CLABJQN
Brevard College, Brevard, NC
Volume 54 Number 1
Sunday, August 24, 1986
Greer: We’re talking about a new place
Dr. Billy Greer heaves both feet on this
desk, rares back in his chair, and throws
his big hands into the air like a basketball
guard as he talks about his favorite sub
ject.
When Dr. Greer talks about Brevard
College, the air about him seems positively
charged with energy. “I am really looking
forward to this year —1 don’t know when
I’ve ever been so excited about anything,”
he speaks as if he’s proselytizing.
The new president, who came to
Brevard a year ago from the presidency of
Andrew College, has recruited an ad
ministrative staff of which he is
unabashedly proud. “We’ve got people
who know to run the race; the team is in
place,” he says with a grin.
“At last we have the kind of ad
ministrative team that the faculty
deserves and needs — there’s never been
any question about the Brevard College
faculty. Now we’ve got the kind of team
that will provide the kind of optimum en
vironment in which the faculty can best
function.
“When I talk to people about the college,
I’m almost inclined to call it the “new”
Brevard College, not that there was
anything wrong with the way it was — but
we’ve turned another corner...we’re talk
ing about a new place,” Dr. Greer says.
“My chief personal objective for this
year is to devote the entire year to building
human relationshiops. I want for us to
really allow a warmth and a humaness to
flow through this place. And in itself this
will be rejuvinating. If anybody is in the
people business — we are. I want to
enable, encourage and to facilitate the
building of positive relationships between
faculty and staff, administration and staff,
and faculty and administration, in the
hopes that that will spill over in a fine way
to the students.
“You know, students are like children in
a home environment; they can tell when
things are not going well. And I don’t want
.jm
Brevard College President Dr. Billy Greer looks to an exciting new year.
to be talking about this in a Pollyanna or
drippy way - of saying everything’s all
right when it’s not. I’m just saying we can
make this a fun place to work. I know when
I’m happy in my work I produce better.
“If we’re getting kids ready for the
world outside our gates, then it seems to
me we ought to be a model for what that
would should be like. This ought to be a
creative, fun place to be and work.
“We are limited by only our ability to
dream it, to think it, or conceptualize it.
Golly! If people don’t start believing
that...” Dr. Greer says with an enthusiasm
that students, faculty, steff and ad
ministration have all found infectious.
Brevard College studying
four-year conversion
Brevard College has initiated a feasibili
ty study to evaluate the pros and cons of
conversion to four-year status.
“We need this study,” said Brevard Col
lege President Dr. William T. Greer, “in
order to establish our long range goals and
plans for the remainder of the ’80s and
’90s. Brevard College, it seems to me, is at
a critical crossroads in its history. The
days ahead in higher education are too
volatile to be approached haphazardly.”
Throughout June, Dave Skillen of Diver
sified Consultant Associates, Inc. of Atlan
ta interviewed about 80 community
leaders as well as college faculty and ad
ministration members. .. -n
“What we’re trying to do,” said Skillen,
“is to see what the perceptions are about
the college, and what is the emotional
degree to which people will or won’t sup-
An Editor’s welcome
I’m sitting here at my typewriter wondering where the summer has
slipped away to. Back in May, the summer seemed endless with four
glorious months to enjoy, and now it’s the end of August already. This is
supposed to be an Editor’s Welcome, aimed at you people who are new
arrivals. I guess a cheery “Hello” will do for starters. Good luck on your
first couple of days — you’re going to need it.
At any rate, this year is promising to be a good one. A lot of changes
are being made by the new administration headed by Dr. Billy Greer,
president of Brevard College. He’s a great guy; you’ll like him. We
students are being given more responsibility and hopefully we’ll handle
this new-found responsibility with maturity.
BC may seem small, but there is always something to do. There are
different clubs and organizations on campus looking for new talent,
athletics, coffee house entertainments, lectures, concerts, and even
study groups if nothing else catches your attention. Whether you’re an
active, passive, or apathetic member of this college community is en
tirely up to you.
Well, enough of the commercial plug for the college and its many fine
attributes. I’d like to say something about the Clarion, the voice of the
students here at BC. Through this twice-monthly student newspaper,
your views, ideas, and comments can be heard and expressed. This is a
privilege, so don’t let it go to waste — use it!
I guess I did find something to say to you after all, though it was hard
Dort what will happen either way. _
The result of skiUen’s questionnaire will to get motivated after four months of being a waste case. I’d like to per-
be statistically summarized in the report gonaliy welcome you all here to Brevard College; I’m looking forward to
getting to know you all. May I wish you a very successful year and
believe me, it gets better. Honest!
Bonnie Davis
Clarion Editor
he will deUver to Dr. Greer this
The College’s Board of Trustees initiated
the feasibility study at their spring
meeting. The, will
dings at their fall meeUng, Oct. 23-24.
. ..u-