One of the fiercest rivalries is with Durham's Duke University. Located only eight miles from each other, the schools regularly compete in both athletics and academics. The Carolina-Duke rivalry is most intense, however, in basketball.[181] With a combined eleven national championships in men's basketball, both teams have been frequent contenders for the national championship for the past thirty years. The rivalry has been the focus of several books, including Will Blythe's To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever and was the focus of the HBO documentary Battle for Tobacco Road: Duke vs Carolina.[182] Duke was Carolina's biggest rival from the 1930s until the early 1960s, when Duke's declining athletic program shifted Carolina's rival focus to North Carolina State.
UNC-Chapel Hill offers 71 bachelor's, 107 master's and 74 doctoral degree programs.[94] The university enrolls more than 28,000 students from all 100 North Carolina counties, the other 49 states, and 47 other countries. It is the third largest university in North Carolina, just behind North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in enrollment. State law requires that the percentage of students from North Carolina in each freshman class meet or exceed 82%.[95] The student body consists of 17,981 undergraduate students and 10,935 graduate and professional students (as of Fall 2009).[96] Racial and ethnic minorities comprise 30.8% of UNC-Chapel Hill's undergraduate population as of 2010[97] and applications from international students have more than doubled in the last five years (from 702 in 2004 to 1,629 in 2009).[98] Eighty-nine percent of enrolling first year students in 2009 reported a GPA of 4.0 or higher on a weighted 4.0 scale.[99] UNC-Chapel Hill students are strong competitors for national and international scholarships. The most popular majors at UNC-Chapel Hill are biology, business administration, psychology, media and journalism, and political science.[99] UNC-Chapel Hill also offers 300 study abroad programs in 70 countries.[100]
That same year, the public universities in North Carolina had to share a budget cut of $414 million, of which the Chapel Hill campus lost more than $100 million in 2011.[53] This followed state budget cuts that trimmed university spending by $231 million since 2007; Provost Bruce Carney said more than 130 faculty members have left UNC since 2009.,[54] with poor staff retention.[55] The Board of Trustees for UNC-CH recommended a 15.6 percent increase in tuition, a historically large increase.[54] The budget cuts in 2011 greatly affected the university and set this increased tuition plan in motion[53] and UNC students protested.[56] On February 10, 2012, the UNC Board of Governors approved tuition and fee increases of 8.8 percent for in-state undergraduates across all 16 campuses.[57]
The athletic teams at the university are supported by The Marching Tar Heels, the university's marching band. The entire 275-member volunteer band is present at every home football game, and smaller pep bands play at all home basketball games. Each member of the band is also required to play in at least one of five pep bands that play at athletic events of the 26 other sports.[214]
The Pittsburgh Pirates have named Jacob Stallings the team’s nominee for this year’s Roberto Clemente Award, given to the Major League Baseball player who "best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions on and off the field." Stallings says he became emotional. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly on December 11, 1789, the university's cornerstone was laid on October 12, 1793, near the ruins of a chapel, chosen because of its central location within the state.[26] The first public university chartered under the US Constitution, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of three universities that claims to be the oldest public university in the United States and the only such institution to confer degrees in the eighteenth century as a public institution.[27][28]
Cures and treatments for disease. Innovative technologies. New industries for North Carolina and the world. UNC-Chapel Hill is harnessing the very best of our world and is proud to advance knowledge for this and each generation to come. Carolina ranks fifth in the country for federal research funding among universities, and its faculty members and researchers conduct more than $1.1 billion in research activity each year. Students are encouraged to participate in research opportunities as soon as they start at Carolina.
UNC-Chapel Hill's admissions process is "most selective" according to U.S. News & World Report.[106] State law requires that the percentage of in-state students per freshman class be at least 82%, making out-of-state admissions particularly selective. For freshmen entering Fall 2019, 9,610 were accepted out of 44,859 applicants, a 21% acceptance rate, and 4,183 enrolled.[107] Women constituted 61% of the incoming class; men 39%.[107]
The university's campus is informally divided into three regions, usually referred to as "north campus," "middle campus," and "south campus." North campus includes the two quads along with the Pit, Frank Porter Graham Student Union, and the Davis, House, and Wilson libraries. Almost all classrooms are located in north campus along with several undergraduate residence halls.[73] Middle campus includes Fetzer Field and Woollen Gymnasium along with the Student Recreation Center, Kenan Memorial Stadium, Irwin Belk outdoor track, Eddie Smith Field House, Boshamer Stadium, Carmichael Auditorium, Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History, School of Government, School of Law, George Watts Hill Alumni Center, Ram's Head complex (with a dining hall, parking garage, grocery store, and gymnasium), and various residence halls.[73] South campus includes the Dean Smith Center for men's basketball, Koury Natatorium, School of Medicine, UNC Hospitals, Kenan–Flagler Business School, and the newest student residence halls.[73]
The Morehead–Patterson bell tower was commissioned by John Motley Morehead III, the benefactor of the Morehead Scholarship.[89] The hedge and surrounding landscape was designed by William C. Coker, botany professor and creator of the campus arboretum. Traditionally, seniors have the opportunity to climb the tower a few days prior to May commencement.[88]
On June 28, Colin Moran was hit by a pitch resulting in a left wrist fracture that would sideline him for an extended period of time. Moran missed all of July, but was able to rehab the injury in order to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup in early August. Since he returned to action August 5, the 28-year-old former UNC standout has been on a tear. (Keeping It Heel)
Platek attended North Carolina for four years, and was a member of the school’s basketball team from start to finish. He made 127 appearances for the Tar Heels, and started 11 games. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. His best season came as a junior when he boasted career-highs in points (3.9), rebounds (2.1) and assists (1.4) per game. Nine of his career starts came during that season, and he logged a career-best 18.1 minutes per game.
The Clef Hangers (also known as the Clefs) are the university's oldest a cappella group, founded by Barry Saunders in 1977.[208][209] The group has since won several Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs), including Best Soloist in the song Easy, featured on the 2003 album Breeze. They have won two more CARAs for Best Male Collegiate Songs for My Love on Time Out (2008),[210] and for Ain't Nothing Wrong on Twist (2009).[211] Members have included Brendan James, who graduated in 2002,[212] and Anoop Desai, who graduated in 2008.[209] Since the spring of 2002, the Clef Hangers have sung each year at Commencement. They hold fall and spring concerts, sometimes featuring special guests.
The ACC office did the Tar Heels no favors with three Saturday-Monday turnarounds in a five-week span at the tail end of the schedule. UNC will host N.C. State on Saturday, Jan. 29 before heading to Louisville to play the Cardinals on Monday, Jan. 31. Three weeks later, the Tar Heels will play at Virginia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 19 before hosting Louisville on Monday, Feb. 21. The following week, UNC will travel to Raleigh to face the Wolfpack on Saturday, Feb. 26 before welcoming Syracuse on Monday, Feb. 28.
At the undergraduate level, all students must fulfill a number of general education requirements as part of the Making Connections curriculum, which was introduced in 2006.[101] English, social science, history, foreign language, mathematics, and natural science courses are required of all students, ensuring that they receive a broad liberal arts education.[102] The university also offers a wide range of first year seminars for incoming freshmen.[103] After their second year, students move on to the College of Arts and Sciences, or choose an undergraduate professional school program within the schools of medicine, nursing, business, education, pharmacy, information and library science, public health, or media and journalism.[104] Undergraduates are held to an eight-semester limit of study.[105]
Basketball coach Dean Smith was widely known for his idea of "The Carolina Way", in which he challenged his players to, "Play hard, play smart, play together."[172] "The Carolina Way" was an idea of excellence in the classroom, as well as on the court. In Coach Smith's book, The Carolina Way, former player Scott Williams said, regarding Dean Smith, "Winning was very important at Carolina, and there was much pressure to win, but Coach cared more about our getting a sound education and turning into good citizens than he did about winning."[173]
Tyler Nickel is ready to end his recruitment. The 6-foot-7 senior forward from Elkton (Va.) East Rockingham said he will announce his decision Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 2:45 p.m. at his high school. He planned to officially visit all his finalists but only visited Blacksburg and Chapel Hill, signifying that the Hokies and Tar Heels are the two left standing. (Inside Carolina)
