Warren Wilson College

Warren Wilson College (WWC) is a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. WWC is known for its curriculum that combines academics, work, and service. This system requires every student to complete a requisite course of study, work an on-campus job, and perform community service. Warren Wilson is one of the few colleges in the United States that requires students to work for the institution in order to graduate and is one of only nine colleges in the Work Colleges Consortium.[5]

Warren Wilson College
TypePrivate Liberal Arts
Established1894 (1894)
Religious affiliation
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Endowment$51.3 million (2019)[1]
PresidentLynn M. Morton
Academic staff
~65 full-time, ~15 part-time
Undergraduates650[2]
Postgraduates70[3]
Location
Swannanoa
,
North Carolina
,
United States
CampusRural
ColorsBlue, Green    [4]
AthleticsUSCAA – EMAC
NCAA Division III – Independent
NicknameOwls
Website www.warren-wilson.edu

The college is notable for its surrounding environment. The campus includes a 275-acre (1.11 km2) working farm, market garden, and 625 acres (2.53 km2) of managed forest with 25 miles (40 km) of hiking trails.[3]

Warren Wilson College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

History
Warren Wilson College Farm

Warren Wilson College went through many phases before becoming what it is today. Its property, situated along the Swannanoa River, was purchased in 1893 by the Women's Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church. They were concerned that many Americans in isolated areas were not getting a proper education and decided to establish church-supported schools in impoverished areas.[6] On November 30, 1894, the Asheville Farm School officially opened on 420 acres, with 25 students attending.[7] A professional staff of three offered the first three grades of elementary instruction.

In 1923, the school graduated its first high school class. A Presbyterian church was started at the school in 1925 so students and teachers would no longer have to walk three miles to Riceville; it was also named for Warren H. Wilson, former superintendent of the Presbyterian Church's Department of Church and Country Life.[8][9]

The first post-high school programs offering vocational training began in 1936.[6] In 1942, the Asheville Farm School merged with the Dorland-Bell School in Hot Springs, North Carolina, to become a coed secondary school. It was named Warren H. Wilson Vocational Junior College and Associated Schools, after the late Warren H. Wilson.

After World War II, the public education system in North Carolina improved dramatically and the need for the high school diminished. The last high school class was graduated in 1957. In 1952, the college became one of the first in the South to desegregate, when it invited Alma Shippy, an African American from Swannanoa, North Carolina, to attend. Sunderland dorm residents voted 54–1 to allow Shippy to become a student and live in their dorm.[10]

Warren Wilson College was a junior college until 1967, when it became a four-year college offering six majors. In 1972, the National Board of Missions deeded the WWC property to the college's Board of Trustees. With its expansion of programs and to a four-year curriculum, Warren Wilson now enrolls students of many different geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. This is in contrast to the original student population of underprivileged mountain youth for basic education.

The eighth president, Dr. Lynn Morton, is the first female president in the college's history. She is a native North Carolinian and was formerly provost and vice president of academic affairs at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina.[11]

Academics

Undergraduate

The foundation of the school's undergraduate curriculum establishes that all students earn 128 hours of academic credit, work 10–20 hours per week for the school, and complete the Community Engagement Commitment.[12] Students earn $7.25 per hour that goes directly towards their tuition. Unlike other schools in the Work College Consortium, students at Warren Wilson do not receive traditional pay checks.

Required subjects include Artistic Expression, History and Political Science, Language and Global Issues, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Social Sciences to graduate and receive a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.[13] In addition to traditional liberal arts majors such as Biology and English, undergraduates have the option of majoring in Outdoor Leadership or Environmental Studies. The Natural Science Undergraduate Research Sequence (NSURS) is the undergraduate research and presentation that is required for all Bachelor of Science degrees given by the college.

Work program

WWC has more than 70 work crews that are supported by students who commit to working 150, 225, or 300 hours each semester, helping to cover a portion of the cost of attendance.[14] Some of them are:[15]

Community engagement

Community engagement is a required activity to graduate.[16] Students engage with a wide variety of issues, but the most time is committed and the deepest partnerships are developed in the following designated Issue Areas:

  • The Environment
  • Food Security
  • Housing & Homelessness
  • Race & Immigration
  • Youth & Education

Graduate degree programs

Since 1981 the college has offered the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, which awards a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.[17] Warren Wilson also offers a Master of Arts in Critical & Historical Craft Studies.

Athletics

Warren Wilson has varsity teams for both men and women in mountain biking, cyclocross, road cycling, basketball, soccer, swimming, cross country, and tennis. The college also has club teams for timber sports and paddling.[18] The college's nickname is Owls.

The college competes in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and is a founding member of the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference (EMAC) in 2018.[19] The university is also a member of the Sun Coast Swimming Conference for the men's and women's swimming. All varsity teams except cycling under the USCAA, while collegiate cycling is governed by USA Cycling (USAC).[18] At one point, the college also had football and baseball teams, although they have not existed for multiple decades. In March 2019, it was announced that the college will be joining the NCAA Division III membership process,[20][21] and in April 2020, the Owls were admitted as Division III provisional members for a three-year period.[22] They have been seeking to join a conference during the transition.

Titles

The mountain biking team finished on the podium for 14 consecutive years at collegiate national championships until 2016, when they won the team omnium in Varsity Division II.[23] In 2017 they finished fourth, for a 16th consecutive year on the podium.[24] Although the mountain biking team was formed in the 1990s, the road and cyclocross teams were not added until much later. They did not compete at the national championship level until the 2013–14 and 2014–15 academic years, respectively.[25] In 2016, the cyclocross team placed 4th in the DII team omnium at nationals and 3rd in the team relay.[26]

The men's basketball team won the USCAA DII national title in 2013.[27]

The women's cross country team won the USCAA national title in 2000.

Campus

Construction projects

There are two major construction projects underway or recently completed on campus as of the 2019–2020 academic year. A new academic building, Myron Boon Hall, constructed on the site formerly occupied by Carson Hall, was completed in May 2018. PFA Architects, of Asheville, led the design of the building and construction was contracted to H&M Construction. The building is LEED Gold Certified.[28] It has six classrooms of varying sizes, and larger meeting spaces similar in size to the existing Canon Lounge in Gladfelter, to offer more spaces for large community events.[29]

Warren Wilson College Pool, construction Feb. 2018

The college's pool has been closed since 2014, when repairs to structural beams were deemed too expensive. Demolition and construction of a new pool structure began in 2017. Buncombe County contributed $300,000 to the project, with the understanding that local swim teams would also be able to use the pool. Construction encountered major setbacks. Although originally planned to be completed for the 2017–18 swim season,[30] work on the internal aspects of the pool were still underway as of July 2019. The exterior was mostly completed by then.

Residence Halls

The campus maintains 16 residence halls of varying layouts and capacities.

Notable alumni

References
  1. As of June 30, 2019. "U.S. and Canadian 2019 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2019 Endowment Market Value, and Percentage Change in Market Value from FY18 to FY19 (Revised)". National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  2. "US News: Warren Wilson College-Overview". usnews.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  3. "WWC Fast Facts". Warren Wilson College. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  5. "A Triad of Academics, Work, and Service". WWC. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  6. "History of Warren Wilson College" Accessed 4 July 2010.
  7. "Today in Asheville history: Farm school opens". Asheville Citizen-Times. November 30, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  8. "Warren H. Wilson (1867-1937)". WWC. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  9. Neal, Dale (November 28, 2015). "College church has rich history or celebrating the harvest". Greensboro news and Record – via Asheville Citizen-Times.
  10. Lillard, Margaret (February 25, 2007). "Honoring an alum who was also a civil rights pioneer". LA Times. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  11. "Warren Wilson's Eighth President is Lynn M. Morton". warren-wilson.edu. Warren Wilson College. May 4, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  12. "Community Engagement Commitment". Warren Wilson College. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  13. "A Triad of Academics, Work, and Service". Warren Wilson College. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  14. "Work Requirements". Warren Wilson College. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  15. "Work Program". Warren Wilson College. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  16. "Community Engagement". Warren Wilson College. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  17. "MFA Program for Writers". Warren Wilson College. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  18. "Athletics & Fitness". warrenwilsonowls.com. Warren Wilson College. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  19. Staff (July 14, 2018). "Mustangs set to join new conference". The Daily Advance. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  20. Thompson, David (March 12, 2019). "Warren Wilson to Join NCAA". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  21. "WWC Athletics to Join NCAA Division III Membership Process". Warren Wilson College. March 13, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  22. "Warren Wilson College approved to move forward into NCAA Division III membership process". Warren Wilson College. April 15, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  23. McCormick, Fred (November 2, 2016). "Warren Wilson pedals home with a national championship". Black Mountain News. USA Today. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  24. "Mountain Bike Team Podiums for 16th Consecutive Year". warrenwilsonowls.com. Warren Wilson College Athletics. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  25. "Jones, Leeson lead Owls at Road Bike National Championships". warrenwilsonowls.com. Warren Wilson College Athletics. May 6, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  26. "Cyclocross Rides to Fourth Place at National Championships". warrenwilsonowls.com. Warren Wilson College Athletics. January 12, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  27. "Owls Win USCAA National Championship". warrenwilsonowls.com. Warren Wilson College Athletics. March 3, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  28. "Warren Wilson New Academic Building". pfarchitects.com. PFA Architects. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  29. "New Academic Building Gets Green Light From Board of Trustees". warren-wilson.edu. Warren Wilson College. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  30. Fraboni, Frank. "Ask 13: Is Warren Wilson's indoor pool still on track?". wlos.com. News 13 WLOS. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  31. "Lavenderhour.com". Lavenderhour.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  32. Kellogg, By Carolyn. "James Franco shows his literary side on Jimmy Fallon show". capitalgazette.com. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  33. "A. Van Jordan - Poet | Poets.org". www.poets.org. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  34. "Vyvyane Loh - Identity Theory | Identity Theory". www.identitytheory.com. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  35. Sleeman, Elizabeth (2003). International Who's Who of Authors and Writers (19 ed.). London and New York: Europa Publications Limited. p. 379. ISBN 1857431790. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  36. "Heather McElhatton | Book Reporter". www.bookreporter.com. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  37. "Biography - David Weber". davidweber.net. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  38. "Joe Wenderoth — Department of English, UC Davis". English.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
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