WCU is a University of North Carolina Campus
Contributions of the Division of Student Affairs
The Student Affairs Division at Western Carolina University maintains a close relationship with the Educational Leadership and Foundations Department and the College Student Personnel Program. Several factors contribute to successful collaboration. These factors include the following:
- Practitioners’ commitment to the inclusion of instruction as part of their professional role
- Academic departmental leadership which supports practitioner involvement
- Openness of current faculty to practitioner efforts to supplement required courses with elective opportunities and
- Financial and instructional support from the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
The Student Affairs Division plays an important role in the development of the CSP Program at WCU through a variety of activities.
- Instructional delivery – Some members of the division serve as affiliate faculty members within the department.
- Curriculum development – Members of the division periodically may develop and propose selected courses in response to expressed student needs and professional trends.
- Internships and Assistantships – The division attempts to offer a wide range of graduate assistantship placements and opportunities for internship experiences in several Student Affairs offices both on and off campus.
- Teaching opportunities for graduate students – Graduate students in the CSP program are provided opportunities for direct teaching experience in undergraduate credit-bearing courses. Students may enroll in Seminar in College Teaching to assist them in developing basic teaching skills. Class members completing the course co-teach with a Student Affairs professional a section of USI 130, the first-year academic success course for undergraduates.
- Professional development funds - Limited funding is made available from many offices within the division for professional travel and other professional development activities for graduate students. These include national meetings of American College Personnel Association (ACPA), National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I), Association of College Unions – International (ACU-I), National Association of Campus Activities (NACA), as well as regional and state meetings.
- Academic advisement – Some members of the division serve as academic advisors for graduate students in the program as requested.
- CSP student recruitment – Finally, the division plays a central role in the recruitment of students for the program. Recruitment support is coordinated through the Vice Chancellor’s office. Other offices may contribute both financial and human resources as feasible.