The Office of Teacher Education Recruitment and Rural Education in the College of Education and Allied Professions (CEAP) at Western Carolina University serves the region by identifying and assisting with educational issues. Currently, two of the most significant issues are college access and teacher recruitment. The Office of Teacher Education Recruitment and Rural Education engages the region and collaborates with our partners in college access initiatives and teacher recruitment programming.

The Office of Teacher Education Recruitment and Rural Education has aligned its mission with the University's mission and its four strategic activities to incorporate the Boyer Model of Scholarship, Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), Stewardship of Place, and the UNC-Tomorrow Initiatives. The programs are a reflection of the designation of WCU as a community engaged campus by the Carnegie Foundation.

The region is defined in two ways: First, through the public school partnerships located in the closest 17 counties in proximity to Western Carolina University served through the Office of Teacher Education Recruitment, and secondly through the 49 westernmost counties served by the Office for Rural Education.

Teacher Shortage Solutions
To assist with the national issues surrounding the teacher shortage crisis, Western Carolina University and the Office of Teacher Education Recruitment and Rural Education have implemented Teacher Cadet support programming, the Teachers of Tomorrow Reaching to Teach Conference for High School and Community College Students, Teachers of Tomorrow Reaching to Teach for Middle School Students, and Reach to Teach.

UNC-WCU Point of Contact
The Office of Teacher Education Recruitment serves as an initial point of contact for the implementation and tracking of the University of North Carolina-General Administration/Western Carolina University Teacher Education Enrollment Plan. The Office of Teacher Education Recruitment and Rural Education houses the director and assistant director of WCU’s Teacher Education Recruitment.

Support for Student Organizations
The Director of the Office of Teacher Education Recruitment and Rural Education serves as the faculty counselor for the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education (KDP). Additionally, the assistant director serves as a co-sponsor for the Student North Carolina Association of Educators (SNCAE).

Research & Engagement
Research and engagement activities are enhanced through internal and external grant writing. Current grants include Appalachian Regional Commission Grant for College Access and Success, a Z. Smith Reynolds’s Grant for curriculum alignment and student achievement, and Teacher Cadet mini-grants for high school partnership programs. Grant awards and teacher recruitment initiatives provide the office with an opportunity to collaborate with school and community partners in an effort to promote “Stewardship of Place.”

We invite you to learn more about the Office of Teacher Education Recruitment and Rural Education, its programs, and the research examining teacher recruitment and rural schools.

Please contact us with your collaborative opportunities and/or questions.