University of North Carolina Wilmington

University of North Carolina Wilmington
Motto	Discere Aude
Motto in English	Dare to Learn
Established	1947
Type	State University
Endowment	$58.3 million (2010)
Chancellor	Gary L. Miller
Academic staff	899
Admin. staff	1,252
Undergraduates	11,743
Postgraduates	1,328
Location	Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
Colors	Teal, Navy, Gold[1]
Mascot	Sammy the Seahawk
Website	uncw.edu

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington^[2] (UNCW), sometimes referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina. UNCW enrolls approximately 13,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students each year as part of the 17-campus University of North Carolina System.

History

UNC Wilmington opened its doors on September 4, 1947 as Wilmington College. At the time the school operated as a junior college, offering freshman-level courses to nearly 250 students during the first school year, many of whom were veterans returning from military service following World War II. Under the control of the New Hanover County Board of Education, Wilmington College earned accreditation from the North Carolina College Conference in 1948 and became a member of the American Association of Junior Colleges. Further accreditation came in 1952 from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 1958, Wilmington College was placed under the Community College Act of North Carolina, passing control from the New Hanover County Board of Education to a board of trustees as a state-supported college under the supervision of the North Carolina Board of Higher Education.

Wilmington College became a senior college on July 1, 1963, when the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation allowing the school to offer a four-year curriculum and award bachelor's degrees. Six years later, July 1, 1969, the name of the school was changed to The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, making UNCW the fifth campus of the University of North Carolina system. On August 22, 1977, UNCW was authorized to offer its first graduate programs at the master's level.^[3] Currently, UNCW has around 13,000 students enrolled and nearly 500 full-time faculty members. The school offers fifty-two bachelor's degrees, thirty-six master's degrees and doctoral degrees in marine biology and educational leadership and administration.^[4]

Student life

Campus Life

The university offers degrees in humanities, sciences, health, business and professional fields. The university’s highly ranked marine science program draws a variety of undergraduate and graduate students from across the United States. The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean is a draw for incoming freshman.

Teal is the official school color of UNCW, with navy and gold as alternate colors. The school color has become a point of pride for students, which is widely illustrated with spirit shirts bearing slogans such as “Feel My Teal” and exclusive teal-colored Rainbow Sandals being offered through the university bookstore.

The average SAT score for incoming freshman in 2010 was 1170, with an average GPA of 3.79. The freshman class in 2010 was 1,992.^[3]

Student Facilities

In 2000, the Student Recreation Center was opened to students, staff, and faculty members. It houses three basketball courts, exercise machines, a weight training area, an indoor running track, and an indoor climbing wall. It also includes a group exercise room which supports multiple clubs and activities, including Yoga, Pilates, and an Aikido club. By 2012, the Student Recreation Center will complete an expansion of facilities, as well as construction on a new nadatorium. This construction will double the size of the existing Recreation Center.

Lumina Theater, named after the boardwalk theater that was once found on Wrightsville Beach features 360 stadium seats, a 15.5' x 30' screen, Dolby Digital surround sound, 35mm capabilities and a digital projection system. Lumina screens blockbusters, independents, cult classics, art films, international films and student films throughout the academic year, four or more days a week, except during University holidays and breaks. Some notable Lumina events included a multi-part, high-definition screening of BBC's Planet Earth series over the span of several weekends, and a yearly 24-hour lock-in.

Residential Accommodation

Galloway Hall is UNCW's first residence facility on campus, and has a standard hall-style double room arrangement with shared bathrooms for the entire hall. Housing 400 students, predominately first-years, Galloway has a very social atmosphere.

Graham-Hewlett and Belk dormitories are configured in suite-style dorm arrangements with eight to ten individuals sharing a bathroom. Graham-Hewlett houses 384 residents and Belk houses 192 residents, and both facilities consist of predominately first-year students. Belk is the only dorm on campus which is exclusively female, as all other dorms are coed.

Schwartz Hall houses 160 residents, and is home to mostly first-year students. A double room layout features shared bathrooms but is distinguished by its "pod" layout in contrast with the typical hall style dorms. Schwartz Hall is also home to special interest housing, which includes the "Men of Teal" floor, "Teaching Fellow" floor and "Wellness" floor.

Newer dormitories on campus include Honors (100 Honors Scholar residents), International (100 international and American residents) and Cornerstone Hall (265 residents arranged in "Learning Communities") and are arranged with a courtyard between them to form what is referred to as "Tri-house". These dormitories were constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s and are considered to be the most luxurious and well-maintained freshmen residences on campus.

In addition to dormitories, UNCW also has on campus apartments and suites. There are 13 apartment buildings which can serve as home to 400 students. The University Apartments house 4 students, who all have separate bedrooms but share a bathroom, living room, and kitchen.

The University Suites, built in the late 1980s include seven suite buildings which can also house 400 students. Two floor plans consist of six bedroom units housing 12 students and 10 bedroom units housing ten students. All residents of the Suites share bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchens. University Suites are home to various sororities and fraternities on campus.

Seahawk Village is a luxury apartment complex of six buildings housing 85 students each. With a similar design to off-campus accommodations, Seahawk Village houses predominately upperclassmen. Seahawk Village features a club house with swimming pool, and includes a mix of two, three, and four bedroom apartments with a total of 524 beds. The apartments are fully furnished and feature a full service kitchen and washer and dryer in each apartment.

Seahawk Landing features living arrangements similar to that found in the Seahawk Village facility, with expanded amenities including a sandwich/coffee shop, convenience market, and small-scale recreation facility located on site. Seahawk Landing houses 603 students in seven apartment buildings, predominately upperclassmen.

Seahawk Crossing, opened in 2009, is the most recent addition to residential facilities on campus. Seahawk Crossing’s four apartment buildings comprise four, six, and eight bedroom apartments and house 662 students. Apartment-pod style rooms are fully furnished, and residents are allowed access to the Seahawk Crossing parking deck.

Off-Campus Housing

There are many apartments and condos in the neighborhoods surrounding the university. The Seahawk Perch, which is maintained by the Dean of Students Office, is available to assist off-campus students.

Campus Dining

UNCW has several options for campus dining. The primary venue for dining on campus is Wagoner Hall. Wagoner Hall serves as a standard dining hall setup, with various stations offering a variety of foods, including a salad bar and assorted desserts. Wagoner Hall is also host to "Wagsgiving", an annual Thanksgiving feast arranged for students.

The newly renovated Dub’s Café, located in Warwick Hall, offers fewer options than Wagoner Hall, but is modeled in a similar cafeteria style.

The Fisher University Union houses Hawk’s Nest, a dining center where students can choose from a wide assortment of available options. Hawk’s Nest offers Mexican food, pizza, Asian cuisine, hamburgers and fries, sushi, Chick-fil-A and Quiznos.

Other on-campus dining options include Einstein's Bagels, Courtside Bagel Shop, Dunkin Donuts, Java City, Landing Sandwich Shop and multiple convenience stores. ^[4]

Greek Life

Greek-letter societies became an early part of student life at UNCW when the first social fraternity was formed in January of 1964, just six months after Wilmington College became a four-year institution. Fraternities and Sororities have continued to grow at UNCW with membership now above 10 percent of the overall student population, exceeding the national average. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) comprises 12 fraternities, and the Panhellenic Council is made up of 9 sororities. The National Pan-Hellenic Council has 7 historically-black organizations, three fraternities and four sororities. UNCW also has two additional special interest sororities.^[5] Several fraternities and sororities have on-campus housing in Schwartz Hall, University Suites and University Apartments.

UNCW Fraternities

The twelve Interfraternity Council members include:

• Alpha Tau Omega
• Delta Chi
• Delta Tau Delta
• Kappa Alpha Order
• Kappa Sigma
• Lambda Chi Alpha
• Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI)
• Pi Kappa Alpha
• Pi Kappa Phi
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• Sigma Nu
• Tau Kappa Epsilon

UNCW Sororities

The 8 Panhellenic Council members include:

• Alpha Delta Pi
• Alpha Gamma Delta
• Alpha Phi
• Alpha Xi Delta
• Chi Omega
• Delta Zeta
• Phi Mu
• Sigma Sigma Sigma

National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.

The 3 historically-black fraternities include:

• Alpha Phi Alpha
• Kappa Alpha Psi
• Omega Psi Phi [5]

The 4 historically-black sororities include:

• Alpha Kappa Alpha
• Delta Sigma Theta[6]
• Sigma Gamma Rho
• Zeta Phi Beta

No Council Affiliation

• Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority
• Sigma Alpha Omega Christian Sorority

Academics

The university is organized into five colleges:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Cameron School of Business
• College of Health and Human Services
• Watson School of Education
• Graduate School

The university has 52 undergraduate degree programs, 36 masters degree programs and two doctoral programs.

Randall Library

William Madison Randall Library supports the mission of the UNCW through the provision of information resources, services and programs relevant to the needs of its students, faculty and staff. To accomplish this mission, the library provides diverse collections of informational resources in multiple formats, access to informational resources and assistance and instruction in identifying, evaluating and interpreting information.

Randall Library has two floors. The first floor features computer banks, group work areas, the Technology Assistance Center, and a coffee shop for students. The floor has a very social atmosphere, and is commonly used to complete group assignments. The second floor has a strictly enforced quiet policy.

National Undersea Research Center

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) founded the National Undersea Research Program's National Undersea Research Center (NURC) for the Southeastern United States and Gulf of Mexico at UNCW in 1980.^[6] NOAA's Aquarius laboratory is an underwater habitat located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, adjacent to Conch Reef and is operated by UNCW/ NURC.^[7]

2010 - 2011 Rankings

In 2010, Forbes ranked UNCW 17 on the 2010 list of "America's Best College Buys."^[8]

Kiplinger:

• 3rd "Best Value" for in-state students among public universities in North Carolina.
• 25th "Best Value" for in-state students among public universities in the United States.
• 35th "Best Value" for out-of-state students among public universities in the United States.

Among its peer institutions (public master's universities), UNCW ranks fourth nationally (behind James Madison, College of New Jersey, and Truman State).^[9]

U.S. News & World Report:

• Top 20 (currently 13th) public master's universities in the South.

UNCW ranked 6th among the top public master's universities in the South in 2010.^[10]

Athletics

See also: UNCW Seahawks men's basketball

The UNCW athletic teams are known as the Seahawks. They are NCAA's Division I members and field 19 varsity athletic teams for men and women. UNCW has the highest student-athlete graduation rate for public universities in the state of North Carolina.

UNCW is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. Other members of the conference include University of Delaware, Drexel, George Mason, Georgia State, Hofstra, James Madison, Northeastern, Old Dominion, Towson, VCU and William & Mary.

Baseball

UNCW won the CAA’s automatic bid to play in the NCAA Regionals in 2004 and 2006. In addition, the program received at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2008. UNCW set a CAA record with four consecutive 40-win seasons from 2003–06 and set a school record with 44 victories in 2008, including a 21-game winning streak. The rich heritage of UNCW baseball began when the Seahawks captured the NCJAA 1961 and 1963 National Championships. The Seahawks have sent over 82 players to play professionally. UNCW has hosted the CAA baseball tournament at Brooks Field eight consecutive years and 10 times overall.

Men's Basketball

UNCW basketball has been popular on campus since the program moved to Division I in 1976-77. The Seahawks finished their inaugural season with a 16-10 record, a rare accomplishment for any program in their first year of D-I competition. Success continued in the second season when a sellout crowd attended the opening game in Trask Coliseum and witnessed a near upset of nationally-ranked Wake Forest 83-79. The Seahawks finished the 1977-78 season with a 19-7 record.

In 1984, the Seahawks joined the ECAC-South Conference (also known as the Colonial Athletic Association). In their first conference home game at Trask Coliseum the Seahawks defeated George Mason. The first appearance in a CAA championship game came in 1987, just their third season of league play that saw them finish the regular season in 2nd place. UNCW would appear in three more CAA title games (1989, 1996, 1998) before capturing their first championship in 2000 with a 57-47 win over Richmond. UNCW won the title again in 2006 by beating Hofstra, 78-67.

The Seahawks’ first votes in any Top 25 poll came early in the 1992-93 season. Other notable wins that captured the attention of pollsters included roads wins at Miami(FL) and NC State (96-84). The first appearance in post-season play came in 1998 when they were selected for the NIT. They played again in the NIT in 2001.

UNCW has made four appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Their first trip came in 2000, where they lost to the #2 seed Cincinnati, 64-47.

In their second appearance in 2002, the 13th seeded Seahawks shocked the 4th seeded Trojans of USC with a 93-89 overtime win. They were defeated by Indiana in the second round, 76-66.

In 2003 the Seahawks faced off against Maryland. Maryland won the game, 75-73.

In 2006 the Seahawks earned a ninth seed and met #8 seed George Washington. Despite an excellent first half, the Seahawks saw an 18-point lead evaporate in the second half before losing in overtime, 88-85.

Women's Basketball

The UNCW women’s basketball program completed its 37th season of competition in 2010-11, including the last 25 as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks. The Seahawks began as a member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in 1973-74 and spent 10 years as a member of the AIAW until the association’s disbandment following the 1982-83 season.

UNCW joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for one season, recording a then-program best mark of 22-6 in its lone year of competition in the NAIA before joining the NCAA Division I ranks as a member of the ECAC-South Conference in 1984 (the league changed its name to the Colonial Athletic Association in 1985).

As a member of the CAA, the Seahawks have made two appearances in the CAA championship game, falling both times to Old Dominion (92-49 in 2000 & 76-48 in 2002). UNCW’s best regular-season finish came in 2010-11, when the Seahawks finished in a tie for second place with ODU, one game behind regular season champion James Madison.

The Seahawks are coached by Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who was named the ninth coach in program history on May 10, 2010. A member of the Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Fame, Cooper-Dyke enjoyed a landmark playing career both in the WNBA as a member of the Houston Comets and internationally in Italy and Spain. She was a member of back-to-back national champion squads at the University of Southern California (1983, 1984) and represented the United States in international competition on five occasions, including the games of the 1988 and 1992 Olympiads.

In its first season under Cooper-Dyke, UNCW established a program record for victories in a season with 24 wins and made its first post-season appearance, accepting an at-large invitation to the 2011 Postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Seahawks defeated Richmond, 63-54, in the first round, but fell to Eastern Michigan at home in the second round by an identical 63-54 margin. The loss to EMU on March 21, 2011, was the first post-season game ever to be played in Trask Coliseum.

The 2010-2011 Seahawks were led by point guard and team captain Emily Jurenka, whose tremendous work ethic had a major impact on the team. "Her hustle was infectious," Cooper-Dyke said. "She did everything at 110 percent, and I've never seen a player spend so much extra time in the gym." In honor of her contributions, Cooper-Dyke decided to create the coveted Emily Jurenka Hustle Award, given out each year to the team's hardest working player.

Additional Athletic Achievements

The men’s swimming and diving team has won the CAA title for 10 consecutive years, from 2002 through 2011. The men's track & field team won its 10th team title in 2009. The men’s tennis team has won the CAA title twice in the last three years (2009, 2011) by defeating VCU. The men’s golf and women’s golf teams each won the CAA title in 2011 to give them three conference championships apiece. UNCW also captured the men's and women's CAA soccer titles in 2009.

Club Sports

UNCW club sports include teams in baseball, crew, equestrian, gymnastics, women's lacrosse, men's lacrosse, women's soccer, men's soccer, surf, triathlon, men's volleyball, women's volleyball, water-ski, field hockey, ice hockey, rugby, women's rugby, swimming, men's ultimate frisbee, women's ultimate frisbee, water polo, women's basketball, cycling, golf, sailing, softball, tennis, wakeboard and wrestling.

Both of UNCW's club ultimate frisbee teams, the Seamen and the Seaweed, are nationally-ranked contenders in USA Ultimate's college Open and Women's divisions respectively. In 2010, both teams won their way to the quarterfinals of the USA Ultimate College Championships, each coming away tied for 5th overall.

The club ice hockey team plays in the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference in the Carolina division. The won their division in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons. They were runner ups in the BRHC Championship in the 2007-2008 season. They are currently ranked in the South division of the D3 American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). The team is funded by players and sponsorship donations, for more information, or to donate, visit www.uncwhockey.com.

The UNCW Mens Rugby team, the Clamdiggers, was recently admitted back on campus in spring 2010. Since then they have achieved national ranking in the D2 division and was ranked 18th in Fall 2010 and 22nd in spring 2011 with victories over Nationally ranked D1 NC State and Previously #1 ranked Appalachian State"

In addition, numerous other clubs have attained notable accolades. The Surf Club finished 3rd in the 2011 NSSA National Championships, won the NSSA Eastern Championships, placed in the 2010 NSSA National Championship, were NSSA Easterns Champions 2010, were NSSA National Runner-up 2009, and were NSSA Easterns Champions 2009. The Golf Club won the National Championship in 2009 and was a 2011 National Championships Qualifier. The Women's Club Basketball Team won the East Coast Division II Championship. In 2011, the Men's Club Lacrosse Team won the War at the Shore Lacrosse Tournament. There are 29 active spots clubs on campus.

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports involve a large percent of the campus body population with dozens of sports from flag football to volleyball to bocce. With warm sunny weather favorable to being outside the majority of the year, the student body is in tuned with participating in IM sports to get involved, meet new people, have fun, and stay active.

People

Notable alumni

Main article: List of UNCW alumni

Chief Executives

Presidents

• Thomas Tristram Hamilton, Jr. (1947–1951)
• John T. Hoggard (1951–1958)
• William M. Randall (1958–1968)
• William H. Wagoner (1968–1969)

Chancellors

• William H. Wagoner (1969–1990)
• James R. Leutze (1990–2003)
• Rosemary DePaolo (2003–2011)
• Gary L. Miller (2011-present)(link)

Athletic Directors

• William J. Brooks (1951–1991)
• Paul Miller (1991–1999)
• Peg Bradley-Doppes (1999–2004)
• Mike Capaccio (2004–2007)
• Kelly Mehrtens (2007–2010)
• Jimmy Bass (2010–present)

Notable Professors

Prof. Joseph Arthur Chambers, Thomas S. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Jazz.

Dr. Clyde Edgerton, Professor of Creative Writing, Noted Southern Author

Dr. Thomas Simpson, Senior Adviser to The Federal Reserve Board of Governors and U.S. Treasury

Dr. Gerald Shinn, founder of the Albert Schweitzer International Prizes

Dr. L. Drew Rosen, Past International President, Professor of Operations Management, Cameron School of Business

Dr. Stephen Harper, Progress Energy/Betty Cameron Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship:

Dr. Russell Herman, Physics

Dr. Milan Dluhy, Former Senior Policy Analyst U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Dr. David Sepkoski, Historian of paleobiology

Dr. Patricia Kelley, Professor of Paleontology, Past President of the Paleontological Society

References

1. ^ UNCW - Visual Identity Guidelines
2. ^ Official name as designated by the North Carolina Legislature
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ Welcome to the University of North Carolina Wilmington!
5. ^ UNCWGreeks.com
6. ^ Hulbert, AW (1988). "The University of North Carolina at Wilmington scientific diving program.". In: Lang, MA (ed). Advances in Underwater Science…88. Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences Eighth annual scientific diving symposium. (American Academy of Underwater Sciences). http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/9435. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
7. ^ Shepard AN, Dinsmore DA, Miller SL, Cooper CB, and Wicklund RI (1996). "Aquarius undersea laboratory: The next generation". In: MA Lang, CC Baldwin (Eds.) The Diving for Science…1996, "Methods and Techniques of Underwater Research" Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (Sixteenth annual Scientific Diving Symposium). http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/4703. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
8. ^ [2]
9. ^ Welcome to University of North Carolina Wilmington News
10. ^ Welcome to University of North Carolina Wilmington News

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website

Coordinates: 34°13′35.76″N 77°52′40.97″W / 34.2266°N 77.8780472°W / 34.2266; -77.8780472