It is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, UNC Hill, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and simply Carolina is a research-based public university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The flagship institution of the University of North Carolina system and is classified as a Public Ivy, or a public institution that provides an educational experience that is similar to the experience of the Ivy League university. After being chartered in 1789, it first started accepting students in 1795. This made it among the longest-running colleges across the United States. Of all the universities that claim to be a part of the system of the University, it is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the only one that was able to hold classes and had students graduate as an institution of public instruction in the late 18th century. The first institution of public university education within North Carolina, the school was opened to students on February 12, 1795. North Carolina became coeducational under the direction of President Kemp Plummer Battle in 1877 and started the process of removing segregation under the Chancellor Robert Burton House when African-American graduate students were admitted in the year 1951. The year 1952 saw North Carolina opened its own hospital, UNC Health Care, for treatment and research, and it has since become a specialist in cancer treatment through the UNC's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center that is among the 51 nationwide NCI designated centers for comprehensive care.
The University provides degrees in more than 70 subjects of study. It is also administratively divided into 13 professional schools as well as a main unit called that of the College of Arts and Sciences. Five among the colleges have been designated as they include the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media as well as UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health as well as UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy as well as the UNC Adams School of Dentistry. Every undergraduate receives the liberal arts curriculum and can choose to choose a major in the schools of professional studies at UNC or in the College of Arts and Sciences at the time they attain junior status. The University is classified under "R1: Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity" and is a part of the Association of American Universities (AAU). According to the National Science Foundation, UNC invested $1.14 billion in research and development in 2018, which placed it 12th among the national universities.
UNC-Chapel Hill Campus
The 729-acre (3.0 km2) campus dominates two quads in the central area: Polk Place and McCorkle Place. Polk Place is named after North Carolina native and university president James K. Polk, and McCorkle Place is named after Samuel Eusebius McCorkle, the first creator of the bill that sought for the charter of the University. The area that is adjacent the Polk Place is a sunken brick courtyard, dubbed the Pit in which students be gathered, often engaged in lively debates with speakers like The Pit Preacher. The Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower is located on the campus's main campus has a quarter-hourly toll. In 1999, the UNC-Chapel Hill was among sixteen winners from the American Society of Landscape Architects Medallion Awards and was recognized as one of fifty colleges or universities "works of art" by T.A. Gaines within his publication The Campus as a Work of Art.
The campus of the University is divided into three parts, generally known as "north campus," "middle campus," and "south campus." North campus comprises two quads, as well as The Pit, Frank Porter Graham Student Union as well as Wilson, House and Davis, House, and Wilson libraries. The majority of classrooms are in the north campus, along with various residence halls for undergraduates. The middle campus has Fetzer Field as well as Woolen Gymnasium along with the Student Recreation Center, Kenan Memorial Stadium, Irwin Belk outdoor track, Eddie Smith Field House, Boshamer Stadium, Carmichael Auditorium, Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History, School of Government, School of Law, George Watts Hill Alumni Center, Ram's Head complex (with a dining hall and parking garage), a supermarket, and gym) as well as various residence halls. South campus contains The Dean Smith Center for men's basketball, Koury Natatorium, School of Medicine and University of North Carolina Hospitals, Kenan-Flagler Business School, and the brand new Student Residence Halls.
Sustainability and Environment at Campus
Sustainability principles have been incorporated into the majority of the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. For green building, the school demands that all new construction have the necessary requirements to obtain LEED Silver certification and is currently working on building the first structure located in North Carolina to receive LEED Platinum status. The award-winning cogeneration facility at UNC-Chapel Hill produces one-fourth the electricity used on campus and all of the steam used by campus. In 2006, the University and the town of Chapel Hill jointly agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2050, which is the first town-gown association in the nation to achieve so. Through this effort, the University was awarded an "A-" grade on the Sustainable Endowment Institute's college sustainability report card for 2010. Only 14 of the 300 schools received a better score than this. The University has faced recent criticism for ignoring the pledge to shut down its coal-fired power plant before 2020. The University has announced plans to make the transition to carbon-neutral in 2050. In December of this year, the University was accused of trespassing by the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity for violating the provisions in Clean Air Act. Clean Air Act
McCorkle Place and Old Well
McCorkle Place is an open green space on the campuses of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. North Carolina was named in honor of Samuel Eusebius McCorkle, the prototypical and interceptor of the school.
The most well-known symbol of the University can be found in the Old Well that is a tiny neoclassical circular structure modeled after its counterpart, the Temple of Love in the Gardens of Versailles, in exactly the same spot as the well which originally was used to supply water to the school. The well is situated in the south of McCorkle Place, the northern quad, and is located between two of the oldest campus structures, Old East and Old West.
In McCorkle Place is the Davie Poplar tree that the founder of the University, William Richardson Davie, believed to have chosen the site for the school. The legend about the Davie Poplar states that when the tree remains and continues to grow, so will be the University.Because of the trees' questionable health due to damages caused by extreme weather, such as hurricane Fran in 1996, the University created two genetically clones in the vicinity known as Davie Poplar Jr. and Davie Poplar III.The second Davie Poplar III clone Davie Poplar III was planted to coincide with the bicentennial celebrations of the University in 1993. Students who belong to University's Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies are not permitted to stroll on the grass of McCorkle Place to show respect for the undiscovered grave that is the burial place of Joseph Caldwell, the University's first president.
UNC-Chapel Hill Ranking
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Academic Ranking of World Universities: #29 in 2021
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World University Rankings: #52 in 2022
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QS World University Rankings: #100 in 2022
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Best Global Universities Rankings: #36 in 2021
UNC-Chapel Hill Services
Student Services at UNC-Chapel Hill
If you don't have U.S. citizenship or Permanent Resident Status, you'll be able to apply for admission as an international scholar. There's no specific application and you can choose to use either the standard first-year or transfer application.
This year, around 500 students from our undergraduate program were from over 100 nations outside of the U.S. They bring a remarkable variety of perspectives and ideas to the community. If you're considering an undergraduate degree in the U.S., we encourage you to explore our programs, learn more about our student community and take a look at our international-specific fact sheet.
Services for Housing at UNC-Chapel Hill
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Feel at home. The campus housing is a safe affordable and comfortable place to set your feet up and establish yourself at Carolina and enjoy an unparalleled opportunity to get immersed within Tar Heel living.
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Get involved in some serious fun. Campus Recreation welcomes students faculty, staff, and families of every levels to participate in our diverse physical and social activities from fitness classes for individuals and outdoor education to club and intramural sports.
Library Services at UNC-Chapel Hill
Carolina's libraries have a long tradition with a vital mission to provide services to the University and the state. The library system is consistently as among the top 20 in the nation.
Medical Services
At Carolina we view wellbeing and healthy as the path that communities and individuals take in order to realize their full potential, live healthy and flourish. Our collaboration services, initiatives as well as resources help make it easy that you make healthier choices through shaping the environments that we inhabit, play and learn.
UNC-Chapel Hill Student Life
Life on Campus
Chapel Hill routinely ranks as one of the top colleges and the best cities to reside throughout the United States, a reputation driven by the variety of professional, cultural, and social opportunities that run through the campus and the town. From live music to eclectic eating options to peaceful trails and historical architecture, find out the many aspects of Chapel Hill - and the surrounding region.
Get involved in some serious fun. Campus Recreation welcomes students staff, faculty along with family members at all levels to participate in our diverse physical and social activities, from fitness classes for individuals and outdoor education to club and intramural sports.
Sports Facilities
Train in our fully-equipped gym and aqua centers, fly over our zip line, or take a paddle on Kerr Lake. Have fun, splash around, sprint across the course, or conquer the course and locate your spot to play.
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Bowman Gray Memorial Pool Bowman Gray Memorial Pool Olympic-length pool has two 50-meter and six 25-meter along with six 25-yard lanes, which range from 3 and up to 10 feet. Bowman Gray is ADA compliant. The pool is accessible via access to the Woollen ladies' and men's lockers.
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It is situated near the main entrance to Carmichael Auditorium. Intramural Sports utilize the fields for soccer, flag football, softball, kickball, and flag football. Sports clubs, including ultimate frisbee, soccer, and rugby, utilize Hooker Fields for practice and games.
UNC-Chapel Hill Education
Carolina fulfills adult learners by offering credit and noncredit courses provided by departments, schools of arts and cultural programming along with the Friday Centre for Continuing Education.
UNC-Chapel Hill Research
Research at UNC-Chapel Hill is a billion-dollar business that has quadrupled in the last 15 years and has established Carolina as among the nation's most prestigious research universities.
Treatments and cures for diseases. Innovative technology. Innovative industries are emerging for North Carolina and the world. At Carolina, we take on the toughest challenges using multidisciplinary teams composed of top researchers and students who bring a variety of perspectives to offer innovative, novel solutions. As one of the nation's top researchers, our universities carry out around $1 billion of research every year. We provide a dedicated service to our sponsors as well as unprecedented opportunities for postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates.
UNC-Chapel Hill Career
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The two main groups of permanent employees within the University are known in the following terms: SHRA (Subject to N.C. State Human Resources Act) and EHRA (Not subject to the N.C. State Human Resources Act). The two groups also have sub-divisions.
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While both groups have numerous similarities and are both employed by the state, SHRA EHRA and SHRA EHRA employees have some distinctions in the areas of benefits, allowances for leave, and other policies. The University's Office of Human Resources provides human resources policies and programs as well as management to SHRA and EHRA other positions. For faculty human resources, the HR department is primarily handled through the Office of the Provost.