From Staff Reports 

During a brief question-and-answer period following her address, UNC Asheville Chancellor Anne Ponder fielded a number of questions about property acquisition and competition from other schools moving into Asheville during an Oct. 25 Leadership Asheville Forum.

 First, a LAF member asked about Gov. Pat McCrory’s recent remarks that challenged the value of a liberal arts education.

“Here’s what I say and what I advocate: If you are interested in practical education — what you need in the leaders of the future ... the members of this group in the future... is to master a number of things in a number of fields…. You need to be able to have multiple perspectives,” which is only provided by a liberal arts education, she said.

Another LAF member asked about UNCA’s plans on property acquisition.

“We have been very fortunate during this recession and recovery to be able to fund acquisition of property for this university,” Ponder replied.

“We have a deep conviction that UNC Asheville is of Asheville — and is in the right place. And even though we don’t know precisely how we might use property in the future, we are not confident it will be available. We think the university could and should do what it can to acquire it.

“The first was the Rhodes property, at Merrimon and Weaver (Boulevard). That came to us in December 2008. We acquired 10 acres and a house. We have not done anything but assign a temporary use. And we have a community garden for our students.”

“We know we will be doing a campus master plan process.

“The year before last, the MAHEC on Weaver Boulevard decided they’d be efficient by consolidating in South Asheville,” so “we now own 118 W.T. Weaver Blvd. and are renovating it. It’s perfect and a gorgeous addition to our campus....

“We are in the process of talking with area property-owners…. So far, what we have done is to recommend” the purchase, as approved by Board of Directors, of the 525 Broadway property from the Momentum or Health Adventure. “We actually took a tragedy for Asheville and made it into something good. We’re now moving through the Raleigh part of the process.”

Ponder added, “There are other parcels along Broadway in the old park property and other properties along the boundary of the campus that we are working on.”

With a note of pride, she asserted, “We have earned the reputation of being great members of the community and making a buck go a long way.”

Another LAF asked, “Western Carolina University, Lenoir-Rhyne University and others. have all moved new locations to Asheville (recently) — and what’s that say about Asheville? How will that affect things for UNCA?”

“Thank you,” Ponder said to the questioner. “Asheville is the population center for Western North Carolina.... We’re in the era of satellite campuses… We (at UNCA) have no interest in that. We think it’s most valuable” to have a campus where faculty and students freely interact “live.”

Further, the chancellor said, “All of the organizations you mentioned — they’re all fine institutions.”

Nonetheless, she then noted that “UNC Asheville SATs are over 1,200” and reiterated the university extensive number of national rankings. “It’s a different style. We’re pleased to have those institutions compete. I don’t think it will affect UNC Asheville at all.”

She added that “we have brought the UNC School of Pharmacy to the UNC Asheville campus. We went and got the second best in the country and we think we’ve got (a situation) to make it the best in the country.” Ponder noted that UNCA took the tack of piggybacking with an excellent program, rather than “starting our own pharmacy school.

“We also have very good N.C. State programs in megatronics, environmental engineering” and other fields, she said. “The other thing we’ve done in master’s programs is we’ve got a robust MLA program — Master of Liberal Arts....

“I do think what will help, not just in Asheville, will help …  universities to succeed is not to try to be all things to all people. We need to strategically align with our missions.

“We’re now in a mission review process (at colleges and universities) across the state. At UNC Asheville, we’re done (already). We’re that clear in our mission. Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today.”