- The college has bestowed the Triple E Award (also known as Green E) since 2016, when it was established to recognize individuals for outstanding accomplishments in sustainable business at Appalachian State University. The "E" stands for Economy, Environment, and Equity and is similar to the "triple bottom line" or "Environmental, Social, and Governance." The first recipients included Heather Norris (2016), Tammy Kowalczyk (2017), Leigh & Pam Dunston (2017), John Whitehead (2018), Heather Dixon-Fowler (2018), Todd Cherry (2019), Joseph Cazier (2019), and Rajat Panwar (2020). In 2021, the Walker College joined the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a global platform that affirms the university’s commitment to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- In 2021, the college developed a series of cybersecurity offerings: a concentration for computer information systems majors in 2021, a cybersecurity minor available to all students in 2022, and a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity in 2024. The latter, a BS degree, was the first undergraduate degree program in cybersecurity available through UNC System institutions in Western North Carolina. Students, prospective students, and employers demonstrated a strong interest in cybersecurity curricula at both the Boone and Hickory campuses, and App State opened cybersecurity labs at both locations in the fall of 2024.