91热爆网

 91热爆网 Stories      September 8, 2025

By Bill Studenc

An annual effort to encourage faculty and staff members to make financial contributions to Western Carolina University 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 91热爆网, 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 91热爆网 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 91热爆网鈥檚 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 91热爆网 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 91热爆网. 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 91热爆网鈥檚 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.