Chancellor’s Happy birthday to UNC Pembroke! The university turned 125 years old on March 7th, and we are celebrating this milestone through commencement 2013. This is a time in our history when we need to take stock of our past and step confidently into the future. Our celebration theme—“Honoring Our Heritage, Soaring Toward Our Future!”—calls to mind the fact that our university’s current and future successes rest upon footings laid by previous generations of people, events and accomplishments. The work of our predecessors has made our many achievements possible. While this year we’re taking time to look back to our founding, we also can’t help but marvel at the many changes that have taken place recently on campus and the changes that are to come. The most obvious are physical: We are enjoying new buildings and renovations that are already enhancing our academic and campus life, and we are anticipating future changes across campus. Most notable is the opening of the 80,000 square-foot Health Sciences Building in late May. It is the new home of the nursing and social work programs as well as several biology laboratories. We will break ground on a new Student Health Building in September and will perform extensive renovations to our dining facility in the Chavis Center over the summer. We completed a master plan last June, which proposes many changes to campus over the next 10 to 15 years. The most critical piece of that plan was accomplished this spring—securing approximately 40 acres northeast of the varsity soccer field off Prospect Road, where we plan to develop a sports complex and intramural fields. Over time we will relocate baseball and softball fields and tennis courts to make way for new academic buildings and green space within the current footprint of our campus. Phase One of the sports complex will start next year when we begin development of intramural fields at the site. I invite you to learn more about our master plan by visiting: www.uncp.edu/fm/. A more subtle transition is occurring in the classroom. Faculty are raising expectations and providing extramural opportunities for students to apply what they are learning. In a recent survey of seniors, 95 percent indicated that faculty set high expectations for them, and 89 percent stated that faculty encouraged active learning. Now, undergraduate research is commonplace across our campus and increasing. We see students engaged in service learning, co-ops, practicums and internships where they apply course content and make a difference in the community. This is an exciting dimension to the high quality education that our students receive from our dedicated faculty. It must be paying off because the overall GPA for our undergraduates is the highest in our history. I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “The only thing certain in life is death and taxes.” I want to add one more certainty: retirement! At some point in our careers, this event is inevitable. It is that time now for several long-time UNC Pembroke administrators: Dr. Diane Jones (VC Student Affairs), Neil Hawk (VC Business Affairs), Jackie Clark (VC Enrollment Management), Sandy Waterkotte (VC Advancement), Dr. Robert Orr (CIO), and Dr. Elinor Foster (dean of Library Services). Collectively, they have served UNCP more than 90 years. Each has added his or her mark on the university over the last decade(s). I will miss their leadership and thoughtful counsel, but I share their joy as they enter a new phase in their lives: a more leisurely lifestyle and grandchildren. To their credit, they built strong units that will carry on as we search for their replacements, anticipated by year’s end. In contrast, the university welcomed several new leaders to campus: Wendy Lowery became vice chancellor for Advancement last October, and several key dean appointments occurred this spring: Dr. Mark Canada (Arts and Sciences), Dr. Mark Milewicz (Honors College), and Dr. Rami Maysami (School of Business). Over the next nine months, I will be busy searching for additional creative, energetic leaders who will embrace UNC Pembroke and all it represents. As we close out this academic year, I can report we’ve had a great run. UNC Pembroke remains focused on its strategic themes of cultivating student success, being an institution of choice and continuing regional engagement—all within the challenging financial climate of the new normal. As we complete initiatives in each of these strategic areas, we will become a stronger institution and provide even clearer pathways to success for our students. In future editions of UNCP Today we will bring you stories of students, faculty and staff related to each of these themes to show how the university is affecting individual lives and the region we serve. I am excited about the progress our institution continues to make. We are making your diploma more valuable each day! Kyle R. Carter, Chancellor 2 UNCP Today Spring 2012