THE UNIVERSITY
 

The University of North Carolina  |  The University of North Carolina at Charlotte  |  The Colleges
University Structure  |  Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action  |  Accreditation  |  The Campus

The 49ers   |  University Logo  |  Alma Mater

In North Carolina, all the public educational institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees are part of the University of North Carolina. The University of North Carolina has a rich heritage of academic excellence. Chartered in 1789 by the NC General Assembly, UNC was the first public university in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century. The first class was admitted in Chapel Hill in 1795. For the next 136 years, the only campus of the University of North Carolina was at Chapel Hill. Today, UNC is a multi-campus university system comprised of all sixteen of North Carolina’s public institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees, as well as the NC School of Science and Mathematics, the nation’s first public residential high school for gifted students.
In 1877, the N.C. General Assembly began sponsoring additional institutions of higher education, diverse in origin and purpose. Five were historically black institutions, and another was founded to educate American Indians. Several were created to prepare teachers for the public schools. Others were established with a technological emphasis, and one as a training school for performing artists.

In 1931, the N.C. General Assembly redefined the University of North Carolina to include three state-supported institutions: The Campus at Chapel Hill (now the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University at Raleigh), and Woman's College (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro). The new multi-campus University operated with one board of trustees and one president. By 1969, three additional campuses had joined the University through legislative action: the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

In 1971, the General Assembly passed legislation bringing into the University of North Carolina the state's ten remaining public senior institutions, each of which had until then been legally separate: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, the North Carolina School of the Arts, Pembroke State University, Western Carolina University, and Winston-Salem State University. In 1985, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a residential high school for gifted students, was declared an affiliated school of the University.

The UNC Board of Governors is the policy-making body legally charged with "the general determination, control, supervision, management, and governance of all affairs of the constituent institutions." It elects the president, who administers the University. The 32 voting members of the Board of Governors are elected by the General Assembly for four-year terms. Former board chairmen and board members who are former governors of North Carolina may continue to serve limited periods as non-voting members emeriti. The president of the UNC Association of Student Governments, or that student's designee, is also a non-voting member.

Each of the seventeen constituent institutions is headed by a chancellor, who is chosen by the Board of Governors on the president's nomination and is responsible to the president. Each institution has a board of trustees, consisting of eight members elected by the Board of Governors, four appointed by the governor, and the president of the Student Government Association, who serves ex-officio. (The NC School of the Arts and the NC School of Science and Mathematics have additional members.) Each board of trustees holds extensive powers over academic and other operations of its institution on delegation from the Board of Governors.

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE

UNC Charlotte’s history began in 1946 when the Charlotte Center was established for returning World War II veterans. Three years later, Charlotte citizens and an inspired mathematics teacher named Bonnie Cone transformed the Center into Charlotte College, which offered a two-year curriculum. By 1961, the college outgrew its space in a high school building near the city center and moved to new buildings on a 1,000-acre campus at the northern end of the county. In 1963, Charlotte College was made a senior college, and in 1965, it became the fourth campus of The University of North Carolina.

UNC Charlotte recognizes a special responsibility to build the intellectual capital of the community. In order to meet the growing need for higher education in the Charlotte region and in the state, the University has continued to expand both degree programs and non-degree offerings. In 1969, the University began offering programs leading to Master’s degrees, and in 1992, was authorized to offer programs leading to doctoral degrees. The first Ph.D. was awarded in mechanical engineering in 1997. Today, UNC Charlotte serves 23,300 students in 91 baccalaureate, 63 master’s, and 18 doctoral programs in seven colleges and a university-wide graduate school.

Since its inception, UNC Charlotte has been committed to serving the region through not only its academic programs, but through research and service programs. In 2008, UNC Charlotte was designated a Community Engaged Campus by the Carnegie Foundation. The size and distinction of our research programs reflects the nationally competitive faculty. Recruited from across the world, they engage in both basic and applied research. Scholarly inquiry informs graduate and undergraduate instruction, and takes advantage of the University's location in a diverse and dynamic metropolitan region. Centers and institutes have been formed to address important interdisciplinary problems and to make the resources of the University accessible to stakeholders in the community.

With a broad institutional commitment to liberal education as the foundation for constructive citizenship, professional practice, and lifelong learning, UNC Charlotte is prepared to focus interdisciplinary resources to address seven broad areas of concern to the Charlotte region: 1) Liberal Education; 2) Business and Finance; 3) Urban and Regional Development; 4) Children, Families, and Schools; 5) Health Care and Health Policy; 6) International Understanding and Involvement; 7) Arts and Culture; and 8) Applied Sciences and Technologies.

The University is committed to excellence through informed and effective teaching in all academic programs and emphasizes undergraduate instruction as the foundation of lifelong learning and advanced formal education. The students selected for admission have demonstrated a willingness to learn, a capacity to benefit from a broad array of intellectual resources, and the potential to participate in the opportunities offered by the changing global society. University programs are open to all qualified students without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religious belief, sexual orientation, or disability. Participation by students from other states and nations is welcomed.

The campus environment encourages the active involvement of students in their personal and intellectual development, including opportunities to learn leadership skills. The policies and practices of the University are designed to graduate students with the breadth and depth of knowledge and the intellectual and professional skills that prepare them for a productive life in an ever-changing world. Through the University experience, UNC Charlotte students will:

• Develop strong ties and commitment to the University and its mission and vision
• Gain a realistic understanding of their personal potential
• Further their commitment to responsible citizenship and leadership
• Develop fundamental skills of inquiry in writing, mathematical and logical reasoning, information literacy and technology, and the sciences
• Gain an understanding and appreciation of the themes of liberal education for private and public life in the areas of arts and society, the western tradition, global understanding, and ethical issues and cultural critique
• Develop oral and written communication skills
• Develop the ability to engage in reasoned debate about pressing moral concerns and to resolve them in an ethically sound and responsible manner

THE COLLEGES

College of Arts + Architecture: Recently reorganized, the College includes the School of Architecture and the Departments of Art and Art History, Dance, Music, and Theatre. The College also offers a variety of master’s programs.

The Belk College of Business: one of the largest business programs in the Carolinas with 2,500 undergraduate students, 500 graduate students, and 87 faculty members. It is one of only three colleges in the state to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and a doctoral degree in business administration. The College also offers an innovative master’s in sports management and marketing that takes advantage of Charlotte’s professional athletic teams and its location in the heart of the motorsports industry.

College of Computing and Informatics: Includes Computer Science (design and implement software, devise new ways to use computers, and solving computing problems), Software and Information Systems (developing software and information systems, user-system interactions), and Bioinformatics and Genomics.

College of Education: It has almost 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Its academic departments include the Departments of Counseling; Educational Leadership; Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Education; Reading and Elementary Education; and Special Education and Child Development.

The William States Lee College of Engineering: Includes the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, and Engineering Technology, as well as a program in Systems Engineering and Engineering Management. The college is home to world-class graduate programs in many fields including precision metrology and motorsports engineering.

College of Health and Human Services: home to bachelor’s degrees in Athletic Training, Exercise Science, Nursing, Public Health Sciences, and Social Work, as well as several master’s degree programs and a doctoral program in Health Services Research.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: the oldest and largest college in the University. It serves half the undergraduate majors with a host of programs in the humanities, physical sciences, and social sciences.

UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE

UNC Charlotte is organized into five administrative divisions: Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Development and Alumni Affairs, Student Affairs, and University Relations and Community Affairs. These divisions, as well as Intercollegiate Athletics, Legal Affairs, and Internal Audit, all report to the Chancellor.

The Division of Academic Affairs includes Academic Services; Charlotte Research Institute; Enrollment Management; Institute for Social Capital; Information and Technology Services; International Programs; Library; Metropolitan Studies and Extended Academic Programs; Research and Federal Relations; The Graduate School; University College; and seven discipline-based colleges: the Colleges of Arts + Architecture, Business, Computing & Informatics, Education, Engineering, Health & Human Services, and Liberal Arts & Sciences. The colleges offer 91 bachelors, 63 master's, and 18 doctoral degree programs.

The Division of Business Affairs includes Business Services; Facilities Management; Financial Services; Human Resources; Risk Management, Safety, and Security; and Systems Development.

The Division of Development and Alumni Affairs includes the Office of Alumni Affairs and the Office of University Development. Today, UNC Charlotte boasts more than 75,000 living alumni and adds 4,500 to 5,000 new alumni each year.

The Division of Student Affairs includes departments and services which assist students through every aspect of their education, as well as providing social opportunities. Included are offices and services such as the Counseling Center, Dean of Students, Housing and Residence Life, Intramural and Recreational Services, Religious and Spiritual Life, Student Activities, Student Health Center, and the Student Union.

The Division of University Relations and Community Affairs includes Broadcast Communications, Public Relations, and Marketing, which serve as UNC Charlotte's primary contact with members of the news media and external audiences. They are responsible for communicating information that promotes the people, programs, news, and events of UNC Charlotte. Marketing is also responsible for implementing an integrated communications and marketing plan for the University.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte recognizes a moral, economic, and legal responsibility to ensure equal employment opportunity for all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, gender (except when gender is a bona fide occupational qualification), sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability (except when making accommodations for physical or mental disabilities would impose undue hardship on the conduct of University business), or veteran status. This policy is a fundamental necessity for the continued growth and development of this University. Nondiscriminatory consideration shall be afforded applicants and employees in all employment actions including recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, placement, transfer, layoff, leave of absence, and termination. All personnel actions pertaining to either academic or nonacademic positions to include such matters as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, return from layoffs, University-sponsored training, education, tuition assistance, and social and recreational programs shall be administered according to the same principles of equal opportunity. Promotion and advancement decisions shall be made in accordance with the principles of equal opportunity, and the University shall, as a general policy, attempt to fill existing position vacancies from qualified persons already employed by the University. Outside applicants may be considered concurrently at the discretion of the selecting official. The University has established reporting and monitoring systems to ensure adherence to this policy of nondiscrimination.

Affirmative Action. Our philosophy concerning equal employment opportunity is affirmed and promoted in the University's Affirmative Action Plan. To facilitate UNC Charlotte's affirmative action efforts on behalf of disabled workers, veterans (including veterans of the Vietnam Era), individuals who qualify and wish to benefit from the Affirmative Action Plan are invited and encouraged to identify themselves. This information is provided voluntarily, and refusal of employees to identify themselves as veterans or disabled persons will not subject them to discharge or disciplinary action. Unless otherwise required by law, the information obtained will be kept confidential in the manner required by law, except that supervisors and managers may be informed about restrictions on the work or duties of disabled persons and about necessary accommodations.

Discriminatory Personal Conduct. The University seeks to promote a fair, humane, and respectful environment for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, University policy explicitly prohibits sexual harassment, racial harassment, and all other personal conduct which inappropriately asserts that sex, race, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, veteran status, disability, age, or ancestry are relevant to consideration of individual worth or individual performance. The same policies provide procedures for the informal or formal resolution of instances where such behavior is suspected or alleged. The policies have received wide distribution and are available for inspection in all administrative offices on campus as well as online at www.legal.uncc.edu/policies/nondiscrim.html. 

ACCREDITATION

UNC Charlotte is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of UNC Charlotte.

The Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture “first professional degree” programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). The Department of Chemistry is on the approval list of the American Chemical Society. The Master of Public Administration program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The programs in business and accounting are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The University’s professional education programs for BK-12 teachers, counselors, and administrators are approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The School Counseling and Agency (Community) Counseling programs in Counselor Education are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET; and the civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering technology programs are accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012; telephone: (410) 347-7700. The Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the BSN program is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing. The Nursing Anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The Bachelor of Athletic Training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) through October 2009 and anticipates receiving continued re-accreditation through 2014. Both the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science program and the Master of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology are actively pursuing accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Master of Health Administration program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The Master of Science in Public Health program was recently reviewed for initial accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

The University is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools, the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, and The North Carolina Association of Colleges and Universities.

THE CAMPUS

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region and is a genuine urban university. The main campus is in University City, one of the fastest growing areas of the Charlotte region, located off WT Harris Boulevard on NC 49 near its intersection with US 29, and only eight miles from the interchange of Interstates 85 and 77. Campus facilities are comprised of contemporary buildings, including many new ones constructed in the past ten years and more on the way. In addition to classrooms and well-equipped laboratories, the University offers arts and athletic facilities, cafeterias, and residence accommodations. The campus is designed for the pedestrian, and facilities are generally accessible to students with disabilities.

UNC Charlotte Uptown. The University also has a substantial presence uptown, as it offers select upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses and a variety of continuing personal and professional development programs at its UNC Charlotte Uptown location. Classes are scheduled for the convenience of persons employed in or living near the central business core of the city. UNC Charlotte Uptown is located at 220 North Tryon Street, on the third floor of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design. Additionally, UNC Charlotte has a major presence in South End at its Charlotte Community Design Studio.

Looking forward, the University plans to build a major new Center City Classroom Building in Uptown Charlotte on the corner of Brevard and Ninth streets, in the heart of Charlotte’s bustling financial district, where students and faculty members will be able to rub shoulders with bankers, architects, technologists, and other professionals. Twelve stories high, the facility will have 143,000 total square feet for offices and academic programs in graduate, professional, and continuing education. It will increase UNC Charlotte’s presence in Center City by 10 times its current space. The undertaking is the first major urban facility in the University of North Carolina system. The Center City Building will be home to the Belk College of Business graduate programs, including the MBA, as well as the MBA in Sports Marketing and Management. Students also will study graduate-level programs in engineering management, health administration, information technology, public administration, urban design, organizational science, public history, liberal studies, and other fields. The building will also provide space for the Office of Continuing Education, and it will house the Design + Society Research Center. A 300-seat hall can be used for lectures, recitals and conferences. The Center City Building is scheduled to open in 2010.

THE 49ERS

The nickname, the 49ers, was chosen in recognition of the importance of the year 1949 in the history of the University. UNC Charlotte, which began as an off-campus center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, would have died in 1949 had Bonnie Cone and her supporters not convinced the N.C. Legislature that Charlotte needed a permanent college. Charlotte College was established that year. Additionally, the campus is located on N.C. Highway 49, and Charlotte has a rich gold mining history -- the term "49ers" symbolizes gold mining. A bronze statue of the 49ers Gold Miner sits in front of the Reese Administration building on campus. The statue recalls the region's history as a gold mining center and symbolizes the pioneering spirit and determination that has led to UNC Charlotte's dramatic growth.

UNIVERSITY LOGO

UNC Charlotte's logo has become one of the Charlotte region's most distinctive insignia. It symbolizes the University's link to the UNC system, to the Charlotte metropolitan region, and to the discipline of learning. The logo is suggestive of a "crown," reminiscent of Queen Charlotte of England, for whom the city of Charlotte is named. The "crown" can also be interpreted as a lamp of learning, a burning brush, an open book, the flowering of a plant or an individual, or a graduate in cap and gown.

ALMA MATER

UNC Charlotte's Alma Mater has deep roots in the institution's history. It was part of an "Academic Festival March" composed for UNC Charlotte by James Helme Sutcliffe, a Charlotte composer and music critic who lived in Germany at the time. Dr. Loy Witherspoon, professor of religious studies, commissioned the March in 1965 when he learned that Charlotte College would become a campus of The University of North Carolina. The March was first performed in 1967 at the installation of Dean W. Colvard as UNC Charlotte's first chancellor. Afterwards, it was performed as a recessional at every Commencement during Dean W. Colvard's tenure as chancellor. When UNC Charlotte founder Bonnie Cone heard the March, she said, "I can hear an alma mater in it," referring to a hymn-like refrain. Dr. Robert Rieke, a professor of history, also heard an alma mater in it.

On a 1990 trip to Germany, Rieke visited Sutcliffe, picked up a recording of the March, and began writing words to fit the final refrain. On Christmas Eve 1991, he sent Bonnie Cone the words and music as a Christmas present to her and to the University, from which he had retired a year earlier. Chancellor James H. Woodward approved the composition as the University's Alma Mater in April 1992. It was sung for the first time at the following May Commencement and has been performed at every Commencement since.

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