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At its March 3 meeting, the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Board of Trustees approved faculty tenure and promotions and learned about faculty who will receive continuing track and lecture track appointments.

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ trustees approved the 2010-11 fiscal year budget in a meeting held March 2. The board’s action places a priority on funding objectives of The ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Commitment strategic plan, while maintaining ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ's affordable cost in setting next year’s tuition, room and board rates.

Professor Andy Angyal and Professor Emeritus John G. Sullivan presented at a conference, The Legacy of Thomas Berry Continuing His Work, held on Friday and Saturday Feb. 26-27, 2010, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Christy Benson, assistant professor of business law and ethics, and Gary Palin, executive director of the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and senior lecturer of entrepreneurship, presented Feb. 25 in the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Webinar Series.

Two-thirds of North Carolinians believe that religion is losing influence on American life, compared with about 24 percent who believe religion is gaining influence, according to the latest ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Poll. Nearly 65 percent say there should be no requirement for elected officials to believe in God.

Half of North Carolinians approve of the way President Barack Obama is handling his job as President, while about 75 percent say they disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job, according to the latest ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Poll. President Obama’s favorability rating stands at 53 percent in North Carolina, while 41 percent view him unfavorably.

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Director of Choral Activities Stephen A. Futrell, along with vocal music majors Josh Carswell and Jesse Palmer (both members of the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Camerata), have been invited to sing in the vocal ensemble appearing with Ben Folds for his performance in Raleigh, NC with the North Carolina Symphony on March 25, 2010 at Maymandi Concert Hall.

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ has been recognized for the fourth year in a row as a national leader in service-learning and civic engagement. The Corporation for National & Community Service named the university this week to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll With Distinction for exemplary service efforts to America's communities.

C. Michael Smith, a faculty member in ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ's English department from 1968 to 1970, will be the next president of The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul. Smith is a longtime leader of international higher education and previously served as president of the American University of Nigeria and oversaw accreditation of 30 universities in the United Arab Emirates. He was recently featured in

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Director of Choral Activities Stephen A. Futrell appeared as guest conductor for the Cleveland County High School All-County Chorus in Kings Mountain, N.C. The two-day clinic culminated with a performance on Feb. 22 at the Kings Mountain High School Auditorium.