Community Partners

CCESL will offer Lunch and Learn professional development opportunities. These will be either in-person or virtual webinars.

Fall 2025 Schedule

• Coming Soon

Spring 2025 Schedule

• Grant Workshop: Tuesday, March 25 from 9:45-11:15 am. In-person in Sylva. Facilitated by Demakus Staton of D&G Associates Consulting Group & Reflections of Inspiration Inc.

Spring 2024 Schedule

• Preventing Burn Out and Compassion Fatigue: Tuesday, February 20 from 12pm-1pm. In-person at WCU. Facilitated by CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services).
• Basics of Social Media: Thursday, April 11 from 12pm-1pm. Webinar. Facilitated by WCU University Communications and Marketing. 

Community Partners are invited to join CCESL at national community engagement conferences as both attendees and presenters. CCESL will provide a limited number of scholarships to interested partners.

Spring 2025 Offering

PACE Conference – February 12, 2025 
North Carolina Campus Engagement’s annual Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement (PACE) Conference seeks to grow and share the practice and scholarship of higher education community and civic engagement. 

Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning (CCESL)

At WCU, there are opportunities to work with the community through independent community projects or service-learning courses. We offer resources to students, student groups, faculty, and staff who are interested in community engagement and service learning. CCESL is committed to sharing your volunteer opportunities with our students, faculty, and staff. Fill out this survey to submit information to have your opportunity posted on Engage. https://wcu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/center-for-service-learning.

If your organization has volunteer needs, please call 828.277.2091 or email communityengagement@wcu.edu for assistance in advertising.

Community-Engaged Courses

Service-Learning Courses (SLC) employ service-learning pedagogy throughout the instructional design of a credit-bearing course. These courses integrate critical reflection and purposeful community service as central teaching strategies to achieve the following goals. SLCs require at least 10 hours applied to the service work during the term and more typically involve 15-30 hours. The service may involve direct, indirect, research, or advocacy approaches.

Community Experience Courses (CEC) are credit-bearing courses in which faculty meaningfully incorporate and contextualize one or more community-engaged components from a range of possibilities, such as intensive field education placements to volunteerism, site visits, or other innovations. The common theme in CECs is that one or more of the course activities engage students with community partners in reciprocal, collaborative, and respectful exchanges around community issues.

If interested in aligning your organization with one of these types of courses, contact the Associate Director, Natalie Newman, at 828.277.2592 or nnewman@wcu.edu for a consultation

Community Coffee Conversations

CCESL hosts bi-monthly Community Coffee Conversations for community partners to interface with CCESL staff, learn about new ways to connect with CCESL, network with each other, and enjoy light refreshments! Connect with Natalie Newman at 828.277.2592 or nnewman@wcu.edu

Free Professional Development

CCSEL offers free lunch & learn professional development opportunities, either in-person or virtually. Examples of previous topics were the Grant Workshop, Preventing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue, and the Basics of Social Media. Contact Natalie Newman at 828.277.2592 or nnewman@wcu.edu  for more information.

Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD)

Western Carolina University is always open to partnering with new employers. These employer partners can be from all industries and encompass many different career paths and disciplines. Internships are vital to students' success in defining their career goals and learning the necessary hands-on practical knowledge of their fields. Visit the Center for Career and Professional Development website to learn about ways to post internships and jobs for WCU students to apply for.

On-campus recruiting, classroom presentation, and career fairs sign-ups are available on CCPD’s webpage. Call 828.227.7133 or email Careerservices@wcu.edu for additional information. Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm

Crisis Communication Resource Guide

WCU students and faculty in the department of Communication created a guide to assist organizations and businesses in developing strong crisis communication strategies to effectively navigate and manage crises. The guide provides direction on formulating a crisis communication plan to help inform, manage risks, maintain trust, and ensure swift recovery. The guide includes templates, expert insights, and step-by-step instructions applicable to any entity. Please download the guide at the following link: https://wcucrisisresources.wordpress.com/

Customized Training for Nonprofit & For-Profit Organizations

WCU offers customized training for organizations at our Biltmore Park Instructional Site and on campus in Cullowhee. Our expert instructors can also come to your location. WCU customizes our professional development training to meet the needs of employees in industries including nonprofit, education, manufacturing, technology, hospitality, and tourism, but can be customized to any organization. Our instructors present a variety of different topics in many formats, ranging from one-day workshops to multi-day seminars and certificate programs.
Training topics can be customized for audiences at different levels of their career, including customer service, supervisory skills, communication and presentation skills, technology training, and topics relevant to entry-level to mid-level administrators and managers, from mid-level management to executive-level positions.

Dr. Roy Kaplan, Director
rkaplan@wcu.edu
828.227.3068

Department of Campus Activities (DCA)

At the start of the academic year, DCA hosts Valley Ballyhoo- the annual fair featuring student organizations, WCU Departments and Programs, and community organizations! This is a fantastic way to network and build a volunteer list. DCA also offers year-round tabling opportunities! Contact DCA at 828.227.7206 or email campusactivitiesinfo@wcu.edu

Facility Reservations

Outside organizations can utilize Western Carolina University’s Department of Campus Activities’ (DCA) facilities and rooms.  To utilize DCA’s, the organization must be sponsored by a Registered Student Organization or Western Carolina University.

 Outside organizations can contact Natalie Newman, Associate Director at the Center for Community Engagement, to be connected with a department or RSO at nnewman@wcu.edu

Conference rooms are available to any organization. The staff can provide all the various services and resources needed to make your event successful.  They are committed to excellence when it comes to providing a 'one-stop shop' approach to event planning and coordinating accommodations, dining, and meeting spaces.  

If you haven't had a chance to visit campus personally, they welcome you to reach out to them for a personal tour of the campus and facilities to help solidify your decision! Contact Laura E. Allison, Director of Event Services, at 828.227.3024 or leallison@wcu.edu 

Asheville Biltmore Campus:

WCU Programs in Asheville serve as a convenient location for area business meetings and events. While academic courses take priority, their high-tech classrooms and meeting facilities are available for rent at a low cost to businesses and associations in the area.

Reserve facilities in Asheville Biltmore Campus: reserveavl@wcu.edu or call 828.654.6498

HR Consulting Initiative

Western Carolina University - The HR Consulting Initiative - is pleased to collaborate with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits to offer nonprofit Members of the Center pro bono expertise on a variety of human resources topics and issues. The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits’ mission is to educate, connect, and advocate for North Carolina nonprofits. It has 1,480 nonprofit members. Since 2011, through their coursework, over 1,100 Master's in HR students have served as HR consultants for nonprofits, small businesses, and government agencies across the country and abroad. Thus far, they have helped 384 organizations and completed 569 HR consulting projects in 22 U.S. states and abroad (Sierra Leone, Africa, Haiti, and Equator) at no cost and entirely online. This HR Consulting model allows projects to be completed remotely in 10 weeks or less. The organizations have assisted range in size and industry (from 2 to over 1,000 employees and from animal shelters, arts programs, youth organizations, to healthcare facilities). The HR services provided have included employee policy manuals, Executive Director emergency plans, organizational climate surveys, salary studies, and much more. Contact Dr. Marie-Line Germain at mgermain@wcu.edu

Hunter Library

Community Members and Community Partners can use library resources within the library at no cost. Examples of resources include the use of a Circuit machine, reading materials, and access to electronic devices.

Friends of the Library: advocate for and support Hunter Library's mission of serving the WCU community. With costs rising and budgets tight, the library needs your help more than ever. At the same time, members enjoy borrowing privileges and special programs and events throughout the year. Benefits include: 10% discount on all purchases at the City Lights Book Store in Sylva, NC, invitations to special events, a borrowing ability of 15 physical items at a time, 3-Year, Sustaining, and Lifetime members also receive a free annual parking pass upon request each year for use when visiting the Hunter Library.

• Membership Options:
• Annual Membership: $35
• 3-year Membership: $100
• Sustaining Membership: $500
• 30-yr “Lifetime” Membership: $750

Kneedler Child Development Center

The Kneedler Child Development Center provides affordable, accessible childcare for approximately 60 children of students, faculty, staff, and community members. The center operates four classrooms (ages 1-5) staffed by qualified teachers who are committed to early childhood education. Each classroom offers developmentally-appropriate activities designed to stimulate social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. The facility is in the remodeled west wing area of the Cordelia Camp Building. For further information, visit http://www.wcu.edu/engage/community-resources/kneedler-child-development-center/ or contact the center at 828.293.1530.

LIFE@WesternCarolina

LIFE@WesternCarolina is a lifelong education program specifically designed to provide learning opportunities to adults ages 50 and over. In this program, learners will participate in non-credit educational presentations led by current and retired WCU faculty and staff and other educators from the region.

12 non-credit sessions will be offered each semester. Weekly sessions will meet on WCU's main campus in Cullowhee, NC, on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Ramsey Center Hospitality Room. Contact life@wcu.edu or 828.227.7397

Mountain Heritage Center

The Mountain Heritage Center at WCU is a regional resource center for education, research, and connecting the university with local history. The Mountain Heritage Center works with both youth and adult audiences on educational outreach relevant to Western North Carolina's past, present, and future. Programs are offered free of charge. To set up a program reach out to the center at pkoch@email.wcu.edu or their website: https://www.wcu.edu/engage/mountain-heritage-center/educational-programs.aspx.

The Mountain Heritage Center also hosts an annual Mountain Heritage Days festival, which will take place September 22^nd – 27^th, 2025, culminating in a Saturday event with music, vendors, and community members. This is a cherished tradition focused on preserving Appalachian culture and traditions through education. To learn more about Mountain Heritage Days, visit https://www.wcu.edu/engage/mountain-heritage-center/index.aspx or reach out to mhd@wcu.edu. If you are interested in volunteering for Mountain Heritage Days 2025, please reach out to jkubiak@wcu.edu.

Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Training/Education Outreach

Career-minded professionals, lifelong learners and community members alike can participate in a range of innovative courses and year-round offerings at WCU. Learn new skills in a professional development program, find educational assistance or explore opportunities for personal enrichment. Conferences, events and educational programs are offered locally and globally, for people of all ages and all walks of life.

Professional development includes: one-day workshops, certificate programs, and additional online professional development courses.

Enrichment Courses, Conferences, and Workshops includes: Nature U classes, Dulcimer U classes, various Conferences & Special Training Workshops (Cullowhee Native Plant, Forensic Anthropology, HDR Cadaver Dog training, etc.) and Community Classes & Special Interest (basket weaving, youth swim, etc.)

 Email learn@wcu.edu for additional information

Project Discovery-Talent Search

Talent Search is a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Education hosted here at Western Carolina University. Their mission is to assist first-generation college-bound students with enrollment in post-secondary schools. Talent Search provides a wide range of support services to 900 area middle- and high-school students. Academic, career, and financial aid counseling as well as a variety of summer and adventure educational experiences, are also provided. Talent Search can be reached at 828.227.7137 or by visiting http://www.wcu.edu/engage/community-resources/project-discovery/about-project-discovery/.

The Rapid Center

The mission of The Rapid Center is to match the College of Engineering and Technology’s resources of laboratories, faculty, and students with the manufacturing and business needs of western North Carolina. The goal of this engagement is to grow and transform the region’s economy, enhance student learning through real-world project experiences, and improve the quality of life. The Rapid Center has special expertise in four areas: rapid prototyping, advanced manufacturing, intelligent sensors, and optoelectronics. The Center in collaboration with the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, serves as the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) university center for North Carolina. Faculty/student projects, particularly the two-semester senior capstone projects, are one of the principal avenues for interacting with the western North Carolina community. Projects have included improvements to wheelchairs, sensors to help persons with dementia, new products for the Christmas-tree industry, rehabilitation devices for children and the elderly, and devices to help men and women of the US. Army and Navy Special Forces. Commercialization of technology is the central theme of these regional and statewide initiatives. To learn more about the student/faculty projects and how to become involved with the Rapid Center, visit http://rapid.wcu.edu. rapidcenter@wcu.edu. 828.227.2560 tel.

Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at WCU

The Small Business and Technology Development Center at Western Carolina University (SBTDC at WCU). The SBTDC center at WCU is staffed by four dedicated business professionals who provide comprehensive business counseling for small-to-medium-sized companies. These counselors serve the 14 western counties of North Carolina through two convenient locations on campus at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee and in downtown Asheville. 

Most business owners or their executives come to the SBTDC initially for confidential counseling to assess their business and develop a plan to make their business better. Together, the counselor and company select tools to implement that plan – financial analysis, market studies, focus groups, strategic needs assessments, government procurement assistance, and/or strategic planning retreats, to name a few. If funding is needed, SBTDC provides hands-on assistance with loan package preparation and approaches to other capital sources (including angel investors).  For companies involved in scientific research & product development, our team assists with federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant proposals.

As a program of the university system, the SBTDC strives to leverage the assets of WCU to benefit businesses in the region. Each year, in partnership with professors from the College of Business, well over 250 students from WCU participate in applied learning projects designed to assist companies with improvement and growth. These projects provide a hands-on learning experience for students and much-needed resources for businesses.  Finally, the Center administers a summer internship program for rising seniors at WCU who work with a small business in the region for eight weeks over the course of the summer. Students apply for specific positions with companies that have expressed interest in hosting an intern.

For more information, visit the SBTDC at WCU Center page at http://www.sbtdc.org/offices/wcu/

Speech and Hearing Clinic

The Speech and Hearing Clinic’s (SHC) mission is to provide quality clinical education for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in the discipline of communication disorders. As a critical adjunct, the SHC provides diagnostic, treatment, and consultative services to citizens of western North Carolina with known or suspected speech, language, and/or hearing disorders. The SHC also strives to serve as a community resource for allied professionals and agencies requiring information about human communication and communication disorders. The clinic derives its strength from a combined academic/clinical orientation that directly fosters the delivery of state-of-the-art services. The SHC’s services are available to people of all ages. In addition to traditional speech/language/hearing services, the SHC offers the following:

• Hearing aid evaluation and dispensing
• Otoacoustic emission testing
• Augmentative communication evaluation
• Interdisciplinary evaluation
• Assistive technology consultation and training
• Education on various topics related to communication disorders

Contact 828.227.7251 Monday through Friday, 8 am- 5 pm

Sustainability & Energy Management

Sustainability & Energy Management within Facilities Management can present on a variety of sustainability topics, ranging from technical energy management systems to more general aspects of living green on and off campus. They will tailor our presentation to meet your needs.

This presentation includes information discussing all their efforts at WCU from the Energy Management Office.  Their mission is to develop smart energy solutions in all aspects of our institution and create a comprehensive approach for leading the Western Carolina University community towards a sustainable future. Contact 828.227.7442 or facilities@wcu.edu 

US Passport Services

You can apply for your U.S. passport at Western Carolina University! Schedule today with WCU Global to apply for a U.S. passport! This service is open to ALL community members of Western North Carolina and beyond. Application processing is by appointment only. Questions? Contact passports@wcu.edu or call 828.227.7494.

Western Carolina University Cherokee Center

The Western Carolina University Center in Cherokee was established in 1975 in cooperation with the tribal government of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee Center and its staff serve as the collaborative hub between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Western Carolina University. The center offers pre-admissions counseling, academic advisement, financial aid assistance, and study-skills development services in addition to courses leading toward academic degrees and non-credit courses. The center also serves as a support system for the Native American Student Organization and the EBCI Western Alumni Club. The center serves Cherokee and the surrounding communities and is available to all the people of the region, and serves anyone interested in attending any college or post-secondary institution. The office for the Cherokee Center is located on 1594 Acquoni Road, next to the Cherokee Youth Center. The Center operates Monday through Friday, 8 am - 5 pm.

Contact the Center by phone at 828.497.7920.

WNC Nonprofit Pathways Opportunities

Though WNC Nonprofit Pathways is not associated with Western Carolina University,  they are a valued community partner that offers skill building services to nonprofit leaders, staff, board members, and volunteers located in NC’s 18 western counties to strengthen organizations and support sustainability. They provide free, public webinars on a variety of topics.

They also offer professional development classes that can be taken individually or in a sequence to complete their Nonprofit Fundamentals Certificate Program. Classes are $50 for organizations with a budget above $50,000.