The Crew of Crews

The Work Program Office (WPO) Crew is the lifeblood of Warren Wilson College’s historic work program. Building customer service skills and professionalism while assisting staff — and their fellow students — the WPO Crew build skills that translate into almost any professional field. They also hold an enviable position — helping to plan one of Warren Wilson College’s largest and most cherished events: our annual Work Day.

Celebrating Work

Every April, students, staff and faculty gather as a community to work on projects normally too large to handle on a typical work day. But WWC’s annual Work Day is anything but typical. Projects this year included a collaboration between the Black Student Union and art faculty Lara Nguyen on a mural of social justice catalysts, a new sand volleyball court, and a postcard-writing campaign to welcome incoming and prospective students. Students on the Work Program Office Crew are integral to this incredible day coming together.

I enjoy the supervisors and constantly staying in contact with students and crew supervisors. I have learned how to master Google Sheets and Mail merges.

Bailey Tipton

Being a part of the Work Program Crew has been one of the best experiences since I’ve started at Warren Wilson. The supervisors are always there to help you with any questions and they really make the work place fun. Working in the WPO has really taught me the importance of working on campus and I am grateful to be a part of the work program.

Mary Yeager

Work Day t-shirts

What You’ll Learn

You’ll spend years working alongside your peers with the mentorship of your supervisors.  Part of the experience of work at Warren Wilson is guided critical reflection, which helps ensure that you achieve both your own educational goals as well as our Common Learning Outcomes. These intentional learning outcomes distinguish our Work Program, giving it focus and relevancy that set it apart from a federal work-study or your average part-time job. 

Our Common Learning Outcomes:

  • Professionalism & Work Ethic: accountability, effective work habits, punctuality, dependability, time management, integrity, and commitment to the well-being of the community.
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: working with available resources to creatively address issues and solve problems, and gaining confidence to make decisions.
  • Communication: the ability to convey and receive information effectively with intentionality, honesty, and confidence in both speech and writing.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: actively collaborate with peers to achieve common goals, Distribute labor fairly, and hold each other accountable as committed members of a group.
  • Civic Identity: understanding your active influence within the community and how your decisions directly impact the work around you.

In addition to our Common Learning Outcomes, each crew in the Work Program identifies crew-specific goals for learning and performance. These are reviewed with you each semester. Your crew-specific learning goals outline skills and abilities your supervisor will teach you during the semester. 

Some of our Work Program Office Crew Learning Goals include:

  • Customer Service 
  • Human Resources 
  • Tax Processing
  • Administrative Work
  • Professional Communication
  • Advising

a group of shovels