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Former names | Croatan Normal School (1887–1911) Indian Normal School of Robeson County (1911–1913) Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County (1913–1941) Pembroke State College for Indians (1941–1949) Pembroke State College (1949–1969) Pembroke State University (1969–1996) |
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Type | Public university |
Established | March 7, 1887[1] |
Parent institution | University of North Carolina |
Accreditation | SACS |
Endowment | $24.5 million (2020) [2] |
Chancellor | Robin Gary Cummings |
Academic staff | 425+ [3] |
Students | 7,667 [3] |
Undergraduates | 5,644 [3] |
Postgraduates | 2,023 [3] |
Location | , , United States |
Campus | Distant town [4] , 281 acres (1.1 km2) |
Newspaper | The Pine Needle |
Colors | Black and gold [5] |
Nickname | Braves |
Sporting affiliations | |
Mascot | Red-Tailed Hawk |
Website | www |
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The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNC Pembroke or UNCP) is a public university in Pembroke, North Carolina. UNC Pembroke is a master's level degree-granting university and part of the University of North Carolina system. Its history is intertwined with that of the Lumbee nation. [6]
The educational institution that developed into UNC Pembroke has its origins in the circumstances of the post-Civil War South. This school was a part of the effort of the Lumbee Nation in North Carolina to preserve their unique identity. Access and authority over their own educational system were understood to be of key importance to retaining Lumbee culture, instilling a sense of pride, and improving the group's economic and social conditions.
Croatan Normal School was created by the General Assembly on March 7, 1887, in response to a local petition, sponsored by North Carolina Representative Hamilton McMillan of Robeson County. [7] [8] This event occurred in the context of competition for support between the Democratic and Republican parties in North Carolina. Hamilton MacMillan's support for the school was connected to his personal interest and research on Native American history and culture. The school's initial name, Croatan Normal School, was selected in accordance with the debatable view that this tribe included descendants of the Outer Banks Lost Colony of Sir Walter Raleigh.
The normal school opened in the spring of 1888 with one teacher and 15 students with the goal of training American Indian public school teachers. [9] Initially, enrollment was limited to the American Indians of Robeson County. In this period school enrollment was often quite limited among the general population. Funding by the state was patchy at best and there was a high level of illiteracy. The creation of a centralized training school for teachers was thought to be the best method of addressing this problem in the given circumstances.
In 1909, the school moved to its present location, about a mile east of the original site. The name was changed in 1911 to the Indian Normal School of Robeson County, and again in 1913 to the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County, tracking the legislature's designation for the Indians of the county, who at one time claimed Cherokee descent. In 1926 the school became a two-year post-secondary normal school; until then it had provided only primary and secondary instruction. [8]
In 1939 it became a four-year institution, and in 1941 was renamed Pembroke State College for Indians. The next year, the school began to offer bachelor's degrees in disciplines other than teaching. In 1945 the college was opened to members of all federally recognized tribes. A change of name to Pembroke State College in 1949 presaged the admission of white students, which was approved in 1953 for up to forty percent of total enrollment. The Brown v. Board of Education ruling the following year by the United States Supreme Court ended race restrictions at the college. [8] Between 1939 and 1953, Pembroke State was the only state-supported four-year college for Native Americans in the United States.
In 1969 the college became Pembroke State University, a regional university that was incorporated into the University of North Carolina system in 1972. The first master's degree program was implemented in 1978. On July 1, 1996, Pembroke State University became The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
The university's campus is situated just north of Pembroke, located directly behind N.C. Highway 711. Interstate 74 is located just minutes from campus, as is Interstate 95. The center of campus is considered to be the Chavis University Center (often referred to as the University Center, or the UC). Students can bowl, play pool and related games as well as socialize in the lounge. [10] The dining hall and a fast-food outlet are located in the UC. [11]
The UC lawn, an open grass area in front of the UC, is where students play amateur sports, read on benches, or use the area for free speech. The eastern side of campus includes the Livermore Library, Oxendine Science Building, Old Main, and Wellons Hall, among other buildings. The campus on the west side has the Business Administration Building, Education Center, and most of the residence hall communities such as Oak Hall, Pine Hall, North, and Belk. Lumbee Hall, the Dial Humanities building, the Sampson building, the Auxiliary building, the Jones Athletic Center, and the Givens Performing Arts Center make up most of the north end of campus. [12]
The campus is home to Givens Performing Arts Center, a regional center for culture, arts, and entertainment. GPAC hosts numerous Broadway shows, orchestras, shows geared towards children, and also hosts the "Distinguished Speaker Series," in cooperation with the Association of Campus Entertainment, which has brought in notable people such as Cory Booker, Bill Nye, Jodi Sweetin, Patch Adams, Gabby Douglas and Hill Harper, among many others. [13]
The title of Principal or Superintendent was used prior to 1940. After 1940, when UNC Pembroke became a collegiate-level institution, the title of President was used. Upon becoming a member institution of the University of North Carolina system, the title was changed to Chancellor.
UNC Pembroke currently offers hundreds of pathways to graduate and undergraduate degrees and is organized into the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Sciences, McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing, Thomas School of Business, School of Education, and The Graduate School.
Departments of the College of Arts and Sciences
Departments of the College of Health Sciences
Departments of the Thomas School of Business
Departments of the School of Education
The Graduate School Programs
UNCP offers small class sizes; the student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1, and classes average 20 students. [3] In addition, classes are taught exclusively by professors, instructors, or other faculty. There are no classes on campus taught by graduate assistants. The school has an enrollment of 8,319 students; of these, 6,318 students are undergraduate, and 2,001 are graduate students. [3] The fall 2021 enrollment marks the fourth consecutive year of record enrollment growth.
Academic rankings | |
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Master's | |
Washington Monthly [22] | 190 |
Regional | |
U.S. News & World Report [23] | 65 |
The 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranks the University #45 in Regional Universities South and #19 in Top Public Schools. [24] It’s also ranked #16 in Best Colleges for Veterans and #10 in Best Undergraduate Teaching. [24]
UNC Pembroke's athletic teams are known as the Braves. Due to its heritage as an institution founded by American Indians for the education of American Indians and the continued support from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the school has largely been immune to the ongoing controversies related to American Indian-themed nicknames and mascots.
The school is a member of the NCAA's Division II and competes in Conference Carolinas and the Mountain East Conference. The school fields varsity sports teams for women and men.
UNCP, as well as the Office of Greek Life and the Campus Engagement & Leadership office, offers a variety of extracurricular activities for students. From academic-based and service organizations to minority organizations and Greek life, UNCP offers more than 100 organizations geared toward the student's specific needs. [25]
While the Netflix show The Chair is situated in a Pembroke University, it is a fictional Ivy League University and not the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. [27]
The University of North Carolina is the public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC System to differentiate it from its first campus, UNC-Chapel Hill.
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees.
Pembroke is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. It is about 90 miles inland and northwest from the Atlantic Coast. The population was 2,823 at the 2020 census. The town is the seat of the state-recognized Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, as well as the home of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Prospect is a census-designated place (CDP) in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 690 at the 2000 census. Located due northeast of Pembroke, Prospect is a traditionally Methodist community, with its church members largely becoming representatives for the entirety of the American Indian-Methodist community. Prospect is noted for one of its native sons, Adolph Dial, whose contributions to American Indian Studies have led to an heightened awareness of the local Lumbee Tribe and Native Americans throughout the Southeastern United States.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville is a public liberal arts university in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. UNC Asheville is the designated liberal arts institution in the University of North Carolina system. It is a member and the headquarters of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colleges. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
David Franklin Weinstein was a politician in North Carolina. He served as Democratic member of the General Assembly who represented the state's thirteenth Senate district, including Hoke and Robeson counties.
The Lumbee are a Native American people primarily centered in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland counties in North Carolina.
The Battle of Hayes Pond, also known as the Battle of Maxton Field or the Maxton Riot, was an armed confrontation between members of a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) organization and Lumbee people at a Klan rally near Maxton, North Carolina, on the night of January 18, 1958. The clash resulted in the disruption of the rally and a significant amount of media coverage praising the Lumbees and condemning the Klansmen.
The UNCP School of Business is located within the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. All undergraduate and graduate degree programs are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
The UNC Pembroke Braves football team represents the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in college football, competing in the Mountain East Conference. Pembroke plays its home games at the 4,000 seat Grace P. Johnson Stadium at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Field, which is located on-campus in Pembroke, North Carolina. Although only fielding a modern team since the 2007 season, Pembroke previously fielded teams between the 1946 and 1950 seasons as Pembroke State.
The UNC Pembroke Braves are the athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, located in Pembroke, North Carolina, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports.
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recognized tribe in North Carolina. The tribe represents Lumbee people. They do not hold federal recognition as a Native American tribe.
Allen Coats Meadors is an American professor and university administrator.
The Lumbee Regional Development Association (LRDA) is a nonprofit corporation, chartered by the State of North Carolina in 1968, organized to analyze and develop solutions for the health, educational, economic, and general welfare problems of rural and urban Indians in and around Robeson County. Its effective domain includes, but is not limited to, the Counties of Robeson, Hoke, Scotland, and Bladen, i.e., North Carolina’s Planning Region N. Federally funded programs are currently administered by the Lumbee citizens of these neighboring counties, from the LRDA offices in Pembroke, North Carolina. LRDA currently serves over 20,600 people each year. In July 2009, it had 62 full-time employees.
Adolph Lorenz Dial was an American historian, professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and a specialist in American Indian Studies. Dial was a member of the Lumbee Tribe and a graduate of Pembroke State College, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in social studies. Soon after graduating, Dial enlisted with the United States Army, completing a tour of duty in the European theater of World War II. Post-military, Dial obtained his master's degree and an advanced certificate in social studies from Boston University. Hired by Pembroke State College in 1958, Dial would go on to create the college's American Indian Studies program, the first of its kind at any university in the Southeast. In addition to his role in academia, Dial was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for a single term. Over the course of his career, Dial devoted the majority of his academic work towards enriching and publicizing the history of the Lumbee Tribe and its importance within the history of North Carolina, and within the greater narrative of Native American peoples. Dial died on December 24, 1995, 12 days after his 73rd birthday.
Ruth Dial Woods was an American educator and activist. A member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, she was the first woman to serve as the associate superintendent of the Robeson County Public Schools and to receive an at-large appointment to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. After teaching in the public school system of Robeson County for 27 years, she joined the faculty at Fayetteville State University. In addition to her work as an educator, Woods was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's liberation movement, and the American Indian Movement. She has served as a community development consultant for the United States Department of Labor and as a consultant for the Lumbee Tribal Council for administration of tribal programs. The recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work in human rights and education, in 2011, she was inducted into the North Carolina Women's Hall of Fame.
Henry Ward Oxendine was an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for the 21st District from 1973 to 1976. A member of the Lumbee tribe, he was the first Native American to serve in the North Carolina General Assembly.
Pates is a community in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States.
The Old Main is a historic building on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in Pembroke, North Carolina. Completed in 1923, it was the first brick building on the university's campus, then known as the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County. The building originally hosted classrooms, auditorium space, and administrative offices. After administrative officials moved to a new building in 1949, the structure acquired the "Old Main" name. Since it was used for other community events, it gained additional importance to the primarily Native American student body at the school. Old Main was slated for destruction in 1972, but this decision was overturned after protests by community members. A fire, likely the result of arson, gutted the building in 1973. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and fully restored and reopened in 1979. It presently hosts several university departments and student media outlets.