Campus Community Connections | Coulter Faculty Commons

Dr. Katie Searles to Speak at WCU

by Chris Cooper | Apr 2, 2026 | Blog, Campus Community Connections, Event, Professional Development

The Haire Institute for Public Policy is pleased to sponsor a guest speaker on April 6, 2026. Dr. Katie Searles, Olin Johnson Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina, will facilitate events throughout the day, including a session called “Supporting Faculty Facing Occupational Intimidation” and “How News Coverage of Democracy Affects Audience Perceptions.” Please email Chris Cooper at ccooper@wcu.edu for more information and to RSVP.

Flyer with women sitting. Cover of book and event title included.

Supporting Faculty Facing Occupational Intimidation

by Chris Cooper | Feb 19, 2026 | Blog, Campus Community Connections, Event, Professional Development, Research

Dr. Katie Searles, Olin Johnson Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina, will be holding an open session for interested faculty on “Supporting Faculty Facing Occupational Intimidation.” The larger project has been featured in Inside High Ed. Lunch will be served for participants. The event will be held in Hunter Library 101A on April 6th from 10:30am-2:00pm. Please email Chris Cooper at ccooper@wcu.edu to reserve a space.

Campus Community Connections – February 2026

by Anabel Livengood | Jan 29, 2026 | Blog, Campus Community Connections, Event

Highlighting Opportunities and News from our Campus Partners

Black History Month at 100: Reclaiming the Legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s Black History Month and the War Over Historical Erasure

February 3: “In the Legacy of Black History: The Revolutionary Praxis of Malcolm X.: Dr. Richard Benson, Professor, University of Pittsburgh
February 5: Global Black Studies Inaugural Undergraduate Student Research Conference: “A Century of Struggle, Scholarship, and Survival: Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?”
February 10: “The ‘Mis-Education’ of 2026: Modern Erasure and Woodson’s Warning.” Dr. Alicia Fontnette, Director of the National Council for Black Studies and Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, University of Delaware
February 17: “When the Witness Becomes the Record: on ‘Bombingham’ and the Record of Racial Terror in Birmingham, Alabama.” Mr. Dale Long, Survivor of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing, Birmingham, Alabama
February 19: “Commemoration or Confrontation? Interrogating if Black History Month Needs a Makeover”

All events held in Apodaca Science Building, Room 123 @ 2:00 pm.

From the Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning (CCESL)

SLC/CEC Faculty Roundtable

February 18, 2026 (Wednesday) | 3:30 – 4:30 pm Hunter Library 156 (CFC Conference Room)

For All Interested Faculty: Come discuss service-learning and community experience courses with WCU faculty Dr. Brian Byrd (School of Health Sciences) and Dr. Patricia Bricker (School of Teaching and Learning). This roundtable conversation will feature opportunities to hear about their experiences, to learn about the designation process (coming March 2nd!), and provide an open forum to exchange ideas. Questions? Contact CCESL Director Joy Mischley (jmischley@wcu.edu). A Zoom option is available for those not able to attend in-person (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81328274742)

Community-Engaged Courses: Upcoming Deadline

The Service-Learning Course (SLC) and Community Experience Course (CEC) designation process for Fall/Summer 2026 courses is currently underway. The initial designation process involves the faculty member completing a brief (~9 min) form. Please refer to the CCESL website for more information or contact Joy Mischley, Director (jmischley@wcu.edu). If you submitted your course during one of the deadlines last year, you do not need to repeat the process this year. Instead, CCESL will contact you individually about completing a brief renewal.

Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2026, for Summer & Fall 2026 courses

Staff Senate

Staff Senate is here for you.

Website: staffsenate.wcu.edu