The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colleges. It is classified among "R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production."

The university experienced rapid enrollment growth in the late 2000s and early-mid 2010s when it was the fastest-growing institution in the UNC System.

It has two campuses: the Main Campus, located in University City, and the Center City Campus in Uptown Charlotte. The main campus sits on 1,000 wooded acres with approximately 85 buildings about from Uptown Charlotte.

History

Prior to UNC Charlotte's founding, Charlotte had long sought a public university. In the late 1880s, the city bid for what would become North Carolina State University, but lost to Raleigh after a local farmer offered to donate land for the campus.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, p. 5. In 1946, the city sought a state-run medical school; instead, the state expanded the existing medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In 1946, to handle the expected surge of applicants resulting from the G.I. Bill, the Consolidated University of North Carolina (now the University of North Carolina) opened 12 "extension centers" across North Carolina.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 12. On September 23, 1946, the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina opened with an enrollment of 278 students.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, p. 9. The Charlotte city school system was tasked with running the center, and it named doctoral student Charles Bernard director of the center.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, pp. 12-13. The center held night classes at Central High School in present-day Uptown Charlotte. It initially offered only freshman-level courses, but added sophomore-level courses in 1947 by demand. Also that year, Bernard resigned his position to resume his doctoral studies, and the center's mathematics teacher, Bonnie Ethel Cone, was named director.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 13.

By 1948, the Charlotte Center was one of only four extension centers still open.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, pp. 29-30. The Consolidated University determined that its three campuses could handle student demand, and it announced that it would close the remaining centers on July 1, 1949.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 19. On April 4, 1949, in response to local efforts led by Cone,Ellis, Marion A. "Dean W. Colvard: Quiet Leader". University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2004, p. 113. the North Carolina General Assembly created the Charlotte Community College System.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 20. The system included two schools, both of which opened in 1949: Charlotte College, which served white students, and Carver College, which served black students.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, pp. 31-33. In 1950, the state recognized Charlotte College as a "standard junior college", allowing students to transfer credits to senior colleges.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 21.

Cone served as director—and later president—of the college, which continued to hold classes at Central High School.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, p. 22.Jeffers, William Thomas. "Jewel in the Crown: Bonnie Cone and the Founding of UNC Charlotte". University of North Carolina Press, 2021, pp. 25-28. The school was racially desegregated as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 (Carver College would later merge with another institution to become Central Piedmont Community College).Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, p. 31. By 1957, enrollment increased to 492, and the school's leaders began searching for a permanent site for the campus. They decided on a tract of land northeast of the city.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, pp. 44–46. The college became state-supported in 1958 upon joining the newly formed North Carolina Community College System and moved to its current location in 1961. It added a junior year of study in 1963, and a senior year in 1964.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, p. 59.

On March 3, 1965, the North Carolina General Assembly designated Charlotte College the fourth campus of the University of North Carolina, under its current name, effective July 1.Sanford, Ken. "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together". UNC Charlotte Press, 1996, pp. 80-81. On May 29, 1966, 81 students became the school's first graduating class as a UNC system school.Sanford, Ken. UNCC: The First Decade. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Board of Trustees, 1975. In 1969, the school opened its first dormitory, housing approximately 600 students, and also that year, the university began offering programs leading to master's degrees. The school's first graduate degree—a master of education—was awarded in May 1970. By 1973, enrollment had increased to 6,123 students, with 853 of those being graduate students.

In 1992, UNC Charlotte was authorized to offer programs leading to doctoral degrees.

Leaders of the university Order Chancellor Years as Chancellor 1 Bonnie Ethel Cone (Founder; Director, 1947–1961; President, 1961–1965; Acting Chancellor, 1965–1966; Vice-Chancellor Emeritus & Dean of Religious Studies, 1973–2003) 2 Dean W. Colvard (1966–1978) 3 E.K. Fretwell (1979–1989) 4 James H. Woodward (1989–2005) 5 Philip L. Dubois (2005–2020) 6 Sharon Gaber (2020–present)

Bonnie Ethel Cone, founder

Bonnie Ethel Cone (1907–2003), or Miss Bonnie as she was known to students, was chosen to be director of the Charlotte Center in 1947. From 1949 to 1965, she served as president of Charlotte College. When Charlotte College joined the UNC system in 1965, Cone served as acting chancellor until 1966.

Chancellors Dean W. Colvard (1913–2007) was appointed the first chancellor of the young university in 1966. A North Carolina native, Colvard had served as president of Mississippi State University (MSU). At MSU he was the first president to defy university policy of not playing against integrated teams when he ordered the men's basketball team to play Loyola University Chicago in 1963. At UNC Charlotte, Colvard took on the challenge of converting the school from a small college to a four-year member of the UNC system. Indeed, he had been chosen specifically because UNC system officials believed the newly minted UNC Charlotte needed a leader with experience running a four-year university. Colvard oversaw accreditation of the university, development of University Research Park (now one of the top five largest research parks in the country), constructed the first residence halls, created the first graduate programs, and grew the enrollment from about 1,700 to just over 8,000 students. He retired as chancellor in 1978, served as Chancellor Emeritus until his death. Colvard also received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The Colvard building, completed on the main campus in 1979, is named in his honor and houses the Department of Psychology.

E.K. Fretwell (1923–2012), the second chancellor of the university, was named in 1979. He came to the university from Buffalo State College where he was president. Under Fretwell, campus enrollment surged from 8,000 students to over 12,000. He oversaw the creation of the Graduate School, created more graduate degrees, integrated the library's card catalog into the Internet in 1983, created the groundwork for a major business incubator, helped to develop the university's surrounding neighborhood, and increased academic grants to over $6.1 million. Fretwell retired as chancellor in 1989. He served as interim president of the University of Massachusetts system from 1991 to 1992, and in 1998, he served as the interim president of the University of North Florida. In 1996 UNC Charlotte opened the Fretwell building, dedicated in honor of him and his wife Dorrie. The building headquarters the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

James H. Woodward succeeded Fretwell in 1989. Woodward came to UNC Charlotte from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he served as dean of engineering and senior vice president of academic affairs. Under Woodward, enrollment grew to over 19,000 students. Like his predecessors, he continued the growth of the Graduate School and added new doctoral programs. He oversaw the largest fundraising campaign in the school's history and its largest building boom; in the summer of 2005, no less than six buildings were actively under construction on the main campus. He also oversaw the creation of the CRI Campus. Woodward announced his retirement in 2004 and left the office of chancellor on June 30, 2005. Woodward Hall, which houses the College of Computing & Informatics, was dedicated in his honor on November 16, 2005. He is currently Chancellor Emeritus and teaches in the university's William States Lee College of Engineering.

Philip L. Dubois was the fifth leader and fourth chancellor of the university. Dubois assumed his duties as chancellor on July 15, 2005. He returned to Charlotte after serving as the president of the University of Wyoming from 1997 through 2005. Previously, he was the Provost and Professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science (now the Department of Political Science and Public Administration) at UNC Charlotte from 1991 until 1997. Dubois, along with his wife and children, was the first chancellor to occupy the Chancellor's Residence (known as the Bissell House) on the UNC Charlotte campus that was completed in the winter of 2005. His goal was to oversee the process of the university becoming the fourth research-extensive university in the state.

2019 mass shooting

On April 30, 2019, a mass shooting occurred in the Woodford A. Kennedy Building on campus, killing two and leaving four others injured. The shooter, identified as Trystan Andrew Terrell, was arrested shortly afterwards.

Campuses

Main Campus – University City