Academic Affairs

Commencement was a family affair for nursing graduate Samantha Whitley and her mother Candace Yow.

Whitley, 21, originally thought about pursuing a law career; however, she began work as a certified nursing assistant at Novant Health Presbyterian and realized she liked caring for people, according to an article in the Charlotte Observer.

UNC Charlotte will hold three ceremonies to bestow undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees upon approximately 4,390 students.

At 1 p.m., Friday, May 13, degree candidates for the Belk College of Business, College of Computing and Informatics, College of Health and Human Services and the Graduate School will gather in Halton Arena of the Barnhardt Student Activity Center for commencement.

Commencement is an opportunity for students to celebrate their accomplishments. This year, it also is a chance for UNC Charlotte to join #CountAllStudents, a coordinated campaign to share stories of 2016 graduates who transferred from other institutions or who attended part-time. It is these undergraduates who are missing from the federal graduation rate, often used to rank the effectiveness of colleges and universities.

The Graduate School will conduct an application information session from 11 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, May 25, in Cato Hall, Room 228, for University employees who hold a baccalaureate degree and wish to pursue a graduate education.

UNC President Margaret Spellings has offered the following comment on her response to the U.S. Department of Justice regarding federal nondiscrimination law and the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (HB2), as well as legal action initiated today by the department:

J. Garvey Pyke, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, was elected chair of the UNC Faculty and Academic Developers Consortium.

Collaborating with faculty development leaders across all 17 UNC campuses and supported by UNC General Administration, the UNC Faculty and Academic Development Consortium serves as a conduit for collaboration, common resources and shared advocacy with the goal of enhancing faculty and academic development in higher education for the UNC system.

 In recognition of national Small Business Week, Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) toured UNC Charlotte’s Partnership, Outreach and Research to Accelerate Learning (PORTAL) facility on Wednesday, May 4. During her visit, she met with Robert Wilhelm, vice chancellor for research and economic development; Paul Wetenhall, president of Ventureprise; and Henry Rock, executive director of City Startup Labs.

The Charlotte Teachers Institute (CTI) welcomed 104 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) teachers as CTI Fellows in its innovative, interdisciplinary seminars for 2016.

“This year’s CTI Fellows represent a wide range of teachers in CMS, from new to veteran, pre-K to 12th grade and physics to digital art and language arts,” said CTI Director Scott Gartlan. “We create important growth opportunities for CMS teacher-leaders looking to deepen their knowledge base and impact the lives of their students.”

UNC Charlotte is a vibrant, expanding institution, and the University is making plans for another transformational jewel in its crown.

 The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) LYNX Blue Line Extension (BLE) is an approximately nine-mile addition to the Queen City’s existing light rail service that will connect UNC Charlotte Center City and the main campus. There will be two stations that will provide service to the University. 

Scott Fitzgerald, associate professor of sociology, is the 2016 recipient of the International Education Faculty Award, presented at the 22nd annual International Education Celebration.

A UNC Charlotte faculty member since 2003, Fitzgerald was instrumental in providing leadership to the Global Village Learning Community (GVLC). He collaborated with students to ensure they completed 40 hours of service learning with a variety of local organizations, including those that work with immigrant and international populations.