Warren Wilson College

WARREN WILSON COLLEGE'S DISTINCTIVE APPROACH TO EDUCATION (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) INTENTIONALLY INTEGRATES ACADEMICS, WORK, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO CULTIVATE CURIOSITY, EMPATHY, AND INTEGRITY. WE EMPOWER GRADUATES TO PURSUE MEANINGFUL CAREERS AND LEAD PURPOSEFUL LIVES DEDICATED TO A JUST, EQUITABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM: MOST PROGRAMS RENDERED ARE RELATED TO PROVIDING USEFUL AND PRODUCTIVE WORK, AND SERVICE TO OTHERS BEYOND THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY. THE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT ENROLLMENT AT THE COLLEGE DURING THE 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 727 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. A TOTAL OF 175 STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM THE COLLEGE DURING THE YEAR. A LOW-RESIDENCY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN CREATIVE WRITING LEADING TO A MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE IS ALSO OFFERED, AND AVERAGES AROUND 72 ENROLLEES. WE ALSO OFFER ANOTHER LOW RESIDENCY GRADUATE PROGRAM CONCLUDING WITH A MASTER OF ARTS IN CRITICAL CRAFT STUDIES AND AVERAGES AROUND 16 ENROLLEES. THE COLLEGE PREPARED STUDENTS REPRESENTING A BROADLY DIVERSE WORLD FOR SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, AND MEANINGFUL LIFELONG WORK AND STUDY BY OFFERING AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THAT ENABLES STUDENTS TO THINK CRITICALLY, OBTAIN AND EVALUATE INFORMATION EFFECTIVELY, AND COMMUNICATE CLEARLY, INTRODUCING THEM TO A VARIETY OF WAYS BY WHICH HUMANS ACQUIRE AND USE KNOWLEDGE, AND THAT PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP A BREADTH OF UNDERSTANDING AND TO MAKE CONNECTIONS AMONG AREAS CONSIDERED CRITICAL TO A LIBERAL ARTS CURRICULUM, AND REQUIRING THAT THEY DEMONSTRATE A DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING THROUGH COMPETENCE IN ONE OR MORE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IS THE MAJOR WITH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS, IN KEEPING WITH ANOTHER INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIVE, THAT OF PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH EDUCATION, CAMPUS OPERATIONS POLICY, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH. THE COLLEGE ALSO FURNISHES STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE A VARIETY OF CULTURES, ASSISTING THEM IN DEVELOPING AWARENESS OF THE COMMONALITY OF HUMAN PROBLEMS AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE WORLD. THE COLLEGE SPONSORED THREE STUDY ABROAD COURSES LED BY THE COLLEGE'S FACULTY AND STAFF IN 2021-2022. THESE COURSES TRAVELED TO MEXICO, ITALY, AND FRANCE. IN ADDITION, WE SENT EIGHT STUDENTS ON OUR SEMESTER-LONG STUDY ABROAD EXCHANGE PROGRAMS TO COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. WARREN WILSON COLLEGE'S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MODEL LEADS STUDENTS INTO CONSIDERED REFLECTION ON THE MEANING AND VALUE OF WORK AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, GUIDING STUDENTS IN EXAMINING THEIR LIVES AND ARTICULATING THEIR BELIEFS AND VALUES, AND PROVIDES THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONAL, PHYSICAL, MORAL, AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. TOWARDS THESE ENDS, THE COLLEGE ORGANIZED DIVERSE WORK CREWS IN THE COLLEGE WORK PROGRAM DURING THE YEAR, WITH APPROXIMATELY 630 STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE FALL OF 2020 AND 570 STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE SPRING OF 2021. THE ANNUAL COLLEGE-WIDE WORK DAY HELD IN APRIL OF 2021 YIELDED PARTICIPATION FROM OVER 300 STUDENTS AND OVER 25 FACULTY/STAFF. THE COLLEGE ALSO PRIORITIZES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS PART OF ITS MISSION, WITH SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS BEING MADE TO SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFITS IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA AND AROUND THE WORLD. FROM 2021-2022, 334 STUDENTS COMPLETED 18,217 VOLUNTEER HOURS AT OVER 80 LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES DURING THE YEAR. FOR THE COLLEGE'S ANNUAL SERVICE DAY IN AUGUST 2021, OVER 300 STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF PARTICIPATED AT 16 SITES CONTRIBUTING OVER 1,500 HOURS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

PUBLIC SERVICES PROGRAM: THE SWANNANOA GATHERING IS A SERIES OF WEEKLY SUMMER MUSIC WORKSHOPS HELD ON THE WARREN WILSON COLLEGE CAMPUS EACH JUNE AND JULY THE ENROLLMENT IS LIMITED, WITH AN OPEN FORMAT, WHICH ALLOWS EACH STUDENT TO SELECT THEIR OWN CURRICULUM FROM A VARIETY OF COURSES WITH DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE LEVELS AND ABILITIES. HOUSING AND MEALS FOR PARTICIPANTS IS AN OPTION. THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION HAS ALLOWED 3 HOURS OF TEACHING CERTIFICATE RENEWAL CREDITS, WITH PRIOR APPROVAL, FOR EACH WEEK OF THE SERIES. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE SERIES WAS HELD VIRTUALLY DURING THE SUMMER OF 2022. TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE SUMMER OF 2022 WERE 500, RANGING BETWEEN 42 AND 172 PARTICIPANTS FOR EACH OF THE FIVE WEEKS.