Mission of the University
Founded in 1887 as a school for the education of American Indians, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke now serves a distinctly diverse student body and encourages inclusion and appreciation for the values of all people. UNC Pembroke exists to promote excellence in teaching and learning, at the master’s and undergraduate levels, in an environment of free inquiry, interdisciplinary collaboration, and rigorous intellectual standards.
Our diversity and our commitment to personalized teaching uniquely prepare our students for rewarding careers, postgraduate education, leadership roles, and fulfilling lives. We cultivate an international perspective, rooted in our service to and appreciation of our multi-ethnic regional society, which prepares citizens for engagement in global society. Students are encouraged to participate in activities that develop their intellectual curiosity and mold them into responsible stewards of the world.
UNCP faculty and staff are dedicated to active student learning, engaged scholarship, high academic standards, creative activity, and public service. We celebrate our heritage as we enhance the intellectual, cultural, economic, and social life of the region.
Vision Statement
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke will challenge students to embrace difference and adapt to change, think critically, communicate effectively, and become responsible citizens. Working from a strong foundation in the liberal arts, we will increase opportunities to infuse our curriculum with interdisciplinary innovation while promoting undergraduate and graduate research as well as international opportunities.
Core Values Statement
The faculty and staff of UNC Pembroke are guided by the following set of core values:
- The commitment to serving the local region
- The creation, exploration, evaluation, and articulation of ideas
- The value of a liberal arts foundation as the basis of self-realization and lifelong learning
- The importance of honor and integrity to learning and leadership as we educate students to be stewards of the world
- The appreciation of the American Indian history of the university and local community
- The appreciation of diversity and respect for the dignity and worth of every individual
- The commitment to prepare graduate and undergraduate students to succeed in an ever-changing and increasingly technological global environment
- The accessibility of education which leads to the enhancement of the economy and culture in the region
- The maintenance of a sustainable, safe, healthful, attractive, and accessible campus
Institutional Distinctiveness Statement
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke distinguishes itself from peer institutions by offering an affordable, highly personalized, student-centered education to diverse students. Founded in 1887 as an American Indian institution to serve the Lumbee people, UNCP is now also comprised of students, faculty, and staff who possess differing attributes based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, national origin, age, political affiliation, religion, and other characteristics. Diversity grounds intellectual pursuits and provides us with opportunities for discovery and ways to integrate all individuals and groups into the larger community, respecting and valuing their uniqueness while simultaneously advancing the University’s historical tradition. UNC Pembroke thus prepares its students for life and leadership within a diverse society.
History of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke
On March 7, 1887, Croatan Normal School was established after legislation sponsored by Representative Hamilton McMillan of Robeson County was enacted by the General Assembly of North Carolina. The law, which was in response to a petition from American Indians of the area, established a Board of Trustees and appropriated $500 to be used only for salaries. A clapboard, two-story building was constructed by local Indians at a site about one mile west of the present location, and the school opened with 15 students and one teacher in the fall of 1887. For many years, the instruction was at the elementary and secondary level, and the first diploma was awarded in 1905.
The school was moved to its present location in Pembroke, the center of the Indian community, in 1909. The General Assembly changed the name of the institution in 1911 to the Indian Normal School of Robeson County, and again in 1913 to the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County. In 1926, the Board of Trustees added a two-year normal (teacher training) program beyond high school and phased out elementary instruction. The first ten diplomas were awarded in 1928, when the state accredited the school as a “standard normal school.”
In 1933, two-year college (junior college) coursework was added. In 1936, the third year of the normal and college curriculum was added, and, in 1939, a fourth year was added after the institution received a “senior college” rating. The first four-year degrees were conferred in 1940. In recognition of its new status, the General Assembly changed the name of the school in 1941 to Pembroke State College for Indians. Between 1939 and 1953, it was the only state-supported four-year college for Indians in the nation. The scope of the institution was widened in 1943 when non-teaching baccalaureate degrees were added, and, in 1945, when enrollment, previously limited to the Indians of Robeson County, was opened to people from all federally recognized Indian groups. In 1949, the General Assembly shortened the name to Pembroke State College.
The Board of Trustees approved the admission of white students up to 40 percent of the total enrollment in 1953, and, following the Supreme Court’s school desegregation decision, opened the College to all qualified applicants without regard to race in 1954. Growth of over 500 percent followed during the next eight years. In 1969, the General Assembly changed the name again to Pembroke State University and designated the institution a regional university. Such universities were authorized “to provide undergraduate and graduate instruction in liberal arts, fine arts, and science, and in the learned professions, including teaching” and to “provide other graduate and undergraduate programs of instruction as are deemed necessary to meet the needs of their constituencies and of the State.”
Three years later, in 1972, the General Assembly established the 16 campus University of North Carolina with Pembroke State University as one of the constituent institutions. The new structure was under the control of the Board of Governors, which was to coordinate the system of higher education, improve its quality, and encourage economical use of the state’s resources. The Board of Governors approved the implementation of the Master of Arts in Education program by Pembroke State University in 1978, as well as several new undergraduate programs. Since that time, additional baccalaureate programs have been added, including nursing, and master’s level programs have been implemented in Business Administration, Public Administration, School Counseling, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Pembroke State University celebrated its centennial in 1987. On July 1, 1996, Pembroke State University officially became The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
In 2000, a major in applied physics and four new Master of Arts programs were added. An Office of International Programs and the Esther G. Maynor Honors College were also instituted to enhance scholarship. Since then, the University has added new baccalaureate programs, including Spanish, environmental science, and geo-environmental studies, as well as new graduate degrees, including the Master of School Administration (M.S.A.), the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), and the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.). Many classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels are available through distance learning, including the Internet.
UNCP was declared “North Carolina’s Historically American Indian University” on July 5, 2005. From March 2012 to May 2013, the University held a 14-month celebration of the 125th anniversary of its founding.
The Campus
Located along the western edge of the Town of Pembroke in Robeson County, North Carolina, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke occupies 200 acres. It is easily accessible by automobile, 10 miles from Interstate 95 and two miles from U.S. 74. Commercial airline service is available at the Fayetteville Regional Airport and at the Southern Pines/Pinehurst Airport, each 40 miles from the campus. A map of the campus is available on the University website at www.uncp.edu/map.
The main entrance is off Odom Street, which runs north from NC 711. Lumbee Hall (1995) houses the Chancellor’s Office and the Offices of Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, and Student Affairs, as well as Enrollment Planning and Recruitment, Undergraduate Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, Controller, Student Accounts, Institutional Effectiveness, Human Resources and General Counsel.
On the north end of campus are the Walter J. Pinchbeck Maintenance Building (2004), named for a former superintendent of buildings and grounds, which houses offices, maintenance, and the motor pool; the Soccer Field (2006); co-educational residential facilities: University Courtyard Apartments (2001), University Village Apartments (2003), and Cypress Hall (2011); the Health Sciences Building (2012), which houses the Department of Nursing and the Department of Social Work; Sampson Building (2007), named for Oscar R. Sampson, a former Chair of the Board of Trustees, which houses the departments of Psychology, Philosophy and Religion, and Sociology and Criminal Justice; and the Adolph L. Dial Humanities Building (1980), named for a professor of American Indian history, which houses the departments of English, Theatre, and Foreign Languages and History, a lecture theatre, and the English Resource Center. The north end of campus is also home to athletic facilities: Lumberton Radiological Associates (LRA) Field (softball); Sammy and Onita Cox Field (baseball); the tennis courts; and the Intramural Field (2002).
At the center of the campus is the English E. Jones Health and Physical Education Center (1972, 2005), named for a former Chancellor, which houses the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and has two gymnasiums, a natatorium with a swimming pool and diving tank, the Mac and Sylvia Campbell Wellness Center, a physiology laboratory, a small lecture hall, and two racquetball courts. The Auxiliary Services Building (1977, 2006) receives deliveries and houses the University Bookstore, campus Post Office, BravesCard office, Printing Center, and Purchasing Services, as well as Receiving and Central Stores; the Department of Police and Public Safety is located on the west side of the building. The Givens Performing Arts Center (1975), named for former Chancellor Paul R. Givens, houses the Theatre Arts program and provides an amphitheater style auditorium for an audience of 1600. In the James B. Chavis University Center (1987, 2003), named for the former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, the first floor houses the Information Booth, dining hall, Bert’s, Chancellor’s and Faculty dining rooms, snack bar, bowling alley, TV/games areas, the Hawk’s Nest recreation center, a 24-hour computer lab and student lounge; on the second floor are Counseling and Psychological Services, the Career Center, and the offices of Student Involvement and Leadership, Greek Life, Intramurals/Campus Recreation, and Student Government. The University Center Annex (2007) includes three conference rooms, a large multi-purpose assembly room with a stage, two dressing rooms and a catering kitchen, and the offices of Housing and Residence Life, the Indianhead yearbook, and The Aurochs literary magazine.
Other facilities located in central campus, across Odom Street, are Carter Hall (2008), which houses the Division of Information Technology, and Lindsay Hall (2011), home to the offices of Advancement, Alumni Relations, University Communications and Marketing, the School of Graduate Studies, and Sponsored Research and Programs. Beside University Road, along the western edge of central campus, is the Irwin Belk Athletic Complex (2002), home of Braves football and track and field; it includes Grace P. Johnson Stadium (2007), Lumbee Guaranty Bank Field (2002), the Dick and Lenore Taylor Track (2002), and the Bob Caton Field House (2007).
Also located in the center of campus, the Business Administration Building (1969, 1995) houses the School of Business, a computer lab, and the Interactive Video Facility. The Education Center (1976) houses the School of Education, the Office of University-School Programs, the Teacher Education Licensure Office, the Teaching Fellows Program, and curriculum and computer labs for Education majors. West Hall (1965) houses additional office space.
Most residence halls are located near the center of campus. In addition to Pine Hall (2000) and Oak Hall (2007), there are two women’s residence halls, Mary Irwin Belk Hall (1970) and North Hall (1972).
The south of campus is a quadrangle with a water feature and amphitheater (2002), the Lowry Bell Tower (1981, 2003), and a gazebo. The D.F. Lowry Building (1965, 2007), named after the first graduate of the Croatan Normal School, contains the College Opportunity Program, the Accessibility Resource Center, the DoIT Help Desk, the University Writing Center, the Academic Support Center, the Advising Center, and a study room. Locklear Hall (1950, 2005), named for American Indian educator Anderson Locklear, houses a gallery, classrooms, and studios of the Art Department. Jacobs Hall (1961), named for former Board of Trustees chair Rev. L.W. Jacobs, houses Community and Civic Engagement, Student Support Services, and other offices, while Wellons Hall (1965), named for former university President Ralph D. Wellons, houses additional office space. Moore Hall (1951, 2005), named for Rev. W.L. Moore, the first principal and teacher at the Croatan Normal School, contains the Music Department classrooms, auditorium, library, and studios, as well as practice rooms and facilities for the marching band and choirs.
The southeastern edge of the quadrangle is bordered by historic Old Main (1923, restored 1979), the oldest structure on campus and the only campus building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its first floor houses the offices of Multicultural and Minority Affairs as well as broadcasting studios (WNCP-TV), WNCP radio, and the Museum of the Native American Resource Center. On the second floor are the offices of the departments of American Indian Studies, Geology and Geography, and Mass Communication, the Southeast American Indian Studies Program, and the student newspaper, The Pine Needle. The Herbert G. Oxendine Science Building (1967, 2004), named for a former academic Dean, provides classrooms, laboratories, computer labs, and offices for the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Political Science and Public Administration.
Along the southwestern border of the quadrangle is the Mary Livermore Library (1967, 1997), named after a former religion professor. The library provides access to approximately 400,000 volumes, 65,000 periodical titles (print and electronic), Special Collections (university archives), and a depository for U.S. government documents, as well as extensive electronic resources. West of the library are Student Health Services (1967, 2003), which provides health care and health educational services; Hickory Hall (1965, 1987), home of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Esther G. Maynor Honors College; and the Chancellor’s Residence (1952, 1999).
The southwestern corner of campus contains the West Office Building (2001), which houses the Office of Distance Education; adjacent to it are the Dogwood Building (2004), which houses the Thomas Family Center for Entrepreneurship; the International House (2006), home of the Office of International Programs; and Magnolia House (2008), home of Aerospace Studies and Military Science.
The Regional Center (2004) is located off campus, about three miles east of Pembroke on NC 711, at the Carolina Commerce and Technology Center (COMTech).
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