North Carolina: Our State, Our Time

In tandem with WCU's 125th-anniversary celebration, this theme allowed faculty, students, and campus offices and organizations to use our state’s past, present and future to explore broad questions in culture, the arts, healthcare, business, politics and policy, history, literature, education, the environment, science and technology, athletics, and society and more.

The theme allowed for the opportunity to link classroom assignments and activities to the 125th-anniversary celebration addressing questions such as:

• How has our state’s history and culture shaped our social and political realities?
• What social, cultural, and demographic changes will shape our state’s future?
• What are North Carolina’s contributions to the Arts?
• How should North Carolina business evolve to compete in a global economy?
• What major forces will affect health care in our state?
• How will we educate the next generation of North Carolinians?
• How should we foster a climate of scientific, technological, and cultural innovation in North Carolina?
• How will we balance growth and environmental sustainability?
• What issues does our state face and how can our universities help find solutions?

Other elements of the Campus Theme were:

"North Carolina in Dialogue: Our Past, Present, and Future" Undergraduate Essay Contest 

An essay contest open to all WCU Undergraduate Students where entrants wrote a 750-word essay on the prompt: As young people in North Carolina, college students have a unique understanding of the past, a distinct perspective on the present, and a special opportunity to shape the future of our state. Where do you see yourself within the unfolding history of North Carolina and how do you envision your role in shaping the present and future of the state?

North Carolina in Dialogue: Our Past, Present, and Future

The focus of this conference was to provide a platform for our students and the public to learn from distinguished scholars and public activists/intellectuals who can reflect, analyze, and offer various perspectives on North Carolina’s history, politics, and culture. Additionally, this event aimed to build a dialogue between scholars and activists so they may learn how they can work together to improve the future of North Carolina.