Chancellor focuses on growth, change during Convocation

UNC Charlotte’s continuing growth and leadership for the greater Charlotte region were key messages that Chancellor Philip L. Dubois stressed during the annual University Convocation.

“We expect to set a new all-time record, enrolling the largest freshman class in history,” said Dubois earlier today. “We don’t think we will quite hit the 30,000 mark this fall, but we know that interest in our institution continues to be strong.”

With regard to the incoming freshman class, it possesses the best academic credentials of any previous class, and graduate enrollment last year hit a record high of 5,400, including almost 1,000 doctoral students.

With the city of Charlotte attracting more residents, and as the city recruits new businesses and industries, the chancellor noted that “when it comes to satisfying employer needs for significant numbers of prepared degree recipients and for research and technical support from faculty, we’re not just the flagship; we’re the whole fleet.”

Given the region’s expansion, the chancellor posited, “Is it reasonable to believe that a rapidly growing region can be properly served by a University frozen at 35,000? Do we really want Charlotte to be known as the nation’s largest city most underserved by higher education?”

University enrollment beyond 35,000 would require considering: new undergraduate and graduate academic programming; how best to offer the programming with an appropriate mix of on-campus and off-campus delivery; and how to protect the University’s hallmark reputation of quality instruction, particularly in terms of undergraduate education.

“Beyond the question of ‘whether’ we should aspire to grow beyond 35,000 is the all-important question of ‘how’ the resources will be assembled to make that happen,” said Dubois. “That question speaks to the importance of our beginning a dialog with the president, the Board of Governors and leaders in the General Assembly about how another very large research institution may contribute to the accomplishment of the state’s goals for higher education and how the human, financial and capital resources can be assembled to support UNC Charlotte’s further development.”

Another topic the chancellor addressed was the University’s academic reputation. While student surveys indicate some admitted students select other institutions, UNC Charlotte is increasingly attracting applications from students who also are applying to UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. State. He said campus investments in student life facilities, such as the Popp Martin Student Union and the University Recreation Center under construction, combined with renovation of nearly all residence hall and dining facilities and the addition of football and light rail will create an undergraduate experience second to none.

“Academic reputations, of course, are built over decades of time of delivering high quality academic programs and of producing satisfied and successful graduates, but I believe that we can help accelerate closing our reputational gap with renewed attention to our advertising and branding as our resources will permit,” said Dubois.

Challenges for the University involve possible turnover among the Board of Trustees with some members having served their full terms and others up for reappointment, and the absence of the “usual infusion of enrollment increase funds.” Also, the General Assembly reduced the University’s permanent budget by $800,000.

Employee compensation is another topic of concern. The General Assembly allocated a fixed sum of $20 million to cover all UNC System employees, and the legislature directed that most SHRA employees receive a 2 percent increase across the board retroactive to July 1, which the UNC Board of Governors also approved for System SHRA employees, “an action that consumes most of the available funding. We are uncertain whether there will be a sufficient amount of funding left to award any EHRA raises to faculty and non-faculty administrators, and we must await additional budget-related information from the UNC System Office.”

Space on campus also must be addressed.

“UNC Charlotte has the lowest amount of space per student in the UNC System and is also among the most efficient when it comes to space utilization,” Dubois stated.

The University’s Five-Year Capital Construction Plan is focused on renovating academic and classroom facilities in the Academic Complex, critical repairs to Burson Building and construction of the new Undergraduate Admissions Center. Also, the University has completed a number of capital projects, including the construction of the Price Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. Preparations are underway for the new science building, too.

“But there is more to be done, and hence the need for the next five-year plan, with a focus on key academic and student support facilities, including the upfit of research space on the top floor of the Bioinformatics Building, further renovations to Burson and the renovation of the Cameron, Colvard, McEniry and Woodward buildings,” noted Dubois.

He added that a major study is underway on the Cone University Center and possible renovations for the King Building. Additionally, he said the demolition of Moore Hall will make way for the construction of a facility similar to Levine Hall. A decision regarding Sanford Hall is still being discussed.

“We will soon know whether it makes sense to repurpose Sanford for academic or administrative purposes or to hold a second implosion party,” Dubois said.

Another major initiative the chancellor discussed is developing a University-operated lab school to serve K-5 elementary students. Two years ago, the General Assembly mandated the UNC System establish nine of these schools, and UNC Charlotte was chosen to host one. This Niner lab school will be housed in a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools facility near campus.

“In addition to providing an enhanced educational opportunity for low-performing students, the lab school is intended to provide training for teachers and principals to successfully address challenges existing in high-needs school settings,” said the chancellor. “Our lab school will also be a setting for faculty from across the University to provide these elementary students the opportunities we know all children should receive—such as after-school coding or robotics classes, health screenings, arts programs and one-on-one tutoring if that is what they need. The school will also provide an exciting research laboratory for those interested in teaching and learning.”