UNC-Chapel Hill making progress on goal to grow student body — and campus
For years, UNC-Chapel Hill’s enrollment has been fairly stagnant — adding just over 2,400 undergraduates between 2015 and last fall, according to UNC System data. That’s a roughly 13% increase over 10 years.
By contrast, NC State University added more than 4,300 students over the same span, accounting for a roughly 18% increase in undergraduate students.
Speeding up UNC’s relatively slow pace of growth has been a major focus of Chancellor Lee Roberts, who last spring appointed a working group to consider how the university could align its growth with that of the state at-large.
The group’s final report included a proposal to increase the university’s enrollment by 5,000 undergraduate students over 10 years — double the pace it’s seen over the past decade.
Ten years is a long time.
But we’re already getting glimpses at how the university is preparing for the anticipated growth, notably with plans for a new residence hall coming closer to reality last week.
Welcome to Dean’s List, a higher education newsletter from The News & Observer and me, Korie Dean.
This week’s edition includes:
- UNC’s plans to grow its student body, and its campus;
- How, and why, UNC is planning to squeeze as much revenue as possible out of its upcoming football season;
- Updates on the local campus dining scenes;
- and some recent headlines you might have missed.
Let’s dive in.
UNC growing student body & campus
The university is putting a “down payment,” in Roberts’ words, on its eventual growth this fall by enrolling 500 additional first-year students from those admitted in the recent admissions cycle.
Roberts told the Board of Trustees last week that the university admitted 12,187 first-year students from more than 78,000 applicants. The university has not yet announced how many of those students chose to enroll.
The upcoming growth in enrollment raises the question: Where will the additional students live?
The answer — for some of the prospective students, at least — came last week as the trustees approved the site for a new dorm “in the heart of North Campus,” where Jackson Hall, home to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, sits now.
By the time the yet-to-be-named residence hall is completed in 2028, it will be the university’s first new dorm in more than 20 years.
This project is just one of many housing improvements in UNC’s “decade-long plan to expand and renew Carolina’s undergraduate and graduate student housing portfolio,” per a statement the university provided to N&O news intern Ronni Butts, who covered this development in her first story for us.
Check out the full story for more on the dorm plans: UNC-Chapel Hill announces site for first new dorm in almost 20 years
Carolina North plans
Elsewhere around campus, it appears Roberts has an interest in seeing Carolina North play a key role in his priorities and the university’s growth.
Nearly 20 years ago, the university approved a plan to develop Carolina North over the span of 50 years. In reality, much of the area has sat undeveloped in the time since the Board of Trustees approved that plan in 2007.
But now there are signs that could be changing.
- In January, presenting an outline of his strategic goals to the Board of Trustees, Roberts identified four areas — enrollment; expanding the university’s engineering offerings; athletics; and the university’s physical master plan — as having “implications” for the tract north of the university’s main campus.
- In February, Inside Carolina reported, citing unnamed sources, that university and athletic officials were “leaning toward” relocating the men’s basketball arena to Carolina North.
- And last week, the state House approved a budget plan that would redirect $2 million in funding previously allocated for “an expansion of health care provider education and training” at the UNC School of Medicine to instead “develop a conceptual site plan for Carolina North.”
Given the recent buzz about Carolina North, I asked Roberts last week about his vision for the long under-utilized area.
“Carolina North is a remarkable opportunity, not just for the university and for the town of Chapel Hill, but for the broader Triangle region. You won’t find another parcel of land like that, that’s ripe for development, with so much infrastructure in place, in terms of the access to [Interstate] 40 and utilities infrastructure,” Roberts said. “And we envision, over time, a full-blown campus at the Carolina North location.”
To get the ball rolling at Carolina North, Roberts said, the university will pursue a housing project for graduate students.
“We’re working on that now,” he said, adding that the university could also work with the town to add affordable housing in the area.
And in addition to housing, Roberts envisions “classroom space, lab space, office space, a full-blown campus environment at Carolina North.”
“We’re excited about it,” he said.
ICYMI: Catch up on these headlines
Yet again, I have news about athletics — and football, more specifically — to share.
UNC is looking to capitalize on the Bill Belichick era — and generate lots of revenue in the process. That was the key takeaway from a presentation about Tar Heel athletics at last week’s Board of Trustees meetings.
As part of those efforts, the university is looking to improve the game day experience for fans and students.
Among the proposals being considered are adding a concert series, accompanied by a beer garden and student tailgates, at the heart of campus ahead of games this fall. University and athletic officials hope to set up those attractions in front of Wilson Library on Polk Place.
If all goes according to plan, the events could bring more than 3,000 students to the quad ahead of each game this fall, according to Rick Barakat, chief revenue officer for the athletic department.
To generate even more revenue, the university is also considering adding a commercial sponsor to the name of Kenan Stadium.
For more on those proposals, check out this story: UNC envisions student tailgates, on-campus beer garden as Belichick debut nears
In some cases, the university is already seeing returns on some of its investments in football, selling out of its 20,000 season tickets despite prices increasing by 25%.
That’s good news for university leaders, who say they hired Belichick to “bring Carolina football to another level,” as described by Roberts last Thursday.
“We’re delighted about all the attention being paid to Carolina football,” the chancellor told reporters at the trustees meeting, “and we’re excited to see the season.”
For more on those dividends, check out this story from The N&O’s Jadyn Watson-Fisher: UNC boasts football ticket sales growth, expresses commitment to ‘Belichick era’
Where to eat
I’m bringing a foodie flair to Dean’s List this week because there are some exciting developments for the local campus (and off-campus) dining scene.
First up, beloved Chapel Hill restaurant Mediterranean Deli is coming to NC State, expanding its on-campus concept from UNC-Chapel Hill over to Raleigh. The new location is expected to open this fall, and you can be sure to find me there on a lunch break, or two, or three, shortly thereafter.
In more on-campus restaurant news, NC State is also getting another Triangle favorite: La Farm Bakery.
For more on both outposts, check out this story from The N&O’s Renee Umsted: Beloved Triangle bakery & restaurant will open new locations soon at NC State
Off campus, it looks like UNC students will soon have a new salad and bowls spot to enjoy as California-based Sweetgreen joins the ever-changing lineup of restaurants on Franklin Street.
Renee also has that story: One of the most popular healthy restaurants in the US is coming to Chapel Hill
Higher ed news I’m reading
- Harvard University students from around the world expressed shock at the Trump administration’s move last week to bar the university from hosting international students, The New York Times reports. A federal judge later blocked the action after Harvard sued the administration.
See you next time
Dean’s List will be on a break next week. I’ll be recovering from the Education Writers Association’s National Seminar — where I’ll be moderating a panel on the value of the humanities in the career-focused education landscape we currently find ourselves in.
I’ll see you back here in a couple weeks.
Not a subscriber? Sign up on our website to receive Dean’s List in your inbox each week.
