THE UNIVERSITY

A member of the University of North Carolina, Western Carolina University offers courses in the arts, sciences, technologies, humanities, and professions. Students can elect degree programs at the bachelor, masters, or doctoral levels. As a regional comprehensive institution, it serves the people of North Carolina from its residential campus at Cullowhee and through off-campus instruction in Asheville and other locations.

Mission

Teaching and learning constitute the central mission of Western Carolina University. The university seeks to create a community of scholarship in which the activities of its members are consistent with the highest standards of knowledge and practice in their disciplines.

The commitment of the community to service, research, and creative activities complements the central mission and extends the benefits of its scholarship to society. As a major public resource for Western North Carolina, the university assists individuals and agencies in the region through the expertise of its faculty, its staff, and its students.

Aspirations

Western Carolina University aspires to provide an environment in which students, faculty, and staff jointly assume responsibility for learning where the free exchange of ideas, and in which intellectual challenge, and high standards of scholarship prevail.

The university prepares students to become contributing and informed citizens in a global community. By working both independently and collaboratively, graduates of the university have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of an educated person, including:

• the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, to identify and resolve problems reflectively, and to use information and technology responsibly;

• proficiency in the intellectual and technical skills of a disciplined study in the arts, sciences, or professions;

• an appreciation for the creative and performing arts; and

• a basis for continued personal development and lifelong learning.

To encourage and protect the free and open interchange of ideas, the university strives to provide experiences that foster the development of respect among all its members toward the larger communities of which it is a part. Accordingly, the University encourages its students, faculty, and staff to display the following traits of citizenship:

• behavior characterized by honesty, integrity, and responsibility;

• service to others;

• awareness of and sensitivity to the concerns of diverse people and cultures; and

• commitment to stewardship of the natural and cultural environment.

Location

Western Carolina University is located in the scenic Appalachian mountain ranges at Cullowhee, North Carolina. The university consists of the main campus in Cullowhee and resident credit centers in Asheville and Cherokee. A faculty of about 335 serves a student body of over 7,000 in resident-credit and extension classes.

The Cullowhee campus is in a rural valley between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, fifty-two miles west of Asheville and seven miles south of Sylva on North Carolina Highway 107. The location, at the southern end of Cullowhee Valley in the heart of the Tuckaseigee River basin, gives it an unusually attractive setting. The closest commercial airport to the university is located in Asheville, and there is airline service to Asheville. Private taxi service is available.

The central campus consists of about 233 acres, including beautifully wooded areas and modern academic, student residence, recreation, and athletic facilities. The Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee Indian Reservation, Fontana Lake, and numerous resort areas offer golfing, skiing, fishing, hunting, hiking, water sports, and other recreational opportunities nearby.

This page is maintained by Nancy Carden in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Last updated: 10/13/2003.
Copyright 2003 by Western Carolina University .