The University of North Carolina at Asheville

UNCA's predecessor, Buncombe County Junior College, first opened its doors in 1927, thanks to dedicated people who dreamed of establishing an institution of higher learning for area students. An ongoing commitment to the liberal arts, superior faculty and highly motivated students have characterized the institution throughout the years. The University has undergone several name and location changes, advancement from a two- to a four-year academic program, transition from college to university, and the addition of courses, faculty and facilities to meet students' changing needs and growing numbers.

In 1961 the school, then called Asheville-Biltmore College, relocated to its present site in north Asheville. The college awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1966, and three years later in 1969 joined The University of North Carolina system as the University of North Carolina at Asheville. The 265-acre campus comprises 30 buildings for classrooms, administration, residence and recreation, as well as the University Botanical Gardens. In its 30 years as UNC Asheville, the university has maintained a distinctive position within the 16-member UNC system in its primary mission: to offer an undergraduate liberal arts education of superior quality for serious and able students.

The focus continues to be on undergraduate liberal arts education, and faculty members distinguish themselves as outstanding teachers. Class size remains small, and community support is strong. The University's reputation for excellence now reaches far beyond its mountain setting. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies UNC Asheville as a Liberal Arts I University, one of 162 American higher education institutions so noted for excellence and highly qualified students. The University of North Carolina system has designated UNC Asheville as its undergraduate liberal arts university, the only North Carolina public university assigned this role. The 1998 Fiske Guide to Colleges says, "The University of North Carolina at Asheville is a strong public liberal arts university that offers rigorous academics, small classes, and a beautiful setting all at an incredibly low price."

UNC Asheville offers the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in the arts and humanities, the natural and social sciences, and selected pre-professional and professional programs firmly grounded in the liberal arts. The University also offers a multidisciplinary Master of Liberal Arts degree program. Students pursuing Bachelor of Arts degrees explore diverse liberal arts disciplines while gaining solid theoretical and practical knowledge in their major fields of study. Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs focus on a specific discipline.The University is fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

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Mission Statement

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is distinctive within the public higher education system of North Carolina in its primary mission: to offer an undergraduate liberal arts education of superior quality for serious and able students. The University also provides selected pre-professional programs which are solidly grounded in the liberal arts.

The University is committed to a liberating education emphasizing the central role of humane values in thought and action, the free and rigorous pursuit of truth, and a respect for differing points of view and heritage. It aims to develop men and women of broad perspective who think critically and creatively and who communicate effectively.

The University maintains undergraduate programs in the arts, the humanities, and the natural and social sciences, and offers at the graduate level the Master of Liberal Arts. It promotes understanding of the connections among the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts through interdisciplinary studies and integrates these areas of inquiry with programs that prepare students for meaningful careers and professions.

Small by choice, the University brings together faculty and students of diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds to interact closely in a supportive community of learning. It promotes innovation in curriculum and instruction by a faculty dedicated to teaching. It fosters scholarship and creative activities by faculty and students alike.

It encourages students to develop their interests and abilities beyond the classroom through co-curricular programs.

The University is committed to serving the community in ways that complement its educational mission. It makes resources available to students at all stages of life for personal growth. Through the Asheville Graduate Center, the University offers programs for advanced professional study. The University seeks to enrich cultural life, enhance the conduct of public affairs, and contribute to the advancement of the region, the state and the nation.

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.

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Commitment to Equal Opportunity

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is committed to equality of educational and employment opportunity for applicants, students and employees. As such, the University does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability. UNCA is open to people of all races and actively seeks to promote continued racial integration by recruiting and enrolling a diverse student body. As a liberal arts institution, it is important that we create a learning community that reflects the diversity and multiculturalism of our changing world.

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, CPO #1450, University of North Carolina at Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804-8503.

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The Campus

The University occupies a wooded, 265-acre hilltop one mile north of downtown Asheville, a growing city of 72,000 that offers a unique blend of modern living and mountain culture. The Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains surround the city, offering something for every outdoor enthusiast and nature lover. The campus buildings are situated on a main quandrangle.

D. Hiden Ramsey Library and Media Center, at the head of the UNCA quadrangle, offers a spectacular view toward Mount Pisgah. It is the heart of the University's academic life. The library houses 2,123 current serials subscriptions; 350,000 monographs, bound periodicals and public documents; 325,000 microforms; 6,650 audio visuals; and 5,200 curriculum materials. Innopac, the integrated online library system, indicates the current availability of all titles and allows the search of UNCA's library holdings and those of Western Carolina and Appalachian State universities' libraries. Ramsey Library maintains special collections of photographs documenting Western North Carolina history, rare books, manuscripts, papers of prominent area citizens, and materials relating to Jewish history in the Southeast, the culture of the Southern Highlands. The library staff provides assistance and instruction in research skills. The recently renovated 60,000-square-foot library offers attractive, comfortable areas for reading and studying on three levels, with student and faculty carrels, lounge areas and group study rooms. The refurbished Media Center has areas designed for using audio-visual materials for course-related work, as well as workstations to access millions of databases on the Internet.

Robinson and Rhoades Halls form a single facade on the southeast side of the quadrangle. They house the departments of Atmospheric Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics and Environmental Studies and the North Carolina State University Engineering Programs in Asheville. Also here is the University Computer Center, which serves instructional programs, research and administrative functions. Steelcase Teleconference Center, UNCA's distance learning facility, is located in Robinson Hall. The N.C. Center for Creative Retirement is in Rhoades Hall.

Phillips Hall, the administration building, is opposite the library on the quadrangle. The offices of the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs, Financial Affairs and Student Affairs are located here. The building also houses the offices of Human Resources/Personnel, Business and Purchasing.

Lipinsky Hall is home to UNCA's Office of Enrollment Services, which includes the offices of Admissions, Academic Advising, Financial Aid and the Registrar. Also here are a 644-seat auditorium and UNCA's Music Department, complete with soundproof rehearsal rooms, a computer-based electronic music/digital synthesis laboratory, and a multitrack recording studio.

Carmichael Hall houses the Classics, Foreign Languages, History and Philosophy departments, as well as the 330-seat Humanities Lecture Hall. The College for Seniors, a program of the N.C. Center for Creative Retirement, also has offices here.

Carol Belk Theatre is home to UNCA's Drama Department, where classes, rehearsals, technical production and performances take place. The 200-seat arena theatre adapts to productions by Theatre UNCA and Tanglewood Theatre, the children's theatre program of UNCA.

Owen Hall houses the Management and Art departments, as well as exhibition galleries. Owen Conference Center on the third floor is used for UNCA and community events. The Vice Chancellor for University Relations, including the offices of Public Information and Development, is on the third floor.

Zageir Hall is home to the Education, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology departments, as well as Printing Services.

Karpen Hall houses the Asheville Graduate Center, Master of Liberal Arts Program, Laurel Forum (a meeting room with homelike atmosphere) and the departments of Literature and Language, Mass Communication and Economics.

Justice Center, UNCA's athletics and recreation complex, includes a 1,900-seat gymnasium, indoor swimming pool and locker rooms. The Health and Fitness Center addition, opened in February 1997, is a 53,000-square-foot facility with a state-of-the-art weight and fitness room, 1/10-mile indoor track, classrooms and courts for basketball, volleyball, racquetball and squash. It opens onto the all-weather outdoor track and soccer, baseball and intramural fields, as well as the university tennis courts.

Students who wish to live on campus have a variety of options. South Ridge Hall provides double-occupancy rooms clustered around pods. Many rooms overlook the University Botanical Gardens. Mills Hall was designed to afford privacy with the satisfaction of rooming with others. Each carpeted, air-conditioned, apartment-style suite includes two double-occupancy bedrooms, a living room and a bathroom. Founders Hall, adjacent to the Highsmith University Center, offers double-occupancy rooms and spectacular mountain views. The Housing Office is located here. Governors Village is a complex of small single-room residence halls. The Department of Public Safety is located here.

William E. Highsmith University Center, situated between the residence halls and Dining Hall, provides a convenient student meeting place with snack bar, recreation rooms, lounges, offices of student organizations, and the campus bookstore.

The Dining Hall, which opened in 1995 next to Highsmith University Center, offers seating in a relaxing restaurantlike atmosphere with scenic mountain views. Students take their meals here, as do many faculty and staff members.

The University Botanical Gardens are maintained by a non-profit organization on a 10-acre preserve adjacent to the main campus. It features thousands of labeled plants and trees native to the Southern Appalachians. The gardens serve as a study center for botany students, a refuge for wildlife and a source of enjoyment for the University and community.

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University Calendar

Fall Semester 1998
August	18	Tuesday	Residence halls open for new students New Student Orientation and final placement tests
	19	Wednesday	New student orientation Fall Convocation
	20	Thursday	New student orientation Advising
	21	Friday	Registration
	22	Saturday	Bulldog Day: A Time of Service
	23	Sunday	Residence halls open for returning students
	24	Monday	All classes begin Late registration
	25	Tuesday	First day of drop/add
September	1	Tuesday	Last day of Registration Last day of drop/add Census Deadline to apply for December graduation
	14	Monday	Last day to withdraw from Term I
October	5	Monday	Last day to withdraw from full-semester class
	9	Friday	Founders Day
	16	Friday	Term I ends
	19	Monday	Fall Break begins (no classes)
	21	Wednesday	Classes resume Term II begins
	26	Monday	Academic advising for all departments begins Term I grades due (noon)
November	6	Friday	Academic advising for Spring semester ends
	9	Monday	Pre-registration for Spring semester begins
	11	Wednesday	Last day to withdraw from Term II
	20	Friday	Preregistration for Spring semester ends
	23	Monday	Incomplete grades due (noon)
	25	Wednesday	Thanksgiving break begins
	30	Monday	Classes resume
December	1	Tuesday	Deadline to apply for May 1999 graduation Advance registration for returning students
	9	Wednesday	Faculty meeting
	11	Friday	Last day of classes
	14	Monday	Final exams begin
	18	Friday	Final exams end Reception for December graduates
	21	Monday	Grades due (noon)
Spring Semester 1999
January	17	Sunday	Residence halls open for new students (tentative)
	18	Monday	New student orientation/advising (tentative)
	19	Tuesday	Registration Residence halls open for returning students
	20	Wednesday	All classes begin Late registration
	21	Thursday	First day of drop/add
	28	Thursday	Last day to add or register Census
February	10	Wednesday	Last day to withdraw from Term I
March	3	Wednesday	Last day to withdraw from full-semester course
	19	Friday	Term I ends
	22	Monday	Spring break begins
	29	Monday	Classes resume Term II begins
April	5	Monday	Term I grades due (noon) Academic advising for all departments
	16	Friday	Academic advising ends Incomplete grades due
	19	Monday	Early registration begins Last day to withdraw from Term II
	30	Friday	Early registration ends
May	4	Tuesday	Advance registration for returning students
	11	Tuesday	Last day of classes Senior grades due in Registrar’s Office
	13	Thursday	Final exams begin
	19	Wednesday	Final exams end
	22	Saturday	Commencement
	24	Monday	Grades due (noon)
Summer Semester 1999 (tentative)
May	28	Friday	Registration for all terms
June	1	Tuesday	Term I classes begin
	2	Wednesday	Late registration Drop/add begins for Term I
	4	Friday	Last day to drop/add for Term I
	18	Friday	Registration for Term II
	21	Monday	Classes start for Term II Late registration for Term II Drop/add for Term II
	22	Tuesday	Last day to register for Term II Last day to drop/add for Term II
	23	Wednesday	Last day to withdraw from Term I
	25	Friday	Last day to withdraw from Term II
July	5	Monday	Independence Day Holiday (no classes)
	9	Friday	Last day of classes Term I Last day of classes Term II
	12	Monday	Grades due in Registrar’s Office for Terms I and II

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