The Office of International Programs and Services (IPS) exists to connect and engage Western Carolina University (WCU) with her surrounding community, region and state, and the world-at-large by fostering internationalization. IPS nurtures the well-being of WCU's international interests by sponsoring, overseeing and facilitating varied types of educational curriculum, e.g. Study Abroad and Faculty Led Programs, Research and Student / Scholar Exchanges, as well as organizing on-campus international events, such as the annual international festival each April and study abroad fair each September. IPS supports global accessibility to higher education by stimulating the recruitment, retainment and diversificaton of the international student population and by collaborating with WCU Colleges and Departments, who seek to better internationalize their own academic curricula and programs.

Diversity enriches the educational experience. We can all learn from those whose experiences, beliefs, and perspectives may be different from our own, and the richly diverse, intellectual and social environment at Western Carolina University offers the opportunity to learn.