Student Life
Interact
See the Quick Reference for a list of contacts relavent to the Parent Handbook.Banking
Students can open an account at the Campus Bank by making a minimum deposit of $5. The bank does not charge for opening or maintaining student accounts. Account holders may make one transaction per day, and transactions must be in whole dollar amounts. Deposits (if made by check) for more than $100 may not be available until the check clears the bank. While there is no ATM on campus, ATMs are located at many of the bus stops. The best way for parents to deposit money into student accounts is by writing a check to the student, not the College, and having the student deposit the check into his or her campus bank account. The bank can cash checks written up to $100. A check (or checks) totaling more than $100 requires approval from the Accounting Office. The bank requires a day's notice to cash a check over $200 and can also cash second party checks. Students who have a record of returned checks (charges apply) with the College will be limited to $50 per transaction for cashing personal checks. For a list of commercial banks in the Asheville area, visit the business directory at ashevillechamber.org.
Bookstore
The College Bookstore is located in Lower Gladfelter. In addition to new and used textbooks, the bookstore stocks school supplies, natural health and beauty aids, gift items, greeting cards and Warren Wilson sportswear. Students are advised to wait until they have attended their first day of classes to buy texts. Refunds will be allowed one week from the beginning of each term for books purchased for that term as long as a receipt and a signed add/drop form are furnished. Used books are bought back on the last two days of the semester. The bookstore accepts cash, checks (including out of state) and credit cards (in student's name).
Career Resource Center
The Career Resource Center (CRC) provides individual counseling in a variety of areas such as choosing a major, locating an internship, finding a mentor, considering graduate school, and making wise choices about life after college. The CRC staff works with each student individually to identify and articulate his or her transferable skills--the skills that will enable the student to find meaningful work in his or her areas of interest. The CRC staff can help students research the employment market, find or create a job, write resumes and cover letters, enhance interviewing skills and take other steps toward finding good work.
Through the Mentor Program, the CRC helps students find an appropriate mentor to guide them in their exploration of work and life in the wider world beyond Warren Wilson.
The CRC also maintains listings of employment openings--full-time, part-time and summer employment--as well as a library of books, periodicals and on-line resources for pursuing options for graduate school, employment or service in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and other organizations.
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center offers confidential counseling services. Trained, experienced counselors are available for students Monday - Friday for walk-in, scheduled appointments and crisis situations. Students can access the Counseling Center at any time during business hours and sign up anonymously for free, short-term counseling sessions. Student ID cards list after-hours contact information for Counseling Center staff to enhance support in times of crisis.
Our counselors are licensed by the state of North Carolina and are fully qualified to assist students with concerns from the casual to the critical. They are experienced with everything from roommate disagreements to serious psychiatric conditions such as depression, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. Although bound by the limitations of confidentiality, counselors encourage and invite family input, often finding it useful in clarifying and resolving student issues. Students with an identified need for long-term services are referred to professionals in the greater Asheville area. Students are responsible for bearing the cost of off-campus treatment, but the Counseling Center will assist in arranging transportation. Reverend Andy Summers, the College's Minister to Students, holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and is available to students for pastoral counseling.
Fire Safety
All buildings on campus are equipped with fire alarms and fire extinguishers; residence halls have smoke detectors in each room. To prevent fires, smoking, burning candles or incense, oil lamps, kerosene heaters, electric heaters, halogen floor lamps and space heaters are prohibited in all residence halls. Air-conditioners, appliances with open coil elements, or large refrigerators are also prohibited. The maximum allowable refrigerator size is five cubic feet. Only heavy duty extension cords are allowed in residence halls. The College has a campus fire safety officer who inspects buildings and organizes fire drills. The College also has an excellent relationship with the local fire department, which responds any time an alarm sounds.
Health Center
The Warren Wilson Health Center is staffed by a family nurse practitioner and a student work crew. The center is stocked with vitamins, over the counter drugs, prescription drugs and herbal remedies. There is no charge for most Health Center services. Many prescriptions and over-the-counter remedies are also dispensed without a fee. More serious illnesses and those that require X-rays are referred to Urgent Care, where walk-ins are welcome. Students are referred to Planned Parenthood for matters of sexually transmitted diseases and birth control. Normal charges apply for visits to medical practitioners to whom students are referred. Urgent Care and Planned Parenthood offer reduced rates to students when the campus Health Center is closed or if our staff refers a student. The Health Center can arrange transportation to off-campus medical offices for a maximum of eight appointments per semester. There is no charge for the service, but students should request the transportation at least 24 hours in advance of their appointment. First year students who need to see an off campus medical professional on a regular basis (weekly or more frequently) may request an exception to the vehicle policy by contacting the Dean of Students' Office.
We strongly recommend that students have health insurance coverage when they enroll at Warren Wilson. A student health insurance option is available through the College. Students should keep an insurance card, or a front/back copy of their card, and have an understanding of how their insurance coverage works with co-pay, assigned physicians and prescriptions. If your child does not have insurance, please talk with them about what to do if he or she is referred off campus for treatment.
Intercollegiate Athletics
Warren Wilson College is a member of the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association and fields men's and women's varsity teams in soccer, basketball, swimming, paddling, cycling and cross-country. All students are invited to try out for varsity sports by contacting the Athletic Department. Varsity athletes are required to maintain insurance coverage. The College's athletic insurance provides excess coverage for those injuries occurring in sanctioned team practices and events. If your student is interested in varsity athletics, contact Athletic Director Stacey Enos at (828) 771-3737 or senos@warren-wilson.edu.
Warren Wilson College operates a U.S. Post Office branch in Lower Gladfelter. This federal office handles special delivery, express, registered and certified letters and packages and sells stamps and money orders. The Campus Mail Center distributes intra-campus mail at no cost, along with mail and packages received from the Postal Service.
USPS mail should be sent to:
[Student name]
CPO [student box number, which will be assigned at Orientation]
Warren Wilson College
P.O. Box 9000
Asheville, NC 28815-9000
Non-USPS packages where a street address is required, should be sent to:
[Student name]
CPO [student box number]
Warren Wilson College
701 Warren Wilson Road
Swannanoa, NC 28778
Federal Express packages are delivered to the campus switchboard in the Ogg Administration Building. Students will be notified of a delivery by telephone or campus mail. United Parcel Service (UPS) packages are delivered to the campus post office.
A fax machine is available in the Student Services office in Lower Gladfelter. The student services fax number is (828) 299-4841. The cost to send a fax is $1 plus .50 cents per page. There is no charge to receive a two-page fax; each additional page received costs .35 cents. Faxes are delivered to campus mailboxes.
Meal options at Warren Wilson College
The Warren Wilson cafeteria in the upper level of Gladfelter provides three meals a day, every day, during the school year. Service is typically buffet style, although on occasion there are picnics and barbecues. When available, the cafeteria uses hormone free, organic beef and pork from the College farm. The Cow Pie Café in the lower level of Gladfelter serves three vegetarian/vegan meals a day, Monday-Friday. Unlike Gladfelter Cafeteria, portions are limited to one serving. The Cow Pie uses organic produce from the Warren Wilson garden and buys from local farms whenever possible.
Students must present meal cards for dining in the cafeteria or Cow Pie Café. Two meal plan options are available for non-first year students--14 meals/week or 21 meals/week. First year students are required to purchase the 21 meals/week plan. Parents and other visitors are welcome to dine in campus cafeterias for a nominal charge. Students who are sick and need a tray can have a plate prepared for them at the request of their Resident Director or Resident Assistant.
Sage Café, located in the basement of Sage residence hall, is open from 6 p.m. - midnight. The alcohol-free, student-run café serves a variety of coffee drinks, smoothies and food items baked in an outdoor, wood-fired oven. Sage Café hosts many events throughout the year including student performers, folk singers, local poets, art receptions/exhibits and open mics. Sage Café offers students a $25 debit card that buys $30 of food and beverages.
Organizations and Activities
Meeting new people and being exposed to new ideas is an integral part of the college experience for all students. Along with academics, work and service, involvement in campus organizations and activities can be an avenue for students to explore interests, hobbies and the diversity of the Warren Wilson community. Students can participate in a variety of campus organizations and activities, from improv theatre and writing groups to social justice and environmental organizations. Students also have the freedom to initiate campus activities and make them available to the campus community.
Outing Program
The Outing Program offers weekend trips, equipment checkout and outdoor sports instruction. Trips are offered every weekend and on some College breaks. Weekend trips include equipment, transportation and food and are usually free of charge. Types of trips include, but are not limited to, backpacking, rock climbing, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, caving, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking and ocean surfing. Students can also check out gear and equipment for weekend trips, academic classes, or personal use at no charge. In addition to off-campus activities, the 25-mile campus trail system is open to multiple uses, including walking, trail running and mountain biking.
Campus Safety
Warren Wilson's small, tightly knit campus is a safe one. Three professional campus security officers help ensure a safe environment for the College community and its guests. Campus Watch, the student security crew, assists Public Safety in enforcing College rules and vehicle regulations, patrolling the campus, providing security escorts, securing buildings and property, assisting with traffic/crowd control at College-sponsored or conference events, responding to calls for emergency assistance and providing crime prevention education. All residence halls have entrances with electronic locks accessible by code. Emergency phones with blue beacons are located in campus parking lots. During Orientation, students can meet the Public Safety staff, learn the location of the emergency phones and discuss ways to keep Warren Wilson College a safe community.
Spiritual Life
Christian, Jewish and Interfaith groups meet for meals, discussions, celebrations and other activities. Sunday evening Vespers, a time for reflection and conversation, is held every Sunday night in the Chapel. The College's Spiritual Life Committee, composed of students, faculty and staff, plans and coordinates programs to support spiritual growth for the campus community. Many academic classes, service experiences and campus life programs also explore and deepen the diverse meanings of spirituality. Students are welcome to attend services at the Warren Wilson College Chapel, which is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and visit the meditation hut and garden, a quiet, peaceful place to meditate and pray. A variety of worship and fellowship opportunities for all denominations and beliefs is also available in the Asheville area. The Minister to Students will help arrange transportation for students interested in off-campus worship.
Transportation and Bus Service
First year students are not allowed to have a vehicle on campus, and many other Warren Wilson students choose not to have a vehicle, either for environmental or financial reasons. For those students without transportation, the College, in cooperation with the city of Asheville, provides free bus service into town. Bus routes and schedules are available outside the Student Life office and in the Work Program office. The College also provides transportation in urgent situations and emergencies; to and from the airport and bus station at the beginning and end of scheduled college breaks; and for scheduled medical appointments (including dentists, physical therapy and counseling). There is also a ride-offered/ride-wanted bulletin board in Gladfelter Student Center and on the College website. The Service Learning Office provides transportation for a number of ongoing projects and many one-time projects. The Outdoor Program uses College vans for weekend camping, caving, climbing, hiking and paddling trips.
After the first year, students are permitted to keep one car, truck or motorcycle on-campus by paying a parking fee. Payment of the fee does not guarantee a parking space; it gives permission to park in designated areas.
Wellness
Developing a balanced lifestyle is an important part of a student's experience at Warren Wilson College. The College's Wellness Director coordinates a variety of non-credit courses, which have included karate, yoga, Reiki, vegetarian cooking, and African dance and workshops in herbal remedies, massage, meditation and sustainable agriculture. These activities are chosen largely by the request and interest of the campus community. The gym, pool and outdoor activities crew organize activities such as basketball, flag football, tennis, volleyball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee and softball. Many student-led campus improvements have grown from wellness initiatives, such as the meditation garden and hut, the greenhouse and Sage Café.
Warren Wilson is committed to a safe and healthy campus. We view the well being of the environment as connected to individual well being. While probation and suspension are the consequences for serious violations of the law or College policy, our focus is on education and prevention. The drinking age in North Carolina is 21. Illegal drugs are not allowed anywhere, at any time, for any reason. The College offers professional drug and alcohol screening, counseling, educational programs, and many alternative activities to drinking and illegal drug use.
The College has adopted a smoking policy with the goal of positively influencing students to help them remain or become tobacco free. Smoking is not allowed in campus buildings, in campus vehicles, on porches, decks or within 20 feet of buildings.
Ballfield 3 is currently the designated wellness residence hall and houses students who are committed to a holistic approach to living in an environment free of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Other halls or buildings may also be designated a wellness residence if there is sufficient student interest.