Review the latest Chancellor’s ‘Fast Five’ update

It has been an eventful few weeks since my last update, so let me jump right into it…

1. The Oct. 19 Chancellor’s Speaker Series with Laura Linney was a huge success. Students, faculty, staff, and community members were treated to a wonderful afternoon lecture and Q&A session, and a group of theatre students had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a master class with Ms. Linney. They won’t soon forget that experience! Later that evening, invited guests and community leaders were able to hear her speak to a capacity crowd at our Center City campus. She was funny, intelligent, and very gracious with her time and talent, and I think we all became even bigger Laura Linney fans than we already were.
2. The annual “Let Me Play” luncheon, held on Oct. 31, was a tremendous success. The 520 attendees enjoyed a great meal and inspirational stories of the difference that athletics makes in the lives of female student​-athletes, and the event surpassed its fundraising goal, bringing in a record $176,000 in support of the Charlotte 49ers women’s athletics program. Big thanks goes to Carol Lowe, UNC Charlotte alumna and SVP/CFO of Sealed Air, who served as the chairperson for this year’s event.
3. Earlier this week, I had the thrilling experience of joining with student leaders, elected officials, and CATS leadership to take a “test ride” on the light rail from Center City to our main campus. I can’t tell you how exciting it was to see 12+ years of hard work come to fruition. The rail cars are comfortable, the stations are beautiful, the ride was smooth, and the whole experience was even beyond what I imagined. I can’t wait to see the trains pull onto campus for real so that you all can enjoy it for yourselves. It was totally worth the wait! As of today, the expected opening will be in late March, but that date could always change during this period of testing. ​
4. Also this week, I had the great privilege of celebrating with our former chancellor, Jim Woodward, as he accepted the North Carolina Award for Public Service. This is the state’s highest civilian honor, and I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more than Jim. He has been a great leader, builder, and advocate for UNC Charlotte, and he is also a true friend to the University and to me. I was privileged to serve as his provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs as we developed and secured approval for our first doctoral programs and to succeed him as chancellor.
5. In the “coming soon” category, I’ll be hosting four state legislators next week for a visit and tour of our early college high schools. The Charlotte Engineering Early College (CEEC) and Charlotte Teacher Early College (CTEC) are generating a lot of publicity lately, and we hope to capitalize on that in order to secure funding for a permanent facility to house both programs. Click here to view some articles and videos about the innovative and highly successful early college programs that seem to have everybody talking.

Much more to come, so stay tuned…
Go Niners!

Phil Dubois, Chancellor