Feldman Professorship Distinction for Outstanding Scholarship and Service

Ruth and Leon Feldman established an endowment to be used exclusively to honor two or more professors selected annually by the faculty on the basis of their service to UNC Asheville and the community, and for their outstanding ability and demonstrated competence in the areas of teaching, research, and published writings. This recognition would take the form of a professorship for the following academic year after announcement. The first two professorships were awarded in 1984. Since its endowment, four Department of Management and Accountancy faculty, Donald D. Lisnerski, Claudel McKenzie, Linda Nelms, and Robert Yearout, have been so honored by their peers for distinguished scholarship and/or service.

CITATION

An article by E. Thomas Moran addresses the importance of service. In the article, Service: The Moral Heart of Higher Education, he states:

…academicians need to appreciate conclusively that service should not only extend to the way those in the academy relate to the broader community, but that higher education should explicitly promote an understanding of our lives in relation to others and a concomitant sense of responsibility for the character of our public life and our common wellbeing.

It is in the context of this quotation that I wish to introduce this winner of the Feldman Award.

As academicians, we have devoted much of our lives to developing a deep knowledge of a specific area. When that in-depth knowledge could be shared with the “broader community” as Moran titles it, our award winner stepped forward to make the knowledge base available. As a volunteer with the United Way for more than 20 years, this professor has provided both a personal perspective and a uniquely appropriate area of expertise to the problems and the opportunities that face the broader community in which we play out our roles as educators. Ron Katz of the United Way notes that in two situations over the past seven years, when closing of mental health facilities put the community in crisis, our colleague provided support and leadership. This leadership included moderating a panel that brought the chair of the State’s Legislative Oversight Committee on Mental Health together with mental health workers in our community to gain a better perspective on the needs of the Community and the State.

On campus, not content to simply serve as chair of a department for seven years, our Feldman winner has served on the UNC Asheville Faculty Senate for multiple terms and served as a member of the State of North Carolina University System Faculty Assembly for five years. On various tours of duty on our Faculty Senate, this Feldman winner served as Chair of the Senate, Chair of the University Planning Council, Chair of the Faculty Welfare and Development Committee, and as Secretary of the Executive Committee. While on the Faculty Assembly, special service was as Chair of the Faculty Benefits Committee. You can sense a theme here, can’t you? If I simply provided a list of the service this individual has provided to the University through committee work, taskforce participation, and voluntary contributions there would not be time to give appropriate attention to other areas of service that deserve recognition.

One of the areas that should never receive short shrift is the contribution this individual made through research on the prevalence of smokeless tobacco in elementary schools. This study, which brought together at least three disciplines and departments from our campus, resulted in a number of publications, presentations, interviews and a change in the county’s health education program to include the effects of smokeless tobacco usage. It contributed to a state law being passed setting an age minimum for purchase of such tobacco products. It is difficult to assess the impact that this kind of service can have.

Teaching itself is a form of service, especially when one reaches beyond a comfort level to teach an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary course. This teacher has taught for several years in the Humanities program and has provided one of the first Liberal Studies Introductory Colloquia for a particular discipline. Courses currently taught include a course offered in one of our Clusters and a course that is part of the Intensives.

The chair of this professor’s department has noted, “work with students extends beyond the classroom. In my opinion, this falls into the category of service. This educator gets along well with students and sincerely cares for their well being…The nominee frequently takes on advisees and interns who have high maintenance needs; their academic success is often the direct result of this person’s efforts.” Service in the form of advising and counseling, and coordinating others in their efforts in this area has been a long term commitment.

Within the home department, our selection for the award has taken on one of the most time intensive responsibilities, that of chairing the recruitment committee.

Health permitting, the professor we are honoring today has had an ongoing record of service. Further, that service has been united with good humor and an ability to work for the benefit of our university with an eye to what Moran calls “the common well-being”. One letter of reference says “however seriously, he takes his service, he never fails to incorporate his own sense of humor into the situations that arise. More than one person who has worked with him remarks on his way of diffusing situations with a light comment and a loud laugh.” It is also said “He willingly takes on assignments and promotes goodwill through his interaction with others.”

From a colleague within the nominee’s department, we hear that this person “has been a selfless consistent outstanding contributor to our university and our students. He truly models what it means to be senior faculty.” From the President and CEO of Deerfield where our Feldman professor has been on the Board of Directors for four years we hear “ He is a person with high integrity and compassion. He is willing to give unselfishly of his time and expertise. I wholeheartedly endorse his nomination for the award…”

To return to Dr. Moran:

a conceptualization of service is a unique contribution of American higher education. It extends and complements the historic missions of teaching and scholarship in relationship to establishing the foundations for democratic life…This responsibility… should be manifested in sharing openly and generously their intellectual resources with the broader society.

In recognition for his generosity in sharing his talents with his department, with this university, with our local community, with our State system, we recognize Dr. Donald D. Lisnerski as one of the two Feldman professors for 2007.

 CITATION

This Ruth and Leon Feldman Professorship recipient has pursued excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service and would be honored just to be nominated along with many well deserving colleagues.

Not many can say, though, that in the past year, they have advised over 100 students. In a letter discussing this winner, one person states, "She has consistently demonstrated her ability to be an effective teacher through her commitment to quality teaching, exemplified by her emphasis on creating a classroom environment that focuses on successful student learning and her dedication to students." Another colleague said that "She has a gift of explaining, and inspiring critical thinking and learning." In turn, a student has said, "It is rare to find her in her office unencumbered by a phone call, a student, or a faculty member, yet she always makes time for anyone waiting." As a result, she had been previously awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award and the Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

While she considers teaching her most valued service, and has motivated students to assume roles of leadership in many activities, she has provided extensive service to this university and to her profession above and beyond what is expected of our faculty. A brief list of committees she has served on follows: NCUR Budget Committee, Employee Benefits Committee, Teaching Awards Committee, University Service Council, and UNC Asheville Foundation's Director of Gift Planning and Endowments Recruiting Committee. In addition, she has taught a First Year Experience course, been a Knowledge Bowl Reader, and recently helped develop a course in her department as a quantitative intensive course for the ILS program. She has most graciously served, and chaired, the APC of Faculty Senate, and both the academic and fiscal integrity subcommittees for our NCAA recertification.

As noted by her colleagues, "Her commitment to the institution and high academic standards was evident in the careful way she examined every document that came to her." Another colleague "...found her to be exceptionally effective. She went out of her way to run the meetings fairly, trying very hard to be sure that everyone with a viewpoint got to express it...she operated the committee in an exceptionally collegial manner and was extraordinarily thorough and efficient in tracking the paper flow through APC." As the subcommittee Chair for Fiscal Integrity, "She faced a monumental task, identifying all fiscal issues associated with UNC Asheville's athletics, recommending corrective action, and writing corrective policies and procedures. Her sound fiscal guidance was ignored until our most recent chancellor addressed several of the corrective issues, and the deficit was resolved within twelve months. Since adopting her recommendations, the athletics department has not experienced an operating deficit. NCAA reaccreditation team found no deficiencies or shortcomings in the area of fiscal integrity. Without her documentation and detailed analysis, this fiscal success might not have occurred."

She is intensely involved outside of the university as well. She is a member of the Southern Business Administration Association, North Carolina "Administrators of Accounting Education," Institute of Management Accountants, and has worked with the North Carolina State Board of CPA Examiners in administering the CPA exam. In addition, she is the 2005 winner of the Rotary Club of Asheville Golden Centennial Award.

In the end, it all comes down to her passion to further assist students outside the classroom. As a result, she has been advisor to the UNC Asheville Accountancy Association since its inception and has maintained this role through the ups and downs of energetic and passive student involvement. As a result, the 1989 members of the Accountancy Association honor her by establishing a scholarship to which her name is affixed. Since the beginning, over $40,000 has been raised for this scholarship fund which has assisted over twenty students.

The above accolades are in addition to her role as chair of her department since 1998. As another colleague states, "It is only through her efforts and attention to detail that the department is now accredited. She picked up the slack of authoring the self-study and coordinating the AACSB accreditation team. UNC Asheville was not only accredited the first time it was visited, but received the 'Accreditation without Concerns and Six Commendations.' It was only through her persistence, commitment to UNC Asheville, and dedication to students that this was possible."

Our winner says, "I believe that students are served more effectively when the Institution as a system is operating effectively. My motivation to serve in various capacities comes from the belief that such work, although not directly related to the classroom, will affect students I may never know."

It is appropriate that this Ruth and Leon Feldman Professorship, Lifelong Achievement Award, go to our colleague, Claudel Brooks McKenzie.

CITATION

Over the past 18 years, Linda Lewis Nelms provided long extensive service to the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Though she has always considered teaching as her most valued service to the university and the community alike, Linda has served in many elected and appointed positions. As one of the charter members of the Department of Management and Accountancy, she was charged with the establishment of the accounting program and its associated curriculum. Seeing this program emerge as one of the finest in the University of North Carolina system; can be directly attributed to her efforts. As chair of the Budget Committee, Linda was the key element in establishing the department's endowment by local businesses and industry.

Through her diligent efforts, the Financial Resources Section for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation process identified several key critical shortfalls. By identifying these areas and their associated resource requirements, the university is now in a more favorable position to solicit private endowment. Thus UNC Asheville will be able to continue its pursuit of excellence into the 21st Century. As an alumnus, Linda has always been sensitive to critical planning issues. It was not surprising that during her elected tenure with the Faculty Senate that she chose to serve and chair the University Planning Council. She also served as chair of the NCUR X Budget Sub-Committee, when UNC Asheville hosted the Tenth National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). Linda's election to the Committee on Tenured Faculty was a clear demonstration of the faculty's confidence in her judgment and integrity.

Linda has been a member of such ad hoc planning groups as the Mission Review Committee, Athletic Task Force, NCAA Certification Committee, and numerous search committees. Some of which were the recent searches for Chancellors and Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs. Linda's service has not been confined to just the university, for she has served the community in such areas as president of Family Services and of The Health Adventure. She was the first female officer of Asheville Breakfast Rotary and has recently been named to the Advisory Board, Buncombe County Alternatives. In every situation, Linda has been a positive representative of our institution with the surrounding community.

An example of Linda's service to the university is her willingness to become fully qualified to teach in any area where there may be a need. Her UNC Asheville degree in literature and her MBA alone did not qualify her to teach accounting. On her own initiative she chose to become certified as a CPA and a CMA thus fulfilling the requirements to be a qualified faculty member in accounting. Linda also became certified in inventory control (APICS certification) and is now teaching the inventory course in the Industrial and Engineering Management program. Thus, filling a critical faculty shortfall.

For these and many other notable achievements in teaching and service, your colleagues of the UNC Asheville faculty are pleased to name you, Linda Nelms, a 1997-1998 Ruth and Leon Feldman Professor.

CITATION

Since joining UNC Asheville's full-time faculty in 1987, Bob demonstrated one consistent theme in his teaching, scholarship, and service: students first. Through his efforts, he has earned the reputation of being a strong student advocate, an exemplary teacher-mentor, and a colleague whose choice of service activities is strongly student-oriented.

In the Department of Management & Accountancy, Bob has carried more than full course load during some terms, but is still described by his peers as a teacher who "takes a personal interest in every student with whom he interacts. He has actively engaged his students in the process of undergraduate research. As one colleague stated, "Bob has never lost sight of the fact that applied research could do wonders in helping explain to students the application of theoretical content". Bob's strong mentoring of student researchers has produced an unusually large number of student co-authored papers and presentations, prompting one colleague to note that his "students consistently perform at their best; they are well-prepared, confident, and organized".

In addition to your teaching and mentoring of young undergraduates researchers, you have also played a central role in the Undergraduate Research Program on campus, serving as chair of that advisory council for several years. Bob initiated the APC proposal that yielded the student honor of University Research Scholar as a way to recognize successful undergraduate researchers on campus. Since 1991, he has assumed the role of Editor of the Proceedings for the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), a publication which enhances visibility of the UNC Asheville program. Though this feeling of a "first publication", a significant moment, and arguably a turning point, is a significant event in the lives of young researchers. Under his financial management and leadership, the Proceedings have gone from being a drain on the budget to being fully self-supporting.

Since 1990, he served in an often less acknowledged but critical role as faculty representative to the Athletics program. Bob represented UNC Asheville to the NCAA and the Big South Conference, and edited the NCAA Certification self-study. Student athletes often turn to him with their concerns, prompting a colleague to write that Bob "has made it his business to pay particular attention to the needs of student athletes."

Finally, during the current year, Bob's service work has included being the chair of APC, a demanding committee whose work has a direct effect on the lives of students.

As if Bob's teaching, mentoring, and service were not enough, he managed to compile an impressive number of scholarly publications and presentations. His letter to the Feldman Committee, however, exemplifies his students-first attitude, in that it emphasizes most of the ways in which his scholarship has promoted quality education for students, rather than emphasizing his accomplishments in isolation.

For these and many other notable achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service, your colleagues of the UNC Asheville faculty are pleased to name you, Bob Yearout, a 1995-1996 Ruth and Leon Feldman Professor.