Western Carolina is in the business of changing lives. We do that not simply by delivering degrees but by teaching, mentoring and inspiring students to discover their passions and their life paths. Our students learn more than just the content of their disciplines; they are taught to lead, to work in teams, to be professionals, and to respond appropriately to cultures different than their own.
DegreePlus is a holistic approach to education that sets out to strengthen our incredible work around leadership, cultural responsiveness, teamwork, and professionalism and to make it an intentional enhancement to the curricular and co-curricular experience at WCU. Participation prepares students for life after Western Carolina.
Research has shown that students who are engaged tend to have greater academic success and are more likely to achieve their “next-step” goals (employment, graduate school, etc.). This success is partly due to their development of transferable skills, such as teamwork, leadership, verbal and written communication, etc.
According to a survey of employers, these are skills they look for in recent graduates. However, students tend not to relate those skills to their university experiences. DegreePlus aims to educate students on the value of their experiences through the use of an experiential transcript that not only logs their extracurricular activities but also organizes them according to student learning outcomes associated with these professional skills.