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UNCP Trustees
Hear About Record Enrollment
It's official.
UNC Pembroke Chancellor
Allen C. Meadors reported to the Board
of Trustees Friday - for the third year in a row - that the university
has broken all-time enrollment records.
In other action,
the Board of Trustees officially named the Track and Soccer Complex
for Charlotte philanthropist Irwin Belk and the track itself for Dick
and Lenore Taylor of Lumberton.
Mr. Belk, retired
president of Belk stores and a long time contributor to higher education,
contributed $250,000 for permanent seating, press box, lockers and offices
and the new Belk Track and Soccer Complex. Dick and Lenore Taylor contributed
$50,000.
Early indications
pointed to another record year for enrollment, and Chancellor Meadors
confirmed it. He reported record enrollment of:
- 4,433 students
(a 12.7% increase from 2001 and a 48% increase from 1999)
- 724 freshmen
(a 3.7% increase)
- 429 transfer
students (a 15.1% increase from 2001)
- 482 graduate
students (a 12.8% increase from 2001)
- 186 full-time
faculty (24 new faculty positions were added this year.)
- 941 Native American
students
- 916 African American
students
- 812 education
majors (a 17.1% increase from 2001)
All figures listed
above are all-time records for UNCP.
"The University
of North Carolina at Pembroke is the fastest growing university in the
state - public or private - over the last three years," Chancellor
Meadors said.
"The most amazing
number of all is the 37 percent growth in Native American students since
1999, at a time when the number of Native American high school graduates
is declining," Chancellor Meadors said.
"We are also
very, very proud of the increase in students seeking certification in
education," Chancellor Meadors said. "There are 47 universities
in North Carolina that train teachers and none of them can match that
increase."
Since 1999, UNCP
has increased the number of education majors by 78.5 percent. Elementary
education is now the most popular major on campus.
"Another number
that defies conventional logic is that our freshman SAT average is up
11 points," Chancellor Meadors said. "A lot of people said
that growth in enrollment would result in a decline in the academic
standards for our student body."
Future shortages
of student housing and campus parking are being addressed, administrators
said. A new residence hall will be ready by August 2004. The university
is also in negotiations with private developers to add off-campus housing,
Chancellor Meadors said.
"We do not
want to be in a position to turn students away," said Trustee Roger
Oxendine.
Vice Chancellor
for Business Affairs Neil Hawk said planning for a "temporary campus"
to house classrooms, labs and offices for academic buildings that are
scheduled for renovation is underway. He said it would have the look
and feel of a permanent campus.
OTHER
Vice Chancellor
for Advancement Glen Burnette Jr. said his
department added a new Alumni Director, Lorna
McNeill, a UNCP graduate and Miss North Carolina 2000.
In other news, Gary
Oxendine of Southern Pines is the new chair of the Board of Trustees,
Henry Lewis of Lumberton is vice chair and Sybil Bullard of Red Springs
is secretary.
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