The University of North Carolina Asheville (UNC Asheville, UNCA, or simply Asheville) is a public

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as La ...

university in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

, United States. UNC Asheville is the designated

institution in 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 S ...

system. UNC Asheville is a member and the headquarters of the

Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) is a consortium of 30 public colleges and universities in 27 states and one Canadian province. Established in 1987, COPLAC advances the aims of its member institutions and drives awareness of the ...

History

UNC Asheville was founded in 1927 as Buncombe County Junior College, part of the Buncombe County public school system. It was the first tuition free public college in the United States. It was located in the Biltmore School in south Asheville on Hendersonville Road (U.S. 25). In 2001, Biltmore School was recognized by the

Save America's Treasures Save America's Treasures is a United States federal government initiative to preserve and protect historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public–private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust fo ...

program. During the Great Depression, the college started charging tuition. In 1930 the school merged with the College of the City of Asheville (founded in 1928) to form Biltmore Junior College. In 1934 the college was renamed Biltmore College. In 1936, the name changed to Asheville-Biltmore College, and control was transferred to the Asheville City Schools. Overlook_Castle_in_1920

In 1949, the college relocated to the 20,000-square foot Overlook Castle, also known as Seely's Caste, which included 29 acres on the crest of Sunset Mountain. Evelyn Grove Seely, widow of Fred Loring Seely, sold Overlook to the college $125,000; she also donated $50,000 to the acquisition fund. The college renamed the house Seely Hall, as requested by the seller. The house, no longer part of the college, was named to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1980. In 1961, Asheville-Biltmore College moved to the present UNC Asheville campus in north Asheville. That year, the college desegregated with the enrollment of Etta Mae Whitner Patterson. In 1963 it became a state-supported four-year college, and awarded its first bachelor's degrees in 1966. Its first residence halls were built in 1967. It adopted its current name in 1969 upon becoming part of the Consolidated University of North Carolina, since 1972 called the University of North Carolina System. UNC Asheville desegregated its faculty in 1981, along with all schools in the

. It is one of three

baccalaureate college The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, or simply the Carnegie Classification, is a framework for classifying colleges and universities in the United States. It was created in 1970 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Adva ...

s within the University of North Carolina System, and has been classified as a Liberal Arts I institution since 1992.

Administration

The university has been led by Chancellor Nancy J. Cable since 2018. On October 13th, 2022, it was announced she will be stepping down on December 31st, 2022. At that point, Interim Provost Kimberly van Noort will become interim chancellor. The university operates under the guidance and policies of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Members of the board are appointed by the governor of North Carolina. As part of the seventeen-campus

System, UNC Asheville also falls under the administration of the system's president, Peter Hans. The UNC System is administered by the UNC Board of Governors, which is elected by the North Carolina Legislature, and advised by the UNC Faculty Assembly.

Chief executive officers

Presidents/Deans

*1927–1932: S.B. Conley, Dean *1932–1936: A.C. Reynolds, President *1936–1941: Charles A. Lloyd, Dean *1945–1946: William H. Morgan, Dean *1946–1947: Clarence N. Gilbert, Dean *1947–1947: R.A. Tomberlin, President *1947–1962: Glenn L. Bushey, President *1962–1969: William E. Highsmith, President

Chancellors

*1969–1977: William E. Highsmith *1977–1977: Arnold K. King, a''cting'' *1977–1984: William E. Highsmith *1984–1990: David G. Brown *1990–1991: Roy Carroll, ''interim'' *1991–1993: Samuel Schuman *1994–1994: Larry Wilson, ''interim'' *1994–1999: Patsy Reed *1999–2005: James H. Mullen, Jr. *2005–2014: Anne Ponder *2014–2015: Doug Orr, ''interim'' *2015–2017: Mary K. Grant *2017–2018: Joseph Urgo, ''interim'' *2018–2022: Nancy J. Cable *2022-present: Kimberly van Noort, ''interim''

Campus

The campus includes 365 acres in a small city setting. Noteworthy campus features include: * Bob Moog Electric Music Studio is named for

Robert Moog Robert Arthur Moog ( ; May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was an American engineer and electronic music pioneer. He was the founder of the synthesizer manufacturer Moog Music and the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer, the Moog synthesi ...

, former professor and inventor of the

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...

Botanical Gardens at Asheville The Botanical Gardens at Asheville (BGA), also known as the Asheville Botanical Gardens, is an independent non-profit botanical garden located on 10 acres at 151 W. T. Weaver Boulevard in Asheville, North Carolina. Dedicated to the study and pro ...

is adjacent to campus and features 600 plant species on ten acres with walking trails * Carol Belk Theatre seats 200 people and is used for Theatre UNCA and other performances * Kimmel Area with seating for 3,200 people is used for basketball and concerts * Lookout Observatory for astronomical research is open to the public for stargazing and includes a collection of images from the universe * N.C. Center for Health & Wellness, including biofeedback lab and meditation space * Wilma Dykeman Writers-in-Residence home * S. Tucker Cooke Gallery is used for student and faculty art exhibits * Earthworks from the Civil War Battle of Asheville are preserved on campus.

Academics

Curriculum

UNC Asheville operates on a semester calendar. It offers four-year undergraduate programs leading to Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science degrees in 36 majors, and is classified by the

Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, or simply the Carnegie Classification, is a framework for classifying colleges and universities in the United States. It was created in 1970 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Adv ...

as a Baccalaureate College–Arts & Sciences (Bac/A&S). The University's most popular majors include biology/biological sciences, business administration and management, computer science, digital arts, English language and literature, mass communication/media studies, psychology, and sociology. It also offers joint degrees with North Carolina State University, including a 2-2 B.S. in engineering, a 3-1 B.S. in engineering, and a joint B.S. in engineering in mechatronics concentration. All students complete a capstone or culminating academic experience. UNC Asheville founded the

National Conference on Undergraduate Research The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) was established in 1987 at the University of North Carolina at Asheville to promote undergraduate research in universities throughout the United States. Undergraduate students are invited t ...

and has hosted the event five times. Some sixty percent of student complete undergraduate research or creative project. Around 20% of students partipate in study abroad or study away. More than 48 of its graduates have received

Fulbright Fellowships The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

. Located on campus, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has some 220 faculty and offer more than 350 classes each year.

Faculty

UNC Asheville had 222 full-time faculty members the fall of 2022, with 87% holding terminal degrees in their field. Another 99 faculty serve part-time. Faculty teach all classes, there are no teaching assistants. Nearly sixty percent of the classes have less than twenty students. As of 2022, the student-faulty ratio is 14:1.

Admissions

UNC Asheville's acceptance rate for the fall of 2021 was 82%. At that time, total enrollment was 3,233, with 57% female students and 43% male students. As of fall 2020, students come from 43 states and seventeen countries; 12% of the current study body is from outside of North Carolina. The student demographics are 73.57% White, 8.84% Hispanic, 5.11% Black, 1.68% Asian, and 5.08% unknown. 87% of the enrollees are full-time students. There are deadlines for admissions and either a ACT or SAT is required. In the 2020-2021 academic year, 35% of students received a

Pell Grant A Pell Grant is a subsidy the U.S. federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree, or who are enrolled i ...

Library

D. Hiden Ramsey Library is located in the center of campus. It includes the Media Design Lab and the crAFT (Creativity, Art, Fabrication, and Technology) Studio. The library's holdings include Special Collections and University Archives which started in 1977 as the Southern Highlands Research Center and focuses on the history Asheville and Western North Carolina. Annually, the library gives the Ramsey Library Community Author Award; the winner receives a yearlong residency in the library.

Rankings and reputation

In 2022-2023, UNC Asheville's ranking in U.S. New & World Report 8 in Top Public Liberal Arts Schools and 136 in National Liberal Arts Colleges. It also ranked 130 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Program for institutions that do not offer a doctorate.

The Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981. and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4 ...

ranked UNC Asheville as number six for Green Matters, number nine for LGBTQ-Friendly, number 25 for Best Quality of Life, number 22 for Most Politically Active Students, and number 15 for its College City. The 2022 edition of ''The Fiske Guide'' named UNC Asheville a best-buy; the list only includes ten public and ten private universities from across the United States. In 2019, ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' magazine ranked UNC Asheville number 494 in Top Colleges, number 176 in Public Colleges, and number 165 in Liberal Arts Universities. Washington Monthly ranked UNC Asheville number 76 on its 2022 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: Southeast and number 77 for its national Liberal Arts Colleges Ranking.

Student life

Organizations and activities

There are more than sixty campus clubs and organizations. Student activities include Greek organizations, with 2% of males belonging to a fraternity and 1% of females belonging to the one sorority. Some 44% of students participate in a service learning project, while 11% participate in intramural sports. UNC Asheville's Student Government Association (SGA) consists of two branches, an eighteen-seat Student Senate and an executive branch comprising a president, vice-president, and Cabinet. UNCA Out is a student group dedicated to students that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, two-spirit, intersexed, and straight allies. UNC Asheville’s Concerts on the Quad features weekly outdoor concerts during the summer months. The North Asheville Tailgate Market opens Saturdays, April through November, and features around forty local vendors.

Dining

UNC Asheville Dining Services are located in Brown Dining Hall. In 2019, it served 265, 318 meals to 67,279 dinner. It donated to Food Connections, weekly.

Housing

In the fall of 2021, 46% of students live on campus.

Athletics

UNC Asheville's athletics teams are known as the Bulldogs. They are a member of the NCAA's Division I and compete in the

Big South Conference The Big South Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. Originally a non- football conference, the Big South began sponsoring football in 2002 as part of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). ...

. The university's colors are blue and white. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, and both indoor and outdoor track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, diving, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball.

Notable alumni

Kristina Abernathy Kristina may refer to: Places *the Swedish name of Ristiina, a town in Finland People *the Swedish name of Christina of Sweden * Kristina (born 1987), Slovak singer *Kristina Adolphson (born 1937), Swedish actress *Kristina Apgar (born 1985), Ame ...

- neteorologist at The Weather Channel * Sarah Addison Allen – author *

Anne-Marie Baiynd Anne-Marie Baiynd (born January 11, 1966) is an American author, financial analyst, technical analyst. Baiynd published her Market Positioning System (MPS) in 2011 to educate beginning day traders on the tools and techniques that have her liste ...

– author and

technical analyst In finance, technical analysis is an analysis methodology for analysing and forecasting the direction of prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. Behavioral economics and quantitative analysis use many of the same ...

* Timothy Lee Barnwell – photographer and author * Molly Burch – singer-songwriter *

Tony Campana Anthony Edward Campana (born May 30, 1986) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Career Chicago Cubs Cam ...

– professional baseball player * Cliff Cash – stand-up comedian *

Wiley Cash Wiley Cash (born September 7, 1977) is a ''New York Times'' best-selling novelist from North Carolina. He is the author of three novels, ''A Land More Kind Than Home'', ''This Dark Road to Mercy'', and ''The Last Ballad''. His work has won nu ...

– author * Michael Cogdill – journalist, news anchor, novelist, screenwriter, and film producer * Matt Dickey – basketball player *

Ryan Dull Ryan Christopher Dull (born October 2, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, New ...

–

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

player * Wilma Dykeman – writer and environmentalist *

Jason Faunt Jason Patrick Faunt (born November 20, 1974) is an American actor. He is best known for the role as Wesley Collins in ''Power Rangers Time Force'', as well as his descendant Alex, the former Red Time Force Ranger. Faunt grew up in the Chicago ...

– actor * Kenny George – tallest player (7'7") in NCAA men's basketball history * Joey Harrell – former professional basketball player *

Keith Hornsby Keith Randall Hornsby (born January 30, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for UNC Asheville and LSU. High school career Hornsby began his prep career at Hampton Ro ...

– professional basketball player * Todd Interdonato – college baseball coach * Ashley Johnson – member of Puerto Rico national soccer team * Lassi Hurskainen – professional soccer player * Veronica Johnson – meteorologist at at

WJLA-TV WJLA-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Washington, D.C., affiliated with ABC. It is one of two flagship stations of Sinclair Broadcast Group (alongside dual Fox/ MyNetworkTV affiliate WBFF hannel 45in Baltimore), and is also s ...

* Autumn Kent – mathematician specializing in

topology In mathematics, topology (from the Greek words , and ) is concerned with the properties of a geometric object that are preserved under continuous deformations, such as stretching, twisting, crumpling, and bending; that is, without closing ...

and

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

Kevin Mattison Kevin Mattison (born September 20, 1985) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins. Mattison attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he played colle ...

– former professional baseball player *

Alana McLaughlin Alana McLaughlin is a former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and current MMA fighter. She has a professional record of 1-0-0, having made her debut fight in Miami at Combate Global on September 10, 2021. She is the second openly trans ...

–

mixed martial arts 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 striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

fighter * Troy Miller - golf course architect *

Nick McDevitt Nicholas Bryan McDevitt (born April 21, 1979) is a college basketball coach and the current head coach for Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). McDevitt came to MTSU from his alma mater, UNC Asheville, where he compiled a 98–66 record and ...

–

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

head coach * Henry Patten – tennis players *

Josh Pittman Abdul Joshua "Josh" Pittman (born July 14, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in numerous countries throughout his career. Pittman played college basketball at University of North Carolina at Asheville, and was na ...

– former professional basketball player * J. P. Primm – basketball player * Jaleel Roberts – professional basketball player * Ann B. Ross – author *

Andrew Rowsey Andrew Rowsey (born June 18, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UNC Asheville Bulldogs and the Marquette Golden Eagles. Early l ...

– professional basketball player * Jalen Seegars – basketball player *

Mike Shildt Michael Timothy Shildt (born August 9, 1968) is an American baseball coach for the San Diego Padres, where he is the team's interim third base coach. After serving as a scout and manager in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, he serve ...

–

manager * Topper Shutt – chief meteorologist at WUSA-TV in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morg ...

Bryan Smithson Bryan Smithson (born June 18, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who formerly played for the Academics Heidelberg of the German Basketball League ProA Proas are various types of multi-hull outrigger sailboats of the Au ...

– professional basketball player * Brad Sowder –

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

winning meteorologist * Stemage (Grant Henry) – guitarist and composer * Dwayne Sutton – professional basketball player * Patrick Tate – former professional soccer player * Roy A. Taylor – member of U.S. Congress * MaCio Teague – professional basketball player * Jethro Waters –

winning documentary film maker and videographer * Ty Wigginton –

player * Susana Žigante – professional soccer player

Notable faculty and staff

Academics

– author and writer in residence * Richard Chess – literature and language professor, director of the Center for Jewish Studies and the Creative Writing Program. * Jane Fernandes – former provost and vice-chancellor * Grant Hardy – historian * Tommy Hayes – former faculty, author, and founder of the Great Smokies Writing Program * David Brendan Hopes – professor of literature * Elliot Mazer – audio engineer and record producer *

– inventor of the

and former research professor of music * Ann B. Ross – literature instructor * Sylvia Wilkinson – author and former faculty

Athletics

Steve Adlard Stephen Keith Adlard (23 October 1950 – 18 September 2018) was an English 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 footbal ...

– former director of soccer and former professional soccer player * Eddie Biedenbach – former men's basketball coach and professional basketball player * Jim Bretz – former baseball coach * Herbert Coman – former football coach * Janet Cone – athletic director * Michelle Demko – former women's soccer coach *

Don Doucette Don Doucette (born February 23, 1952) is an American former college basketball coach. During his first season coaching the UMass Lowell River Hawks, Doucette won 15 games for the first winning season in program history. He led the River Hawks t ...

– former basketball coach * Ed Farrell – former athletic director * Scott Friedholm – baseball coach * Jerry Green – former basketball coach * Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick – former women's basketball head coach *

Katie Meier Katie Meier (born December 19, 1967) is head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She is a 1990 graduate of Duke University, where she played college basketball. As of 2022, Meier has the mo ...

– former assistant women's basketball coach * Mike Morrell – basketball coach * Matt Myers – former baseball coach *

Ryan Odom Robert Ryan Odom (born July 11, 1974) is an American men's college basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the VCU Rams men's basketball team. He was previously the head coach of the Lenoir–Rhyne Bears, the UMBC Retrievers, and th ...

– former assistant basketball coach * Matt Reid – former baseball coach * Mike Roberts – former baseball coach * Tom Smith – former baseball coach *

Sammy Stewart Samuel Lee Stewart (October 28, 1954 – March 2, 2018) was an American professional baseball player. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1978 to 1987. Stewart had the best earned run average (ERA) in the American League (AL) in 1981 ...

– former baseball coach and former professional baseball player *

Monte Towe Monte Corwin Towe (born September 27, 1953) is an American basketball coach and retired basketball player. He was a starting point guard on the 1973–74 North Carolina State Wolfpack men's basketball team which won the NCAA Division I Men's Bask ...

– former assistant basketball coach

References

External links

*
UNC Asheville Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:North Carolina At Asheville, University Of Educational institutions established in 1927 University of North Carolina Ashville University of North Carolina at Asheville Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Buildings and structures in Asheville, North Carolina 1927 establishments in North Carolina Public liberal arts colleges in the United States