February 28, 2005 Millennial Initiative Doubles Campus Size Western recently “We are attempting to announced the Millennial fulfill a promise we made Initiative, a comprehensive to the people of Western regional economic North Carolina,” Bardo development strategy said. “We want to keep made possible by the the best and brightest acquisition of 344 acres of the region’s young of property adjacent to the people from having no main campus. choice but to leave home Characterized by to find the type of high- Chancellor John Bardo paying jobs available as “a defining moment in elsewhere. We want the the university’s 115-year children of the mountains history,” the Millennial to be able to remain in Initiative is designed the mountains and to be to enable Western to participants in the high- engage in public-private tech, knowledge-based partnerships that enhance global economy of the educational opportunities 21st century.” for students in high-tech Looking east, this aerial view of the campus shows the 344 acres of property State legislation programs and increase the recently acquired by Western. approved in 2000, ability of faculty to conduct cutting-edge opposite side of N.C. Highway 107 from based on a measure originally written research, while simultaneously promoting the university’s main campus, the land by staff at Western, made it possible for economic development. will become a “knowledge enterprise University of North Carolina institutions University officials plan to develop the zone” where university, private industry to seek public-private partnerships to property as a multiple-use neighborhood and government partners conduct improve the academic experience for that will be home to a mix of academic research and development into scientific students and allow universities to apply buildings, research facilities, business, and technological innovations that have their intellectual resources – their faculty, industry and housing. Located on the commercial applications, Bardo said. students and staff – to foster economic continued on page 2 $1.5 Million Project to Upgrade Computing Capabilities Western is carrying out a $1.5 million project to upgrade said. Also, an upgrade of the fiber optic infrastructure planned computer capability in university residence halls and for later this semester will provide increased bandwidth in the classrooms, and is partnering with its network hardware residence halls, he said. manufacturer to install wireless networking in the public areas In the meantime, the division’s educational technologies of residence halls. group is managing about $500,000 worth of technology refresh The Division of Information Technology completed a projects in support of instructional activities, said Bob Orr, major upgrade of the data network in a majority of Western’s Western’s associate chief information officer. residence halls during the week of Jan. 31, and the division’s Among those improvements are the upgrading of faculty ResNet and networking groups are currently installing computers, installation of computer and projection equipment network upgrades in Walker, Scott, Helder, Leatherwood, in numerous classrooms, and the upgrading of several Harrill, Albright/Benton and Robertson residence halls, said departmental computer laboratories, including those that Scott Swartzentruber, the division’s director of networking, support geographic information systems and digital music. operations and communications. The college-based technology committees will be working The result of that $1 million investment will be a faster and with the educational technologies group to focus on other more reliable network for residential students, Swartzentruber continued on page 2 Information Technology Upgrade Millenial Initiative continued from page 1 continued from page 1 technology needs and develop a development to benefit their respective strategy for automatic computer regions and the state. replacement for faculty and Western purchased the Millennial staff, Orr said. The division Initiative land – 64 acres known as the also is developing a timeline for Killian property and 280 acres called other infrastructure upgrades, the Hooper tract – using $2.87 million including a new student e-mail set aside for property acquisition as system, a revamping of central part of the university’s share of funds processing facilities, and the provided through the 2000 N.C. Higher creation of centralized Education Bond Referendum. University network storage. officials estimate that up to 75 percent Enterasys, the manufacturer of the land, extending from the property of Western’s network hardware, line of the North Carolina Center for is donating $25,000 in hardware the Advancement of Teaching past the to the university to extend Jackson County Airport, is suitable for wireless network coverage to building. The acquisitions more than the main student lounge areas double the size of Western’s campus. of all Western’s residence “North Carolina is distinguished halls, said Tom Franke, the among states as an innovator in science university’s chief information and technology. Our ability to produce officer. Enterasys also will innovative technologies and a skilled, provide site analysis and design knowledgeable workforce will be an services, and the only direct important factor in determining our cost to the university will be in Tyler Jessie, a Western student and residence hall future economic success,” said N.C. wiring installation, Franke said. computer consultant, checks out one of 11 new network Gov. Michael Easley. “Western Carolina The wireless coverage in switches in Central Drive Residence Hall. The switches University’s Millennial Initiative the residence halls should be replaced network hubs, resulting in computer capitalizes on Western’s research and connections that are 10 times faster for students. activated by the end of entrepreneurial strengths to promote spring semester. economic development and prepare the Robert Caruso, Western’s vice computer capability and install wireless region’s workforce for the transformed chancellor for student affairs, said the technology in Western’s residence halls economy of the new millennium.” university’s department of residential depended heavily on the planning and UNC President Molly Corbett Broad living is “very enthusiastic” about the support provided by the residential living described Western’s plans as an essential Enterasys donation. staff. part of the state university system’s “The new wireless capabilities in some Enterasys also has provided equipment responsibility to help build a stronger of the public areas of our residence halls to allow for ubiquitous wireless future for all North Carolinians. will significantly add to the amenities networking in McKee Building, which “Economic development is of immense and learning opportunities we offer to our will provide for state-of-the-art teaching importance to the state of North Carolina residential students,” Caruso said. capability in a building that was built in and the 16-campus University of North Franke said the projects to upgrade 1939 and still has old-style chalkboards. Carolina, especially in light of the painful repercussions our state has suffered from relentless changes in the global economy,” Sport Management Program Receives NASSM Approval Broad said. “But economic development does not happen by accident or through Western’s undergraduate sport management program has received program minor changes. It will only come through approval status from the North American Society of Sport Management (NASSM) a large-scale transformation of thought through 2012. and action, and that is what we see taking Of the approximately 300 college undergraduate sport management programs place at Western with the Millennial nationwide, fewer than 40 are NASSM approved. “We’re thrilled to receive a renewal Initiative.” on our approved status,” said Kevin Ayers, associate professor of sport management. University officials say they want “We’re very proud that students receiving bachelor of science degrees in sport to move as quickly as possible on management from Western are very well prepared to enter the sports industry as development of the Millennial property, professionals.” and are in the early phases of a Program approval status is similar to the accreditation process for other degree comprehensive master plan to determine programs, Ayers said. To be considered for approval, sport management faculty the most logical building sites for the submitted a curriculum portfolio to NASSM’s review council that reflected curricular different types of structures to be located competencies and other standards. there. More than 200 leaders were on Western’s sport management program was first approved in 1996. The program hand for the historic announcement. has positioned itself as one of the best in the region and is one of only three sport Additional information is available on management programs in North Carolina currently approved by NASSM, Ayers said. the Web at millennial.wcu.edu. February 28, 2 0 0 5 • The Reporter • page 2 March Wednesday, March 2- Saturday, March 5 Feb. 28 - Mar. 13 Catamount Basketball—Southern Conference Tournament. Chattanooga, Tenn. (227-7338) Wednesday, March 2 Lady Catamount tennis—vs. College of Thursday, March 10- Catamount baseball—vs. UNC Asheville. Charleston. Southern Conference match. 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12 2 p.m. Greenwood Field, Asheville. Reid Gymnasium tennis courts. (227-7338) Film—The Incredibles. Admission: