Since 1972, Watauga Residential College has been a program where students read, write, think, argue, challenge, ponder, change, struggle, laugh and live together during their first years of college.
All Watauga classes meet general education requirements in interdisciplinary, inquiry-based core classes that blend fact, fiction, culture, philosophy, motion, art, music, myth, and religion. The variety of classroom formats—lectures, smaller discussion sections, small project groups, linked classes and even trips outside the classroom—provide many different approaches for learning, assuring that one or more of these formats will be ideally suited to you. Working closely with your peers, upperclassmen, and faculty, you will blend academics, residential life, and international concerns into a seamless experience.
Watauga Residential College is located in the Living Learning Center, on the west side of campus, featuring four-person suites, kitchens, lounges, classrooms, an art studio, a music room, and a library.
A very important aspect of Watauga is the community that forms through shared academic work and living experiences. No barriers separate the academic, cultural, and social components of Watauga students, faculty, and staff. In Watauga, the community forms the basis for all that happens. At the same time, you remain free to pursue your choice of a major and can enjoy a variety of student activities offered by Appalachian, including intramurals, service clubs, student government, fraternities and sororities. You get all the benefits of a comprehensive university as well as the close ties inherent in a small learning community.