WCU: Racial tensions come to light

Over the weekend, two separate videos of WCU students making racist comments surfaced on social media. Here’s what happened next. The following video contains content that may be disturbing for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised. For previous coverage click here.

Video of student saying racial slur sets campus abuzz

Update: Sunday, 5:20 p.m.  Another Snapchat video involving racial slurs has surfaced, this time via Instagram user @christianxharris_. In the video two WCU students are shown repeatedly saying the n-word and arguing that the “white power” hand signal is not a show of racism. The student body at large is publicly and actively calling for […]

Vice Chancellor Miller talks about the student experience during COVID

Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs, Dr. Sam Miller, provided some insights on how the student experience is going to look during the COVID-19 pandemic in a phone interview with WWCU’s Lyndan Jones. Some changes he highlighted included canceling Valley Ballyhoo, Mountain Heritage Day and the homecoming parade. “Large gatherings of people are correlated with transmission of […]

Chancellor takes oath of office, outlines WCU priorities for new academic year shaped by pandemic

This story is from the WCU Public Relations office.  CULLOWHEE – Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown was sworn into office Wednesday, Aug. 12, an action delayed nearly five months by the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown urged the university community not to allow the disruptions of the global health crisis to stop the institution from […]

Chancellor Brown: “This may seem like a risk, but it’s really not”

WCU’s administrators stuck to their “script” Monday evening, Aug. 10, at a virtual town hall held by SGA President Dawson Spencer. Over 200 students tuned in to the zoom call with nearly the same amount of questions. The administrators present, including Chancellor Kelli R. Brown, had responses that students described as “confusing,” “reiterations of previous […]

WCU Faculty Senate votes in favor of online school

Early Monday morning, Western Carolina University’s Faculty Senate held an emergency meeting, called for by Senate Chair and professor in the College of Business, Dr. Kadence Otto. The  senators discussed and passed a resolution that would set the body’s stance on the issue of a return to campus as one of extreme precaution, at least […]