THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE
Mission, VISION, CORE VALUES, AND
DISTINCTIVENESS of the University
History of the University of North Carolina at
Pembroke
The Campus
MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1887 as a school
for the education of American Indians, The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke now serves a distinctly diverse student body and encourages inclusion
and appreciation for the values of all people. UNC Pembroke exists to promote
excellence in teaching and learning, at the graduate and undergraduate levels,
in an environment of free inquiry, interdisciplinary collaboration, and
rigorous intellectual standards.
Our diversity and our
commitment to personalized teaching uniquely prepare our students for rewarding
careers, postgraduate education, leadership roles, and fulfilling lives. We
cultivate an international perspective, rooted in our service to and
appreciation of our multi-ethnic regional society, which prepares citizens for
engagement in global society. Students are encouraged to participate in
activities that develop their intellectual curiosity and mold them into
responsible stewards of the world.
UNCP faculty and staff are
dedicated to active student learning, engaged scholarship, high academic
standards, creative activity, and public service. We celebrate our heritage as
we enhance the intellectual, cultural, economic, and social life of the region.
VISION STATEMENT
The University of North
Carolina at Pembroke will challenge students to embrace difference and adapt to
change, think critically, communicate effectively, and become responsible
citizens. Working from a strong foundation in the liberal arts, we will
increase opportunities to infuse our curriculum with interdisciplinary
innovation while promoting undergraduate and graduate research as well as
international opportunities.
CORE VALUES STATEMENT
The faculty and staff of UNC
Pembroke are guided by the following set of core values:
1) The commitment to serving the local region
2) The creation, exploration, evaluation, and
articulation of ideas
3) The value of a liberal arts foundation as the basis
of self-realization and lifelong learning
4) The importance of honor and integrity to learning
and leadership as we educate students to be stewards of the world
5) The appreciation of the American Indian history of
the university and local community
6) The appreciation of diversity and respect for the
dignity and worth of every individual
7) The commitment to prepare graduate and
undergraduate students to succeed in an ever-changing and increasingly
technological global environment
8) The accessibility of education which leads to the
enhancement of the economy and culture in the region
9) The maintenance of a sustainable, safe, healthful,
attractive, and accessible campus
INSTITUTIONAL DISTINCTIVENESS
STATEMENT
The University of North
Carolina at Pembroke distinguishes itself from peer institutions by offering an
affordable, highly personalized, student-centered education to diverse
students. Founded in 1887 as an American
Indian institution to serve the Lumbee people, UNCP
is now also comprised of students, faculty, and staff who possess differing
attributes based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability
status, national origin, age, political affiliation, religion, and other
characteristics. Diversity grounds intellectual pursuits
and provides us with opportunities for discovery and ways to integrate all
individuals and groups into the larger community, respecting and valuing their
uniqueness while simultaneously advancing the University’s historical
tradition. UNC Pembroke thus
prepares its students for life and leadership within a diverse society.
HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE
On March 7, 1887 the General
Assembly of North Carolina enacted legislation sponsored by Representative
Hamilton McMillan of Robeson County creating the Croatan
Normal School. The law, which was in response to a petition from the Indian
people of the area, established a Board of Trustees and appropriated five
hundred dollars to be used only for salaries. A building was
constructed by the local people at a site about one mile west of the present
location, and the school opened with fifteen students and one teacher in
the fall of 1887. For many years the instruction was at the elementary and
secondary level, and the first diploma was awarded in 1905.
The school was moved to its
present location in Pembroke, the center of the Indian community, in 1909. The
General Assembly changed the name of the institution in 1911 to the Indian
Normal School of Robeson County, and again in 1913 to the Cherokee Indian
Normal School of Robeson County. In 1926 the Board of Trustees added a two‑year
normal program beyond high school and phased out elementary instruction. The
first ten diplomas were awarded in 1928, when the state accredited the school
as a “standard normal school.”
Additional college classes
were offered beginning in 1931, and in 1939 a fourth year was added with the
first degrees conferred in 1940. In recognition of its new status, the General
Assembly changed the name of the school in 1941 to Pembroke State College for
Indians. Until 1953 it was the only state‑supported four‑year
college for Indians in the nation. The scope of the institution was
widened in 1942 when non‑teaching baccalaureate degrees were added, and
in 1945 when enrollment, previously limited to the Indians of Robeson County,
was opened to people from all federally‑recognized Indian groups. A few
years later, in 1949, the General Assembly shortened the name to Pembroke State
College.
The Board of Trustees approved
the admission of White students up to forty percent of the total enrollment in
1953 and, following the Supreme Court’s school desegregation decision, opened
the College to all qualified applicants without regard to race in 1954. Growth
of over five hundred percent followed during the next eight years. In 1969 the
General Assembly changed the name again to Pembroke State University and made
the institution a regional university. Such universities were authorized “to
provide undergraduate and graduate instruction in liberal arts, fine arts, and
science, and in the learned professions, including teaching” and to “provide
other graduate and undergraduate programs of instruction as are deemed
necessary to meet the needs of their constituencies and of the State.”
Three years later, in 1972,
the General Assembly established the sixteen‑campus
University of North Carolina with Pembroke State University as one of the
constituent institutions. The new structure was under the control of the Board
of Governors, which was to coordinate the system of higher education, improve
its quality, and encourage economical use of the state’s resources. The Board
of Governors approved the implementation of master’s programs in professional
education by Pembroke State University in 1978, as well as several new
undergraduate programs. Since that time additional baccalaureate programs have
been added, including nursing, and master’s level programs have been
implemented in Business Administration, Public Administration, School
Counseling, and Service Agency Counseling.
The University of North
Carolina at Pembroke celebrated its centennial in 1987. On July 1, 1996,
Pembroke State University officially became The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke.
In 2000, a major in applied
physics and four new master of arts programs were
added. An office of International Programs and the Esther G.
Maynor
Honors College were also instituted to
enhance scholarship. Since then,
the University has added new baccalaureate programs, including Spanish and
environmental science, as well as new graduate degrees, including the Master of
School Administration (M.S.A.), the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), and
the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.).
Many classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels are available
through distance learning, including the Internet.
THE CAMPUS
The University of North
Carolina at Pembroke occupies 126 acres along the western edge of the town of
Pembroke in Robeson County, North Carolina. It is easily accessible by automobile, ten miles from
Interstate 95 and two miles from U.S. 74.
Commercial airline service is available at the Fayetteville Regional
Airport, Grannis Field, and at the Southern
Pines/Pinehurst Airport, each 40 miles from the campus. A map
of the University campus is available on the University website at
www.uncp.edu/map.
The main entrance is on Odum Road, which runs north from NC 711. Here Lumbee Hall (1995) houses the Chancellor’s
Office and the Offices of Academic Affairs, Graduate Studies, Business Affairs,
Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Advancement, as well as Admissions
(undergraduate and graduate), the Registrar, Financial Aid, the Controller,
University Counsel,
University and Community Relations, and Alumni Relations.
Also on the north end of
campus are the Walter J. Pinchbeck Maintenance Building (2004), named for a UNCP superintendent of buildings
and grounds, which houses offices and garage facilities for university
vehicles; the Soccer Field; the Intramurals Field; the LRA Softball Field; the Cox Baseball Field; the Allied Health Building (2012); Sampson Hall (2007), named for Oscar R.
Sampson, a Chair of the UNCP Board of Trustees, which houses the Department of
Psychology, the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and the Department of
Sociology and Criminal Justice; and the Adolph L.
Dial Humanities Building (1980),
named for a professor of American Indian history, which houses the Departments
of English and Theatre, Foreign Languages, and History, as well as the
University Writing Center, a lecture theatre, and the English Resource Center.
The English E. Jones Health and Physical
Education Center (1972, 2005), named for a former Chancellor, houses the Department of
Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and has two gymnasiums, a natatorium
with a swimming pool and diving tank, a wellness center, a physiology
laboratory, and a small lecture hall.
The Givens Performing Arts Center (1975), named for former Chancellor Paul R. Givens,
houses the Theatre Arts program and provides an amphitheater‑style auditorium
for an audience of 1600.
In the center of campus, the Business Administration Building (1969) houses the School of Business and the
Department of Public Administration, a computer lab, and the Interactive Video
Facility. The Education Center
(1976) houses the School of Education, the Office of University-School Programs, the Teacher
Education Licensure Office, the Teaching Fellows Program, and curriculum and
computer labs for Education majors. The Nursing Department is housed in the Nursing Building
(1965, 1987).
Also centrally located are
university facilities. In the James B.
Chavis University Center (1987),
named for a Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, the lower level houses the
Information Booth, cafeteria, snack bar, a bowling alley, TV/games areas, and
student and faculty lounges; on the second floor are a Commuter Lounge, the
Counseling and Testing Center, Career Center, and the offices of Student Life,
Greek Life, Intramurals, and Student Government. The University
Center Annex (2007) includes three conference rooms, a multi-purpose
assembly room with two dressing rooms and a catering kitchen, and the offices
of Housing and Residence Life, Veterans Education and Transition (VET)
Assistance, the Indianhead yearbook, and The
Aurochs literary magazine. Carter Hall (2008) houses the Division of Information Technology. The D. F. Lowry Building (1965), named after the first graduate of the Indian
Normal School, contains the Department of Social Work,
the Teaching and Learning Center, the College Opportunity Program, Disability
Support Services, the DoIT Help Desk, and a study
room. Student Health Services (1967) has examination and treatment rooms and 22
inpatient beds. The Business
Services Building (1977, 2006)
receives deliveries and houses the University Bookstore, the Campus Post
Office, the Braves Card office, the Print Shop, and the Office of Purchasing Services,
as well as Receiving and Central Stores; the office of Police and Public Safety
is located on the side of the building, across from Oak Hall. The Irwin Belk Athletic Complex (2002) includes Grace P. Johnson
Stadium, Lumbee Guaranty Bank Field, and the Dick and
Lenore Taylor Track for football and track and field; adjacent to it is the Bob Caton Field
House (2007). The West Office Building (2001) houses the
Office of Distance Education; adjacent to it are the Dogwood Office Building, which houses the Center for Sponsored
Research and Programs and the Family Life Center; the International House, home of the Office of International Programs;
and, next to it, Magnolia House, home of
the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
The south of campus is a
quadrangle with a pond and amphitheater, a bell tower, and a gazebo. Locklear
Hall (1950), named for Robeson County educator Anderson Locklear, houses a
gallery, classrooms, and studios of the Art Department. Moore
Hall (1951),
named for Rev. W. L. Moore, the first teacher at the Indian Normal School,
contains the Music Department classrooms, auditorium, library, and studios, as
well as an annex with practice rooms and facilities for the university band and
chorus. Jacobs Hall (1961), named for
Board of Trustees chair Rev. L. W. Jacobs, houses the Center for Academic
Excellence, the Center for Adult Learners, Upward Bound, Student Support
Services, some offices for University and Community Relations, and other
offices.
To the south of the
quadrangle, on NC 711, is the Mary
Livermore Library (1967, 1997), named
after a religion professor. The
library provides access to approximately 368,000 volumes, 30,000 periodical
titles (print and electronic), the University Archives, and a depository for
U.S. government documents, as well as extensive electronic resources. Next door is
historic Old Main (1923, restored
1979). Its first floor houses the
Multicultural Center, the Center for Leadership and Service, the television
station (WNCP-TV), and the Native American Resource Center. On the second floor are the offices of
the College of Arts and Sciences; the Departments of American Indian Studies,
Geology and Geography, and Mass Communication; the Esther G. Maynor Honors College; and the student newspaper, The
Pine Needle. The Herbert G.
Oxendine Science Building (1967,
2004), named for an Academic Dean, provides classrooms, laboratories, computer
labs, and offices for the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics,
Mathematics and Computer Science, and Political
Science.
Most residence halls for
students are located near the center of campus. In addition to Pine
Hall (2000)
and Oak Hall (2007), the two
coeducational residence halls, there are two women’s residence halls, Mary Irwin Belk Hall (1970) and North Hall (1972), and two men’s
residence halls: Wellons Hall (1965), named for university
President Ralph D. Wellons, and West Hall (1965). The University Village Apartments (2003) and
Cypress Hall (2011) are at the north
end of the campus. The Chancellor’s Residence (1952, 1999) is
located on the southwestern edge of the campus.
The Regional Center for Economic, Community, and Professional Development
and the Thomas Family Center for
Entrepreneurship are located off campus at the Carolina Commerce and
Technology Center (COMTech) on Livermore Drive.