WCU’s educational philosophy is as follows:

The quality of the educational experience at WCU is fostered by the close human and intellectual relationships between students and faculty and by the open exchange of ideas.

The University is committed to creating a learning community in which people from diverse backgrounds and cultures are valued for the breadth of their perspectives and are encouraged in their intellectual pursuits.

The university’s instructional programs are designed to challenge students not only to acquire knowledge but also to develop the skills of critical analysis, careful reasoning, creativity, and self-expression. Equally important, students learn to understand and evaluate the sources and methods from which knowledge derives. Thereby, they come to appreciate all knowledge’s contingency and realize that education is a life-long process.

WCU’s special character emerges from its commitment to effective teaching, high standards of scholarship, and ongoing professional development; and to its policy of promoting diversity in the faculty, staff, administration, and student population.