Mission Statement || Commitment to Equal Opportunity || University Calendar 2004-2005
UNCA Catalog: Courses of Instruction
UNCA Catalog: Table of Contents

The University of North Carolina at Asheville

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is the designated liberal arts university in The University of North Carolina system. An outstanding learning community, UNCA focuses its resources on academic excellence and community partnerships.

UNC Asheville opened in 1927 as Buncombe County Junior College for area residents interested in pursuing higher education. The school underwent several name changes, mergers with local governments and school systems, and moves before relocating in 1961 to its present campus in north Asheville. Asheville-Biltmore College joined The University of North Carolina system in 1969 as the University of North Carolina at Asheville, with the distinct mission to offer an excellent undergraduate liberal arts education. Today, UNC Asheville is the only designated undergraduate liberal arts university in the 16-campus UNC system.

UNC Asheville enrolls 3,350 students pursuing bachelor's degrees in about 30 majors in the natural and social sciences, humanities, preprofessional and professional areas, as well as the Master of Liberal Arts. With an average class size of 20, UNC Asheville emphasizes a personal approach to undergraduate education characterized by close faculty-student interactions, challenging academic programs and opportunities for learning outside the classroom. The university has received national recognition for its Humanities and Undergraduate Research programs.

U.S. News & World Report ranks UNC Asheville fourth among 5 public liberal arts colleges in its "America's Best Colleges" edition. U.S. News lists the Undergraduate Research Program among "Programs to Look For," along with some of the top research universities in the country. UNC Asheville is consistently rated a "Best Buy" in the Fiske Guide to Colleges, which states, "The University of North Carolina at Asheville offers all the perks that are generally associated with pricier private institutions: rigorous academics, small classes and a beautiful setting. And it does it for a fraction of the cost." The Princeton Review: the Best 351 Colleges rates UNC Asheville among schools offering the "Best Academic Bang for Your Buck."

The 265-acre UNC Asheville campus is convenient to the museums, galleries, restaurants and shopping and points of interest in the thriving downtown area, as well as the outdoor opportunities in the surrounding Pisgah National Forest, Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The campus comprises classroom, administration, residence and recreation facilities, with $49 million in capital projects under way, funded by the 2000 North Carolina Higher Education Improvement Bonds. The campus also is home to the Asheville Graduate Center, which offers master's and doctoral degree programs of other UNC institutions for people of the region, and the Reuter Center, home of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement.

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097, 404/679-4501) to award baccalaureate and master's degrees.

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Mission Statement

  The University of North Carolina at Asheville offers a superior liberal arts education for well-prepared students who are committed to learning and personal growth. Its education is liberating, promoting the free and rigorous pursuit of truth, respect for differing points of view and heritage, and an understanding that values play a role in thought and action. Through this education the university aims to develop students of broad perspective who think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and participate actively in their communities. UNC Asheville is North Carolina's only designated public liberal arts university. Small by choice, UNC Asheville brings together faculty, students, and staff of diverse cultural backgrounds to interact closely in a supportive community. The university makes excellence in teaching the highest priority for its faculty. It fosters scholarship and creative activities by faculty and students alike.

UNC Asheville provides undergraduate programs in the arts, the humanities, the natural and social sciences, and in selected pre-professional programs that are solidly grounded in the liberal arts. The university seeks to connect the traditional liberal arts fields through interdisciplinary studies and to integrate these areas of inquiry with programs that prepare students for rewarding careers. To enhance and extend the undergraduate programs, UNC Asheville offers an interdisciplinary Master of Liberal Arts.

As a public university, UNC Asheville serves the region and state in ways that complement its educational mission. It encourages students, faculty, and staff to interact with and serve the community, and it shares cultural and educational resources with citizens at all stages of life and learning. The university houses the Asheville Graduate Center, the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, and other programs which provide opportunities to citizens for continued learning and public service.

The ultimate aim of the university is to provide students the best possible opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to pursue their goals, to find meaning in their lives, and to take their places as contributing citizens of a changing society.

(Adopted by the UNC Asheville Board of Trustees Aug. 24, 2000)

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Commitment to Equal Opportunity

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is committed to equality of educational experiences for students and is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. UNC Asheville will not discriminate against students, applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation*, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or any other legally protected status with respect to all terms, conditions or privileges of university-sponsored activities, employment and the use of university facilities.

The university supports the federal laws protecting members of its community, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Executive Order 11246, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 799A and 845 of the Public Health Service Act, N.C. General Statutes 126-16 and 126-17 and other applicable federal and state laws.

More information about the university's commitment to Equal Opportunity may be obtained from the Affirmative Action Officer, Human Resources, 232 Phillips Hall, CPO #1450, University of North Carolina at Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804-8503.

*UNC Asheville acknowledges and understands that the category of sexual orientation is not a protected category under federal or state laws and therefore cannot be grieved beyond the campus level.

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University Calendar 2004-2005

Fall Semester 2004

Spring Semester 2005

Summer Semester 2005

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