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 WCU Stories      February 5, 2025

By Bill Studenc

The Office of Distance Learning at �����Ƶapp used $7,000 in 1889 Impact Grants Program funding to host in-person events during the spring of 2024 to bring together distance learning students, most of whom take courses fully online, are 25 or older, work full-time, and have families and lives beyond school.

Through donations to the Fund for WCU, events were held in Asheville, Charlotte and Raleigh, with an average of 40 attendees at each event through a project titled “Whee Belong.”

It can be difficult for adult distance learners to feel connected to the WCU community because they rarely, if ever, come to Cullowhee or meet classmates face to face. These events helped establish a feeling of belonging among the students, which may help improve satisfaction with their WCU experience and increase retention, said Lee Roddick-Brown, assistant director of distance learning.

“All the students who attended raved about how valuable the experience was for them. Students thought the most impactful part of the event was not only the connection to WCU but also the connection to each other,” Roddick-Brown said.

Bryson City resident Jennifer Rutkosky, a senior majoring in business administration, attended one of the events and said that she was thankful for the chance to connect with fellow students.

“Distance students often juggle full-time jobs, full- or part-time studies and family responsibilities, making campus visits rare. For many, the meet-and-greet might have been their only chance to experience a bit of campus life,” Rutkosky said. “It was wonderful that WCU made an effort to bring us together in or near our hometowns, as many of us rarely, if ever, get to visit Cullowhee. These gatherings fostered a sense of belonging and commitment to WCU and may encourage similar initiatives in the future.”

As a nontraditional student and adult learner, Rutkosky said that she missed out on the college experience as a teenager fresh out of high school.

“Receiving my acceptance letter to WCU was a memorable milestone, marking the start of something I had long hoped for. The distance education program, especially with support from grants like this, helps bridge the gap for students like me who miss out on traditional campus life,” she said. “I’m grateful for the chance to experience things I never thought possible. Even as adults, we sometimes need encouragement from our peers to keep going, and these meetings provided the support and motivation we needed.”

Launched in 2021, the 1889 Impact Grants Program is designed to provide a consistent source of funding for colleges and other units at WCU in support of initiatives that enhance the engagement of alumni and community stakeholders with the philanthropic activities of the university.

Funding for the program comes from annual contributions to the Fund for WCU, including leadership gifts from members of the 1889 Club, which recognizes donors for gifts made on an annual basis to the Fund for WCU. The club, among four giving societies established by the Division of Advancement to celebrate the impact of philanthropy on the institution, is named in honor of the year of WCU’s founding.

Campus partners requested more than $176,000 in 1889 Impact Grants through 23 campuswide grant applications for the 2023-2024 academic year, and the Division of Advancement allocated $47,000 overall for 12 projects, a slight increase from the $43,500 in grant funding awarded last year.

The WCU Foundation Board Executive Committee reviews all submissions and selects the awardees in the fall of each year. In addition to the 1889 Impact Grants Program, the Fund for WCU provides first-year access scholarships to new incoming freshmen and transfer students and supports ongoing donor stewardship efforts. To learn more about the 1889 Impact Grants Program, visit the Fund for WCU website.