ACADEMIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES
Summer School
Through the Office of Academic Affairs in Lumbee
Hall, the University offers a three‑week MayMester,
two five‑week terms, and two three‑week intra‑sessions. Special workshops and institutes enrich the
regular summer program, and visiting specialists augment the regular faculty
when the need arises.
Through many curricular and extra‑curricular
activities, the summer session provides special opportunities for teachers and
others who are free for summer study.
Many courses and workshops are open to individuals not seeking a
university degree but interested in gaining personal or professional knowledge.
A student entering The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke for the first time as a beginning freshman, a transfer student, or a
student who is returning to the University after an absence of one semester or
more must meet all requirements for admission.
Transient students—students who are regularly enrolled at
another institution of higher education and who wish to take courses at UNC
Pembroke during the Summer Session for transfer to their home institution—must
submit a form available from the Registrar’s Office. This form must show that
they are in good standing at their home institution and have their Dean’s or
Registrar’s permission to enroll at UNCP. Admission to the Summer Session does
not constitute admission to the University.
In‑service teachers who wish to attend the Summer
Session for license renewal or other purposes must submit an application. The
application form and Summer Session Catalog may be obtained from the Academic
Affairs Office.
Distance Education
With funding from the North Carolina Legislature, The
University of North Carolina implemented distance education in 1999 as a method
of providing statewide educational access through alternative program delivery
methods to place-bound, non-traditional students. Consistent with The
University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s credo to encourage and promote “the
pursuit of education as a lifelong experience so that its graduates will be
equipped to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century,” the Office of
Distance Education functions primarily as a portal that provides the
administrative support framework for various academic departments participating
in exporting their courses and degree programs across the state and
beyond. Programs designed for distance education delivery are offered
through face-to-face, interactive video, online, and hybrid formats. Distance Education at UNC Pembroke is a
dynamic program that seeks to meet the workforce needs of North Carolinians.
Off-Campus
Sites: Through the Office of Distance Education, UNC Pembroke
provides opportunities for place-bound, non-traditional students to participate
in several degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) at a variety of
off-campus sites across the Southeast region of North Carolina, including Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, Richmond
Community College in Hamlet, Fayetteville Technical Community College in
Fayetteville, Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, and Fort Bragg
Military Installation in Fayetteville. At these remote locations, students can
take courses and complete their degree programs without having to come to the
main campus.
Online
Programs: The Office of Distance Education coordinates and supports the
development, authorization, and implementation of online degree programs.
Internet-based programs include the B. S. in Business Administration with a
concentration in Management and the B.A. in Criminal Justice. At the graduate
level, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) is available in an online
format. Several stand-alone courses in the School of Education, the School of
Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences are also delivered fully or
partially online to fulfill varying student needs. Specific information about online courses and
programs may be obtained by contacting the Office of Distance Education or the
appropriate academic department. The Office of Distance Education collaborates
with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Electronic Campus by posting
UNC Pembroke’s online courses and programs on the Electronic Campus dashboard
each semester for participation by e-learners from SREB states.
Quality
Assurance in Distance Education Courses: The academic integrity of UNC Pembroke’s distance
education programs is assured, in part, by insisting that regular faculty teach
a significant number of the courses. Further, the full-time faculty
who teach distance education courses are supplemented by a cadre of
well-qualified and properly credentialed adjunct faculty. With the launch of
UNC Online in 2008, the Online Quality Council was formed with the mandate of
making ongoing recommendations for quality assurance in online programs at all
17 constituent campuses of The University of North Carolina. UNC Pembroke is
represented on the council. The Office of Distance Education works with the
Teaching and Learning Center, DoIT, and the Library
to provide the requisite training for faculty who teach online or in the
interactive video classroom.
Additionally, one-on-one support is also provided for instructors who
develop courses for online delivery.
Support
Services: Working in conjunction with various student support services,
the Office of Distance Education assures that online and off-campus students
are seamlessly linked to critical learning resources and services. A full-time distance education staff is
available at each of the major Distance Education sites to respond to student
inquiries, assist with registration for classes, schedule instructional space,
proctor exams for off-campus and online classes, and arrange instructional
resources for faculty. Additionally, the
Office of Distance Education provides orientation for new online students as
well as maintaining equipment at off-site interactive video classrooms.
Library
Services: The Mary Livermore Library employs a full-time Distance Education
Librarian who provides students with individualized reference and instructional
services and expedites document delivery services where research materials
(books, reports, articles, etc.) are sent directly to the students. Some
materials are digitized and mailed to students. The Mary Livermore Library
houses over 300,000 cataloged volumes and
30,000 subscriptions to print and electronic serials and provides access to
more than 250 electronic databases.
Lateral
Entry Teacher Certification Support: Working in concert with UNC
Pembroke’s School of Education and the North Carolina Model Teacher Consortium
(NCMTEC), the Office of Distance Education supports lateral entry teacher
education candidates who take courses online to complete state licensure requirements. As mandated by the UNC Tomorrow Commission in
2007, “UNC should increase access to its educational programs—including
academic courses, degree programs at all levels, and certificate programs—for
traditional students, non-traditional students, and lifelong learners” (UNC
Tomorrow Recommendation 4.2.1). The Lateral Entry Teacher Education
Certification program is certainly one of the creative ways in which UNC
Pembroke is contributing to workforce development.
Mary Livermore and Other Library Services
Named for a former UNCP Dean of Women and Professor of
Religious Education, the Mary Livermore Library serves as the chief information
resource center for the Pembroke campus and also as a link with other libraries
within The University of North Carolina and the world.
Providing approximately 368,000 volumes and 30,000 periodical
subscriptions (print and electronic), the Livermore Library serves as a
depository for selected state and federal documents and houses local history
materials, including the Charlie Rose Archival Collection. Library patrons are offered services which
include reference and information consultation and assistance, assistance with
computerized database searching, interlibrary loan, orientation tours, and
library use instruction.
Resources available to patrons include print materials for
research and recreational reading; print and on-line databases; a computerized
catalog; Internet access; microform and photo copiers; typing and study
facilities; a computer laboratory; and multimedia equipment and materials.
The resources are available to patrons 105.5 hours a week
during academic sessions, with extended hours during fall and spring exam
periods, and on a reduced schedule during summer, holiday, and between‑session
time periods. For information concerning services and hours, please phone the
circulation desk at 910.521.6516.
Specialized
libraries, featuring resources appropriate to particular programs and
departments, are found in several locations. In the Educational Center, the
Department of Education maintains a Curriculum Laboratory and a Test Review
Resource Center. Moore Hall houses a Music Library featuring recordings,
scores, and listening facilities.
Division of Information Technology (DoIT)
The Division of Information Technology (DoIT)
provides the technical resources necessary to meet the University’s mission of
teaching, research, and service. The
office operates a campus-wide network with a 2 Gb
fiber backbone and a 1 Gb connection to the North
Carolina Research and Education Network (NC-REN). NC-REN
provides access to the Internet and Internet2.
All buildings have LAN access and dedicated 100 Mb desktop connections. ResNet connections are available in each residence hall
room, and CommuterNet is available in selected areas
of the Chavis University Center and the Mary Livermore Library. Wireless access
is available throughout all academic buildings and in the majority of residence
halls. The office also supports the campus business voice network with voice
over IP technology (VoIP) that provides a number of
services including voice mail.
To facilitate
campus computing, DoIT operates dual data centers
with mirrored hardware and storage.
Servers include an array of Sun, Hewlett Packard, and Dell servers and
blade centers, NetApp and Sun Storage Area Networks
(SAN), Sun disk backup, and Dell tape libraries. Many servers and SANs
are clustered for high availability.
The office provides traditional and computer-based training
for faculty, staff, and students.
Individual support is available to faculty or staff, and faculty may
request workshops tailored to the needs of specific classes. Information
Technology provides technical support for over 56 microcomputer labs and
directly supervises the Livermore Library lab.
Help Desk assistance is available during normal business hours at (910)
521-6260 or helpdesk@uncp.edu
or 24/7 Blackboard support at 866-518-3954.
DoIT also manages the Interactive Video
Facility, which provides H.323 and H.239 videoconferencing. These allow UNCP to participate in live,
two-way video classes and conferences with other sites connected to NC-REN and
the North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH).
Academic Computing Resources
UNC Pembroke recognizes the importance of computer skills.
Although no specific computer courses are required, students have many
opportunities to gain computer proficiency. Freshman Seminar classes include
sections on computing. In freshman
composition, most students learn how to use a word processor and use it for
writing papers. All Teacher Education programs require the development of basic
computer skills, and students majoring in Business Administration are required
to take BUS 1090, Business Uses of the Computer. Most departments expect students to use
computer software in some courses. In
addition, DoIT offers free training for students and
faculty throughout the year.
UNC Pembroke provides its students with a wealth of computer
resources. Each classroom building
houses one or more microcomputer laboratories that are available during normal
business hours. In addition, the Chavis University Center laboratory is
available 24 hours a day, the Mary Livermore Library laboratory is available
for evening and weekend use, and the Pine and Oak Hall labs are available to
residents of those residence halls at any time and to all UNCP students during the
hours that the desks are staffed. All
campus lab computers run either Windows XP or Mac OS X and provide a variety of
software including Microsoft Office and a choice of Internet browsers. Specialized labs include the Reissner 3-D Lab and the Cartography Lab. Macintosh computers are located in Mary
Livermore Library, Moore Hall, and Locklear Hall.
All permanent
faculty members have their choice of a Windows or Macintosh computer, desktop
or laptop, with access to the campus LAN, the Internet, and Internet2 from
their office. Most classrooms have LAN
connections, computers, and digital projectors.
Blackboard is used to support class web sites. DoIT offers laptops
and digital projectors for faculty checkout for short periods.
Faculty
have access to
email, web hosting, network file storage, and course web sites in
Blackboard. Students have access to the
Microsoft hosted BraveMail system and network
file storage and may access the campus LAN from any computer lab or their dorm
rooms. Student accounts can be created
online at http://braveweb.uncp.edu.
Online access to grades and registration is available at http://braveweb.uncp.edu.
Media Center
The Media Center, located in Jacobs Hall, provides media
services to academic departments, the testing center, the library, and other
University units. In addition, the
center provides services to the community and to students, as directed by the
Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Resources and Chief Information
Officer.
University Writing Center
The University Writing Center, Dial Humanities Building 131,
assists UNCP students at any stage in the writing process, from conception and
organization to revision and publication. The Writing Center staff works with
students on any writing task, helping students focus, select, organize, and
develop ideas in early drafts of writing and helping them review, improve, and
strengthen later drafts before submission. Writing Center users have access to
networked computers and printers and an extensive collection of writing
reference materials. The Writing Center also provides assistance in
computer-assisted writing and research, in cooperation with faculty and other
campus support areas.
The University Writing Center staff includes a full-time
director and a group of upperclassmen and graduate students from across the
disciplines, chosen by the director, who have extensive training in the writing
process, tutoring, and their Writing Center responsibilities. The director of
the Writing Center communicates frequently with faculty to determine both the
general needs of classes and the particular needs of individual students who
use the center’s services.
The University Writing Center opened at UNCP in May 1994 as a
Title III-funded student support program and was granted permanent
institutional support by the Office of Academic Affairs and the Department of
English and Theatre in August
1998.
Center for Academic Excellence
The Center for Academic Excellence, located in Jacobs Hall,
Suite H, is designed to provide a support system for students through numerous
programs and activities: academic advisement, career/major counseling, major
declaration, and Early Alert consultation. Through the Early Alert Program, a
professor or staff member may recommend that a student seek help for a problem
that threatens the student’s academic success. Continued absence from class is
usually the first and most significant indication that a student should be
referred. Academic advisors from the office work with the student to determine
appropriate help and draws on existing programs and offices to find a workable
solution. In addition, FRS 1000 (Freshman Seminar) is coordinated through this
office.
Office of International Programs
In today’s global economy, the need for college graduates
equipped with the skills to succeed in that economy, and for faculty prepared
to teach them, has never been greater.
Citizens of all types—whether parents of students, or local or other
residents or interested parties—also need to understand the current world, the
challenges that it presents, and the benefits to be accrued through informed
participation. Businesses, likewise,
must be prepared to compete in—and understand—the complexities of the
contemporary world and marketplace.
The International Programs office advises the university and
others on international matters, directs and carries out the university’s
international education activities, and serves as its main representation
abroad. Consistent with its mandate to
internationalize the university community and to serve as a dynamic resource
for the local community and beyond, the office promotes UNCP abroad; recruits
and supports high-quality international degree-seeking and exchange students
from all over the world; offers, creates, and manages Study Abroad
opportunities for UNCP students while offering students and parents alike
outstanding support from pre-departure onwards; serves as an
internationalization support office for UNCP faculty and for in-bound and
resident foreign scholars; and works with industry and community leaders to
promote international understanding and skill sets. International Programs also directs the
English Language Institute, which is described in more detail below.
Working with the University Counsel, International Programs
is responsible for managing international contracts, has concluded—and
continues to seek—contracts with a large number of high-profile institutions
throughout the world, and offers (in concert with various UNCP offices and
academic departments) cooperative degree and non-degree programs with partner
institutions abroad. International
Programs, in cooperation with the Center for Sponsored Research and Programs,
also coordinates international grant and funding activities, and works closely
with the Office for Advancement.
English Language
Institute/ESL
The English Language Institute (ELI) offers innovative
programs in English as a Second Language (ESL) to UNCP’s
growing population of international students.
Overseen by the International Programs office, ELI offers high-quality
English instruction to non-native speakers.
ELI’s ESL instruction prepares international
students to succeed, both academically and culturally, at UNCP and to perform
at very high levels, whether in the classroom or off-campus in social,
cultural, or professional settings. In
addition to the achievement of linguistic competency, the program also aims at
making international students more comfortable with, and better-informed of,
life in the
Center for Adult Learners
The Center for Adult Learners’ goal is to help meet the needs
of the adult learner who attends UNCP by providing resource and referral
information about campus and community resources. The center is designed to be a comprehensive
resource and referral area for nontraditional students. It offers extended evening hours, a special
freshman seminar class, readiness workshops, academic advising, orientation
programs, and a Peer Mentoring Program. The Center for Adult Learners is
located in Jacobs Hall, Suite F.
TRIO Programs
TRIO Programs at UNCP, located in Jacobs Hall, Suites I, J,
and N, are designed to help meet the academic, cultural, and financial needs of
participants in order that they may achieve a high success rate while in
school. The two projects included are Upward Bound and Student Support
Services.
Upward
Bound is funded to serve seventy‑five Robeson and Hoke County high school students who have the academic
potential to become first‑generation college students but lack certain
skills or motivation to demonstrate that talent. The program consists of an
academic and a summer phase. During the academic phase, students are encouraged
to achieve their educational potential with the help of weekly tutoring
sessions in their high school courses.
Assistance is also provided for seniors in completing college and
financial‑aid applications. During the summer phase, participants live on
campus for six weeks and attend a daily schedule of classes in the mornings and
afternoons. This summer component familiarizes students with college life,
motivating students and developing and enriching their basic skills. Recreational and human development activities
are also incorporated into the schedule.
Student
Support Services is funded to serve two hundred college students at
UNCP. The program offers the following services:
* instruction in Freshman Seminar
* tutoring on a one‑to‑one or a small group basis in all majors offered at the University
* study skills assistance in developing techniques of note‑taking and test‑taking
* assistance in applying for financial aid and scholarship programs
* guidance in academic, vocational, and personal/social concerns
* opportunities to participate in cultural activities
* access to reference and resource materials, which include magazines, paperbacks, and a file on current events.
Disability Support Services
The office of Disability Support Services, located in the
D.F. Lowry Building, provides services to students who are protected by the
Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973. The mission of Disability Support
Services is to create an accessible community where people are judged on their
ability, not their disability.
Disability Support Services strives to provide individuals with the
tools by which they can better accomplish their educational goals.
Disability Support Services may be reached by calling (910)
521-6695 or by email at dss@uncp.edu.
Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm. Appointments are requested. Special
arrangements may be made to meet after hours for those who need it.
Any student requesting services must register with the office,
provide documentation of a disability, and agree to follow the policies and
procedures of Disability Support Services.
An opportunity to register as a student with a disability is provided in
the acceptance package from UNCP’s Admissions Office,
through access statements on syllabi, or by walking in or calling DSS to
request an intake packet. A student may
register with Disability Support Services anytime by making an appointment and
providing necessary information to the Director. Accommodations for students with disabilities
are not retroactive.
North Carolina Health Careers Access Program at UNCP (NC-HCAP)
The North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC‑HCAP)
at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, located in Jacobs Hall, Suite
K, is one of three centers of the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program
(NC‑HCAP). This interinstitutional program of the University of North
Carolina was established in 1971 to address the serious shortage of health
professionals in North Carolina, especially among underrepresented minorities
and disadvantaged population groups. Interested students should contact the
HCAP office at (910) 521‑6673 or (910) 521‑6493 or visit our webpage:
www.uncp.edu/hcap.
Mission: To increase the number of underrepresented minorities
or economically/educationally disadvantaged persons being trained for and
employed in the health professions.
Purpose: The purpose of NC‑HCAP is to provide
recruitment, counseling, and enrichment services and activities for ALL UNCP
students who are interested in pursuing medicine, optometry, dentistry,
veterinary medicine, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatry, public health,
and allied health fields of study.
The NC‑HCAP at The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke serves the Southeast region of North Carolina and offers the following
services and activities:
* provides information on over 200 different
health careers and on a broad range of health professions programs available in
* provides counseling for individuals seeking careers in the health professions for which training is available in the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina system and in the North Carolina technical institutes and community colleges;
* provides retention and enrichment services for students enrolled in pre‑profession health programs;
* provides professional study guides and review materials to assist students in preparing for health professions schools admissions tests (i.e., MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc.);
* provides assistance with AMCAS applications;
* provides assistance with individual student mock interviews;
* coordinates seminars on admission procedures, entrance exams, curriculum requirements, and financial aid for health professions schools and graduate biomedical science programs;
* provides educational field trips to medical centers and health professions schools in North Carolina, and interaction with health professions schools’ faculties, administrators, and students and with practicing health professionals;
* assists students interested in health professions programs in identifying adequate financial aid resources;
* conducts Health Careers Information & Enrichment (HCIE) workshops for high school students and health careers clubs;
* sponsors a Health Careers Club at UNCP for enrolled health science majors and others interested in pursuing careers in the health professions.
Clinical
Health Summer Program (CHSP)
NC-HCAP also sponsors a seven-week educational work/learning
clinical health experience held each year during May through June. The 40‑hour-a-week salaried positions
consist of both clinical experiences in health care agencies and academic
enrichment experiences for underrepresented minorities or
economically/educationally disadvantaged health science majors interested in
health-related careers. For additional
program information, please visit our webpage: www.uncp.edu/hcap/chsp/
Health Careers Opportunity Program at UNCP (HCOP)
Mission: The
mission of the HCOP program is to increase the number of students applying to
and completing health professions curricula, especially students who have
aspirations of returning to rural Southeastern North Carolina to practice their
profession. For information about the program contact the HCOP coordinator at
(910) 521‑6590.
Purpose: The
purpose of HCOP is to increase student awareness of health careers and health
training programs in Medicine, Optometry, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine,
Osteopathic Medicine, Podiatry, Pharmacy, and Public Health.
UNCP Academic Year Activities:
* Support and counseling provided daily by Health Careers office staff.
* Resources available with information and statistics on various health professions.
* A Health Professions Leadership Series designed to address pertinent concerns and issues for health career students.
* Assistance with AMCAS and financial aid packets.
* Special workshops for the development of communication skills, test‑taking skills, science/mathematics problem‑solving workshops.
* Health Profession Examination Review Courses to assist pre‑health students with profession examinations, writing professional essays, and planning course curriculum.
* Interview techniques to enhance admission to health professions institutions.
* Monthly seminars pertaining to professional development and admissions advocacy with health profession schools.
* Field trips to recruitment fairs, health profession schools, hospitals, and clinics.
* Information on financial aid, research fellowships, summer programs, and grant opportunities for pre‑health students.
Summer Science Enrichment Program:
This six‑week summer program, held on the campus at
UNCP, is designed to expose graduating high school seniors to a
university-level pre‑health curriculum.
This program includes courses in mathematics, biology,
chemistry, physics, computer science, master student/study skills, and
oral/written communications.
The Summer Science Enrichment Program was made possible
through a grant from the U.S. Dept. of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Health Service and Resource
Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Disadvantage
Assistance, Rockville, MD 20857.
Native American Resource Center
The Native American Resource Center is a multi-faceted
research institute and museum. The mission of the Native
American Resource Center is to educate and serve the public about the
prehistory, history, culture, art, and contemporary issues of American Indians,
with special emphasis on the Robeson County Native American community; to
conduct scholarly research; to collect and preserve the material culture of
Native America; to encourage American Indian artists and craftspersons;
and to cooperate on a wide range of projects with other agencies concerned with
American Indians.
Located on the first floor of Old Main, the Center offers a
rich collection of authentic American Indian artifacts, handicrafts, art,
books, and audio and video recordings about Native Americans. An exciting
variety of exhibits is on display, including prehistoric tools and weapons, 19th
century Lumbee household and farm equipment, and
contemporary Indian art. Indian cultures from various parts of the
WNCP Television Station
WNCP-TV is the University’s cable television station. The
station is operated by the students, staff, and faculty of the Department of
Mass Communication and supports the academic program in Broadcasting by
providing its students with a strong practical working environment to gain needed
production experience.
WNCP-TV also supports both the university and the surrounding
communities by providing programming to regional broadcast and cable outlets
and the web.
The shows produced for WNCP-TV cover a wide range of topics
including news, sports, public affairs, entertainment, and special programs
such as live events around the campus.
WNCP-TV facilities include a three-camera studio, control
room, video editing suites, Macintosh lab, and remote production van.
The Teaching and Learning Center
The Teaching and Learning Center promotes teaching excellence
by generating the ideas, activities, and enthusiasm that foster quality
teaching and learning. The TLC seeks to foster an environment where teaching is
rewarded and recognized as an opportunity and a privilege. It provides faculty with opportunities to
attend weekly presentations and workshops on teaching, the annual Summer
Institute on Online and Hybrid Course Development, and the annual Faculty Development
Day. Faculty can also participate in
teaching circles; have access to learning resources; and apply for grants for
research and professional development, teaching enhancement, and travel to
professional conferences.
The Teaching and Learning Center
provides instructional design services to assist faculty with the incorporation
of technology into teaching, assists faculty with the preparation of promotion
and tenure materials, and facilitates the preparation of departmental plans for
the assessment of student learning outcomes. The TLC also provides mentors for
new faculty and participates in the annual New Faculty Orientation Program.
Center for Sponsored Research and Programs
The Center for Sponsored Research and Programs facilitates
the University’s sponsored research, grant, contract, and cooperative agreement
activities. The center’s staff provides
guidance and assistance to faculty and staff in identifying funding sources,
developing grant proposals, and ensuring compliance with University and federal
regulations. Additionally, the center
maintains University-wide grant records and reports institutional grant
activity to the UNC system. Grant
programs include research grants, national research service awards, research
career programs, instructional and training projects, undergraduate research
opportunities, minority programs in science and math, community outreach
programs, and economic development projects, partnerships, and cooperative agreements. The office conducts grant writing workshops
on various aspects of proposal development and grant management. Forms for developing proposals may be found
at http://www.uncp.edu/csrp.
Institutional Effectiveness
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness collects and
analyzes data regarding students, faculty and staff, facilities, and
institutional programs, services and operations. Reports generated from this data are used internally
to support institutional decision making and planning, and are also
disseminated to the
Regional Center for Economic, Community, and Professional Development
The Regional
Center for Economic, Community, and Professional Development is located off
campus at the Carolina Commerce and Technology Center (COMTech)
on Livermore Drive. Established in 2000,
the mission of the Regional Center fosters regional collaboration, enhances
business development, and empowers communities for quality of life betterment
in southeastern North Carolina. The
Regional Center addresses the diverse needs of the region through initiatives
to increase resources, establish networks, and provide training. The Regional
Center provides outreach services to the citizens, businesses, governments and
nonprofit organizations throughout the region. These outreach services are
executed in cooperation with organizations to provide management development
programs, health care initiatives, customized training, consulting, grants
development, planning and technical assistance, conference designing and
implementation, and economic and social research.
Professional
Development: The
center offers non-credit workshops leading to certificates in areas such as
management development and leadership development with concentrated study in
group dynamics, communications, quality, change, and strategic planning. These programs are offered to the public but
can also be tailored to meet an organization’s specific needs, with instruction
arranged on-site and online, and courses may qualify for Continuing Education
Units of credit (CEUs).
Short
Courses, Institutes, and Conferences: In addition to helping students
meet licensure requirements, the University meets special needs of students
through this program and continues the tradition of providing education to all
segments of the population for
personal and professional enrichment. The University awards Continuing
Education Units (CEUs) to participants in qualified
programs. Continuing Education Units are a part of a nationwide recording
system to provide a uniform measure of attainment in non‑credit
educational programs. One CEU at UNC Pembroke is defined as “ten contact hours
of participation in an organized continuing education experience under
responsible, capable direction, and qualified instruction.”
Lifelong Learning Institute: The Regional Center offers programming to provide the best
personal enrichment education for the mature adult community by providing
intellectually challenging lifelong learning opportunities. It is designed specifically for the adult
population age 50+ who are looking to engage with others in the pursuit of
knowledge, self-betterment, and enjoyment.
Short-term, non-credit courses, workshops, study trips, and special
events are provided so that individuals can “experience the Pembroke personal
touch because learning has no age limit.”
Youth Programs: The Regional Center provides numerous opportunities for youth
involvement to include summer programs such as Kids College, Teen College, EntreU, Summer
Transportation Institute, Summer Science Symposiums, and other learning
academies in areas such as biotechnology, science, health, computer science,
and entrepreneurship.
Small
Business and Technology Development Center: Operated as an inter-institutional program of
The University of North Carolina, SBTDC provides information and individualized
counseling services to citizens who are starting a business or existing
businesses interested in expansion.
Southeastern
Entrepreneurial Alliance (SEA): SEA is an alliance formed to establish a regional
entrepreneurship development system in Bladen, Columbus, Hoke,
Robeson, and Scotland Counties. The
objectives of the Alliance are to create a pipeline of entrepreneurs by
nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations in youth, identifying and supporting potential
entrepreneurs, and fostering an entrepreneur-friendly environment that attracts
entrepreneurs; implement a system of support for all entrepreneurs; and foster
a supportive policy and cultural environment of entrepreneurship within the
public, private, and non-profit sectors of the region.
Community
Services: The center supports
community agencies and the nonprofit sector through services such as grants
assistance, community organizing, and leadership development. Healthy Start, a national infant mortality
initiative, is administered by the Regional Center under Community Health
Alliance, as is the Youth Start Program, with comprehensive services for
in-school youth aged 14-18.
Thomas Family
Center for Entrepreneurship
The Thomas Family Center for
Entrepreneurship (TFCE) is located off campus at the Carolina Commerce and
Technology Center (COMTech). The TFCE management recognizes the correlation between
economic development and entrepreneurship and therefore is committed to
entrepreneurship education and to entrepreneurial development. Its ambition is to stimulate entrepreneurial
thinking amongst the UNCP student body as well as assist and support
entrepreneurs and new ventures in the Southeastern North Carolina region. As a
consequence, the mission of the TFCE is focused on education, research,
planning, and community engagement.
Established in 2006, the TFCE was
enabled by a generous gift from The Thomas Family Foundation, founded by James
and Sally Thomas.
TFCE consultants reach out and
support the community by providing one-on-one consulting and evaluation
services for local entrepreneurs while assisting students in developing
entrepreneurial competencies and knowledge.
The result is to extend entrepreneurship education outside the classroom
by allowing students to work with local entrepreneurs on critical business
challenges. Experiential learning is a
great asset to the entrepreneurship students.
At the same time, local businesses benefit from the knowledge and advice
provided. The TFCE web site (http://www.uncp.edu/tfce/)
provides details on the academic and entrepreneurial business consulting
provided.