North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University is a public land-grant university located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Also known as NC State, the university is the principal technological institute of the University of North Carolina system. NC State was founded in 1887 by act of the North Carolina General Assembly and is the largest school of higher education in North Carolina with nearly 30,000 students.

History

Founding: 1862-1889

Main article: History of North Carolina State University

Although officially established in 1887, North Carolina State University story begins in 1862 when President Lincoln signed the federal Morrill Land-Grant Act. This Act created endowments that were to be used in the establishment colleges that would provide a “liberal and practical education” while focusing on military tactics, agriculture and the mechanical arts without excluding classical studies.

Early years: 1889-1945

Between 1889 to the end of World War I, the college experience growth and expansion of purpose. Along with United State Department of Agriculture, State College created the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs in 1909 (which later became 4-H in 1926). In 1914 the federal Smith-Lever Act enabled the university to establish state, county, and local extension programs. These two new programs allowed the university’s knowledge resources to directly benefit the people of North Carolina, not just those students who walked its halls. By 1918 the college had an enrollment over 700 students and it had a new name—North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering. [4]

By the end of World War II, State College experienced many institutional changes and fluctuating enrollment. In the 1920s, many of the university’s educational units were organized into schools (e.g. School of Agriculture, Textile School…). In 1920 enrollment reached 1,000 and by 1929 enrolment doubled to 2,000. In 1927, the first women graduated from the university.

The great depression brought many challenges to State College when economic hardships caused enrollment to suffer. To address issues institutional inefficiencies, the State of North Carolina established the Consolidated University of North Carolina in 1931. This administratively combined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Women’s College at Greensboro, and State College. This move also brought another name – North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina. The Consolidated University of North Carolina lasted until 1972 when it was remade into the University of North Carolina system. By 1937 enrollment rebounded to over 2,000, but World War II cased enrollment to drop below 1,000.

Expansion: 1945-Present

After the end of World War II, State College experience rapid growth do to the G.I. Bill. By 1947 enrollment was over 5,000 and the university expanded to accommodate the new students. The 1950s saw many building projects and national recognition of its academic programs. The period also saw the first admission of African-Americans.

In 1962, administration officials changed State College's name to the University of North Carolina at Raleigh. The faculty, students and alumni immediately protested the action because they did not want to be associated with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The outcries caused the administration to change the name to North Carolina State of the University of North Carolina at Raleigh in 1963. Still not satisfied, protest and letter writing campaigns continued until in 1965 when the university received the current name North Carolina State University at Raleigh. In 1966 single year enrolment reached 10,000.

The 1970s decade watched enrollment surpassed 19,000 and the addition of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. NC State celebrated its centennial in 1987 and reorganized its internal structure renaming all is schools to colleges (e.g. School of Engineering to the College of Engineering). Also in this year, it gained 700 acres of land that would later become the Centennial Campus. Over the next decade and a half, NC State has focused on developing is new Centennial Campus. Over $620 million has been invested in facilities and infrastructure at the new campus with 2.7 million sq. ft. of space being constructed. There are 61 private and government agency partners located here as well. [5] [6]

Currently, NC State has over 7,000 employees and over 30,000 students. An $820 million annual budget and a $300 million endowment allow NC State to maintain its nation standings as a research university. [7]

Academics

Considered a selective university, NC State accepts less than 60% of those who apply. NC State offers bachelor degrees in 128 areas of study, master degrees in 109 areas and doctorate degrees in 55 areas. Only the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences offers assocate degrees.

The following are degree granting units of NC State:

• College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
• College of Design
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• College of Humanities & Social Sciences
• College of Management
• College of Natural Resources
• College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences
• College of Textiles
• College of Veterinary Medicine

List of bachelor Degree Areas

List of graduate degree areas

Rankings

• 78th out of all national universities by US News and World Report in 2005.[8]
• 11th best value in education by Kiplinger in 2005.[9]
• 3rd in the nation in the total number of engineering degrees conferred in 2004.[10][11]

NC State Ranking information

Library

The NC State Library, ranked 32nd out of 113 North American research libraries, includes 3,210,612 print volumes and 51,209 print and electronic serial subscriptions.

Research

NC State is widely recognized as one of the three anchors of North Carolina's Research Triangle, together with Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Athletics

Athletic teams at NC State are known as the Wolfpack. NC State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Gymnastics, however, competes in the EAGL, East Atlantic Gymnastics League, because not enough ACC teams participate in gymnastics. Chuck Amato, the head football coach, led the Wolfpack to four bowl games while at NC State. The men's basketball team has made four consecutive trips and a recent Sweet sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament under the guidance of coach Herb Sendek. The men's team won the NCAA Championship in 1974 under coach Norm Sloan after ending UCLA's seven year reign. They also won the championship in 1983 under coach Jim Valvano. Coach Kay Yow, head coach of the women's basketball program and member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, has led the Wolfpack Women to more than 600 wins and approaches 700 for her career.

For the Fall of 1999 the Wolfpack men's basketball program opened play in the RBC Center. This new arena is located next to Carter-Finley Stadium, where the football team plays its games. These two facilities are located roughly three miles to the west of the edge of NC State's main campus. Volleyball, women's basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics are all still hosted in historic Reynolds Coliseum. Completed in the 1950s, Reynolds was once the heart of NC State, hosting many University sports. The baseball team plays its games out of Doak Field, at the very edge of the main campus. The University completed the J.W. Isenhouser Tennis Complex in early 2005. Both men's and women's tennis compete out of this facility. Other sports supported at NC State are cheerleading, cross country, dance, golf, rifle, soccer, swimming & diving, and track & field.

Campus

Central

Architecturally, NC State is known for its distinctive red brick buildings and the "belltower", which is lighted in red at night immediately following football and basketball victories. Due to oversupply, odd brick statues dot the landscape, a large section of campus is paved over with brick (University Plaza, a.k.a. "the brickyard"), and most sidewalks are also made with brick. These sidewalks are also dotted with white brick mosaics.

Other hotspots on campus include the Free Expression Tunnel, one of three pedestrian tunnels underneath the railroad tracks bisecting the main campus. This particular tunnel is the site of sanctioned graffiti; anyone may paint there, and it is often the place for announcements, birthday messages, and unique art. The tunnel was closed in June 2005 and has been partially demolished, to be rebuilt as a wheelchair accessible connection between north and south campuses. It is planned to reopen to pedestrian traffic and artistic expression in March 2006.

The Court of North Carolina, on the northeast side of campus, is surrounded by the 1911 Building; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in Tompkins, Caldwell, Winston Halls and Poe Hall; Page Hall, home to College of Engineering offices; and Leazar Hall, location of the Computer Science Teaching Labs. The Court is frequently referred to in conversation as the "Court of the Carolinas," despite its official name being labeled on a stone and metal plaque at its east end. It was once home to 100 trees (one for every county in North Carolina), but damage caused by Hurricane Fran in 1996 reduced the number significantly, including the destruction of a particularly old and large tree which was some 12 feet in diameter. Some replanting has occurred, but the Court's former appearance is far from being restored.

Centennial

NC State's main campus is augmented by the modern 1,334 acre (5.4 km²) mixed-use Centennial Campus. This campus is home to university, corporate, and government research, in addition to classrooms and non-student residences. The College of Textiles is based on this campus, and long-term plans have the majority of the College of Engineering relocating to the new campus. The offices of Red Hat and the Raleigh branch of the National Weather Service are also on the Centennial Campus, as well as Centennial Campus Middle School. Located on outlying property belonging to the university are NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine, Carter-Finley Stadium (football), the RBC Center (men's basketball), and numerous agricultural research and extension facilities throughout the state of North Carolina.

The Centennial Campus is North Carolina State University's vision of the campus of the future—a "technopolis" of university, corporate and government R&D facilities and business incubators, with an exciting town center, executive conference center and hotel, upscale housing, and recreational amenities.

This 1,334 acre (5.4 km²) site, adjacent to NC State's main campus, is quickly emerging as the Research Triangle Area's fastest growing development. There's no other campus or research park like it in the country.

Centennial Campus is proving to be the logical choice for businesses and government agencies requiring R&D facilities near research faculty and graduate students who can supplement project teams on a just-in-time basis.

The campus is now home to more than 100 large and small companies, government agencies and NC State units.

People

Chief Executives

President

• Alexander Q. Holladay 1889-1899
• George T. Winston 1899-1908
• Daniel H. Hill, Jr. 1908-1916
• Wallace Carl Riddick 1916-1923
• Eugene C. Brooks 1923-1934

Dean of Administration

• John W. Harrelson 1934-1945

Chancellor

• John W. Harrelson 1945-1953
• Carey Hoyt Bostian 1953-1959
• John T. Caldwell 1959-1975
• Jackson A. Rigney (interim) 1975
• Joab Thomas 1975-1981
• Nash Winstead (interim) 1981-1982
• Bruce Poulton 1982-1989
• Larry K. Monteith 1989-1998
• Marye Anne Fox 1998-2004
• Robert Barnhardt (interim) 2004
• James L. Oblinger 2005-present

External links

• NC State Home Page
• Official NC State athletics site
• North Carolina State University information page
• NC State Student Organizations
• Undergraduate Research Journal of N.C. State University
• NC State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension
• Student Messageboard (Wolfweb)

Notes and references