The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP or UNC Pembroke) is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...

Pembroke, North Carolina 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 2,973, at the 2010 census. The town is the seat of the state-recognized Lumbee tribe of Nor ...

. UNC Pembroke is a master's level degree-granting university and part of the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus 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 Sy ...

system. Its history is intertwined with that of the

Lumbee The Lumbee are a Native American people primarily centered in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland counties in North Carolina. They also live in surrounding states and Baltimore, Maryland. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-rec ...

nation.

History

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

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 McMillian of Robeson County. This event occurred in the context of competition for support between the Democratic and Republican parties in North Carolina. Hamilton MacMillian'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 Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...

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. Initially, enrollment was limited to the American Indians of

Robeson County Robeson County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of North Carolina and is its largest county by land area. Its county seat is and largest city is Lumberton. The county was formed in 1787 from part of Bladen County and named in ...

. 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 A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

; until then it had provided only primary and secondary instruction. 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 ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...

'' ruling the following year by the United States Supreme Court ended race restrictions at the college. Between 1939 and 1953, Pembroke State was the only state-supported four-year college for Indians in the United States. In 1969 the college became Pembroke State University, a regional university that was incorporated into the

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. On March 14, 2012, UNC Pembroke began a 14-month celebration of its 125th anniversary, to conclude with the spring 2013 Commencement ceremonies in May 2013.

Campus

University of North Carolina at Pembroke water feature and amphitheatre

The university's campus is situated just north of Pembroke, located directly behind N.C. Highway 711.

Interstate 74 } Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange ...

is located just minutes from campus, as is

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

. 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 A bowl is a typically round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, or consuming food. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom forming a seamless curve. This makes ...

, play

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky po ...

and related games as well as socialize in the lounge. The dining hall and a fast-food outlet are located in the UC. 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 Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been ...

. The eastern side of campus includes the Livermore Library, Oxendine Science Building,

Old Main Old Main is a term often applied to the original building present on college or university campuses in the United States. The building serves today as home to administrative offices, such as the president or provost, but in its early inception may ...

, 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. The campus is home to

Givens Performing Arts Center The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP or UNC Pembroke) 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 i ...

, 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 Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. se ...

Bill Nye William Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955), popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American mechanical engineer, science communicator, and television presenter. He is best known as the host of the science television show ''Bill ...

Jodi Sweetin Jodie Lee Ann Sweetin (born January 19, 1982) is an American actress and television personality. She is best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner in the ABC comedy series ''Full House'' and its Netflix sequel series '' Fuller House''. Earl ...

Patch Adams Hunter Doherty "Patch" Adams (born May 28, 1945) is an American physician, comedian, social activist, clown, and author. He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1971. Each year he also organizes volunteers from around the world to travel to var ...

Gabby Douglas Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas (born December 31, 1995) is an American artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast. She is the Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 Olympic all around champion and the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Champi ...

and

Hill Harper Francis Eugene "Hill" Harper (born May 17, 1966) is an American actor and author. He is known for his roles on ''CSI: NY'', ''Limitless (TV series), Limitless'' and ''The Good Doctor (TV series), The Good Doctor''. Early life and education Harpe ...

, among many others.

Organization

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

system, the title was changed to Chancellor.

Presidents

UNCP Givens Performing Arts Center - back

* Dr. O. H. Browne (1940–1942) * Dr. Ralph D. Wellons (1942–1956) * Dr. Walter J. Gale (1956–1962) * Dr. English E. Jones (1962–1972)

Chancellors

* Dr. English E. Jones (1972–1979) * Dr. Paul R. Givens (1979–1989) * Dr. Joseph B. Oxendine (1989–1999) * Dr. Allen C. Meadors (1999–2009) * Dr. Charles R. Jenkins (2009–2010) * Dr. Kyle R. Carter (2010–2015) * Dr. Robin G. Cummings (2015–present)

Academics

UNCP Lowry Bell Tower from the Water Feature

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 :*American Indian Studies :*Art :*Biology :*Chemistry and Physics :*English, Theatre & World Languages :*Geology & Geography :*History :*Mass Communication :*Mathematics & Computer Science :*Music :*Nursing :*Philosophy & Religion :*Political Science & Public Administration :*Psychology :*Sociology & Criminal Justice Departments of the College of Health Sciences :*Nursing :*Social Work :*Kinesiology Departments of the Thomas School of Business :*Accounting & Finance :*Economics & Decision Sciences :*Management, Marketing & International Business Departments of the School of Education :*Educational Leadership & Specialties :*Teacher Education Program :*Counseling The Graduate School Programs :*Art Education :*Business Administration (accelerated online MBA available) :*Clinical Mental Health Counseling :*Elementary Education :*English Education :*English as a Second Language Licensure, Add-on :*Exercise/Sports Administration concentration in Physical Education (MA) :*Mathematics Education :*Middle Grades Education :*Nursing (MSN) :*Health & Physical Education :*Public Administration (MPA) :*Reading Education :*School Administration (MSA) :*Professional School Counseling :*Science Education :*Social Studies Education :*Social Work :*Special Education :*Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Students and faculty

UNCP offers small class sizes; the student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1, and classes average 20 students. In addition, classes are taught exclusively by

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

s, 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. The fall 2021 enrollment marks the fourth consecutive year of record enrollment growth.

Rankings

The 2002 edition of '' U.S. News & World Report'' on "America's Best Colleges", UNC Pembroke was ranked in the Regional Universities – South category 65th overall, and 30th in "Top Public Schools", 18th in the "Top Performers on Social Mobility", and tied for the most ethnically diverse campus in the South.

Sports, clubs, and traditions

Athletics

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

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 Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Divisio ...

and the

Mountain East Conference The Mountain East Conference (MEC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level and officially began competition on September 1, 2013. It consists of 12 schools, mo ...

. The school fields varsity sports teams for women and men.

Greek life and student organizations

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. FraternitiesGreek Life , The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
/ref> *

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...

Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Sigma Phi (), commonly known as Alpha Sig, is an intercollegiate men's social fraternity with 181 active chapters and provisional chapters. Founded at Yale in 1845, it is the 10th oldest Greek letter fraternity in the United States. The f ...

Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, creed ...

Lambda Theta Phi Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. () is a Latino non-profit social fraternity in the United States. It was founded on December 1, 1975, at Kean College in Union, New Jersey. It emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin cultu ...

(

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

) *

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty advi ...

Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students with nine other Howard students as char ...

Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau (), commonly known as Phi Tau (), is a collegiate fraternity located in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1906. As of November 2022, the fraternity has 161 chartered chapters, 79 active chapters, 6 Associate chapte ...

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...

* Phi Sigma Nu ( American Indian) *

Theta Xi Theta Xi () is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on April 29, 1864. Of all the social fraternities today, Theta Xi was the only one founded during the Civil War. It ...

Sororities *

Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of sixteen stud ...

Alpha Pi Omega Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, Inc. () is the oldest historically Indigenous national sorority in the United States. It is the largest Indigenous Greek letter organization, with 24 chartered chapters across nine states and the District of Columbia. Hi ...

( American Indian) *

Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Sigma Alpha () is a United States National Panhellenic sorority founded on November 15, 1901, at the Virginia State Female Normal School (later known as Longwood College and now known as Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia. Once a sor ...

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...

Kappa Delta Kappa Delta (, also known as KD or Kaydee) was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University), in Farmville, Virginia. Kappa Delta is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university, wh ...

Lambda Theta Alpha Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. () is a Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latina-based sorority, established in 1975 at Kean University by seventeen women of Latin, Caribbean, and European descent as a support system for women in higher educat ...

(

Latina Latina or Latinas most often refers to: * Latinas, a demographic group in the United States * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America. *Latin Americans Latina and Latinas may also refer ...

) *Sigma Omicron Epsilon ( American Indian) *

Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma (), also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women's sorority. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an umbrella organization encompassing 26 national sororities or women's fraterni ...

Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. In 1920, five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic achie ...

Zeta Tau Alpha Zeta Tau Alpha (known as or Zeta) is an international Fraternities and sororities in North America, women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia. Its Internatio ...

Media

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.

Notable alumni

Brad Allen Brad Allen is an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) since the 2014 NFL season, wearing uniform number 122. A native of Lumberton, North Carolina (and a graduate oThe University of North Carolina at Pembroke former ...

, NFL official *

Derek Brunson Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ran ...

, 3-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler at UNCP; professional

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

fighter, formerly fought in

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

, now currently fighting in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

* Sascha Görres, German

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who currently plays for

Richmond Kickers Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL-1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...

in the USL Professional Division * Charles Graham, member of the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

* Jerry P. Lanier, former U.S. Ambassador to Sudan and a career diplomat with the U.S. Department of State *

Sally McRorie Sally Elaine McRorie is an American psychologist and painter. She is the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Florida State University and president of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Early life an ...

, educator, psychologist and painter * Pardon Ndhlovu, marathon runner from

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

, competed at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

and placed 41st in the men's marathon competition * Julian Pierce, civil rights activist * Ruth Revels, American Indian activist and educator *

Kelvin Sampson Kelvin Dale Sampson (born October 5, 1955) is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach for the University of Houston of the American Athletic Conference. Early life Sampson was born in the Lumbee Native American community of ...

, head basketball coach for the Houston Cougars, former

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, former Washington State, University of Oklahoma, and Indiana University head coach

References

External links

*
UNCP Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:North Carolina At Pembroke, University Of

University of North Carolina at Pembroke The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP or UNC Pembroke) 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 i ...

Educational institutions established in 1887 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Robeson County, North Carolina Buildings and structures in Robeson County, North Carolina 1887 establishments in North Carolina University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Robeson County, North Carolina