Warren Wilson College recently announced that it has begun the process of joining the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A press release from the college states that the NCAA has approved its application for exploratory membership in Division III. The journey to full NCAA membership is a multi-year process that will eventually bring a variety of benefits to Warren Wilson, including new team sports, conference and postseason championship opportunities, and access to grants and other resources.

Warren Wilson is currently a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Division II, and plans to maintain dual-affiliation with that organization until the NCAA membership process has been completed. Currently, Warren Wilson fields varsity teams for men’s and women’s basketball, cycling, cross country, soccer, tennis and swimming. The College will offer a new team sport as part of its NCAA membership requirements.

To read the full press release from Warren Wilson College, please click here.

The opening of the indoor pool at Warren Wilson College has been delayed again, this time due to a structural issue that caused the roof to sag during December’s heavy snowfall. The damage occurred just as workers were putting the finishing touches on the pool and locker rooms in preparation for a grand opening. The College is currently working with engineers to address the roof issues, and hopes to have information soon about a possible opening date.

When the old Warren Wilson College pool closed in 2014, its fate remained uncertain due to lack of funding for the major repairs that were needed. But the facility got a new lease on life when the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved $300,000 to renovate the pool and construct a brand new building. Additional funding was obtained from the USDA and private donors. Although the pool was expected to reopen in early 2018, a series of construction delays pushed that date back.

When the pool doors finally open to the public, it will be welcome news to local swim teams, as well as the many Swannanoa Valley residents who look forward to having a place to swim right here in our own backyard. Residents will be able to purchase monthly, six-month and annual memberships. And for the first time, pool memberships will also include access to the Warren Wilson gym and exercise facilities.

Warren Wilson College’s “Power of Place” Lecture Series continues at 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 17, with a presentation by conservationist Jay Leutze in Myron Boon Hall, on the College campus. The lecture is entitled “Zooming Out: Our Place in the Conservation Cosmos.”

Leutze is a Trustee of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, and author of the bestselling book Stand Up that Mountain: The Battle to Save One Small Community in the Wilderness Along the Appalachian Trail. He is a spokesperson for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and is a nationally recognized advocate on behalf of public funding to help conserve special places in the Southern Appalachians.

The “Power of Place” Lecture Series is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, please visit https://www.warren-wilson.edu/2018/10/02/power-of-place-lecture-series-2018-19. On its website, Warren Wilson College describes the “Power of Place” as “a series of events celebrating Warren Wilson College’s history, with a focus on what it means to be located physically, ecologically, and culturally within the overlapping communities and territories that make up this special place.”

As an added benefit, those attending the lecture will have an opportunity to see Myron Boon Hall, the first new academic building constructed on the Warren Wilson campus in 18 years. The 15,000 square foot structure houses the College’s social sciences division, as well as its renowned Masters of Fine Arts program for writers. The building, which was designed to capture the beautiful views overlooking the farm, river and valley below, includes flexible space for meetings and a large multi-use atrium.

Myron Boon Hall, where the “Power of Place”
Lecture will be held on February 17.
Photo courtesy of Warren Wilson College.

Thanks in large part to new scholarship and free tuition programs, Warren Wilson college has broken enrollment records with this fall’s incoming freshman class. The college rolled out several new initiatives this past spring, including “NC Free,” a free tuition program for qualifying North Carolina residents. The goal of the free tuition and scholarship programs was to make college accessible for more people, and judging by the increase in applicants to Warren Wilson this fall, the initiatives are definitely having the desired effect.

Not only did the college welcome its largest incoming freshman class in school history (250 students ~ a 71% increase over last year), but also the largest number of new students from North Carolina that the college has seen for at least 20 years. It’s particularly impressive that a small liberal arts college like Warren Wilson is able to achieve these results at a time when enrollment at colleges nationwide is on the decline.

In an article on the school’s website announcing the record-breaking enrollment numbers, Warren Wilson President Lynn Morton is quoted as saying: “Since its founding in 1894, this college has stood for educational access in this region. With NC Free, we are remaining true to our roots. We know that the NC Free Tuition plan has not only enabled more North Carolina students to attend Warren Wilson College, but it will also allow local students to invest the knowledge and skills that they gain here right back into our community and our state.”