UNC Pembroke News

Nina Wiatrowski (left) De’Maurion Shelley
October 01

Shelley, Wiatrowski named 2021 Maynor Scholars

De’Maurion Shelley and Nina Wiatrowski have been named the 2021 Maynor Honors College scholars at UNC Pembroke. Recognized as UNCP’s most prestigious four-year scholarship, the Maynor Honors Scholarship pays tuition, fees, books, room and board. It is named for Esther Graham Maynor, a Pembroke native and one of the university’s most generous donors. Shelley, a freshman from Fayetteville studying history and social studies education, credits his former teachers with influencing his decision to pursue a career in the classroom.

Family of the late Dr. Joseph Oxendine
October 01

UNCP renames building in honor of Chancellor Emeritus Joe Oxendine

Chancellor Emeritus Joe Oxendine helped transform UNC Pembroke and his legacy lives on in his commitment to education, his community and the university he cherished. One of the major accomplishments during his tenure was the official name change to UNC Pembroke. The Board of Trustees voted last week to rename West Hall in honor of Oxendine. The 40,840-square-foot state-of-the-art facility recently completed a $13.6 million renovation and will be known as the Dr. Joseph B. Oxendine Administrative Building.

Jermecka Hamilton Covington
September 27

Adjunct nursing professor honored with state award

UNC Pembroke Clinical Assistant Professor Jermecka Hamilton Covington has been named the 2021 Rookie of The Year by the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA). The annual award is given by the NCNA board of directors to a nurse who has been a member less than two years and excels at promoting a positive image of nursing and the professional organization to peers and consumers.

McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing unveilling
September 24

UNC Pembroke dedicates the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing

UNC Pembroke celebrated the official naming of the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing during a ceremony on September 23, paying homage to a registered nurse, Mary McKenzie Edwards, whose resilience empowered her to achieve her dreams. Former UNCP Trustee Mary Ann Elliott shared moving stories of her mother's tenacity and how she was inspired by her mother's perseverance in the face of hardships and financial setbacks during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

September 20

UNCP climbs in 2022 U.S. News’ Best Colleges ranking

UNC Pembroke appeared in four categories in the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges rankings. UNCP was ranked No.65 among Regional Universities in the South—climbing 10 spots each of the last two years. UNCP also ranked as a top performer for Social Mobility (18th), Top Public Schools­–Regional Universities in the South (30th), and Best Undergraduate Nursing (221st).

Dr. Leslie Locklear
September 17

UNCP’s Leslie Locklear appointed to Hunt-Lee Commission

UNC Pembroke’s Dr. Leslie Locklear has been appointed to the newly-created Hunt-Lee Commission. Locklear serves as program coordinator for the First Americans Teacher Education program at UNCP. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct professor in the Professional School Counseling Department and co-chair of the N.C. Native American Youth Organization Adult Advisory Committee. She previously served on the state’s DRIVE (Develop a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education) Task Force.

September 17

UNCP selected to participate in national teacher prep cohort for minority-serving institutions

UNC Pembroke is pleased to announce its selection to Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity third National Teacher Preparation Transformation Center cohort, to foster high-quality educators within minority serving institutions (MSIs) across the United States. "With a long history of preparing the next generation of educators for Southeastern North Carolina, UNC Pembroke is honored to be a part of the National Teacher Preparation Center," said Dr. Loury Floyd, dean of the School of Education.

Spring 2021 Edition
September 16

UNC Pembroke alumni magazine wins state award

UNC Pembroke's alumni magazine was awarded the Award of Excellence at the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America's (NCPRSA) annual InSpire Awards ceremony. UNCP Today won the Bronze Award in the magazine category. The annual awards recognize the best public relations campaigns and tactics for the previous year in North Carolina.

September 15

UNCP featured in new PBS North Carolina series 'The Innovators'

PBS North Carolina, in partnership with the UNC System and the Board of Governors Committee on Historically Minority-Serving Institutions (HMSI), announces the new series The Innovators: The Transformative Power of NC's Historically Black and American Indian Universities.

Enrollment
September 15

Enrollment hits all-time high, despite pandemic

Enrollment has hit an all-time high as more students choose UNC Pembroke as their college of choice. The upward trend comes as the Office of Admissions overcame challenges with limited campus visitors and travel restrictions due to the pandemic.  UNCP is experiencing record enrollment for the fourth year in a row, according to university census data. Enrollment for Fall 2021 stands at 8,319, a 0.7% increase compared with Fall 2020. Over the last five years, UNCP has seen a 32% spike in overall enrollment.