History of the University || Mission Statement ||
Commitment to Equal Opportunity || The Campus || University Calendar
UNCA Catalog: Table of Contents

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.

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 75,000 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. Most classroom buildings are situated on the main UNCA quandrangle.

D. Hiden Ramsey Library and Media Center, on the UNCA quadrangle, offers a spectacular view of Mount Pisgah. The heart of the university's academic life, the library houses 1,365 current journal subscriptions; 354,000 books, bound periodicals and government documents; 7,500 audio visuals; and 5,500 curriculum materials. The online library system connects students to the combined holdings of UNCA, Western Carolina and Appalachian State Universities' libraries, and provides access to hundreds of research databases via the World Wide Web. Ramsey Library maintains special collections including photographs documenting Western North Carolina history, rare books, manuscripts, papers of prominent area citizens, and materials relating to Jewish history in the Southeast and the culture of the Southern Highlands. The library staff provides assistance and instruction in research skills. The facility offers attractive, comfortable areas for reading and studying on three levels, with student and faculty carrels and group study rooms. The Media Center has areas designed for using media materials for course-related work, and houses the new Square D Teleconference Center for distance learning.

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, 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. The Steelcase Teleconference Center 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 Ad- missions, 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.

Residence Halls. Students who wish to live on campus have a variety of options. There are five residence hall facilities with accommodations that range from single rooms to apartment-style suites. The new South Ridge and West Ridge offer substance-free communities. Other residence halls include Mills and Founders, both highrise double-occupancy facilities, and Governors Village, a complex of small single-room residences.

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 restaurant-like 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 1999-2000

Spring Semester 2000
January	11	Tuesday	Registration
	12	Wednesday	Classes begin Late registration Drop/add begins
	14	Friday	Last day to register Term I Last day to drop/add Term I
	17	Monday	Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observance Last day to drop/add full term Last day to register full term
	19	Wednesday	Census
	28	Friday	Last day to withdraw Term I
February	18	Friday	Last day to withdraw full semester
March	3	Friday	Term I classes end
	6	Monday	Spring Break begins
	13	Monday	Classes resume Classes begin for Term II Academic advising for summer and fall begins
	15	Wednesday	Last day to register Term II Last day to drop/add Term II
	20	Monday	Term I grades due
	24	Friday	Academic advising ends
	27	Monday	Early registration begins for Summer and Fall
	31	Friday	Last day to withdraw from Term II
April	4	Tuesday	Incomplete grades due in Registrar's Office
May	3	Wednesday	Classes end
	4	Thursday	Reading Day Senior grades due in Registrar's Office
	5	Friday	Final Exams begin
	11	Thursday	Final Exams end
	13	Saturday	Commencement
	15	Monday	Final grades due in Registrar's Office at noon

Summer Semester 2000
May	26	Friday	Registration for summer
	29	Monday	Memorial Day Holiday
	30	Tuesday	Classes begin Term I
June	1	Thursday	Last day to register Term I Last day to drop/add Term I
	12	Monday	Term II begins
	13	Tuesday	Last day to register Term II Last day to drop/add Term II
	16	Friday	Last day to withdraw Term I
	23	Friday	Last day to withdraw Term II
July	4	Tuesday	Independence Day Holiday
	17	Monday	Term II classes ends
	18	Tuesday	Term I classes ends
	20	Thursday	Grades for all terms due in Registrar's

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