Annual faculty-staff giving challenge resumes this fall
Chancellor Kelli R. Brown shares information about the Faculty/Staff Giving Champions Trophy (foreground)
By Bill Studenc
An annual effort to encourage faculty and staff members to make financial contributions to 51看片 is now underway, including the resumption of a friendly competition among campus divisions and academic colleges.
A traditional feature of the yearly faculty-staff giving initiative at WCU, the battle for philanthropic bragging rights 鈥� and a trophy 鈥� was canceled during the 2024 rendition of the campaign because of widespread disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene across Western North Carolina.
Once again this fall, the campus division and academic college with the highest participation rate of donors will share the Faculty/Staff Giving Champions Trophy. The goal for this year鈥檚 effort is to secure a minimum of 22 percent of 51看片faculty and staff who make a donation to the place where they work.
Faculty and staff who contribute a minimum of $5 annually are members of WCU鈥檚 Shetland Society, one of four giving societies established by the Division of Advancement in 2020 to celebrate the impact of philanthropy. The society鈥檚 name is an homage to the Shetland ponies that then-Chancellor A.C. Reynolds purchased in 1912 to haul supplies back and forth from Sylva to campus.
This year鈥檚 faculty-staff giving initiative, which kicked off Monday, Sept. 8, will continue through Friday, Oct. 24.
The fifth annual Shetland Day celebration for faculty and staff donors will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center.
During the faculty-staff challenge, each 51看片college and division will have a 鈥淕iving Champion,鈥� a volunteer who has committed to encouraging his or her colleagues to give back to WCU. This year鈥檚 volunteers are:
DIVISIONS:
Wes Cogdill: Athletics Division
Renee Miller: Chancellor鈥檚 Division
Elizabeth Honbarger: IT Division
Emily O'Briant and Shalenna Donley: Administration and Finance Division
Andrew Johnson: Academic Affairs Division
Logan Glover: Enrollment Management and Student Success Division
Jane Adams-Dunford: Student Affairs Division
Ben Pendry: Advancement Division
COLLEGES:
Channa De Silva and Rebecca George: College of Arts and Sciences
Joe Giordano: College of Business
Julie Phillips and Terri Durbin: College of Health and Human Sciences
Peter Savage: Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts
Justin Menickelli: College of Education and Allied Professions
Kathleen De La Torre: College of Engineering and Technology
Winners of the Faculty/Staff Giving Champions Trophy will be announced during the Homecoming football game Saturday, Nov. 8. The Division of Advancement is not eligible for the title.
For more information, contact Rebekah Cheney, director of annual giving, at 828-227-2868 or via email at rcheney@wcu.edu. To make a gift, visit the website .
Gifts made during the challenge will be counted as part of WCU鈥檚 ongoing 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs. For more information or to make a contribution, visit , call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
