North Carolina Central University

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Office of Undergraduate Admissions

History of the University of North Carolina

In North Carolina, all public educational institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees are part of the University of North Carolina. North Carolina Central is one of the 16 constituent institutions of the multi-campus university.

The University of North Carolina, chartered by the N.C. General Assembly in 1789, was the first public university in the United States to open its doors and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century. The first class was admitted in Chapel Hill in 1795. For the next 136 years, the only campus of the University of North Carolina was at Chapel Hill.

In 1877, the N.C. General Assembly began sponsoring additional institutions of higher education, diverse in origin and purpose. Five were historically black institutions, and another was founded to educate American Indians. Several were created to prepare teachers for the public schools. Others had a technological emphasis. One was a training school for performing artists. In 1931, the N.C. General Assembly redefined the University of North Carolina to include three state-sponsored institutions: the campus at Chapel Hill (now the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University at Raleigh), and Woman’s College (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro). The new multi-campus University operated with one board of trustees and one president. By 1969, three additional campuses had joined the University through legislative action: the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

By 1971, the General Assembly passed legislation bringing into the University of North Carolina the state’s 10 remaining public senior institutions, each of which had until then been legally separate: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, the North Carolina School of the Arts, Pembroke State University, Western Carolina University, and Winston-Salem State University. This action created the current 16-campus University. (In 1985, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a residential high school for gifted students, was declared an affiliated school of the University; and in 1996, Pembroke State University was renamed The University of North Carolina at Pembroke through legislative action.)

The UNC Board of Governors is the policy-making body legally charged with “the general determination, control, supervision, management, and governance of all affairs of the constituent institutions.” It elects the president, who is the chief executive officer of the University. The 32 voting members of the Board of Governors are elected by the General Assembly for four-year terms. Former board chairmen and board members who are former governors of North Carolina may continue to serve for limited periods as non-voting members Emeriti. The president of the UNC Association of Student Governments, or that student’s designee, is also a non-voting member.

Each of the seventeen constituent institutions is headed by a chancellor, who is chosen by the Board of Governors on the president’s nomination and is responsible to the president. Each institution has a board of trustees, consisting of eight members elected by the Board of Governors, four appointed by the governor, and the president of the student body, who serves ex-officio. (The N.C. School of the Arts has two additional ex-officio members.) Each board of trustees holds extensive powers over academic and other operations of its institutions on delegation from the Board of Governors.

North Carolina Central University Mission Statement

The following mission statement was formally adopted by the Board of Trustees of North Carolina Central University in July of 2004.

North Carolina Central University is a comprehensive university offering programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, and selected professional levels. It is the nation’s first public liberal arts institution founded for African Americans. The university maintains a strong liberal arts tradition and a commitment to academic excellence in a diverse educational and cultural environment. It seeks to encourage intellectual productivity and to enhance the academic and professional skills of its students and faculty.

The mission of the university is to prepare students academically and professionally to become leaders prepared to advance the consciousness of social responsibility in a diverse, global society. The university will serve its traditional clientele of African American students; it will also expand its commitment to meet the educational needs of a student body that is diverse in race and other socioeconomic attributes.

Teaching, supported by research, is the primary focus of the university. As a part of that focus, the university encourages the faculty to pursue intellectual development and rewards effective teaching and research. The university recognizes, however, the mutually reinforcing impact of scholarship and service on effective teaching and learning. North Carolina Central University, therefore, encourages and expects faculty and students to engage in scholarly, creative and service activities that benefit the community. 

Academic Standing and Accreditation

North Carolina Central University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, (404) 679-4501, to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association. The School of Business is fully accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Programs in the School of Library and Information Sciences are accredited by the American Library Association, and the program in nursing is accredited by the Accrediting Services, National League for Nursing, Inc. Programs in the School of Education at the bachelor’s and master’s levels in early childhood education, elementary teaching, secondary teaching, and k-12 teaching; and at the master’s level in educational communications and information technology, school principalship, supervision/curriculum development, and guidance counseling are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. All of these specialized accrediting bodies are recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education.

Teacher education programs are approved by the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. The North Carolina Board of Nursing approves the nursing program. The School of Law is approved by the North Carolina State Bar council.

The Colleges of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Science and Technology have 14 accredited teacher education programs including: art education, biology education, chemistry education, English education, family and consumer sciences education, health education, math education, French, Spanish, music education, physical education, physics education, social science and birth to kindergarten.  In addition, six programs in these Colleges offer graduate teacher education programs: biology, chemistry, family and consumer sciences, math, physical education, and social sciences.  The Child Development Laboratory in the Department of Human Sciences is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).   

Specialized accreditations and/or certifications in the following areas contribute to the University’s goal of ensuring academic rigor and integrity in all degree programs:

Athletic Trainer (Department of Physical Education)
Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education

Chemistry
American Chemical Society

Communication Disorders (School of Education)
American Speech – Language-Hearing Association

Counseling (School of Education)
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

Criminal Justice
North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission

History and Background

North Carolina Central University, a state-supported liberal arts institution, was chartered in 1909 as a private institution and opened to students on July 10, 1910. It was founded by Dr. James E. Shepard. From the beginning, when it was known as the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua, its purpose has been the development in young men and women of that fine character and sound academic training requisite for real service to the nation. To this end, the training of all students has been entrusted to the most capable teachers available.

The institution’s early years were characterized by a wealth of enthusiasm and high endeavor, but not of money. Private donations and student fees constituted the total financial support of the school, and the heavy burden of collecting funds rested on the President.

In 1915 the school was sold and reorganized, then becoming the National Training School. During this period of its history, Mrs. Russell Sage of New York was a generous benefactor of the school. In 1923, the General Assembly of North Carolina appropriated funds for the purchase and maintenance of the school; thus, in that year, it became a publicly supported institution and was renamed Durham State Normal School. Two years later, the General Assembly converted the institution into the North Carolina College for Negroes, dedicating it to the offering of liberal arts education and the preparation of teachers and principals of secondary schools.

At its 1927 session, the General Assembly began a program of expansion of the college plan to conform to the needs of an enlarged academic program. The interest of the Honorable Angus W. McLean, then Governor of North Carolina, and his belief in the institution, aided greatly in the promotion of this program. State appropriations were supplemented by a generous gift from B.N. Duke and by contributions from citizens of Durham in 1929. The 1930s afforded federal grants and state appropriations for a new program of physical expansion and improvement of educational facilities, a program that continued until the beginning of World War II.

The College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools as an “A” class institution in 1937 and was admitted to membership in that association in 1957.

The General Assembly of 1939 authorized the establishment of graduate work in liberal arts and the professions. Pursuant thereto, graduate courses in the arts and sciences were first offered in that same year. The School of Law began operation in 1940, and the School of Library Science was established in 1941.

In 1947 the General Assembly changed the name of the institution to North Carolina College at Durham.

On October 6, 1947, Dr. Shepard, founder and President of the college, died. The Board of Trustees appointed an interim committee consisting of Dr. Albert E. Manley, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Miss Ruth G. Rush, Dean of Women; and Dr. Albert L. Turner, Dean of the School of Law, to administer the affairs of the institution until the election of the second president.

On January 20, 1948, Dr. Alfonso Elder was elected President of the institution. At the time of his election, Dr. Elder was serving as the head of the Graduate Department of Education and had formerly been Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Elder retired September 1, 1963.

Dr. Samuel P. Massie was elected as the third President of the College on August 9, 1963. Dr. Massie came to the institution from Washington, D. C., where he was Associate Program Director for Undergraduate Science Education at the National Science Foundation, and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Howard University. He resigned on February 1, 1966.

The Board of Trustees appointed an interim committee consisting of Mr. William Jones, Business Manager; Dr. Helen G. Edmonds, Graduate Dean; and Dr. William H. Brown, Professor of Education, to administer the affairs of the institution until the fourth president took office.

On July 20, 1966, Dr. Albert N. Whiting was named fourth President of the institution. He came to North Carolina College from Baltimore, Maryland, where he had been Dean of the Faculty at Morgan State College. Dr. Whiting served as President and Chancellor from July 1, 1967, until his retirement June 30, 1983.

In 1969, the General Assembly changed the name of the institution to North Carolina Central University. On July 1, 1972, North Carolina Central University became a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina. On July 1, 1983, Dr. LeRoy T. Walker became interim Chancellor of the University. He had served the institution as Chairman of the Department of Physical Education and Recreation, Head Track Coach and Vice Chancellor for University Relations. At their February 1986 meeting, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, at the request of the University’s Board of Trustees, decreed that Dr. Walker was Chancellor of the University rather than Interim Chancellor and made that action retroactive to the beginning of his term.

Dr. Tyronza R. Richmond, formerly Dean of the School of Business, succeeded Dr. Walker as Chancellor on July 1, 1986. Prior to his arrival at North Carolina Central University, Dr. Richmond was Associate Dean and Professor at the School of Business and Public Administration at Howard University.

In December 1991, Dr. Richmond resigned as Chancellor to return to the classroom and was succeeded on January 1, 1992, by Dr. Donna J. Benson as Interim Chancellor. Dr. Benson was succeeded in January 1993 by Attorney Julius L. Chambers, former director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense Fund.

Mr. Chambers led the University for over eight years, stepping down on June 1, 2001. At that time, Dr. James H. Ammons, Jr., became the ninth chief administrator of North Carolina Central University. Prior to his election, Dr. Ammons was the Provost and Vice President at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Dr. Charlie Nelms became the tenth chief administrator of North Carolina Central University in August of 2007. He came with a “Destination Graduation” slogan. Prior to joining North Carolina Central University, Dr. Nelms served as Vice President for Institutional Development and Student Affairs for the Indiana University System.

The Faculty

North Carolina Central University seeks to attract and maintain an outstanding faculty of individuals who are capable of contributing to the enrichment of its educational and research programs. The University’s faculty members come from all sections of the United States as well as from several foreign countries, bringing to the campus a rich diversity of training and experience.

In addition to the primary responsibility of instruction, faculty members actively engage in research and other creative pursuits. Research interests are widespread among the various disciplines and the faculty eagerly compete to bring grants to the University. Much of this research result in books, scholarly papers, and presentations at professional conferences, bringing acclaim both to the individual faculty members and to the University. Faculty members are also encouraged to participate in the activities of the community at large, as well as the University community. Many participate in government, business, educational, artistic, and other endeavors that enrich the Durham community.

The Campus

North Carolina Central University is located in the eastern section of North Carolina’s Piedmont, within the world-famous Research Triangle. The city of Durham, with a population of 218,179 is a part of a larger standard metropolitan area with 1,401,331 people. The city is sufficiently large to afford to students the advantages of contacts with urban institutions. The University draws on the cultural resources of the city, state, and nation in furthering the development of its students; it also encourages students who participate in worthwhile activities of the community.

The University is located in a community and region in which noteworthy efforts are evolving to utilize all available resources to the end of creating better environments for human development. Basic changes are taking place in the sociology and technology of the region. The University seeks to assist students to understand these changing situations so that as future community leaders they may participate in guiding the dynamics of American society toward desirable goals.

Buildings

Sixty-two buildings of modern and modified Georgian brick construction are now located on North Carolina Central University’s 106-acre campus. All academic buildings, as well as the cafeterias and the student union, are completely air-conditioned.

The buildings are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing and have been designed especially to meet the needs of the students and teachers who use them. They are also designed with the fact in mind that in a state-supported institution the people of the State are ever welcome visitors and resource persons who can make significant contributions to the overall development of the institution. Lounges, seminar rooms, auditoriums, and numerous utility services for the residents and visiting public are features of all the buildings.

Attractively landscaped lawns and the geometrically arranged walks and roadways blend with the natural scenery of the foliage and trees to provide the kind of beauty that the University traditionally has regarded as one of the essentials of educational experiences.

The Hoey Administration Building, with its statute of the school’s founder, Dr. James E. Shepard, in front, is a focal point of the campus. The institution’s administrative offices as well as registration services, cashier, and the student accounting offices are located in this building. The William Jones Building, which is next to Hoey, is the former home of the School of Law and now serves as home to the Office Of Institutional Advancement, and Career Services.

The newly renovated Alexander-Dunn Building contains the administrative offices of the University College. Services provided to ensure student success include Academic Advising, Academic Support, Developmental and Supplemental Learning/Reading Instruction, and Title III Retention and Academic Strategies.

The B.N. Duke Auditorium, also next to Hoey, seats 875 persons for theatrical and musical performances as well as other assemblies. It was named after a generous benefactor of the institution.

Facing the Fayetteville Street side of the campus are the Lee Biology Building and the Robinson Science Building.

The Mary M. Townes Science Complex at Concord and Lawson Streets now serves as home for the Biology, Chemistry, Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science and Physics departments. These departments make up the College of Science and Technology.

The Helen G. Edmonds Classroom Building houses classrooms and seminar rooms for the departments of History, Political Science, Sociology, and Social Work.

The School of Business is housed in the recently renovated Willis Commerce Building. This building contains the most up-to-date classroom and seminar facilities as well as the School’s own computing center available for use by its faculty and students and the University as a whole.

The Taylor Education Building contains the Department of Psychology, the Institute for Minority Issues, Graduate Studies Office, office space, classrooms for the Human Sciences Department, and swing space for offices displaced because of renovations.

The Human Sciences Department is housed in the Dent Building, which contains classroom and laboratories for clothing and textiles, food and nutrition, family relations and child development, family resource management and housing, and interior design. In addition, a biochemistry and a child development laboratory for children ages 3-5 occupy sections of the Dent Building.

The Miller-Morgan Health Sciences Building offers modern classrooms, clinical and laboratory space for the departments of Nursing, Health Education, and ROTC. This building contains lounges for students and faculty, a learning resources center, and an auditorium that seats 300 and is used extensively for community and University functions.

The Criminal Justice Department and the Public Administration Program are located in the Albert N. Whiting Criminal Justice Building, which was completed in 1984 and named after a former chancellor. This building offers up-to-date classrooms, seminar rooms, and laboratory facilities that include crime and computer labs. The building also contains a library used by these disciplines.

The newly renovated Turner Law Building, facing the Alston Avenue side of the campus, houses the School of Law. The four-story building contains offices for student activities including the Law Journal, the Legal Clinic, and other student activities, as well as classroom space. The Law Library is also in the building and provides a comfortable environment for study and research.

The Leroy T. Walker Physical Education and Recreation Complex, named for a former chancellor, contains 102,000 square feet of offices, classrooms, sports facilities, and laboratories. The Center is actually four structures joined together by enclosed stairs and walkways. These structures include an aquatics building that houses a 50-meter, Olympic-size swimming pool; an administration building that also contains classrooms, faculty offices, locker rooms, and a student center; a gymnasium building that includes dance studios, training and weight rooms, dressing and storage rooms, offices, two teaching theatres, and practice areas for archery, riflery, and golf; and a gymnastics building that includes a gymnasium designed for gymnastics and eight handball courts.

The Alfonso Elder Student Union, named for a former president of the University, contains student government offices, lounges for students, meeting rooms, a snack bar and cafeteria, a game room, barber shop, and the campus book store. Facilities are available for receptions, concerts, and other public functions. The Fine Arts Building houses art studios and classrooms. The adjoining C. Ruth Edwards Building is the home of the Department of Music and includes practice studios and classrooms for music. The Edwards Music Building also contains rehearsal space for the band and a small concert auditorium. Connected to this building is the University’s Art Museum.

The Farrison-Newton Communications Building contains the departments of English and Mass Communication, Modern Foreign Languages, and Theatre. In addition to classrooms, laboratories, and seminar space, the WNCU radio station is also located in the building. The Communications Building also houses a modern 250-seat theatre in which the University’s acclaimed dramatic productions are presented.

One of the University’s newest buildings is the Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute. The 3,800-square-foot facility contains 12 research laboratories, teleconferencing capabilities, an auditorium, classrooms, and state-of-the-art telecommunications technology. The building’s construction was completed in 1998.

Eagle Landing, a new 130,000-square-foot coed residence hall, opened in January 1999. This facility has 536 rooms. There are eight other undergraduate student residence halls on the campus, all of which are coed.

The H.M. Michaux Building is a 103,000-square-foot modern equipped building that was ready for occupancy in Fall 2000. The new School of Education is a state-of-the-art telecommunications technology facility, and adds an additional 100 parking spaces. This facility houses the School of Education; Information Technology, (The Early College High School is currently housed in the Robinson Science Building); Office of Research, Evaluation, and Planning; the University’s Academic Computing Center; and the Extended Studies Program.

The Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise Building (BRITE) houses the Pharmaceutical Science Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs. It contains tate-of-the-art scientific, technological, and research equipment used in the biomanufacturing and technology industries. It was opened for classes in Fall 2006.

Benjamin Ruffin Residence Hall was opened in 2007. Located off Fayetteville Street, it overlooks the University Circle and Hoey Administration Building. The newest of all residence halls, Ruffin Hall accommodates 344 students.

New Graduate Apartments are located off Lincoln and Cecil Streets. Designed for graduate students, this complex contains 32 units.

The renovation of the W.G. Pearson Cafeteria added two new conference rooms, the Chancellor’s dining room, a faculty dining room, a banquet hall, and a spacious open dining area for students with choices of six different cuisines.

Library Facilities

The mission of the libraries at North Carolina Central University is to provide resources and services that support the University’s educational research, cultural, and public service objectives.

Library resources at North Carolina Central University are located in the James E. Shepard Memorial Library, the Music Library, the School of Library and Information Sciences Library, the School of Law Library, and the Curriculum Materials Center Library located in the H.M. Michaux School of Education. These libraries contain a total of over 850,000 volumes. They subscribe to a total of 6,165 periodicals. Access to these collections is provided by our integrated online catalog and circulation system, SirsiDynix.

In 1994, NCCU became a member of the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN). TRLN is a cooperative comprising libraries at Duke University, NCCU, UNC at Chapel Hill, and NC State University, with combined collections of over 10 million volumes.

NCCU students can borrow directly from any of the TRLN institutions by presenting a valid NCCU student ID card. Borrowing privileges at TRLN libraries are extended to faculty, staff, and administrators who present a current University ID card. Additional library resources are available at the remaining 13 institutions in the UNC System, where graduate students and faculty have direct borrowing privileges. Electronic access to these collections is provided via Search TRLN and UNC Express, which are integrated online catalogs.

The James E. Shepard Memorial Library contains 498,000 volumes and 140,200 federal and state government documents. Microform and an extensive inventory of full-text electronic databases are among the library’s non-print resources. Some of the electronic databases can be accessed off-campus by students and faculty. An outstanding collection of books and pamphlets on African American life and culture is found in the Treasure Room. Textbooks, curriculum guides, and non-print items in the field of education are housed in the Curriculum Materials Center (CMC). Audiovisual materials are also part of the CMC collection.

The James E. Shepard Memorial Library was renovated in 2007 to offer a 100-seat computer laboratory.

The Music Library, located on the third floor of the Edwards Music Building, contains an excellent collection of instrumental and vocal music, orchestral scores, and recordings, in addition to a carefully selected collection of books in the field of music. The Music Library is a branch of the Shepard Library.

The School of Library and Information Sciences Library, located on the third floor of the James E. Shepard Memorial Library, houses an outstanding collection of current materials and equipment to support the academic programs in Library Science and Information Systems.

The Law Library’s collection of over 302,772 volumes and volume equivalents include federal, state, and regional reports, federal and state statutory compilations of generally recognized texts, treatises, loose-leave services, legal periodicals, and appropriate indices and digests required to access them. The library also maintains practice-oriented federal and state materials, a few non-legal periodicals, and some recreational reading. In addition to the traditional print and microform materials required to perform basic legal research, the library subscribes to several electronic resources, including Westlaw, Lexis-Nexis, Legal Trac, and a variety of CD-ROM products. The Law Library is a selective depository for state and federal documents and maintains a special collection of civil rights legal materials called the McKissick Collection.

The Law Library is completely automated and provides reference services, interlibrary loan services, library tours, fax services, audiovisuals, and photocopiers. It maintains two computer labs for faculty and students. The computer labs provide access to word processing, the Internet, and Computer Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI).

Institutional Advancement

North Carolina Central University relies on private contributions from alumni and friends to ensure that deserving students receive the funding, resources, and services they need to succeed. The Office of Institutional Advancement is committed to promoting the University’s mission of excellence in higher education by building strong relationships and partnerships as well as securing and managing funds to provide scholarships, fellowships, facilities, and other programs.

The Office of Institutional Advancement consists of three key areas: alumni relations, fundraising, and the NCCU Foundation. Alumni Relations serves as a liaison between the University and the NCCU Alumni Association to maintain and strengthen ties between graduates and their alma mater. NCCU’s fundraisers work with donors and friends to identify giving opportunities that align with the needs of the University. Additionally, annual fund initiatives provide a reliable stream of unrestricted revenue for academic and student-life programs.

Funds raised by Institutional Advancement are under the custodianship of the NCCU Foundation, Inc. These private gifts make it possible for students to study in modern facilities and enable faculty to conduct groundbreaking research by providing the critical resources needed to position NCCU for success.

North Carolina Central University thanks and celebrates the commitment and dedication of donors who generously support the University through their ongoing and significant gifts by offering memberships in recognition societies and opportunities to participate in appreciation programs and events.

University Career Services

The mission of the University Career Services Center is to facilitate and ensure growth, expansion, and awareness of each student’s career development process through interactive programs, technological initiatives, effective career assessments, and employment opportunities. The Center serves as a focal point for students planning for the “world of work.” For incoming freshmen, career inventories, profiles, and surveys facilitate declarations of majors. Mentoring and coaching from alumni and corporate partners also facilitate career and major decisions. For underclassmen, career counseling is provided to assist in determining career choices. For graduating seniors and graduate students, various programs are provided to aid the transition from the classroom to employment with the public and private sectors. Online service is available and allows students to access information through our website.

Numerous representatives from Fortune 500 and other companies throughout the United States visit University Career Services each year to conduct employment interviews with prospective job candidates. Many graduate and professional schools visit or contact the Center seeking candidates for graduate study in areas such as business, law, medicine, social science, and the humanities.

Part-time job resources, on-campus student employment, internships, and cooperative education opportunities are available through an extensive experiential learning program to assist students with obtaining valuable work experience before graduation. Placements are in the private and public sectors. Some of these include serving as White House and Washington Center interns, working in United States Congressional Offices or working in amajor corporation such as GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Ernst and Young, and Verizon. 

The staff works closely with the University College to ensure freshmen and sophomores are provided career services needed during their first two years. Also, the University Career Services program provides a variety of professional and developmental workshops on topics such as resume writing, interviewing, professional dress, etiquette, and balancing a budget. Brochures, pamphlets, magazines, graduate school catalogs, company annual reports, videos, and other career related materials are available for students, faculty, and alumni to browse in the Career Center. Appointments may be scheduled or a counselor may see students on a walk-in basis at anytime.

Academic Community Service Learning Program

Mission Statement

The Academic Community Service Learning Program (ACSLP) contributes to the preparation of local, state, national, and international leadership through public and community service opportunities and service-based intellectual inquiry and research. The ACSLP provides a setting for the convergence of service and scholarship for NCCU students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Goals

The Academic Community Service Learning Program provides outstanding service learning and community service activities for NCCU students, faculty, and staff. The ACSLP facilitates and supports excellence in innovative teaching, learning, and research through the intersection of intellectual theory and community-based practice across the academic spectrum.

The Program

The Academic Community Service Learning Program was established at North Carolina Central University in the 1990s. North Carolina Central University was one of the first institutions in the state as well as one of the first HBCUs in the United States to establish a formal presence for the integration of community service and service learning within the academic setting. Students at NCCU utilize the community service and service learning programs organized through the ACSLP to gain valuable leadership and intellectual inquiry skills and to link academic theory to “real world” issues.

The ACSLP has been a pioneer in higher education in expanding the classroom setting to include service to the community. The University encourages all undergraduates to embrace the leadership skills, critical thinking skills, and research training developed through service to the community.    

All undergraduate students who have attended NCCU for four years are required to earn 120 community service hours to graduate.  

The ACSLP integrates service with the academic mission of NCCU in the following ways:

Faculty Fellows Program: To include at least two members of each College or School, the fellows will meet quarterly to advance their understanding of service learning, develop new techniques for the delivery of service learning in teaching and research, and explore avenues to integrate service learning within the curriculum of each campus academic unit.

The Academic Community Service Learning Advisory Committee: This board has been reconstituted to include faculty, administrators, and community representatives who meet each semester to provide support for, guidance of, and promotion of service learning and community service as viable approaches that support intellectual inquiry and leadership development.

Faculty-Community Agency Symposium: This forum will be offered annually to assist community organizations and faculty to better understand the link between inquiry and practice. The symposium provides a training and communication forum for faculty and community organizations who partner to provide academic service learning activities.

An Annual Recognition Banquet: This banquet formally recognizes and showcases student, faculty, staff, and community achievements.

Annual Campus Wide-Service Project: Each year a campus-wide service project will be selected to highlight NCCU’s mission “Truth and Service” through the tangible provision of concentrated service given by NCCU’s students, faculty, and staff.  In 2008-2009, Habitat for Humanity was selected as the campus -wide service project.  

Student Ambassadors Program 

Students who are interested in public/community service careers or those who have a serious interest in volunteerism may apply for the ACSLP Ambassadors program. Applications and selections are made in the fall of each academic year. Students are assigned special projects to promote service at NCCU or to work with supporting agencies in the community to help strengthen the presence and the contribution of NCCU in the community.

Benefits of Community Service and Service Learning

There are numerous benefits of the ACSLP, including but not limited to the following:

• The Faculty is supported in providing high-quality service learning courses to undergraduate students.
• The Faculty is resourced in demonstrating the link between theory and community issues/needs.
• Community service and service learning are proven strategies to support undergraduate retention.
• Students develop leadership skills and a sense of civic and social responsibility.
• Students learn reflective and analytical skills through service.
• Community agencies and NCCU develop and strengthen a partnership for lasting campus and community civic sustainability.

The Program

The Academic Community Service Learning Program supports NCCU’s mission of providing leadership training and increasing the intellectual inquiry skills of students through a combination of scholarly inquiry and practical service.

The program is structured to support student, faculty, and staff involvement in direct community service learning activities either combined with a formal departmental course or through service activities sponsored by the ACSLP office, academic departments, colleges and schools and through Student Affairs. The ACSLP office also registers more than 100 local agencies as official community service partners. Working with one of the many community service partner is an option for students to earn the required 120 hours of community service credit.

The University requires all full-time, transfer, and re-admitted undergraduate students to complete 30 hours of community service for each academic year attending NCCU until the completion of the first four years on campus have been completed. Therefore if a student has been enrolled for three years, the expectation is for 90 hours of service. If a student has been enrolled for four years, the expectation is 120 hours of completed community service. After the completion of four complete academic years of enrollment and 120 hours of service, no additional hours are required.

How Do I Earn Community Service Hours?

Community Service
More than 100 agencies and organizations are registered with the ACSLP office. The ACSLP has job descriptions of volunteer service in almost every academic field and something to suit every interest. Students earn one hour of community service credit for each hour served in a community setting to count toward the University’s service requirement.

Service Learning
The ACSLP works with every school, college, and academic department on campus to register service learning courses. If you are enrolled in a service learning course in any academic department, you can receive community service credit if you complete the course successfully. Credit earned is based on the number of hours your professor has listed on the syllabus.

Selected One-Time Events

“One-time events” are sponsored each semester to encourage the entire campus community to engage in the University’s commitment to service. Each year, a service theme is selected and at least one campus-wide event is held each semester. These events are usually worth up to 15 hours of community service credit.

Schools, colleges, and departments can also sponsor one-time events. If these events are registered with the ACSLP office, students can receive up to 15 hours credit per semester for participation.

ACSLP and Research

We encourage faculty and students to develop service learning research projects that combine critical inquiry with civic engagement. Each year, the ACSLP will sponsor a workshop to assist faculty and students to consider utilizing civic engagement/action research methods. Civic engagement research is an excellent tool for upper-level courses, completing independent assignments, and for faculty to utilize in research.

Utilizing civic engagement/action research meets university goals and enhances university-community collaboration.

Commonly Asked Questions About Community Service/Service Learning

What activities constitute acceptable Community Service? Community Service is conducted when students are engaged in the following activities:

• Students are placed in a community-based public or private organization through the ACSLP program. The placement will involve approved sites selected by the ACSLP to provide NCCU students with optimal opportunities to link theory with practice.
• Students participate in a service learning course that has been registered with the ACSLP.
• Students participate in one-time events hosted either by academic departments or student ACSLP.  All one-time events must be registered with the ACSLP.
• Students participate in approved practicum courses, internships, or other courses that combine theory with practical volunteer hours served in the community. All hours served in the community must be volunteered. Internship and practicum courses must be registered with the ACSLP.

Who is exempt from Community Service?

Students who have graduated from NCCU after completion of a four-year degree and are returning for a second degree are exempt from the service requirement. Additionally, all current seniors who have re-enrolled at NCCU and were classified as a senior before 1995 are exempt.

Why are we required to complete community service?

NCCU’s motto is “Truth and Service.” Dr. James Shepard, NCCU’s founder, thought that service was an essential element of a college education. In today’s competitive world, the character, commitment, and sense of purpose developed through community service provide NCCU students a clear and consistent advantage.

What will happen if I fail to complete community service?

If the community service requirement is ignored, the student’s account will be flagged. The student will be unable to register for future courses until the service requirement is met. Continued deficits in service will jeopardize graduation.

Transportation

Transportation is provided to placement sites within a 15 minute driving distance from campus. Transportation services depend upon the availability of resources.

Other Resources Available Through ACSLP

America Reads Program 

America Reads Program is a national literacy effort seeking to involve college students as volunteer tutors. Students work in community schools and organizations to help young children improve reading skills.

America Reads is a work-study funded program, and students can earn work-study funding while participating in this volunteer activity. Students must complete an application with ACSLP to become eligible for the America Reads program.

Focus on Retention

The ACSLP has initiated a Focus on Retention initiative to help faculty and students to capitalize on the research-based connection between community service/service learning and college retention.

Civic Leadership Initiative

The ACSLP provides technical support to the community agencies and organizations that partner with us to provide valuable experiences to NCCU students. In the future, a Civic Leadership Institute for students, faculty, and community will be offered through ACSLP to learn the theory and practice of civic engagement and community participation.