College of Health and Human Sciences

Office Information:

207 Belk
(828) 227-7271

Website: http://www.wcu.edu/learn/departments-schools-colleges/HHS/index.aspx

Dr. Doug Keskula, Dean

Faculty and Staff Directory: http://www.wcu.edu/discover/contact-wcu/faculty/staff-directory.asp (search by department)

The College of Health and Human Sciences is comprised of five academic units. These include the School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Physical Therapy, and Social Work.

College Mission Statement

The mission of the College of Health and Human Sciences is to provide a dynamic learning community that prepares individuals for professional life by providing quality educational experiences that promote scholarship, engagement, and life-long learning in a global environment. This goal will be met with active, scholarly, collaborative faculty. The college will be recognized for graduates who are ethical, adaptive, technically capable, and innovative professionals. In fulfilling this role, the college provides undergraduate and graduate educational programs in Cullowhee, Asheville, and online.

Introduction

Careers in health professions and are among the fastest-growing sectors of the job market. There is a rising demand for health care professionals to meet the current and projected health care needs of a growing and increasingly diverse population.

Through its graduate and undergraduate educational programs, the College is committed to providing learning opportunities to students aspiring to careers in professions that serve the needs of our society. Services to disadvantaged segments of society most in need of care across age, cultural, and socioeconomic spectrum are central to the mission of the College’s educational programs. To this end, the College is committed to fostering community-centered education and to training future professionals who are knowledgeable, competent, ethical, and caring, with a strong commitment to human service.

Special Expenses

Due to the nature of the clinical and laboratory-learning experiences required in some of the college’s programs, students will encounter special expenses beyond those listed in the fees section of this catalog. Liability insurance, uniforms, transportation to internships/clinical sites, criminal background checks required by internship/clinical education facilities, software programs, and special texts and class materials are examples of what might be expected. Each program has different requirements, and students should discuss costs with the program director. Programs such as Athletic Training (ATTR), Emergency Medical Care (EMC), Environmental Health (ENVH), Nutrition and Dietetics (ND), and Recreational Therapy (RTH) require majors and pre-majors to have daily access to a laptop computer that meets the standard university networking and hardware configuration requirements.

Clinical Education and Criminal Background Checks

Many health care facilities as well as educational and social services agencies require criminal background and/or drug screening on students who participate in internship/clinical education rotations. Students who have a positive drug screen or records of any felony or misdemeanor convictions, may be denied participation in internship/clinical education rotations. A conviction involving alcohol or drug use, possession or distribution offenses, violence-related offenses, or the abuse/neglect of children or disabled adults may be a significant obstacle to successful completion of the academic program.

Students who are denied participation in internship/clinical education rotation based upon the results of criminal background or drug screens, may be removed from the academic program; however, all students are first given the opportunity to appear before a review committee.

Undergraduate Programs and Majors:

Majors in the College of Health and Human Sciences include: Athletic Training, Criminal Justice, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Emergency and Disaster Management, Emergency Medical Care, Environmental Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing, Recreational Therapy, and Social Work.

Graduate Programs

The College offers graduate programs in Physical Therapy, Social Work, Speech Pathology, Health Sciences, (with concentrations in emergency medical care, nutrition, and management) and Nursing, including Nurse Leadership, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator and Doctor of Nurse Practice, and Doctor of Nurse Practice-Nurse Anesthesia.