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Overall Score: .80

Campus History:

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke was originally founded as the Croatan Normal School. The school was founded by Hamilton McMillan, who sponsored the legislation that was enacted by the General Assembly of North Carolina on March 7, 1887. The school's original purpose was to train Native Americans to become public school teachers. It opened in the fall of 1887 with 15 students and only one teacher. For many years after its opening these Native Americans were taught to teach at the elementary and secondary level. In 1905, the first diploma was awarded and in 1909, the school was moved to its primary location in Pembroke (the center of the tribal community) – the initial location was a site about one mile west of the present university.

In 1911, the name of the present-day university was changed to the Indian Normal School of Robeson County and the General Assembly changed it again in 1913 to the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County . A two-year normal program beyond high school was added by the Board of Trustees in 1926, and, for a period in time, eliminated elementary instruction. In 1928, the first 10 diplomas were awarded for this program and school was accredited as a “standard normal school” by the state. By 1931, new classes were being offered and in 1939, a fourth year was added and the first degrees were granted in 1940. By 1941, the state changed the name of the school again, to Pembroke State College for Indians, due to its new changes. In 1942, non-teaching baccalaureate degrees were added and in 1945 the enrollment was opened to people from all federally-recognized tribes; which, of course increased to number in attendance at the school. In 1949, the name was shortened to Pembroke State College.

In 1953, admission of white students of up to 40% of the total enrollment was approved by the Board of Trustees. In 1954, after the Supreme Court's decision to desegregate schools, admission was opened to everyone, regardless of their race. There was an increase in growth of about 500% over the next eight years. In 1969, the General Assembly made the school an institutional university and changed the name to Pembroke State University . The role of a university was “to provide undergraduate and graduate instruction in liberal arts, fine arts, and science, and in the learned professions, including teaching" and to "provide other graduate and undergraduate programs of instruction as are deemed necessary to meet the needs of their constituencies and of the state."

Three years later, the General Assembly established the multi-campus University of North Carolina system and Pembroke State University was one of the campuses represented. In 1978, a master's program in professional education was approved along with several other undergraduate programs. Since that time many other baccalaureate programs, such as nursing, have been added, as well as other master's level programs, such as business administration. On 1987 the school celebrated its centennial and on July 1, 1996, Pembroke State University became the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Since this last name change, the university has added an undergraduate major in Applied Physics and master's of education programs in art, physical education, social studies and science. An honors program was instituted along with a multi-cultural center and an international studies program. These were great accomplishments for a school who, until 1953, was the only state-supported four-year college for Native Americans in the nation.

Student and Faculty Population:

UNC-Pembroke currently has a student population of 5,632. The average class size at UNC-P is made up of 30 students; this is due in part to the student/faculty ratio of 17:1. Almost 60% of incoming freshmen live in one of the residence halls, and about 5% of students are out-of-state. The top states represented are South Carolina, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. Of the students at UNC-Pembroke, 38% are male and 62% are female.

UNC-Pembroke is the most diverse campus of all sixteen campuses in the UNC system. 49% of the students enrolled are minority. Of the minority students, 21% are Native American, 23% are African American, 3% are Hispanic, and 2% are Asian. Over 22 different countries are represented by the international students on campus. Of the 5,632 students that were enrolled in the Fall of 2005, 4,962 of those students were undergraduate and 670 of those students are graduate students. There are 237 full-time faculty members, but the University employs over 600 faculty and staff members. More than 75% of their instructors have doctorates.

Location & Weather

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is located in the southeastern region of North Carolina in Robeson County. The University is located approximately 10 miles from the intersection of Interstate 95 and US Highway 74 in Lumberton. It is approximately 1.5 hours south of Raleigh and 1.5 hours north of the beaches along the coasts of North and South Carolina . The weather in Pembroke is usually fairly moderate. Average highs for the year range from 54 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Average lows for the year range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in July. The warmest month is July. In addition, on average the most rainfall occurs in July. \

Disability Services

UNC-Pembroke has a hard working administration and staff working with disability support services on their campus. The administration is quick to help people with disabilities and is understanding when it comes to disabilities. They understand that not all disabilities need the same accommodations. They not only provide the accommodations needed to a student based on their disability but they provide support by introducing them to other people who can relate to their problems. They are involved with the Disabled Student Organization and are well appreciated by the students and staff on campus.