Catawba College will host the 74th annual session of Tar Heel Boys' State June 16-22. This is the tenth consecutive year that the weeklong event has been held on campus and approximately 300 participants, all rising high school seniors from North Carolina, are expected. Notable state leaders traditionally speak at sessions during Tar Heel Boys' State. Past speakers have included the N.C. governor and lieutenant governor, the N.C. attorney general and secretary of state, as well as...

June 9-15 will be the 74th consecutive year of Tar Heel Girls State, and for the twelfth year, Catawba College will host the weeklong session. At the annual event, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, Department of North Carolina, several hundred girls from across North Carolina, all high school juniors who are academically in the top third of their class, will participate. The Girls State program is a weeklong practical study of the structure and operation...

Catawba College professor of politics and political expert Dr. J. Michael Bitzer was recently featured in several articles discussing current political topics.

Dr. J. Michael Bitzer will serve as Catawba College's acting provost beginning June 1. President Brien Lewis made that announcement to the campus community on May 20. Bitzer, an associate professor politics and history and chair of the Department of History and Politics at Catawba, joined the faculty in 2002. He will fill a vacancy left by the departure of Dr. W. Richard "Rick" Stephens, Jr. who will lead the academic administration at Alfred University.

"Don't be afraid to fail and if you do fail, try again, but do it strategically," North Carolina Governor Patrick L. McCrory '78 told an audience of graduates and their families and friends at Catawba College's 10 a.m. Commencement Exercise on May 11. Showing off a pair of red boxing gloves given to him by his friend George Foreman, the former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World, McCrory relayed a story about his own failure to win the North Carolina gubernatorial election in 2008.

Catawba College professor of politics and political expert Dr. J. Michael Bitzer was recently featured on WFAE discussing the North Carolina GOP Leaders' plan to cut and expand taxes. Bitzer said it is an ambitious plan. "In conjunction with the budget, with voter I.D., with a lot of other big-ticket items that Republicans campaigned on, this is probably going to be the most controversial and biggest hurdle that they're going to have to try and get through if they want...

Catawba College professor of politics and political expert Dr. J. Michael Bitzer was recently featured in several articles concerning current political issues. Read the articles...

Members of the Catawba College community gathered in Omwake-Dearborn Chapel on April 23 to celebrate achievement. The occasion was the annual Awards Convocation.Scheduled the day after Earth Day, the awards distributed were eco-friendly, made of Catawba blue, 100% recycled glass. They symbolized the college's commitment to environmental responsibility and are a reminder to the recipients to promote a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.

A group of students from the "Politics & Public Policy" class went to Raleigh to speak to members of the media, legislative staff, lobbyists, senators, representatives, and the Governor to see the legislative process in action. During the trip, the students sat in on the opening sessions of both chambers and were recognized by the Speaker and the Lt. Governor, along with sitting in on a committee hearing to witness debate on the voter identification bill pending...

Catawba College professor of politics and political expert Dr. J. Michael Bitzer was recently featured on the Charlotte Observer's website discussing the slowing of GOP lawmaking momentum at the halfway point and how well the House and Senate work together could determine how messy it gets. Bitzer said how the relationship progresses will help define the session.