Page Contents:
History of the University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Institutional Mission Statement
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
HISTORY OF THE
In
The
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 had a technological emphasis. One is 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
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 (now the University of North Carolina at Pembroke), Western Carolina University, and Winston-Salem State University. This action created the current 16-campus 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
Each of the 16 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 body, who serves ex-officio. (The NC School of the Arts has two additional ex-officio members.) Each board of trustees holds extensive powers over academic and other operations of its institution on delegation from the Board of Governors.
THE
UNC Charlotte aspires to be
The University offers
programs leading to baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees as well as
programs leading to professional licensure in architecture, business, education,
engineering, health professions, the humanities, information technology, the
physical and biological sciences, and the social and behavioral sciences. In
order to meet the growing need for higher education in the
The University is committed to excellence through informed and effective teaching in all its academic programs and emphasizes undergraduate instruction as the foundation of life-long learning and advanced formal education. It selects students who 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 academic programs of the University are offered on-campus and off-campus, and through e-learning and continuing education. These programs are augmented by student support and development activities and through a wide variety of collaborative relationships that expand the classroom into the region.
The size and distinction of its research programs reflects its nationally competitive faculty. Recruited from across the world, they engage in both basic and applied research. Their scholarly inquiry informs both graduate and undergraduate instruction, and takes advantage, when appropriate, of the University's location in a diverse and expanding metropolitan region.
Leadership in public service is provided through campus-based programs and consulting and cooperative arrangements with local, regional, national, and international organizations. The University strives to maintain a campus environment that encourages the active involvement of students in their personal and intellectual development, including opportunities to learn leadership skills. The University serves its neighboring community through a variety of public events and outreach activities involving members of the faculty, staff, and student body. The citizens of the region are regularly invited to share in the broad range of opportunities generated by the campus, including athletics, the performing and visual arts, continuing education opportunities, and many other speakers, workshops, and outreach activities.
UNC Charlotte was founded in 1946 to serve returning veterans of World War II. Over the course of its history, the student body has expanded to include many diverse populations. Of late, the age of the undergraduate student body is increasingly traditional. This dynamic has led the University to develop a large residential campus. Within this growing residential environment, the University retains its historic commitment to serving a diverse student population, including ethnic minorities, part-time students, persons with disabilities, and non-traditional students in a welcoming, positive, and healthful learning environment.
As one of the fastest growing universities in the State, UNC Charlotte has established a tradition of careful planning and intelligent stewardship to assure the most efficient use of its facilities and resources. The UNC Board of Governors has classified the University as a Doctoral/Research-Intensive institution. The University will continue to expand as resources from both public and private sources grow.
The policies and practices of the University are designed to graduate students who:
· Have a broad knowledge base as well as a more specialized knowledge base in their chosen area;
· Possess skills and capacities that can be applied to a variety of situations and professions in an ever-changing world;
· Understand the complexities and interrelationships between humans and their environment;
· Possess a realistic understanding of their own potentials, limitations and mental/physical development; and
· Possess a general understanding of and appreciation for:
Ø Science and technology
Ø Literature and the arts
Ø The individual, society, and culture
Ø The interrelationships among these areas
INSTITUTIONAL MISSION STATEMENT
UNC Charlotte is the only Doctoral/Research University - Intensive in the Charlotte region, fully engaged in the discovery, dissemination, synthesis, and application of knowledge. It provides for the educational, economic, social, and cultural advancement of the people of North Carolina through on- and off-campus programs, continuing personal and professional education opportunities, research, and collaborative relationships with private, public, and nonprofit institutions. UNC Charlotte has a special responsibility to build the intellectual capital of this area. As such it serves the research and doctoral education needs of the greater Charlotte metropolitan region.
The primary commitment of UNC Charlotte is to extend educational opportunities and to ensure success for qualified students of diverse backgrounds through informed and effective teaching in the liberal arts and sciences and in selected professional programs offered through Colleges of Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Information Technology, and Health and Human Services, and through programs and services designed to support student's intellectual and personal development. The University offers an extensive array of baccalaureate and master's programs and a number of doctoral programs.
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; and 7) Applied Science and Technologies.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is dedicated to equal opportunity through affirmative action within the University community. The University's Affirmative Action Program is designed to provide equal consideration of all applicants for faculty and staff positions, for all faculty members in the tenure and promotion process, for administrators and other staff members seeking promotions and upgrades, as well as for students seeking admission, financial aid, and equality in academic and athletic programs.
In keeping with this policy, faculty and staff are recruited, hired, and promoted without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or any non-relevant disability. The University actively recruits students from protected categories and provides opportunities for the growth and development of these students.
The University's Affirmative Action Program was established in 1973 and includes the monitoring and reporting of compliance with applicable laws and regulations including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Executive Order 11246, as amended by Executive Order 11375; Revised Order No. 4; the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended; the Vietnam Era Veteran's Rehabilitation Act of 1974; Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Action; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; The Americans with Disabilities Act; and all applicable laws and ordinances of the State of North Carolina. The University has a published Affirmative Action Plan, copies of which have been distributed to all departments and offices. Copies have also been placed on reserve in the Library.
The Director of Human Resources serves as the Affirmative Action Officer and is responsible for ensuring The University's commitments are met. Contact the Director of Human Resources, 225 King Building, 704- 687‑4269.
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, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, 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.
UNC Charlotte is organized into four administrative divisions: Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Development and University Relations, and Student Affairs. The Division of Academic Affairs includes Enrollment Management; Graduate Programs; Library; Information and Technology Services; Metropolitan Studies and Extended Academic Programs; International Programs; Research; the Charlotte Research Institute and seven colleges, the Colleges of Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Information Technology, and Health and Human Services. The colleges offer more than 82 undergraduate and 57 master's degree options and sixth‑year Certificates of Advanced Study, and ten doctoral programs. Many of the departments throughout the University are involved in teacher education. The College of Education, advised by the University Teacher Education Committee, is responsible for these programs.
UNC Charlotte is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097: telephone number 404-679-4501) to award baccalaureate, master’s, intermediate, and doctoral degrees.
The Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture 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 program is 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 PK-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, electrical, and mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology; and the civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering technology programs are accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (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 (CANAEP). The Bachelor of Athletic Training program is in candidacy for accreditation by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Athletic Training (JRCAT) and Commission of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Master of Health Administration is applying for candidacy 02/03 with the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration.
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