This Month at UNC Asheville

January 2021

By UNC Asheville

February 8^th, 2021

Students returned to campus, classes, and/or their computers this month as the Spring 2021 semester kicked off with a mix of in-person, virtual and hybrid classes, and a community committed to another successful, safe and healthy semester.

UNC Asheville a College of Distinction

UNC Asheville has been recognized for its honorable commitment to engaged, experiential education by Colleges of Distinction, which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary as a one-of-a-kind guide for college-bound students.

In addition to being named a College of Distinction, UNC Asheville is also listed among the best public colleges nationally and best colleges in North Carolina in its inaugural year as part of the 2020-21 cohort.

The Best of UNC Asheville

Check out our crowdsourced guide to the best campus events, mind-blowing classes, life-changing experiences and much more.

Your First Year Experience at UNC Asheville

It's your first year at UNC Asheville, and there's a lot to learn–and not just in class. On top of starting your academic education, you have to learn how to navigate just being in college, maybe living apart from your family for the first time. There's managing money, determining which classes to take, learning how to keep yourself healthy, not to mention figuring out how to get along with a roommate.

That's where the First-Year Seminar comes in.

Inside Senior Year

Meet Isaiah Green, UNC Asheville senior, entrepreneur, and president of the UNC System's Association of Student Governments. This year, Isaiah will take us through his final semesters on campus in a series of letters, chronicling an unusual but exciting time for him and everyone at UNC Asheville.

Read Isaiah's Letters

Because of You

Take a look back at our successes last semester through the "Because of You" video series.

UNC Asheville Awarded $100,000 for SECU Public Fellows Internship Program

The Board of Directors of SECU Foundation has approved the renewal of the SECU Public Fellows Internship program – excellent news for students seeking unique internship opportunities in local communities throughout the state. The renewal includes a program expansion to 15 campuses in the University of North Carolina (UNC) System with an allocation of $1,450,000 in funding; this will allow up to twenty in-state undergraduates per campus to be awarded a paid internship position.

UNC Asheville has been awarded $100,000 to fund 20 internships in summer 2021, doubling the funding from the 2020 program, which successfully supported 10 students in their summer internships in Western North Carolina community organizations. The program is designed to connect interested, talented undergraduate students with local leadership in order to obtain meaningful on-the-job experience with a local agency or organization, while providing a unique learning opportunity to allow students to give back to his or her community.

Snow Days

Take a look at a few photos students shared from our recent snowy days on campus. You can see more photos from our student photographers on our Instagram page.

UNC Asheville Celebrates Green and Gold Accolades from The Princeton Review and US Green Building Council

UNC Asheville’s newest residence halls, The Woods, have been certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification considers sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. The Woods, which include Aspen, Beech, Cedar, Magnolia and Willow Halls and were completed in 2018, are UNC Asheville’s second buildings to be certified LEED Gold, after Rhoades Hall.

Winter Buzz Breakfast Series Kicks Off

The 2021 Winter Buzz Breakfast series, hosted by Leadership Asheville and the Asheville Area Arts Council, kicked off Jan. 27 with a look at the removal of Confederate monuments with special guest Mitch Landrieu, former Mayor of New Orleans, and author of In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History.

Miss the event? You can watch the recording and register for upcoming Buzz Breakfasts here.

Meet Kortni R. Campbell

UNC Asheville has appointed Kortni R. Campbell as the University’s vice chancellor for admission and financial aid starting January 11, 2021. Campbell joins UNC Asheville from Davidson College where she served for 13 years, most recently as senior associate dean of admission and financial aid and admission communications director. Campbell brings more than 20 years of strategic communications, marketing, admission, and financial aid experience to UNC Asheville, and demonstrated expertise and success in recruiting diverse and talented students.