carolina and its sense of place; Be highly visible, collaborative, and inclusive, on aconsistent basis with all members of the WesternCarolina community; Oversee the effective management of academic,administrative, student, business, legal, athletic, andfinancial affairs; Be a visionary leader who can demonstrate a historyof commitment to excellence in diversity andinclusion; model the University’s commitment toinclusive excellence and promote diversity of thought,culture, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity through theunderstanding and development of current and futuregenerations of students, faculty, and staff;12 CHANCELLOR SEARCH Provide leadership for, and serve as a role model of, theUniversity’s commitment to collaboration and sharedgovernance; Continue the University’s partnership with the EasternBand of Cherokee Indians; Strengthen partnerships with local and regionalbusiness and community leaders, to facilitate theircontinued involvement in all aspects of the University; Build upon the relationship with University alumni toencourage their active engagement with the University; Be the principal public spokesperson and ambassadorfor the University, reflecting and enhancing its standingwithin the region and the State of North Carolina andbeyond;

Take an active leadership role in fundraising effortsto expand the University’s resource base, includingresearch grants and contracts, operating funds, andadditions to endowments; Serve as the University’s mediator to reach consensuson major policy issues among competing or conflictingconstituency groups, making decisions in as transparenta manner as possible;o Embrace student life and the value of theundergraduate experience, including undergraduateresearch and service-learning opportunities;o Be actively engaged in all aspects of economicdevelopment, including high visibility and consistentinvolvement in the region and the state; Meet the goals for student retention and graduationthat have been established by the UNC Board ofGovernors;o Have an understanding of and be engaged with theconcept of excellence with a personal touch – apassionate dedication to teaching of and personalinvolvement with students who are enthusiastic aboutlearning; Support and embrace the UNC Strategic Plan, titledHigher Expectations;o Be approachable, friendly, and responsive to the needsof students, faculty, and staff; Manage and direct the preparation and implementationof an annual financial plan for the University, whileprioritizing competing budget requests, to ensure it isconsistent with the strategic plan;o Promote a culturally aware, inclusive, and safeenvironment with a strong commitment to recruitingand retaining diverse students, faculty, and staff; Enhance the strategic partnerships with K-12 schoolsand community colleges; Maintain responsibility for and ensure the integrityof the athletics enterprise, as required by the NCAAand the Southern Conference, including appropriateacademic progress of student-athletes, and the soundinvestment in and maintenance of athletics facilities andprograms. A proper balance of athletics and academicsmust be maintained; Keep the President of the University of North CarolinaSystem and the Western Carolina Board of Trusteesclosely apprised on developments within the University,formulate plans and policies for Board considerationand approval, and implement the resulting Boardpolicies; and Be responsive to the needs of the WCU community,comprising students, faculty, staff, and alumni/community/supporters of athletics, which include butare not limited to:o Advocate for resources to support faculty, staff, andacademic programs;o Meet frequently with the Chancellor’s ExecutiveCouncil, students, faculty, and staff in order to betterunderstand their concerns, and demonstrate genuineappreciation for all members of the “Western family”;o Support the continued development and expansionof partnerships with the P-12 school system andcommunity colleges across the region and the state;o Embrace and appreciate the Southern Highlands cultureand Western Carolina University pride;o Integrate and promote the NC Promise Tuition Plan,manage the growth that will occur as a result of theplan, and continually focus on access, affordability, andstudent success; ando Be a visible presence in Cullowhee, Sylva, Asheville, andsurrounding communities.o Lead the University communities in the development ofshared values and a clear sense of shared mission;WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY 13

THE CANDIDATEThe Chancellor of Western Carolina must be a person ofunquestioned integrity, a visionary who understands andvalues the academy and who has the experience and skillsto reach out to the external and internal community tobuild relationships, garner and provide resources, and formcollaborative partnerships. The Chancellor must endorseand build upon WCU’s student-centered focus and create anatmosphere conducive to a positive student experience. TheChancellor should have an engaging personality and havepersonal qualities of honesty, vision, sound judgment, anda commitment to collaboration. The Chancellor must listenopenly and objectively to the opinions of others, appreciatedifference of opinion, and be firm in reaching decisions.Further, the Chancellor must be collaborative, consultative,and transparent in his or her decision-making process.It is required that the Chancellor have an earned terminaldegree or an equivalent record of outstanding professionalexperience and achievement. The Chancellor must bea distinguished leader with a keen understanding of theconditions shaping higher education and the challengesfacing faculty as researchers and teachers, the ability toprovide collaborative leadership in a complex environment,a commitment to shared governance, and a demonstratedrespect and appreciation for students, faculty, and staff. TheChancellor should have significant leadership experience atmultiple levels in higher education; equivalent leadershipexperience will be considered.The Chancellor must understand Western CarolinaUniversity, internalize and respect its history, articulate itsuniqueness, and appreciate and value its important missionsof teaching, research, public service, and regional economicand community development. The Chancellor must have athorough understanding of the changing nature of publichigher education, including its vital role in local, state,national, and global economies.The Chancellor must possess the core competencies ofleadership and a vision of the University’s future to challengeit to greatness, to extend its reach, and to energize theUniversity to new levels in all endeavors including academics,athletics, and the student experience. The Chancellor mustbe willing to take reasonable risks, be innovative, and setrealistic priorities. This leader must have a passion for his14 CHANCELLOR SEARCHor her vision for WCU, communicate that vision effectively,inspire others to achieve it, and be a persuasive and effectiveagent of change.The leader of WCU must be an extraordinarily effectiveadvocate for the University and able to describe its futureneeds and the opportunities facing it. The Chancelloris the primary spokesperson for the University and isresponsible for communicating its culture, values, roles, andresponsibilities to all constituencies. The skills to engage,debate, challenge, promote discussion, incorporate positivesuggestions, and accommodate concerns when appropriateare critical.The Chancellor must fully understand the role ofsuccessful athletic programs and how these programs canenhance fundraising, the total student experience, alumniengagement, and the public image of the University.The Chancellor will be an effective leader in fundraisingand in establishing a high level of expectation in regard tofunding initiatives. The Chancellor must create, sustain, andbuild relationships with multiple and diverse constituencies,including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the WesternNorth Carolina community.The Chancellor will have the proven skill and demonstratedability to manage a complex and diverse University, includinghaving acquired a finely tuned understanding of institutionalcontrols and best standard business practices. This personmust have significant experience working with business,nonprofit, or government sectors, must be an astutestrategic thinker, and must have the confidence to actdecisively in the business of the University.The Chancellor will be able to work effectively with theWCU Board of Trustees, the President of the University ofNorth Carolina, the UNC Board of Governors, members ofthe State of North Carolina General Assembly, and othergovernment, agency, and industry representatives, buildingconsensus by keeping these entities informed on importantissues, fostering communication, valuing ideas and analysesand reactions, keeping communication open and direct, andencouraging dialogue and debate. The Chancellor shouldhave demonstrated knowledge of board governance andrelations in a complex institutional setting.

PROCEDURES FOR CANDIDACYApplication materi

of North Carolina. The new strategic plan outlines goals focused on access, affordability and efficiency, student success, economic impact and community engagement, and institutional diversity and excellence. Founded as a teaching college in 1889, Western Carolina continues to fulfill North Carolina's need for trained teachers.