Western Carolina University

Why Western?

There are a million reasons why a future teacher would want to come to Western Carolina University. There are definitely perks. Here are just a few benefits of being a Teaching Fellow at Western:

North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarship covers most expenses at Western Carolina University.
One of the wonderful things about Western Carolina is that it is a tremendous deal for your money. A student can live, learn and eat on campus for around $10,000 (give or take) per year. Although the Teaching Fellows Scholarship does not totally cover these expenses, the $6,500 each year ($26,000 over four years) goes a long way in helping to cover these expenses. The Dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions also provides each Teaching Fellow student with an extra $4,000 that can be used on several things such as purchasing a computer, taking a trip to Europe, or helping with additional college expenses.

Western's program strives to meet the needs of individual students.
Our University, along with our Teaching Fellows Program, is smaller than others across the state. Therefore you will find smaller classes sizes and more individualized instruction.

Freshman trip to Europe.
Each Freshman class has the opportunity to travel to Europe. This trip is a unique element to our program, and we are proud that the University supports our endeavors by offering a special $1,000 bonus scholarship to help offset the cost of travel. Teaching Fellows have visited England, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Vatican City, and Monaco in previous years.

Staff support all year round.
The staff at Western Carolina University is dedicated to meeting the needs of the students in the program. Jacqueline Smith, program director, along with our program assistant, help each Teaching Fellow in ways unimaginable. They aren't second or third mothers, but they do keep a watchful eye on the progress of each student, and are more than willing to help in any way possible. Our program is proud to offer such personal guidance and support.

Close-knit group of Teaching Fellows.
You'll see Teaching Fellows all over campus--and many times they won't be alone. Western's Teaching Fellows enjoy a very close bond with one another. Larger institutions can't always offer such a tightly bound group like Western can. Often, friendships exist in different class levels--freshmen develop quick friendships with upperclassmen during our Freshmen/Sophomore Fall Retreat at the beginning of each year. Sophomores serve as mentors for the freshmen class and ensure that all new-comers feel welcomed into the program.

Opportunity to live in Reynolds Hall.
Reynolds Hall rests on top of a literally breath-taking hill on campus, and the hike up to the top is rather symbolic. Reynolds is the home residence of students in the Honors College. Many WCU Teaching Fellows are active participants in the Honors College, and often already reside at Reynolds. However, even those who are not enrolled in the Honors College may still do so as a benefit of being a Teaching Fellow. WCU Teaching Fellows are the only group offered such an invitation on campus. A new Reynolds residence hall is scheduled to begin construction in May 2007. This new residence hall will be located in the center of campus and will a highlight of the program with its new conference center and living quarters.

Leadership opportunities inside and outside of the program.
NC Teaching Fellows have been dubbed "the Best and the Brightest," and Western's Teaching Fellows do not fall short. Many of the Teaching Fellows in our program serve in a variety of impressive leadership positions on campus. You will see some of the Teaching Fellow students on the Student Government Senate; others will serve on the Chancellor's Distinguished Award Committee. Many Fellows are involved in a variety of leadership activities on campus, as well as within the Teaching Fellows Program itself.

These are just a few key benefits to being a Teaching Fellow at Western Carolina. Please continue to read on about our campus, our program, and why the place to be is Cullowhee!

To learn more please visit Western's Teaching Fellows website at: http://ceap.wcu.edu/FellowsWeb/.