Appalachian State University

Boone, NC

http://www.appstate.edu/

Founded in 1899, Appalachian State University is a public, comprehensive university located in Boone, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The university is one of sixteen campuses of the University of North Carolina. Appalachian State University offers a special environment for learning and scholarship for students, faculty, staff, and others across the region and the nation. Student learning is valued as central to every program and activity. With students as the primary focus, the university has evolved as a model learning community. campus image Appalachian offers approximately 95 undergraduate majors, 81 graduate majors, and a doctorate in educational leadership. University programs such as Freshman Seminar have received national recognition. Innovative partnerships with public schools, community colleges, business and industry, and a variety of professional organizations provide opportunities for students to transform classroom learning into real-world experience. Off-campus facilities in Washington, D.C. and New York City enable students and faculty to extend their scholarly work into vibrant urban centers. Appalachian is committed to information technology as an invaluable tool in teaching, learning, and research. The university has consistently ranked among the top 15 comprehensive regional universities in the South since U.S. News and World Report began ranking colleges and universities in 1986. Appalachian faculty maintain active scholarly agendas and many are recognized leaders in their fields. At the same time, Appalachian faculty are ranked at the top of the UNC system for their accessibility to students. Appalachian’s total enrollment is 14,200 students, including off-campus programs.

Points of Pride

1. Appalachian placed 5th among the South’s top public universities and 12th among the South’s public and private universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2007 America’s Best Colleges Guide.
2. Appalachian is one of 140 colleges named a best southeastern college by The Princeton Review.
3. The Institute of International Education recognized Appalachian as one of the nation’s top 15 comprehensive universities in the number of undergraduates taking part in international education programs.
4. A total of $11.3 million in research grants and contracts was awarded to the university in 2005-06.
5. The Office of Student Research awarded research and travel grants totaling $37,500 to 183 graduate and undergraduate students.
6. An Appalachian Summer Festival, the university’s annual summer arts celebration, has been named one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society for more than a decade.
7. The Reich College of Education provides the most teacher education graduates of all UNC campuses – 16 percent of beginning teachers are prepared by Appalachian. The college provides more than 10,000 hours of consultations and services annually to public schools and community human services agencies.
8. Appalachian’s GEAR UP program works to accelerate the academic achievement of middle and secondary school students in surrounding counties, so that increasing numbers will graduate from high school and enroll and succeed in college.
9. The Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) office at Appalachian provided an estimated $1.6 million of service to the community during the 2005-06 school year.