Positive news for the Catamounts
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:34 am
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20 ... |Frontpage" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Let's hope the new chancellor helps right the ship in Cullowhee.CULLOWHEE — The new leader of Western Carolina University said Monday he is committed to turning around the school's losing football program.
“I know that the football program has been struggling here in recent years,” he said. “I am fully committed to working as hard as I can to do whatever I can to help that program turn around.”
Belcher said a strong athletics program is important to keeping students “grounded” to WCU. He said studies have shown that students grounded in an institution mean better graduation rates.
He also said strong athletics attracts new students and means more private donations.
“We need to do what we can within the limited resources and within the strategic budgeting process of the university to support adequately our athletics programs so that they can compete in what is really a very good athletics conference,” he said.
WCU spent less money — $8.3 million — on its athletic programs than any other school in the league in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Education.