A Triad of Academics, Work, and Service

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The Triad

The Triad
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Office of Admission
P.O. Box 9000
Warren Wilson College
Asheville, NC 28815-9000

Toll-Free: 1-800-934-3536
Local: 1-828-771-2073
Fax: 1-828-298-1440

Email: admit@warren-wilson.edu
Science Hardhat Katrina Book

"Unique"


That's what people say about Warren Wilson, and with good reason. Our educational program, the Triad, is singular in higher education. The Triad consists of three interwoven strands of experience: academics in the liberal arts tradition, a campus-wide work program, and service learning. The Triad is infused with a sustainability ethic and cross-cultural understanding-integral parts of the College's history and founding philosophy.

Through the Triad, students gain a meaningful education that feeds their intellectual hunger and guides them to collaborate and solve problems during and after college. Led by faculty and staff, students learn in the classroom, in the forest and fields and in the wider community-locally and internationally. Academics, work, and service connect to create a holistic, experiential education.

Graduates leave the College with knowledge and know-how from academic, work, and service experiences. They leave with a sense of confidence, accountability, and themselves. They leave knowing that their passions will take them places. They leave prepared to do more for the world and for themselves. It's a college for individuals who want to make a difference.

Melissa, '02, Freelance Writer, Photographer, and Editor sums it up...

"The Triad gave me complex layers of both practical and inspiring experiences that prepared me for my professional and personal life in ways that no other college possibly could. In my classes, I learned how to write. My service project, however--building a website for a woman who was hiking the Appalachian Trail for cancer awareness--taught me how my writing could change lives and make connections. Working on the College's opinions magazine crew, I learned to constructively edit other's writing, design and layout a publication, build websites, lead and supervise other students, use professional software programs, and take photographs that can powerfully illustrate a story. The Triad teaches invaluable principles like responsibility, critical thinking, effective communication, compromise, time-management, balance, setting and achieving long-term goals, and community involvement--all with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and multicultural awareness.

The Triad prepared me not only for my career, but to make a meaningful impact on the world. I did not simply earn a degree at Warren Wilson; I became a better human."

Find out more about the Triad here .

MistyValley

"We're not for everyone... but then, maybe you're not everyone."



Triad Education Program

Goals of the Triad Education Program

Triad Education Program Requirements

Academics, Work, and Service

I. Academics

The First-Year Seminar 4 credit hours All new first-year students, and many transfer students with less than one full year of college study, must enroll in a First-Year Seminar during the first term or semester at Warren Wilson College. The student is assigned an academic advisor until a major advisor is determined. The seminar consists of a small group of students and is designed to provide a stimulating beginning for collegiate study. Seminars are offered in many different subjects, introducing the student to Warren Wilson collegiate life, and to strategies for learning, problem solving, and research, using resources of the College and the immediate area.

College Composition I and II 8 credit hours All students must demonstrate competency in college composition by successfully completing the course WRI 120 College Composition I and a Composition II course offered through one of the academic departments. (A minimum grade of C- must be earned in both courses.)

Students must enroll in WRI 120 in their first year and a College Composition II (CCII) course in their second or third year. The Director of Undergraduate Writing will determine in which semester a student will enroll in a required composition course. Every effort is made to match students with a preferred section of College Composition I.

Transfer students may, upon approval by the Registrar or the Director of Undergraduate Writing, fulfill the WRI 120 requirement through appropriate performance in an acceptable composition course taken at a previously attended institution. Advanced Placement credit is not automatically accepted for composition courses.

College Composition I
Students develop their thinking through writing expository prose. They work toward improved organization and clarity by writing multiple drafts of their assignments and participating in peer reviews. Students practice locating, integrating, and citing primary or secondary source material in their writing, and they learn to edit their own writing, checking for correct usage, mechanics, spelling, and punctuation. Although sections of College Composition I are organized thematically, the goal of all instruction is that students become familiar with the process needed to produce clear, polished, expository prose.

College Composition II - See also courses of instruction
Students complete several writing assignments that encourage them to improve their writing skills and discover the specific demands of writing in this discipline. They learn approaches to research and documentation as they are practiced in this academic field, and they are given some exposure to the professional literature of the discipline. Students should have completed WRI 120 with a grade of C- or better or had the College Composition I course requirement waived. Exceptions will be considered by the Director of Undergraduate Writing.

Liberal Arts Area Courses 32 credit hours
At least one 4-credit course is required in each of the following academic areas. Liberal arts area course requirements are normally completed within the first two years of study. The student should work with the academic advisor to ensure that selected courses meet the Triad Education Program requirements. Independent studies, internships, and professional courses do not fulfill Triad Education Program requirements.

A list of liberal arts area courses will be available from the Registrar prior to registration for the fall and spring semesters. They are also identified in the Courses of Instruction found in this catalog by the symbol p.

The Major

The major at Warren Wilson College consists of a planned program of courses, whether in a single academic discipline or in an interdisciplinary field. The major program assists students in developing a thorough understanding of a particular subject or interdisciplinary topic and an awareness of connections among its components and with related subjects. Study in the major helps the student learn the approaches to inquiry used in the discipline and appropriate specialized skills.

A major consists of a minimum of 32 semester hours of course work, including at least 12 credit hours at the 300 and/or 400 levels. A major consists of a maximum of 70 semester hours of course work, with no more than 55 semester hours of course work within a single academic discipline.

As a requirement for the baccalaureate degree, a student must complete course requirements and any other requirements of a major department or program. See Programs of Study.

Each student must declare a major at least two weeks prior to registration for the fifth semester of study. Forms for the declaration of a major are available at the Registrar's Office.

The Senior Letter

The candidate for a degree must write a letter addressed to the faculty and staff of the College, which includes an evaluation of the student's experiences at the College and reflections on the college career. This letter is presented to the major department on or before a date fixed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Senior Letters are made available to the faculty and staff through the Registrar's Office

II. Work

A student's work record must be approved by the Work Program Advisory Committee. Please refer to the Work Program catalog section for requirements.

III. Service Project

A student must successfully complete the service-learning requirements. (See Service-Learning Program.)

Off-campus experiential learning

Learning outside the classroom is an important part of the Warren Wilson College experience. Students have many opportunities for cross-cultural preparation, study abroad, academic exchanges, overseas experiential learning, field trips, supplementary service learning, and internships. Some experiences are open to all students, while others are competitive.

Senior "Synthesis" experiences

Courses, workshops, and personal assistance are available for students to reflect on the Warren Wilson College experience and to prepare for careers.