University of North Carolina


The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC System to differentiate it from its flagship, UNC-Chapel Hill.
The university system has a total enrollment of over 239,987 students and in 2008 conferred over 75% of all baccalaureate degrees in North Carolina. UNC campuses conferred 43,686 degrees in 2008–2009, the bulk of which were at the bachelor's level, with 31,055 degrees awarded.

History

Foundations
Founded in 1789, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of three schools to claim the title of oldest public university in the United States. It closed from 1871 to 1875, faced with serious financial and enrollment problems during the Reconstruction era. In 1877, the State of North Carolina began sponsoring additional higher education institutions. Over time the state added a women's college, a land-grant university, five historically black institutions and one to educate American Indians. Others were created to prepare teachers for public education and to instruct performing artists.
Early consolidation
During the Depression, the North Carolina General Assembly searched for cost savings within state government. Towards this effort in 1931, it redefined the University of North Carolina, which at the time referred exclusively to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the new Consolidated University of North Carolina was created to include the existing campuses of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State College, and the Woman's College. The three campuses came under the leadership of a single board of trustees and a single president, with "Deans of Administration" serving as day-to-day leaders of the three campuses. In 1945, the title "Dean of Administration" was changed to "Chancellor." By 1969, three additional campuses had joined the Consolidated 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.
Consolidation continued
In 1971, North Carolina passed legislation bringing into the University of North Carolina all 16 public institutions that confer bachelor's degrees. This latest round of consolidation gave each constituent school its own chancellor and board of trustees. In 1985, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, the nation's first public residential high school for gifted students, was declared an affiliated school of the university. In 2007, the high school became a full member of the university.
Statewide shutdown
In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNC System shut down in-person instruction at all of its campuses indefinitely. In an unprecedented move to limit the spread of the disease, institutions were asked to remove as many students from on-campus housing as possible, implement teleworking wherever practical, and to transition to an online learning environment.

Presidents

NameTerm
Rev. Joseph Caldwell1804–1812
Robert Hett Chapman1812–1816
Rev. Joseph Caldwell1816–1835
Elisha Mitchell *1835
David Lowry Swain1835–1868
Rev. Solomon Pool1869–1872
Rev. Charles Phillips1875–1876
Kemp Plummer Battle1876–1891
George Tayloe Winston1891–1896
Edwin Anderson Alderman1896–1900
Francis Preston Venable1900–1914
Edward Kidder Graham1914–1918
Marvin Hendrix Stacy1918–1919
Harry Woodburn Chase1919–1930
Frank Porter Graham1930–1949
William Donald Carmichael, Jr. *1949–1950
Gordon Gray1950–1955
J. Harris Purks *1955–1956
William Clyde Friday1956–1986
Clemmie Spangler1986–1997
Molly Corbett Broad1997–2006
Erskine Bowles2006–2011
Thomas W. Ross2011–2016
Junius J. Gonzales *2016
Margaret Spellings2016–2019
William L. Roper *2019–2020
Peter Hans 2020-

An asterisk denotes acting president.

Legal mandate

The legal authority and mandate for the University of North Carolina is contained in the State's first Constitution, which provided in Article XLI
That a school or schools shall be established by the Legislature, for the convenient instruction of youth,... and all useful learning shall be duly encouraged, and promoted, in one or more universities,

The state legislature granted a charter and funding for the university in 1789.
Article IX of the 1971 North Carolina Constitution deals with all forms of public education in the state. Sections 8 and 9 of that article address higher education.
The General Assembly shall maintain a public system of higher education, comprising The University of North Carolina and such other institutions of higher education as the General Assembly may deem wise. The General Assembly shall provide for the selection of trustees of The University of North Carolina and of the other institutions of higher education, in whom shall be vested all the privileges, rights, franchises, and endowments heretofore granted to or conferred upon the trustees of these institutions. The General Assembly may enact laws necessary and expedient for the maintenance and management of The University of North Carolina and the other public institutions of higher education.

The General Assembly shall provide that the benefits of The University of North Carolina and other public institutions of higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the State free of expense.

Statutory provisions stipulate the current function and cost to students of the University of North Carolina.

Institutions

Within its seventeen campuses, UNC houses two medical schools and one teaching hospital, ten nursing programs, two schools of dentistry, one veterinary school and hospital, and a school of pharmacy, as well as a two law schools, 15 schools of education, three schools of engineering, and a school for performing artists. The oldest university, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, first admitted students in 1795. The smallest and newest member is the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a residential two-year high school, founded in 1980 and a full member of the University since 2007. The largest university is North Carolina State University, with 34,340 students as of fall 2012.
While the official names of each campus are determined by the North Carolina General Assembly, abbreviations are determined by the individual school.
Official name
Official abbrev.LocationEnrollment
As of Fall 2019		Carnegie ClassificationFoundedNicknameJoined systemReferences
Appalachian State University
ASU,
App State
Boone, Watauga County19,280master's university1899Mountaineers1972
East Carolina University
ECU,
East Carolina
Greenville, Pitt County28,651doctoral/research university1907Pirates1972
Elizabeth City State University
ECSUElizabeth City, Pasquotank County1,772baccalaureate college1891Vikings1972
Fayetteville State University
FSUFayetteville, Cumberland County6,551master's university1867Broncos1972
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
NC A&TGreensboro, Guilford County12,556doctoral/research university1891Aggies1972
North Carolina Central University
NCCU,
NC Central
Durham, Durham County8,011master's university1909Eagles1972
North Carolina State University
NCSU,
NC State or State
Raleigh, Wake County36,304doctoral/research university1887Wolfpack1932
University of North Carolina at Asheville
UNCA or
Asheville		Asheville, Buncombe County3,600baccalaureate college1927Bulldogs1969
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

UNC-CH, North Carolina, or Carolina
Chapel Hill, Orange County29,877doctoral/research university1789Tar Heels1932
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
UNC Charlotte,
Charlotte
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County29,615doctoral/research university194649ers1965
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
UNCGGreensboro, Guilford County20,196doctoral/research university1891Spartans1932
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
UNCPPembroke, Robeson County7,698master's university1887Braves1972
University of North Carolina Wilmington
UNCWWilmington, New Hanover County17,499doctoral/research university1947Seahawks1969
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
UNCSAWinston-Salem, Forsyth County1,086special-focus institution1963The Fighting Pickle1972
Western Carolina University
WCU,
Western Carolina
Cullowhee, Jackson County12,167master's university1889Catamounts1972
Winston-Salem State University
WSSUWinston-Salem, Forsyth County5,124baccalaureate college1892Rams1972
North Carolina School of Science and MathematicsNCSSMDurham, Durham County680residential high school1980Unicorns2007

Affiliates