WKU News

The Robert and Mary Tincher Charitable Foundation Inc. presented Western Kentucky University with a $2 million gift during the calendar year’s final quarterly meeting of the WKU Board of Regents today (Thursday). The donation established two new endowed scholarships: the Robert and Mary Tincher Housing Scholarship and the Robert and Mary Tincher Lady Topper Housing Scholarship. In honor of the gift, the Board of Regents voted to approve the naming of a residence hall, which will be announced at a future date.

The Robert and Mary Tincher Charitable Foundation Inc. is a private foundation located in Bowling Green, established by Robert and Mary Tincher, who both graduated from WKU. The Tinchers and the charitable foundation they established have been supporters of WKU for decades, contributing to scholarships, the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation and the Chandler Memorial Chapel. Robert Tincher passed away in 2009, followed by Mary Tincher in 2018.

“Bob and Mary Tincher were two of the most generous people that I have ever known,” said Joe Bill Campbell, general counsel of the Tincher Charitable Foundation. “They loved this community. They didn’t have any children, and they considered this community to be their family.”

The gift honors the legacy of Robert and Mary Tincher and their deep passion for WKU, said Amanda Trabue, Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement.

“What amazing news from two amazing people who just loved this university,” President Timothy C. Caboni said.

The Board of Regents also granted emeritus status to six faculty members. To receive faculty emeritus status, a faculty member must have been recommended by tenured faculty, the department chair and the college dean and must have served the university for at least 10 years with a distinguished record of achievement and service. The regents voted to approve faculty emeritus status to the following faculty members:

• Dr. Saundra Curry Ardrey, Associate Professor, Political Science
• Dr. Donna Schiess, Senior Instructor, School of Media & Communication
• Dr. Carl Myers, Professor, Psychology
• Dr. Albert Meier, University Distinguished Professor, Biology
• Dr. J. Farley Norman, University Distinguished Professor, Psychological Sciences
• Dr. Bruce Schulte, University Distinguished Professor, Biology

Directors and members of the Big Red Marching Band made a presentation on the band’s upcoming trip to London. The 300 members of the Big Red Marching Band will lead the London New Year’s Day Parade on January 1 for 600,000 spectators on the streets of London and more than 300 million television viewers in Europe and the United States.

More than 360 students, faculty, staff and alumni will participate in the trip to London as the WKU band program celebrates its 100^th anniversary in 2025. As part of the trip, the WKU Symphonic Band, featuring 90 WKU students, will perform at London’s Cadogan Concert Hall on December 30.

In other business, the Board of Regents:

• Accepted the Auditor’s Report and Financial Statements for the 2024 fiscal year performed by Forvis Mazars, LLP
• Approved the 2024-25 statement of revenues and expenditures
• Approved renewing a routine line of credit with JPMorgan Chase Bank to be used only in the event that the timing of revenue collection does not match expense payment timing
• Approved various routine personnel actions
• Approved changes to the WKU Board of Regents Bylaws that will clarify the responsibilities for appointing external auditors and reviewing financial reports; update the reporting structure of internal audit activity; and change the name of the Board’s Finance and Budget Committee to the Finance, Budget and Audit Committee

The WKU Board of Regents will next meet on Friday, January 24, 2025, to conduct committee meetings.

Contact: Jace Lux at jace.lux@wku.edu     

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Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.