Mail Service. Students residing on campus are assigned a residence hall mailbox with their room assignment. All other students may rent a mailbox in the Cullowhee Post Office. U.S. postal regulations do not permit receipt of mail addressed as general delivery after an initial 30-day period. A postal commodity machine offering stamps, envelopes, post cards or aero grams, overseas services, and other features is located in the lobby of the A.K. Hinds University Center.
Books and Supplies. The WCU Bookstore offers students a wide variety of merchandise, including textbooks and course materials. WCU clothing and gift items are located at Catamount Clothing and Gifts in the University Center. An extensive selection of books is offered for class use and pleasure reading and books may be special-ordered if not in stock. All books for 500-, 600-, 700-, and 800-level courses are sold by the store. Books for graduate students taking courses numbered below 500 are sold by the book rental department located in the store. Graduation caps, gowns, invitations, and class rings also may be purchased at the bookstore. For more information visit the Web site at www.wcubookstore.wcu.edu.
Bank Services. A branch office of Wachovia Bank and Trust Company is located in Cullowhee. ATM machines installed by State Employees Credit Union and BB&T are located in the Hinds University Center. In addition, branch offices of Wachovia, Carolina Community Bank, Century South Bank of the Carolinas, First Charter Bank, First Citizens Bank and Trust, Community Bank and Trust Company, Jackson Savings Bank, Macon Bank, and the State Employees Credit Union are located in or near Sylva.
Schools for Elementary and High School Students. Cullowhee Valley School, located near the campus in Cullowhee, is a Jackson County school, grades K-8. Smoky Mountain High School and Fairview Elementary School, also Jackson County Schools, are located on the Sylva highway about five miles from the university.
Recreation and Fitness. The facilities of Reid Health and Physical Education Building, including the Fitness Center, Breese Gymnasium, and A.K. Hinds University Center make possible a rich recreational program. Indoor and outdoor recreation includes tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming, handball, softball, badminton, racquetball, table tennis, and kayak rolling.
The Fitness Center provides Cybex Circuit Selectorized equipment and a free weight room for strength training along with a complete line of cardiovascular equipment. Also provided by the Fitness Center are programs and activities such as land and water aerobics, personal training, body composition analysis and a variety of fitness related programs offered throughout the year.
Cullowhee’s location offers excellent opportunities for hiking, whitewater rafting, fishing, skiing, hunting, golfing, boating, and camping. Students may easily visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and other nearby places of interest.
Wellness Program. The goal of the Wellness Program is to provide students, faculty, and staff a positive and healthy environment in which to live and grow. The program provides services on health and wellness issues, including health presentations; resources to help individuals with projects and personal issues; a wellness resource library; and events centered on national awareness topics such as fitness, nutrition, AIDS, and alcohol. For further information, call 828-227-7640.
Department of the Division of Student Affairs
The University Center (UC) is the hub of campus activity - the living room of campus. The UC houses offices of the Student Government Association (SGA); Last Minute Productions (LMP); Women’s Center; Multicultural Center; Lectures, Concerts and Exhibits (LCE); and University Center staff. Western Encourages Leadership Enhancement and Development (WE LEAD) provides a variety of programs to help students develop and hone leadership skills. Base Camp Cullowhee (BCC) offers outdoor programs and equipment rental. Meetings, activities and events are held in the ballroom, movie theater, meeting rooms and conference rooms. The food court features Chic-Fil-A, Montagues’s Deli, and the Burger Factory. Java City serves coffee and custom beverages. The UC provides services such as ATMs, Student Mail Center, Catamount Clothing, student lounges, e-mail stations and fax service. Throughout the year, the UC produces activities including films, dances, concerts, outdoor trips, late night programs and interactive activities. Many activities are planned and organized by WCU students through the student-run program board, Last Minute Production (LMP).
The largest multi-purpose facility west of Charlotte, with a seating capacity of 8,000, the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center is host to a wide variety of programs and activities. Through a network of movable curtains, the main arena can be transformed from a major concert venue or sports arena to a more intimate theatrical setting. Notable performers and speakers have included Aerosmith, Tim McGraw, Ludacris, Bon Jovi, former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, Danny Glover and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Lech Walesa, in addition to numerous other company programs.
The “RAC” is home to Western’s athletics offices and is the home court for Catamount basketball and volleyball teams. The staff of the Ramsey Center provides leadership for the annual CulloWHEE! ArtsFest series, that consists of a variety of cultural arts events that range from dance and symphony orchestra performances to concerts by nationally known musical entertainers and acclaimed authors. Also available in the building are conference facilities, an in-line hockey rink and five handball courts.
In addition to the different events offered by the Ramsey Center, there are numerous student employment opportunities available for full time and part time students. Students play a big part in the operation of the Ramsey Center and are an integral part of our day to day operations. There are approximately 40 students employed at the Center ranging from stage crew and lighting operators who help with concerts and other productions to Student Managers who are responsible for managing the facility during the evenings and weekends. These job assignments are set up to accommodate the student’s class schedule.
For more information about the Ramsey Center or a current schedule of events, visit us at ramsey.wcu.edu.
Testing Services. The Office of Professional Examinations oversees administrations of: The Graduate Record Examination (Subject Tests only), the Praxis Series, Medical College Admission Test, Scholastic Aptitude Test, Law School Admission Test, the National Counselor Exam, the Miller Analogies Test, and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). For more information about any of these tests, contact the Catamount Academic Tutoring Center (135 Killian Annex) at 828-227-2273.
GRE Workshops. During fall and spring semesters, the Graduate School sponsors a free GRE preparation workshop for students who plan to apply for admission to a graduate degree program. The workshops are designed to help students prepare to take the three sections of the GRE General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing). For more information on workshop dates and to reserve a space in a workshop, contact the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at 828-227-7398.
This page is maintained by Nancy Carden in the
Office of the Provost.
Last updated: 7/6/2005.
Copyright 2005 by Western Carolina University .