University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
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| Established | 1946 |
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | $105.3 million [1] |
| Chancellor | Philip L. Dubois |
| Provost | Joan Lorden |
| Faculty | 924 |
| Students | 21,519 (2006-07) |
| Undergraduates | 16,584 (2006-07) |
| Postgraduates | 4,400 (2006-07) |
| Doctoral students | 535 (2006-07) |
| Location | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Address | 9201 University City Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28223-0001 |
| Telephone | (704) 687-2000 |
| Campus | Urban/suburban 1000 acres (4 km²) |
| Colors | Green and white |
| Nickname | Charlotte  |
| Mascot | Norm the Niner |
| Website | http://www.uncc.edu/ |
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The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or for athletics purposes, Charlotte), is a public, coeducational, research intensive university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, is one of sixteen public universities in the University of North Carolina System. It opened September 23, 1946 and emphasizes the study areas of teaching, research, engineering, and public service.
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[edit] History
Founded in 1946 as the Charlotte Center to serve the educational needs of returning World War II veterans, UNC Charlotte has grown to become a doctoral/research-intensive institution and is the fourth-largest of the 16 UNC campuses.
The city of Charlotte had sought a public university since 1771 but was never able to sustain one. For years, the nearest state-supported university was 90 miles away. Like many of the United States' "post-World War II" universities, it owes its inception to the G.I. Bill and its effects on public education. In 1949, when the state closed the centers, the Charlotte Center was taken over by the city school district and became Charlotte College, a two-year institution. Funded first by student tuition payments, then by local property taxes, it became state-supported in 1958 upon joining the newly formed North Carolina Community College System. Classes were held at Central High School, near uptown Charlotte, until the school moved to its current location in 1961. In 1963, UNCC became a four-year college. It adopted its current name July 1, 1965, upon becoming part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina, since 1972 called the University of North Carolina System. In 1969, the university began offering programs leading to master's degrees. In 1992, it was authorized to offer programs leading to doctoral degrees.
[edit] Campuses
[edit] Main Campus - University City
The University operates several campuses in Charlotte. The Main Campus is situated on just under 1,000 acres (4 km²) of rolling land between U.S. Highway 29 and N.C. Highway 49, about 10 miles (16 km) from Uptown Charlotte in the University City neighborhood. The campus is self-contained, meaning that no major roads run through the campus. The campus boasts several manmade lakes, and is heavily wooded. Near the center of campus are two gardens that attract over 300,000 visitors a year. Much of the architecture on the campus, particularly the oldest buildings, are precast concrete and utilitarian-looking because they were built with limited state funds in the 1960s and 1970s. Under the campus' third chancellor, James Woodward, the campus has and is undergoing a major change. The newest buildings, funded from state bonds, are being constructed in brick with neoclassical architecture. Concrete and asphalt sidewalks have largely been replaced by brick. The campus' road system is being upgraded to include landscaped medians and more trees.
[edit] Charlotte Research Institute Campus
Attached to the main campus is a 100 acre (0.4 km²) campus, created in 2000, called the Charlotte Research Institute (CRI Campus). This research-oriented campus focuses on precision metrology and intelligent manufacturing; opto-electronics and optical communication; and software and information technology. This campus brings together faculty, students, and outside researchers to work together.
[edit] Uptown Charlotte Campus
The third campus is located in Uptown Charlotte. This campus primarily focuses its attention on business and evening courses, which caters to Uptown workers. Currently located in the Mint Museum of Craft+Design, the campus recently announced plans to construct its own building in Uptown.
[edit] South Charlotte Campus (Ballantyne)
The fourth campus is located in an area of South Charlotte called Ballantyne. At this campus, the University's College of Computing and Informatics (formerly the College of Information Technology [2]) offers a limited number of graduate courses. The University utilizes space in an office building for this campus.
[edit] Students
Of the approximately 21,519 (16,555 undergraduate) students enrolled at the school, 47 percent are male and 53 percent female. Students come from 50 states and 80 countries.
[edit] Student demographics
- Faculty: 924 (Fall 2005)
- Student-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Average Class Size: 33
- Average SAT score: 980-1160
- Average ACT scores: (25/75 percentile)
English: 18 – 23 Math: 18 – 24 Composite:19 – 23
- Campus size: 1,000 acres (4.00 km²)
- African-American: 14% undergraduate
- Asian-American: 5% undergraduate
- Caucasian: 75% undergraduate
- Hispanic: 3% undergraduate
- Native American: 0% undergraduate
[edit] Academics
The university offers 85 baccalaureate(bachelors, undergraduate) programs, more than 60 master's degree programs, and 17 doctoral (Ph.D.) programs. Fifteen degree and certificate programs are offered via distance education, from 25% to 100% online. UNCC's first emphasis is on teaching, followed by research, engineering and responsive public service.
UNC Charlotte enrolls over 21,500 students as of fall 2006. In addition to a broad array of undergraduate and master's degree programs in the arts and sciences, it houses seven colleges including architecture, business administration, education, engineering, information technology, and health and human services.
[edit] Rankings
- Top 10 public regional undergraduate universities in the South. (2006)
- America's Best Colleges 2007- Cheapest (Most affordable) public schools [4]
9th in the state of North Carolina and 98th in the U.S.A.
Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance at the University of Florida.
- 80th among public universities in "The Top 200 Institutions - Faculty Awards (2004)".
(117th among public and private universities, on par with Wake Forest University)
[edit] Colleges
- College of Architecture
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Belk College of Business
- College of Education
- William States Lee College of Engineering
- College of Health and Human Services
- College of Computing and Informatics
- The Honors College
- The Graduate School
[edit] Research
University of North Carolina at Charlotte is designated a Doctoral/Research Universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This classification is the second highest of the foundation's, there are only two (the other being East Carolina University) public universities in the state of North Carolina and out of 84 universities in the nation.[5]
[edit] Library System
UNC Charlotte's J. Murrey Atkins Library system, named for the first chairman of the Board of Trustees of Charlotte College, has over a million books, diverse electronic and media resources, as well as an area for special collections. The recently renovated library includes a ten story tower that accentuates the library's place at the heart of UNC Charlotte's campus.
[edit] Endowment
With $99.5 million (as of August 21, 2006) for approximately 21,519 students, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has the 4th largest per capita endowment of any state of North Carolina public university at $4,623 per student.
Compared to other public universities of its state: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill–$61,592 per student; North Carolina State University–$14,417 per student; University of North Carolina at Greensboro–$7,970 per student; University of North Carolina at Charlotte–$4,623 per student; University of North Carolina at Asheville–$3,727 per student; Appalachian State University–$3,241 per student; East Carolina University–$2,963 per student; University of North Carolina at Wilmington–$2,878 per student.
Considering public university endowments nationwide: University of Virginia –$177,000 per student. (Largest per capita endowment of any national public university in the United States) University of Michigan –$142,000 per student. (2nd largest) University of Maryland at College Park–$8,600 per student.
UNC Charlotte rank in the UNC System in per student funding:
- 13th (2006) out of 16
- 14th (2005) out of 16
- 15th (2004) out of 16
[edit] Athletics, clubs and traditions
UNC Charlotte is home to a myriad of diverse and active academic, athletic, and social student organizations.
[edit] Athletics
For athletics purposes, the school is called Charlotte; this change was made official when the University changed the athletic department's name in 2000.
Charlotte's team nickname is 49ers; this nickname was adopted by the students to acknowledge that the school was almost closed in 1949. Of course, the term "49ers" is widely understood to reference gold miners who participated in the California gold rush of 1849 (hence, the San Francisco 49ers). It is odd that UNCC's mascot has little connection with the history of the school or the geographic area in which the school sits. Although North Carolina led the nation in gold production until surpassed by California and then Alaska, North Carolina's gold rush occurred decades before 1849.
Also, it is often erroneously believed that the nickname is derived from the campus's location on N.C. Highway 49; however, this is merely a coincidence and the highway is not the reason for the namesake. The school's mascot is "Norm the Niner," an old goldminer. Norm is depicted in statue form near the front entrance of the main campus (a replica of this statue can be seen in the above photograph with Cone). The 49er fanbase is referred to as "Niner Nation".
The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and is in the Atlantic 10 Conference, which it joined on July 1, 2005. The school was previously a member of the Sun Belt Conference (1976-1991), the Metro Conference (1991-1995), and Conference USA (1995-2005). Charlotte athletic director Judy Rose is nationally respected and in 2000 became the first woman to serve on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Selection Committee.
Athletic facilities at Charlotte have improved dramatically over the past decade. In 1996 men's basketball returned to campus full-time for the first time in nearly 20 years with the opening of Dale F. Halton Arena. A new outdoor sports facility, the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center, opened in 1999 and serves as the home to the 49ers track and field teams in addition to both men's and women's soccer. Phillips Field, the baseball facility, is currently undergoing a $6 million overhaul and will be renamed Robert and Mariam Cannon Hayes Stadium. The golf team's new practice facility at Rocky River Golf Club in Concord is nearing completion.
Men's basketball is the most-followed sport at Charlotte. While other Charlotte teams have successful seasons on a mostly-intermittent basis, The 49ers cagers have been consistently successful for many years, reaching the NCAA Tournament eleven times and the NIT on five occasions. The 49ers made the NCAA Final Four in 1977, their first year making the tournament. After falling back into obscurity during the early 1980's, the program was resurrected under head coach Jeff Mullins. After Mullins left, Melvin Watkins, the starting point guard on the 1977 Final Four team, was named head coach in 1996. After Watkins resigned in 1998, Bobby Lutz, another UNC Charlotte graduate, was named head coach.
Women's basketball has enjoyed recent success, making three straight trips to post-season play for the first time in program history. These postseason advancements including an NCAA tournament appearance in 2003 and Women's NIT bids in 2004 and 2005. Amanda Butler, the program's associate head coach, was named head coach in April 2005.
The men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA College Cup in 1996. The women's soccer team won the 2006 Atlantic 10 regular season championship.
Both the varsity and club baseball teams have seen much success in 2007. The varsity squad has been receiving votes for the top 25 and the club team is nationally ranked.
[edit] Fight Song
Charlotte Fight Song
Hail, Charlotte 49ers, proud as we can be,
We stand to fight for the green and white
'Til we win the victory! (Go Niners!)
We pledge our trust in you
And wave your colors high,
The loyal Niner Nation cheers
Forever! We’ll Fight-Fight-Fight!
[edit] Football Issues
To many people's surprise, the University still does not have a football program. For some time, a large portion of the students, alumni, and fans of Charlotte have been clamoring for a football team to root for, but to no avail.
When the University was still just Charlotte College, there was a football team, but at some point the team had to be disbanded. Bonnie E. Cone is sometimes credited with the initial ban on a football program that has persisted throughout the University's history, but this is completely devoid of truth. There have been several myths that have been spread as to why the University doesn't have a team and many still persist to this day.
The April 1st, 2004 issue of the campus newspaper, The University Times, parodied this controversy by claiming on the front page that alumnus Clay Aiken was in the process of donating millions to the university for the creation of a football team.
In 2006, a student and alumni organization formed in an effort to bring an NCAA Division 1A football team to UNC Charlotte. So far the organization, Charlotte 49er Football Initiative, has set up a website in order to get a list of supporters and pledges supporters would like to make, if there were a team. They have also begun selling t-shirts and stickers to further bolster support. An on campus student version has been created and the organization as a whole has begun receiving attention, including that of the media.[6]
Near the end of 2006, a poll was undertaken to see if the topic of football should go to an official student vote. There were over 4,000 votes cast, 97% of them being for the 'yes' option. Currently, the official student vote is underway, running from February 12th to the 25th. Within the first two days, almost 5,000 votes were cast, shattering all previous records for votes cast in any type of student vote. [7][8]
On February 26, 2007, the Student Government Association released the results of a 2-week official student opinion poll in which nearly 40% of all students voted, making this the highest turnout achieved in recent history. Below are some highlights:
* 22% of students voted in support of no fee increase * 78% of students voted in support of a fee increase * 52% of students voted in support of paying at least $200 per year * 59% of students would attend 5 to 6 home games * 72% of students would travel more than 5 miles to attend home games * 56% of students would travel more than 10 miles to attend home games * 59% of students would be more interested in 49er Athletics as a result of football * 12% of students would not consider attending football games after graduation * 62% of students attended at least one college football game at another school last season
[edit] Student Organizations
A large number of student organizations are associated with the university. Ranging from Academic, Graduate, Honor Societies, Interest, International, Multicultural, Political, Religious, Service and Sports. Greek Life, there are over 10 sororities and 14 fraternities at UNC Charlotte.
[edit] University Name
The official name of the university is "The University of North Carolina at Charlotte ". The school's name appears in various fashions in the print media: these include "UNCC" (considered acceptable until recently), "UNC-Charlotte", "North Carolina-Charlotte", and "NC-Charlotte". The athletic department's name change to simply Charlotte in 2000 alleviated this problem in most of the sports media, but the issue of school identity persists. Many students at the university refer to it simply as "Charlotte", leading many people, including Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory, to call for a name change to "The University of Charlotte". UNC Charlotte is sometimes confused with UNC Chapel Hill. This has occurred on such high-profile television programs such as The Today Show and American Idol Show.
[edit] University Nickname
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. It is fortuitous that the campus is also location on N.C. Highway 49 and that Charlotte has a rich gold mining history - the term "49ers" symbolizing gold mining even though the Charlotte area gold preceded the one in California by a number of years. 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.
[edit] 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" also can 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 gownn. The letters "UNC" refer to The University of North Carolina, which was opened in 1795. The word "Charlotte" not only refers to the city but also to the surrounding 11-county metropolitan region, which is the university's primary service area, and the area from which it draws more than 12,500 of its students.
[edit] 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 as chancellor. When UNC Charlotte founder Bonnie Cone heard the March, she said, "I can hear an alma matter in it," referring to a hymn-like refrain. Dr. Robert Rieke, a professor of history, also heard an alma matter in it.
On a 1990 trip to Germany, Rieke visitedd 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.
[edit] Leaders of the university
[edit] Administration Timeline
| Chancellors of UNC Charlotte | Years as Chancellor | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonnie E. Cone | (founder; director, 1946–1949; president, 1949–1965; acting chancellor, 1965–1966) |
| 2 | Dean W. Colvard | (1966–1978) |
| 3 | E. K. Fretwell | (1979–1989) |
| 4 | James H. Woodward | (1989–2005) |
| 5 | Philip L. Dubois | (2005–current) |
[edit] Bonnie E. Cone, founder
Bonnie E. Cone (1907-2003), or Miss Bonnie as she was known to students, was chosen to lead the Charlotte Center in 1946, and she was instrumental in convincing the state to keep the school open in 1949. She was the leader that chose the current site of the school, and helped plan the original campus master plan. Until 1965, she served as president of Charlotte College. She stated that March 2, 1965 was the "happiest day of her life"; it was the day the North Carolina legislature voted to bring Charlotte College into the UNC system. She served as an acting Chancellor of the university until 1966, when Dean Colvard was selected as permanent chancellor. Even though she had led the college since 1946, the State wanted a leader with experience of running a 4-year, public university. Cone and the university were profiled in the July 16, 1965 issue of TIME Magazine. In the article, she stated, "we are not here to elevate ourselves but the institution", when asked about the chancellor position. She served in various official positions until her retirement in 1973, at which time the main campus's student union was renamed the Cone University Center. Cone continued to work on behalf of the school in unofficial capacities until her death in March of 2003. She is interred in the Van Landingham Gardens on the east side of the main campus, and a non-denominational meditation center is planned near the site. She is posthumously known as the founder of the school, a title which she rejected during her lifetime because she felt many people had a hand in creating and building the university. During her lifetime, she received 10 honorary degrees from various colleges and universities and was inducted posthumously into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in recognition to her contributions to North Carolina history. In 2004 the stretch of U.S. Highway 29 near the main campus was officially renamed the "Dr. Bonnie Cone Memorial Highway."
[edit] Chancellors
Dean W. Colvard was appointed the first chancellor of the young university in 1966. A North Carolina native, Colvard had served as president of Mississippi State University (MSU). At MSU he was the first president to defy university policy of not playing against integrated teams when he ordered the men's basketball team to play Loyola University Chicago in 1963. At UNC Charlotte, Colvard took on the challenge of converting the school from a junior college to a 4-year member of the UNC system. He oversaw accreditation of the university, development of University Research Park (now one of the top 5 largest research parks in the country), constructed the first residence halls, created the first graduate programs, and grew the enrollment from about 1,700 to just over 8,000 students. He retired as chancellor in 1978, and currently serves as Chancellor Emeritus. Colvard also received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The Colvard building, completed on the main campus in 1979, is named in his honor and houses the College of Health and Human Services, as well as the Department of Psychology.
The second chancellor of the university, E.K. Fretwell, was named in 1979. Fretwell came to the university from University at Buffalo, where he was president. Under Fretwell, campus enrollment surged from 8,000 students to over 12,000. He oversaw the creation of the Graduate School, created more graduate degrees, integrated the library's card catalog into the Internet in 1983, created the ground work for a major business incubator, helped to develop the university's surrounding neighborhood, and increased academic grants to over $6.1 million dollars. Fretwell retired as chancellor in 1989. He served as interim president of the University of Massachusetts from 1991-1992, and in 1998, he served as the interim president of the University of North Florida. In 1996 UNC Charlotte opened the Fretwell building, dedicated in honor of him and his wife Dorrie. The building headquarters the College of Arts and Sciences. He and his wife live in Charlotte.
James H. Woodward succeeded Fretwell in 1989. Woodward came to UNC Charlotte from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he served as dean of engineering and senior vice president of academic affairs. Under Woodward, enrollment grew to over 19,000 students. Like his predecessors, he continued the growth of the Graduate School, and added various new doctoral programs. He also oversaw the largest fundraising campaign in the school's history and its largest building boom; as of the summer of 2005, no less than six buildings were actively under construction on the main campus. Woodward also oversaw creation of the CRI Campus. Woodward announced his retirement in 2004, and left the office of chancellor on June 30, 2005. Woodward Hall, the main campus's newest science and technology building, was dedicated in his honor on November 16, 2005. Woodward is currently serving as Chancellor Emeritus and teaches in the university's engineering department.
Philip L. Dubois is the fourth and current chancellor, assuming his current duties on July 15, 2005. He returns to Charlotte after serving as the president of the University of Wyoming from 1997 through 2005. Previously, Dubois served as the Provost and professor of political science at UNC Charlotte from 1991 until 1997. Dubois is the first chancellor, along with his wife and children, to occupy the brand new Chancellor's House (known as the Bissel House) on the UNC Charlotte campus that was completed in the winter of 2005. Dubois is expected to oversee the process of the University becoming the third research-extensive university in the State.
[edit] Notable alumni and faculty
Every graduate of UNC Charlotte automatically becomes a member of the Alumni Association, an organization of more than 80,000 former students whose primary purpose is to advance the interests of the university. There are no membership fees, annual dues or initiation rites, but there is an expectation that members will be active participants in the organization. In addition to promoting the interests of UNC Charlotte, the Alumni Association acts as a network of UNC Charlotte graduates who assist each other in their personal, professional and social development, and recognize and cheer the accomplishments of their fellow members. The association offers members a number of benefits and services. Some are in the form of information and communications, including a UNC Charlotte magazine and a quaterly electronic newsletter which keeps alumni up to date on news from the association and the university. The only requirement for membership is that alumni maintain contact with the Office of Alumni Affairs, provide an up-to-date address for alumni files and keep the association informed about their personal progress and career achievements.
[edit] Facts
- The first-ever meeting of the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors was held in the J. Murrey Atkins Library on the UNC Charlotte campus in 1972.
- When Chancellor Fretwell oversaw the library's card catalog system conversion to computers in 1983, the University became the first library in the country to have a computerized card catalog.[citation needed]
- UNC Charlotte is the only university in the country to have three Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Professors of the Year on the faculty at one time.[citation needed]
- By the year 2015, the University is projected to have over 30,000 students.[citation needed]
- UNC Charlotte is the #1 rated University in the country in patents applied for.[citation needed]
- UNC Charlotte is the #2 rated University in the country in patents granted.[citation needed]
- UNC Charlotte is the #1 rated University in the country for number of startup businesses formed.[citation needed]
- UNC Charlotte produces the second largest numbers of new teachers among all 47 of the higher education (public or private) institutions in the State of North Carolina.[citation needed]
[edit] Points of interest
Art Galleries at UNC Charlotte
Botanical Gardens at UNC Charlotte
Performing Arts at UNC Charlotte
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
School
Publications
- NinerOnline.com the online University Times(UT) newspaper of UNC Charlotte
- University Magazine of UNC Charlotte
Alumni
Athletics
Other
- J. Murrey Atkins Library
- Profile of Bonnie E. Cone (PDF, 1.02MB)
- Profile of Dean Colvard (PDF, 588KB)
- Profile of E.K. Fretwell (PDF, 760KB)
- Profile of James H. Woodward
- Profile of Philip Dubois
- Charlotte Research Institute
- Charlotte student apartments
External Reviews
- USNews.com: University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2006)
- Princeton Review site
- US News & World Report Graduate School Reviews
Maps and Aerial Photos
- WikiMapia of UNC Charlotte
- Street map from Google Maps
- Street map from Yahoo Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps
- Satellite image from Microsoft Virtual Earth
[edit] References
| The Atlantic 10 |
|---|
| Charlotte • Dayton • Duquesne • Fordham • George Washington • La Salle • UMass • Rhode Island • Richmond • Saint Bonaventure • Saint Joseph's • Saint Louis • Temple • Xavier |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Educational institutions established in 1946 | Atlantic 10 Conference | Charlotte, North Carolina | Universities and colleges in North Carolina | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | University of North Carolina
