unc creative writing faculty

New Writing Faculty Share Surprising Connections

Looking for a story about love and war? Perhaps a gripping tale of a traveler’s journey to exotic and dangerous places? Maybe a clever yarn on the merits of trout fishing?

The two newest writers to join Carolina’s creative writing program share surprising connections with the donors who created the distinguished professorships and their namesakes that brought them to Chapel Hill.

They bring an “infectious energy” to a teaching roster already brimming with collegial colleagues and a top national reputation, said Daniel Wallace, the program director and J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English.

Gabrielle Calvocoressi, a poet, is the first Walker Percy Fellow in Creative Writing. Stephanie Elizondo Griest, a non-fiction author, is the inaugural Margaret R. Shuping Fellow in Creative Writing.

“The creative writing program is one of the public faces of Carolina,” said Wallace. “Literature-loving alumni want to be part of our program, and they’re the ones who help us maintain its historical excellence. We’re so grateful for to the donors for making it possible for Gaby and Stephanie to join us and teach our next generation of writers.”

Bard of the Bayou

It began with a chance meeting of two teenagers on a South Carolina beach nearly 45 years ago.

One of the teenagers was the daughter of Walker Percy, a 1937 Carolina alumnus and among the nation’s most iconic writers of the 20 th century. The other teenager went on to graduate from Carolina and has a successful career in business and writing. In 2009, his family established a $1 million distinguished professorship to honor the lifelong friendship between the two families that started with the serendipitous beach encounter.

The Walker Percy Distinguished Professorship in Creative Writing recognizes the life and work of the great novelist.

The donor, who prefers anonymity, said that he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to name a professorship for Percy at Carolina.

“The professorship is good for Walker Percy and his family and good for the University,” the donor said.

His relationship with the Percy family continued over the years through correspondence, family gatherings and even a fishing trip for speckled trout in 1973 with the famed author in a Sunfish, a small sailboat, at Gulf Shores, Ala. As a high school student, the donor was so influenced by Percy that he wrote a poem about the bayou for him that placed fifth in an Atlantic Monthly competition. Percy wrote a recommendation letter for him to attend Carolina.

From his childhood in Birmingham, to the loss of his parents and his teenage years in Greenville, Mississippi, Percy’s life is detailed in numerous books, articles and in the 2011 PBS documentary, Walker Percy .

Percy began his freshman year at Carolina in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression, studying chemistry. After graduation, he entered Columbia University’s medical school, earning his degree in 1941. He contracted tuberculosis in 1942 during an internship at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, later returning to teach. After a relapse, he left medicine for good and began his writing career.

Percy married Mary Bernice Townsend in 1946, and they returned to the South, eventually to Covington, La., where they raised daughters Ann and Mary.

He wrote six bestsellers, including three that earned many honors and awards: The Moviegoer (1962); Love in the Ruins (1972); and The Second Coming (1980). In addition, Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book won the St. Louis Literary Award in 1986. Percy died in Covington in May 1990, at 74.

Like Percy, Calvocoressi earned a graduate degree at Columbia University — hers is an MFA.   Percy wrote The Moviegoer ; her family owned a second-run movie theater and a drive-in. Both were 13 when they lost a parent to suicide — Percy’s father and Calvocoressi’s mother. And they were raised by family members other than their parents.

“Writing is so much about going outside yourself and making connections, meeting someone you never expected to meet, like the chance encounter on a beach,” Calvocoressi said. “With students now so attached to technology, it’s a real challenge to get them to make those associations.

“I’ll tell them to take the long way to class. Don’t use your iPhone. I’ll ask the question, ‘What did you see today?’ Writing a poem comes from the ability to take a moment and put these connections together,” said Calvocoressi, who is teaching honors poetry and introductory poetry her first semester.

A Connecticut native, Calvocoressi attended Choate Rosemary Hall and earned her bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College. After graduation, she spent two years working as a secretary at a day school while writing in the evenings.

Her two poetry books, The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart and Apocalyptic Swing won critical acclaim. From 2000 to 2002, she was a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and she later taught at California College of Arts in San Francisco and Warren Wilson College near Asheville.

She first learned of UNC as an undergraduate when Randall Kenan, now an associate professor of English at Carolina, taught her class as a visiting writer at Sarah Lawrence. After his term ended, his students heard that he was bound for Chapel Hill.

“After that, UNC was always on my mind, even though I’d never been here,” Calvocoressi said.  “One of the great things about teaching at Carolina is that it’s an invitation to become immersed in learning more about its writers like Walker Percy.”

Pioneering women

Margaret Russell had just graduated from Carolina when the love of her life was across the Atlantic and preparing to invade Normandy.

Hampton Shuping, like so many men, had interrupted his studies for the war. He survived D-Day, and was then transferred in 1945 to the naval base in Coronado, Calif. After Hampton proposed, Margaret, along with her mother and aunt, traveled for days by train from the family home in Richlands, N.C., to San Diego, to marry Hampton. The couple eventually returned to N.C. where Hampton completed his UNC degree in business in 1947 and became an executive with textile giant J.P. Stevens & Co. in Greensboro.

When she earned her journalism degree in May 1944, Margaret was among a pioneering group of women who pursued this emerging career choice. She worked briefly at the Greensboro Daily News before she married and became a full-time homemaker and civic volunteer. Margaret kept her dynamic personality until her death in 2000.

Sallie Shuping-Russell ’77, one of Hampton and Margaret’s five children, said that there was always a sense that her mother was a part of her father’s success. In 2008, she established a $1 million fund that would become the Margaret R. Shuping Distinguished Professorship in Creative Writing.

“Mama loved Carolina,” said Shuping-Russell. “She believed in taking the high road but also felt strongly about standing up for yourself and others, even if they were unpopular positions. She was pretty spectacular.”

Shuping-Russell, who earned her MBA from Columbia and is managing director of BlackRock investment firm in New York, is a member of Carolina’s Board of Trustees and served on the Arts and Sciences Foundation Board of Directors. The professorship that honors her mother also recognizes the love of books that Margaret shared with her children.

“Today we spend so much time surrounded by technology. The professorship reflects my firm belief that literature conveys the human condition and promotes humanness in a way that technology cannot,” Shuping-Russell said.

A half-century after Margaret Russell helped forge new territory for women, Stephanie Elizondo Griest was a new graduate of the University of Texas, a double major in journalism and post-Soviet studies. After graduation, she lived in Beijing as a Henry Luce Scholar, editing and teaching journalism at China Daily , a Beijing newspaper. In 2012, she completed her MFA at the University of Iowa.

Her travels have taken her to more than 40 countries, with many of her experiences documented in her books Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana ; Mexican Enough: My Life Between the Borderlines ; and the guidebook 100 Places Every Woman Should Go .

Griest has documented the human condition at its grittiest levels, from an orphanage in Russia to borderland conflicts in Texas and, in her current research, in upstate New York at the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne. As a journalist for the Associated Press in Austin, she covered George W. Bush’s last legislative session as governor and his bid for the presidency. She has also written for the New York Times, Washington Post and Latina Magazine , among many other publications.

The Corpus Christi native — who said she does not own a smart phone — traces her wanderlust to her great-great Uncle Jake, a “hobo” on her father’s side of the family, and to her mother’s ancestors who were America’s first real cowboys, the Mexican ranch workers on Texas’s famed King Ranch.

An enthusiastic teacher, Griest most recently was a visiting professor of creative writing at St. Lawrence University, and has taught at many writers’ conferences.

“Teaching is pure magic,” she said.

[ Story by Del Helton ]

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News Archive

Two creative writing faculty win North Carolina literary awards

Two faculty members in creative writing in the department of English and comparative literature in the College of Arts and Sciences received awards at the 115 th annual meeting of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association in Raleigh on Nov. 13..

Pam Durban, the Doris Betts Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing, won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction , given for the year’s best book of fiction written by a North Carolinian, for her collection of short stories Soon (University of South Carolina Press).

And Daphne Athas, who retired in 2009 after 40 years of service in UNC’s classrooms, won the R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award , a lifetime achievement award given in recognition of the recipient’s contribution to the preservation and promotion of North Carolina literature.

Five other creative writing faculty writers have won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction: Doris Betts (in 1957, 1965 and 1974), Daphne Athas (in 1972 and 1979), Marianne Gingher (in 1987), Lawrence Naumoff (in 2005) and Daniel Wallace (in 2008).

Three other creative writing faculty have received the R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award: Doris Betts (in 1989), Bland Simpson (in 2009) and Michael McFee (in 2010).

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M.A. in English: Creative Writing

The diverse field of Creative Writing studies involves the writing of prose, poetry, and drama for the page, screen, and stage. At UNC Charlotte, the Creative Writing Concentration offers studies in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Faculty seek to familiarize aspiring writers with the techniques and theories of poetics and prose while helping them delve more deeply into their chosen genre. Integral to a creative writer’s experience at UNC Charlotte is the studio workshop, where students draft and share work and critique their peers’ writing. Also important are issues of craft, the literary history of a writer’s genre, the culture of publishing (book, magazine, and online), and sustained independent work toward a long-form capstone project.

Creative Writing faculty at UNC Charlotte have achieved national distinction with award-winning books and work published in The Southern Review , Kenyon Review , Missouri Review , Esquire, Denver Quarterly, McSweeney’s, Glimmer Train, Colorado Review, Gettysburg Review, New Stories from the South , and many others. They have won awards such as the Editor’s Choice at New Issues Poetry & Prose; the Poets & Writers Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award in Fiction; the Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize; a variety of artist residences; and fellowships from the North Carolina Arts Council and elsewhere. Faculty hold MFAs or PhDs from Purdue University, the University of Denver, and Vanderbilt University.

Students completing the MA Concentration in Creative Writing will be well-prepared for MFA and Ph.D. programs in the field. Undergraduate and MA students from Charlotte have been accepted with funding to a number of graduate programs, including at Columbia University, the North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Colorado at Boulder, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, NC State, and New Mexico State University.

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• R. Mark Hall
• Allison Hutchcraft

Click here for information about 1. guidance regarding MFA programs; and 2. the capstone experience in creative writing, including descriptions of the project and thesis options, as well as samples of prospectuses, help with critical introductions to creative work, and other helpful materials.

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Creative writing, m.f.a.

The Master of Fine Arts in creative writing is a two-year residency program with an emphasis on providing studio time for the writing of poetry or fiction. Our students develop their particular talents through small classes in writing, literature, publishing, and the arts. 

As a community of writers, students read and comment on each other’s work under the guidance of distinguished resident and visiting faculty, who also meet with students in one-on-one tutorials. 

PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS

• UNC Greensboro’s Creative Writing program is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the country.
• The residential faculty at the MFA Writing Program in Greensboro are not only award-winning writers, but also committed teachers who have spent their careers mentoring young writers.
• Graduates have published more than 200 works of poetry and fiction since 2008.
• Many graduates have received prestigious literary prizes. For example, MFA alumna Kelly Link was a 2016 Pulitzer Prize finalist in fiction. 

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

• The program is kept intentionally small, enabling students to work one-on-one with faculty in a close-knit community of writers.  
• 18-24 hours in writing courses are required, including workshop courses for poetry or fiction and tutorials in writing where students work one-on-one with members of the faculty. 
• The program offers fully funded graduate assistantships, including out-of-state and in-state tuition, health insurance, and a stipend. 
• Students serve as fiction and poetry editors for “The Greensboro Review,” the program’s literary journal for more than 50 years. 
• Each year the faculty also invites writers and editors to visit the campus for readings, workshops, and master classes with MFA students.

AFTER GRADUATION

• Alumni from the MFA Writing Program at Greensboro have gone on to teach or direct writing programs at such places as Clemson University, Colorado State University, Cornell University, Florida State University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
• Graduates have continued their literary careers with a variety of awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the Kingsley-Tufts Poetry Award, and numerous grants including those from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

APPLY TO Creative Writing, M.F.A

*Only required if there are additional admission requirements

• For a full list of application instructions, visit https://english.uncg.edu/mfa/admission-assistantships/  
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are no longer required for admission to this program.
• Students must submit a writing sample of fiction or poetry to be reviewed by all faculty members in the genre. The primary decider of admission is the student’s writing sample. 

Get more information

Want more information let’s get started, program details.

Degree Type: Master's

College/School: College of Arts and Sciences

Program Type: Majors & Concentrations

Class Type: In Person

Learn More About the Department of English

Similar Degree Offerings

• English, M.A.
• English, Ph.D.

Terry Kennedy Director of MFA in Creative Writing Department of English [email protected] 336-334-5459

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Creative Writing

Creative Writing Concentration

The Creative Writing concentration offers students support in developing their writing through a sequence of workshops combined with literature surveys, genre studies, and a selection of special topics courses. The goal of the program is to foster confident undergraduate writers who work with a sound knowledge of their own literary tradition and who can produce works of publishable quality.

Students receive individual assistance in understanding and extending their skills in writing poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and/or playwriting, with responsibility for growth and achievement resting ultimately on the student. The instructor will encourage, critique, suggest opportunities, and recommend authors to read, but the students themselves provide the spark and will to progress.

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing with Teaching Licensure

The Creative Writing with Teaching Licensure track is designed especially for prospective teachers. This special curriculum supplements the core requirements of the concentration in creative writing to prepare students in the broad range of areas expected of English teachers, including literature, composition, and the history of the English language. This program has rigorous requirements, and planning ahead is wise. Student teaching, the senior thesis, and comprehensive exams all converge in the senior year, along with other courses that may be needed outside the major. Students who undertake this path need to work closely with their advisors to ensure their success.

Creative Writing Minor

Students may minor in Creative Writing by completing 20 hours of specified courses, including LANG 260 and LIT 240, 4 hours from LIT 325, 326, 327 or 330, and 8 additional hours from LANG 361, 363, 365, or 366. Students can declare a minor online .

Creative Writing Core

Choose from: ENGL 120, ENGL 116, or CMPL 120-124

Choose from:ENGL 117, ENGL 121, ENGL 122, ENG 124, ENGL 129, CMPL 130-134, CMPL 142

Choose from: ENGL 225, ENGL 230, ENGL 250, ENGL 320, ENGL 340, CMPL 220, CMPL 223, CMPL 225

Fall 2022 Creative Writing Residency

Announcing the Fall 2022 Creative Writing Residency for Students at UNC-CH!  

In partnership with Arts Everywhere, the editorial team at Short Story UNC is excited to announce the Fall 2022 Residency for creative writers at UNC-CH! The Short Story UNC team curates content for the eight short story dispensers positioned around campus and in the community, which have cumulatively distributed over 30,000 short stories, poems, and essays written by UNC students, faculty, and alumni to a diverse local audience. Please see their call for student writers below!

About the Residency

Returning for a second year, the Short Story UNC residency will give up to three UNC students writing in any genre or combination of genres the opportunity to “occupy” one of the dispensers for a month during the upcoming fall semester, filling the machine exclusively with writing by residents. Selected writers will work with the SSUNC editorial team to curate a vibrant collection of their short stories, essays, poems, experiments, pensées, manifestos, provocations, journal entries, epigrams, aphorisms, quotes, gems, etc. At the end of the residency, Short Story UNC will host a reading party to celebrate our writers’ work. We want to provide a platform for the best student writers at UNC to be able to amplify their voices while experimenting with the affordances of a unique multimedia publishing format. 

This year, Short Story UNC is pleased to be able to offer an honorarium of $250 for each resident . 

Application details

The application deadline is  May 31st.  Fall residents will be announced in mid-June, giving the selected writers a chance to use the summer to create and compile materials for publication. We welcome applications from students of all demographic backgrounds and all stages of their education at UNC. We are keen to promote diversity in our resident selection. 

  To apply, please submit the following:

• A statement of purpose (1 pg max) describing how you plan to use your residency to advance your goals as a writer. In your statement, we encourage you to propose specific outcomes, projects, or experiments
• A writing sample (8 pgs max), any genre or combination of genres
• A biographical statement (½ pg – 1 pg) in which applicants introduce themselves and describe their past accomplishments.

All files should be in PDF format. 

Submit your applications to  [email protected]  before May 31st, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST.   

For more information about Short Story UNC, please visit  https://artseverywhere.unc.edu/art-at-carolina/short-story-machines/

Creative Writing, MFA

Publishing Laboratory Enjoys a Relationship with Harpercollins, the World’s Second-Largest English Language Publisher

2 Literary Magazines & 1 Literary Book Imprint - We Offer Graduate Students Experience Working for All 3

Writers’ Week is a Literary Festival Featuring a Diverse Lineup of Writers

STUDY OF CREATIVE WRITING PREPARES STUDENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS. OUR ALUMNI ARE:

Graduates have published books with top commercial, university and independent presses, garnering critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Many have careers as technical writers. Most importantly, they learned the skills and habits to pursue a satisfying and sustainable writing life.

The MFA is a terminal degree and qualifies graduates to teach at the university level. We provide teaching assistantships and pedagogical training. Our graduates go on to teach writing and publishing throughout the country.

Our graduate students gain hands-on experience in the editing, design, production and marketing of books and magazines and go on to careers as agents, marketing coordinators, art directors, managing editors, and small press publishers.

Generate complex, original writing of literary merit and personal value

Utilize form, style, and technique in effective and sophisticated ways

Critically analyze literary works

Articulate your own evolving aesthetic as a writer

“ I gained valuable teaching experience, served as managing editor of Ecotone, and relished my time with mentors who encouraged and challenged me. Simply put, it changed my life. ”

A Community of Writers

Our MFA program joins students who share a common passion and faculty members who provide critical support of their work. The faculty of the Department of Creative Writing view MFA students as colleagues-in-the-making. To help initiate them into the profession, we offer a series of panels and workshops designed to address practical issues that lie outside the scope of the writing workshop.

Apprenticeship Leading to Publishable Quality Manuscript

The MFA at UNCW is a 48-hour apprenticeship, requiring a total of 21 hours of writing workshops, 21 hours of literature or other elective courses, and 6 thesis hours, leading to completion and defense of a substantial book-length manuscript of literary merit and publishable quality.

While students apply in poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction, and focus primarily on that genre, some cross-genre study is required. Coursework in editing and publishing is offered through our Publishing Laboratory. Experience in magazine and book production is also offered in conjunction with our imprint Lookout Books and with Ecotone and Chautauqua , our department's national literary magazines.

SAMPLE COURSES

Admission deadlines & requirements, information: mfa creative writing.

• Complete applications are considered for admission as a group, after the published deadline.
• All application and supporting documents must be received by the published deadline.

Coordinator

• Dr. Melissa Crowe 910-962-3436 [email protected]  

Location/Delivery Method

• Main Campus

Concentrations

• Creative Non-Fiction

Deadlines (11:59 p.m. EST)

• Fall 2024:   January 15, 2024

Transcripts

• One official transcript is required from each U.S. post-secondary institution attended. Refer to the Getting Started page for international transcript instructions.

Test Scores

• None Required

Recommendations

Additional requirements.

• Upload Supplemental Documents After Application Submission
• Writing Sample: A typed manuscript in the applicant’s primary genre, labeled “poetry,” “fiction" or “creative nonfiction”: 10 pages of poetry, 30 pages of fiction or 30 pages of creative nonfiction (double-spaced prose, single-spaced poetry). The manuscript should demonstrate mastery of basic craft and unmistakable literary promise. Applicants are advised not to apply with a mixed-genre manuscript.
• Essay:  An essay (300-500 words) on the applicant’s goals in pursuing the MFA, including previous educational experience.
• Assistantship Essay: If you are interested in being considered for an assistantship in the Creative Writing classroom, or in the Publishing Laboratory (or both), please include a brief (one- to two-page) supplemental statement of relevant experience and interest. (If interested in both, upload a single combined essay.) 

Explore More Program Details

Learn more about the Department

Related Programs

Publishing, post-baccalaureate certificate.

Students seeking to enroll in the MFA publishing certificate program must first complete the introductory course, CRW 520, The Publishing Process.

Filmmaking, MFA

UNCW’s MFA in filmmaking is an immersive three-year terminal degree program. The comprehensive curriculum includes multi-modal (narrative, documentary, and experimental) workshops in cinematography, screenwriting, editing, sound design, producing, and directing, as well as courses in cinema history, analysis and aesthetics.

English M.A.

For lovers of literature, writing, film or the English language, studying English means doing what you love most.

Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

This certificate is designed for students already enrolled in a graduate degree program at UNCW, as well as professionals not seeking a degree. The program provides the opportunity to gain substantial training in women's and gender studies as a supplement to departmental degrees and careers.

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Take an inside look at the Writing Center: What Happens During A Writing Coaching Session

The Writing Center is a great place to get in depth help on essays and papers. I come to the Writing Center twice a week to get a jump start on essays so that I am not cramming at the last minute. It helps to get an extra set of eyes on your work. Blake Bozymski

Overcoming Procrastination:

• Don’t let your paper become overwhelming! Break your writing tasks up into the smallest possible chunks and tackle them one at a time.

Editing and Proofreading:

• Read your paper aloud, or get your computer to read it to you using text-to-speech. It’ll change your writing life.

Writing Concisely:

• Eliminate redundant words, delete unnecessary qualifiers, and reduce prepositional phrases.

The Importance of a Good Introduction:

• You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The opening paragraph of your paper will provide your readers with initial impressions of your argument, your writing style, and the overall quality of your work.

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The resident faculty at the MFA Program in Greensboro are not only award-winning writers, but also committed teachers who have spent their careers mentoring emerging writers. Each year, the faculty also invites writers and editors to visit the campus for readings, workshops, and master classes with MFA students. They bring unique voices and a variety of experience to the writing community. Guests have included winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Pulitzer Prize, the MacArthur ‘Genius’ grant, the National Book Award, the Rome Prize, and the PEN/Hemingway Award, among other honors.

Xhenet Aliu

Resident Faculty

Phone: 336.334.5459 Email: [email protected]

Stuart Dischell

Phone: 336.334.5459 Email: [email protected]

Holly Goddard Jones

Phone: 336.334.5459 Email: [email protected]

Terry Kennedy

Phone: 336.334.5459 Office: 3304 MHRA Building Email: [email protected]

Derek Palacio

Phone: 336.334.5459 Email: [email protected]

Emilia Phillips

Phone: 336.334.5459 Email: [email protected]

Jessie Van Rheenen

Phone: 336.334.5459 Office: 3303 MHRA Building Email: [email protected]

Emeritus Faculty

Fred Chappell

Tom Kirby-Smith

Michael Parker

Lee Zacharias

Department of English UNC Greensboro

Physical Address: 3143 Moore Humanities and Research Administration Building Greensboro, NC 27412

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 26170 Greensboro, NC 27402

Phone: 336-334-5311 Fax: 336-334-3281 Email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2024. UNC Greensboro. All rights reserved. | If you have a disability and are having trouble accessing information on this website or need materials in an alternate format contact [email protected] for assistance.

The Department of English , in partnership with Kingston University London (KUL) , offers a dual degree program in which a student may earn an M.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing from UNC Charlotte and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from KUL. The program aims to enable students to develop as creative writers through practice in more than one genre and through the creatively engaged study of literature, as well as to prepare students for professional advancement in fields such as writing, editing, publishing, or teaching on the secondary or college levels.

Admission Requirements

Students must have a B.A. in English or substantial coursework in English courses; some creative writing courses are desirable but not required. 

Applications must be submitted online through the Graduate School at  gradadmissions.charlotte.edu/apply by February 1.  Materials to include:

• Application and fee
• Transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended
• Three academic letters of recommendation (preferably from instructors who can address the student’s writing achievements and potential)
• Statement of purpose (750 words maximum) tailored to the dual degree program, addressing whether the student is applying in poetry or fiction, their interests in writing and ambitions, their background and reasons for applying for this program, and how they are suited to handle an intensive program with an accelerated pace
• Creative writing sample (in PDF format) demonstrating highest quality recent work (for details, see the Department of English website at english.uncc.edu/graduate-program-information/mamfa-dual-degree-program)

Note: Standardized test scores (e.g., GRE, GMAT, MAT) are not required.

Please note that students admitted to the UNC Charlotte M.A. program are conditionally admitted to the KU M.F.A. provided the student meets all UNC Charlotte requirements during the first year. They must perform satisfactorily, and complete all 24 credit hours, at UNC Charlotte before continuing on to KU to complete the M.F.A. requirements.  This is a full-time residency program; part-time status or online courses are not options.  Fall admission only.

Degree Requirements

This is a 36 credit hour program in which students earn 24 credit hours at UNC Charlotte in their first year, and spend one year at Kingston University London (KUL) to earn the additional 12 credit hours required for the M.A.  Students take additional modules at KUL to meet the requirements for the M.F.A.  This program requires a thesis to be written while at KUL that also satisfies the research portion of the UNC Charlotte degree.  

UNC Charlotte Courses (24 credit hours)

Students spend their first academic year at UNC Charlotte and take the following:

Core Course (3 credit hours)

• ENGL 6101 - Introduction to Literary Studies (3)

Elective Fiction Writing Course (3 credit hours)

Select one of the following:

• ENGL 5203 - Writing Fiction (3)
• ENGL 5206 - Writing Creative Nonfiction (3)
• ENGL 5207 - Writing Young Adult Fiction (3)
• ENGL 5208 - Poetry Writing Workshop (3)
• ENGL 5209 - Fiction Writing Workshop (3)
• ENGL 5280 - Writing About Place (3)

Elective Poetry Writing Course (3 credit hours)

• ENGL 5202 - Writing Poetry (3)

Elective Creative Writing Courses (6 credit hours)

• ENGL 6073 - Topics in Creative Writing (3)
• ENGL 6073 - Topics in Creative Writing (3)    

Elective Literature Courses (6 credit hours)

Select two of the following, one of which must be in modern and/or contemporary literature:

• ENGL 5002 - Women and Literature (3)
• ENGL 5072 - Topics in Literature and Film (3)
• ENGL 5074 - Topics in Children’s Literature, Media, and Culture (3)
• ENGL 5102 - British Children’s Literature (3)
• ENGL 5103 - American Children’s Literature (3)
• ENGL 5104 - Multiculturalism and Children’s Literature (3)
• ENGL 5116 - Shakespeare’s Early Plays (3)
• ENGL 5117 - Shakespeare’s Late Plays (3)
• ENGL 5132 - British Drama to 1642 (3)
• ENGL 5151 - Drama (3)
• ENGL 5325 - Trauma and Memory in Contemporary American Literature (3)
• ENGL 6072 - Topics in Literature and Film (3)
• ENGL 6103 - Introduction to Children’s Literature and Culture (3)
• ENGL 6104 - Major Figures and Themes in Children’s Literature (3)
• ENGL 6112 - Shakespeare’s Tragedies (3)
• ENGL 6125 - The Romantic Era, 1785-1832 (3)
• ENGL 6141 - American Romanticism (3)
• ENGL 6142 - American Realism and Naturalism (3)
• ENGL 6147 - Perspectives in African American Literature (3)
• ENGL 6680 - Seminar in British Literature (3)
• ENGL 6685 - Seminar in American Literature (3)
• ENGL 6687 - Seminar in Global Literature (3)

Unrestricted Elective Course (3 credit hours)

Select any graduate ENGL course:

• ENGL 5XXX - English Elective Course (3)
• ENGL 6XXX - English Elective Course (3)

KUL Courses (12 credit hours)

In the second year of the program at KUL, students take the following modules:

• Advanced writers workshop
• Teaching creative writing
• Reading for writers
• Visiting speakers
• Research presentations
• Advanced dissertation project

12 credit hours of thesis taken at KUL is applied to the UNC Charlotte M.A. in English as M.A. project hours ( ENGL 6895   ).  In both semesters of the second year, students also register for the following UNC Charlotte placeholder course (no credit hours, no fees):

• ENGL 6777 - UNCC-ENGLMFA (0)

Students in good standing who are unable to proceed to KUL in their second year may opt to continue in the M.A. in English    at UNC Charlotte.

Dual Degree Total = 36 Credit Hours

Grade requirements.

All courses counted toward the degree must be taken with grades of A or B received.  A course in which a graduate student receives a grade of C is not allowable as part of the 36 required credit hours.  Students earning C grades in their first year will be ineligible for the KUL M.F.A. but may opt to continue in the M.A. in English    at UNC Charlotte.

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• CENTERS & INSTITUTES

School of Social Work welcomes three new clinical assistant professors 

Posted on May 29, 2024

by Chris Hilburn-Trenkle  

Three new faculty members will soon be tasked with mentoring and overseeing future social workers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work. 

The School of Social Work welcomed back three former students — Carynne Williams, ’10 (MSW), Michelle Chambers-Rollins, ’08 (MSW), and Matt Diehl, ’02 (MSW), — as clinical assistant professors, effective May 6. 

We spoke with the three professors to learn about their prior experience, what they hope to teach students, why they joined the School, and more. This transcript has been edited for clarity. 

Carynne Williams 

Can you tell me a little about your prior work experience? 

I graduated from Winston-Salem State University undergrad and got an MPA (Master of Public Administration) from North Carolina Central University, then came to Carolina for my MSW and graduated in 2010.  

Most of my experience has been in community-based mental health and providing psychotherapy services to individuals, couples and families. I have practiced in the (Federal) Bureau of Prisons as a psychotherapist for sexually dangerous persons. I’ve done a lot of policy work in terms of developing local government policy and federal policy, and while I was getting my MSW, I worked as a policy intern for former first lady (Michelle) Obama in 2010. My clinical specialties are trauma, depression and anxiety.  

How do you feel your prior experience will help your ability to impart knowledge to students? 

One of the things that I have learned in my prior experiences is that the needs for human beings are universal. Whether that is a homeless person living on the street or the president of the United States, we all have the same basic needs and desires and we go about meeting those needs and desires in a multitude of ways.  

One of the things that I hope to impart to my students is how to balance meeting the needs of others while also making sure they engage in self-care and meet their own needs and address the universal issues that belong to all human beings. 

What are some of your goals for teaching at the School? 

I’m hoping in this role to be a support for students. I’m hoping to open students’ eyes to different opportunities, whether those are in direct practice and clinical work or in positions that are more macro-based or macro-focused working to develop and implement policy, working in government. (I want to expose) students to the different opportunities that there are in social work because wherever there are people, social workers belong in those areas.  

I’m hoping to be able to create pathways for students to see themselves, maybe even in some non-traditional spaces for social workers to be.  

Why did you decide to join the School? 

It’s something that’s beyond what I could have foreseen for myself to come back into the program as a faculty member. I still remember conversations and experiences with the faculty who were here when I was here. Those interactions were pivotal in helping me to make it through my MSW program and helping me envision myself in some of the places and opportunities that I’ve had since graduating. Knowing some of the professors that I had is what has propelled me forward. Maintaining those relationships for me has been critical; now I get the opportunity to be that social support and encouragement for someone else. I am honored, so very honored, to be able to do that for students in the program, who are coming into the program right now. 

What are some of your interests or hobbies? 

Being active in my faith group in my church. I also have a nonprofit called MEND that is a social justice and mental health organization working to help eliminate racial trauma for Black and Indigenous people. I run that part-time. I also have a small private practice that I run locally, working mainly with students from Duke University. 

Is there anything else you would like people to know about you? 

I’m always interested in learning, growing and changing, and providing opportunities for others to do the same. 

Michelle Chambers-Rollins 

Can you tell me about your prior work experience?  

I initially started in child welfare, so I was an assessment social worker. I worked in a couple of counties. I worked in a small town and then I worked in a larger county — Person and Wake County. At the time, I was working — specifically towards the end of my child welfare career — with those that had substance misuse issues. I became particularly interested in the prevention side of things as opposed to responding to child welfare allegations. So that’s what prompted me to go back to get my MSW. I wanted to work in direct practice with families and children on the intervention side as opposed to responding to the allegations.  

I graduated with my MSW in 2008 and I went right into private practice, so I started working with someone else’s private practice as a therapist when I had my associate level LCSW, and then I also worked with families that had been impacted by substance misuse and provided therapy to them as well. 

My career expanded from there. I stopped working in child welfare, then I transitioned to the private sector. I worked with a private agency as their clinical director for some years, supervising clinicians on the techniques and interventions that they use with families and children that they were seeing for outpatient and mental health therapy. I also developed training and policy as a part of my work as a clinical director at that agency.  

Then I opened my own private group practice. I continue to have the opportunity to serve clinicians and train them on various treatment modalities as it relates to substance misuse and/or mental health issues. I see people directly and I also provide supervision. 

What led me to my next step in this journey was my work with the Family and Children’s Resource Program at the School of Social Work. I worked as the child welfare education collaborative project manager. We work with students at universities across the state that specifically wanted to go into child welfare and needed to have a specialty in child welfare. I helped them to obtain that specialty in child welfare by providing training and coordinating with their university. That partnership is what led to them receiving the child welfare education collaborative certificate.  

The theme for me has been being impactful and engaging in the community, that’s really important to me. Whatever experiences I have, I want to give back to the community while I continue to learn and fine-tune my skill set and I want to be able to share that with students. 

I’ll be able to give them real-life examples. What I’ve seen is that students want to know, ‘What do I do in these various situations or these challenging situations including taking care of myself and utilizing the skill set that we’re developing.’ So, if I were to teach a motivational interviewing course or child adolescent theory in practice course, (my experience will) literally fill the gap between theory and what it looks like to have practiced led by an evidence-based theory.  

When I say practice I mean being culturally considerate, inclusive, knowing how to communicate with people, understanding the community that we work with, statistically-wise who we’re working with, the population’s needs and how that applies to the work that we’re doing. 

I want to model exactly what students need to do in actual practice. I want to give them the foundational pieces with theory and research about the communities they’re working with and then I want them to be able to apply that with the populations they’re working with, and that could be in various settings. I’ve worked in DSS (Division of Social Services), in the clinical setting, in supervisory roles, so I feel like I can help them bridge that macro and micro gap, too, because there may be some overlap in their jobs.  

It was a full circle moment. I graduated from this program as an MSW student and then I went to work in child welfare myself and I had some really good mentors, so mentorship was really important — professors and supervisors — and that made me a really good social worker. Without them, I couldn’t be the social worker I needed to be with those families and children that I worked with and those respective populations. 

Then when I got the adjunct position in the fall semester of 2023, the students were really open and receptive and wanted to learn. I got so much good feedback from them about practice experiences, how that really helped them to fine-tune their experiences. I was able to help them with their writing and research as a part of that process. I’m able to teach here, be a part of course development, and I can still have my group practice. It really means a lot. 

I have a dog; her name is Cocoa. She’s a boxer and she’s 11. Cocoa has been with me through a lot of my career. I love to go on walks with her, I love to go walking or jogging. Mindfulness practices are really important to me, doing some reflection work and journaling. Spending time with my husband and my family is important. They’re No. 1, God then my family time. We like to eat some good food, hang out together in general.  

I want to highlight that culturally competent practice is really important to me. Inclusion, awareness, understanding how people show up, how you can help them show up in the way they want to, how to help them define their identities and fine-tune that, that’s really important to me and that can apply to any population. I want to make sure that can translate to the students as well. 

Matt Diehl 

While going to school, I worked as a research assistant and also did housing work for Urban Ministries in Raleigh, working in the shelter and working in a transitional housing program for adults with serious mental illness. Since finishing school, I’ve primarily worked providing education and employment services to adults dealing with serious mental health issues and co-occurring disorders, often substance use disorders. 

(At UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health) I was training, consulting and evaluating statewide an evidence-based support and employment service that was provided by almost 40 providers across the state of North Carolina called Individual Placement and Support. It’s an integrative employment intervention in the mental health treatment setting, so employment services and behavioral health services are being provided to people in conjunction — everyone is at the table working together. I trained that model and evaluated how well and effectively providers were following the model for the last 10 years. 

I have a lot of hands-on experience providing services to this population. In addition to training the model I’ve actually provided these services myself. I helped us start a team at UNC in the Department of Psychiatry about 10 years ago as well. I have a lot of hands-on experience providing services, mostly education and employment services, in a behavioral health setting to people here and across the state. I think that will be valuable. I understand the landscape of community-based mental health.  

In my training role I’ve also done a lot of work with systems. I was working with managed care organizations to help educate them about how they could better support their provider network through policy and funding mechanisms and was doing a lot of that same consultation for the state Department of Health and Human Services, where a lot of the funding comes through NC DHHS to the MCOs, especially for uninsured people. I have both macro and micro experience from my previous work history. 

I am hoping that my experience will spark some interest in getting some students to consider working in community-based mental health. There’s a real issue across the state, and probably across the nation, workforce-wise. We just don’t have enough qualified people working in these settings, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to teach students about some of these services and where they are across the state and the impact they can have and also utilize connections I have in that world to provide more ongoing, real-life experience and education to the students. I envision having people come and speak about the work that they do. I understand that won’t be a big part of the coursework, but I think I’ll be able to lean into my connections.  

I want to help inform students about how policy and funding impact the work that happens out in the field, being able to relay those policy and funding challenges to what patients or people receiving services are going to get from providers. So, I want to make those connections for students.  

One of the issues was, since the pandemic, seeing the real workforce challenges and issues that providers are facing, especially in community-based services. It’s not an office-based clinical setting, so providers are out there meeting people needing help in their homes, out in the communities. I think that became a lot less appealing during Covid, for obvious reasons. One of the things is I see this as an opportunity to help create opportunities for students to engage in that type of work, which I think is really valuable and important.  

I’m an alum of the program, so I feel like this is also a bit of a coming home. I worked for over 20 years at the (North Carolina) Department of Health and Human Services and worked in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC, so I was a social worker working in other environments and settings and I see this as a coming home. The School’s mission and values align very well with my own. I’m excited to work in more of a teaching setting.  

As a trainer and consultant for the state on the supportive employment service for the last nine-plus years, I was doing a lot of teaching. I was providing a lot of face-to-face trainings around the model to providers, so in some sense I was already doing some teaching in that setting. It seems like a very natural progression to me. 

When I do have free time, and it’s not a lot of free time, I will do some backpacking. On long weekends I’ll go up to the mountains and backpack for two or three nights at a time. I probably do that a couple weekends a year right now, I’d like to do more. I travel, so I’m hoping to do some more traveling. 

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Ohio University names Rob Ross as dean of University Libraries

Ohio University Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Elizabeth Sayrs has named Rob Ross as dean of University Libraries, effective August 1, 2024. 

Ross currently serves as the executive director for NC LIVE for the North Carolina State University Libraries. In this position, he serves as the chief administrative officer for the 209-member library cooperative that provides electronic resources, library software, and professional development to all UNC System universities, private colleges, community colleges, and public libraries in North Carolina.

“Rob Ross brings a wealth of experience in and with academic libraries to Ohio University. He is a respected leader who will help University Libraries continue to strengthen its role as a catalyst for research, knowledge discovery, and student success,” Sayrs said. “His experience with NC LIVE and with academic libraries across the country, his leadership skills and his dedication to student success will greatly benefit our students and University.”

Ross has served as executive director for NC LIVE since 2015, with the primary mission of delivering the best possible content to all academic and public libraries in North Carolina as seamlessly as possible.  In his work, he established a strategic organizational framework, conceived new services to meet the needs of North Carolina’s libraries, negotiated vendor agreements to create savings, launched a statewide Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative that saved students $10 million in textbook costs over 24 months, established a professional development program, and transformed the way member libraries think of NC LIVE.

Before joining the North Carolina State University Libraries, Ross served as the director of implementation programs for OCLC, Inc., in Dublin, Ohio, as interlibrary loan supervisor for Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and as library associate for the University of New Orleans.

In addition, Ross has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bentley University and MassBay Community College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.  Ross also was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Grant to support an academic library consortium in Rome, Italy.

Ross earned a master of library and information science degree from Kent State University, a master of fine arts in creative writing from the University of New Orleans and a bachelor of arts in creative writing and philosophy from Ashland University.

Ross will follow Interim Dean Janet Hulm , who has served in this position since Aug. 15, 2023, after former dean Neil Romanosky left the University for a position at Michigan State University.

“I am so thankful to Janet Hulm for serving as the interim dean during this crucial time,” Sayrs said. “She showed outstanding leadership in her work, which greatly benefited University Libraries and our entire Ohio University community.

The search committee for the dean position was chaired by University College Dean David Nguyen and Scripps College of Communication Associate Dean Aimee Edmondson.

“I want to thank the search committee for their time and dedication to this process,” Sayrs said. “They brought forth an outstanding pool of candidates and excelled in their work.’

• Administration
• A&T Announcements
• Faculty & Staff Announcements

A&T Announcements - May 27, 2024

Administrative announcements.

FY 2024 Bank Accounts Reminder

Please read the FY 2024 Bank Accounts memo sent to employees via email May 24, 2024 from the University Comptroller. Annually, the Comptroller’s office surveys the campus to determine if any bank accounts have been opened in the name of the university. If you are aware of any university funds being moved to or held in an account outside the university/state treasury, please send a not to the N.C. A&T comptroller’s office (221 Dowdy Building, or emailing Helen Buck at [email protected] ) with the information no later than July 31.

Additionally, click on this  link  for the Change Questionnaire, and take appropriate action. The  Change Questionnaire  is to help identify all departmental changes (e.g., name change, organization/org change, program/prog change, etc.) that impact the Banner chart of accounts for the current fiscal year.

Volunteers Needed for SGA Class Advisors

Are you interested in becoming a class advisor? The Office of Student Activities is searching for individuals who are interested in serving in 4-year terms as SGA Class Advisors. Mentoring and advising can be rewarding to share interests, knowledge and transferable skills. SGA Class Advisors must be full-time faculty or staff members and have a desire to connect with students in a meaningful way. Must be available to work and engage with students during evenings and weekends. If you are interested in serving as an advisor, please contact Veronica Hairston at [email protected] .

Enrolled Student Employees with Summer Employment

Student employees (i.e., graduate research/teacher assistants, undergraduate student worker and federal work study) enrolled below half-time credit hours during Summer Session I and/or II academic terms may be eligible for social security FICA and Medicare tax exemption from payroll wages.

To learn more, please review the Student FICA Exemption Policy and Payroll Student FICA Exemption Form. Those who meet one of the safe harbor conditions must complete Section I and II of the required form and submit to SecureShare. Students not enrolled during the academic term of employment are subject to social security taxes. Note: There are no actions required for student employees who are enrolled with full-time credit hours or at least half-time credit hours within the academic term. Please direct all questions related to this process to [email protected].

Internal Audit Awareness Month

Did you know that May is Internal Audit Awareness month? In conjunction with Internal Audit Awareness month, the Office of Internal Auditing is launching our new biannual internal audit newsletter, “ The Internal Audit Insight .”     We encourage all employees to read our newsletter as we aim to increase the awareness of internal audit and strengthen our relationship with university employees.

Student Center & Campus Rec Center - Summer Schedule

Student Center        Summer Schedule           Effective May 18, 2024        Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.        Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.            Campus Recreation Center        Summer Schedule    Effective Monday, May 20, 2024, until August 2, 2024        Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.        Saturday and Sunday Closed

Mental Health Awareness Month:  Strategies for Managing Anxiety, Dangers of Loneliness, and more!

Now, more than ever, we urge you to make the most of the resources, tools and support provided by your ComPsych Employee Assistance Program:        The month of May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observance dedicated to raising awareness about and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.    Mental Health Awareness Month    Mental Health Awareness Toolkit        May is also Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time we recognize and celebrate the important role that the AANHPI community has played, and continues to play, in our history and culture. The following resource highlights some of the unique mental health challenges that many Asian Americans face.    Asian American Mental Health Awareness        Every May 31, the World Health Organization marks World No Tobacco Day to encourage tobacco users to break the habit.    World No Tobacco Day    Benefits of Quitting        The Women’s Health Awareness attachment below links to resources on Breast Cancer, Depression, Menopause, Cervical Cancer and more.    Women’s Health Awareness        With the loneliness epidemic rising, the effects of social isolation have been linked to the same health concerns as those caused by obesity and smoking.    Dangers of Loneliness        The following assets offer a list of suggestions on how to incorporate exercise into your day, as well as a quick physical fitness self-assessment.    Incorporating Exercise into Your Day    Physical Fitness Assessment        Please stay safe and don’t hesitate to reach out to us or your supervisors if there is anything we can do to help.

FY24 Year-End Closeout Memo

We are approaching another Fiscal Year-End Close for FY24. This link will provide you with specific details, a timeline as well as the process for each department.

Thank you for your patience as we work on closing another fiscal year. If you have any questions regarding this memo, please contact the appropriate office.        Budget and Planning Office 336-334-7631 [email protected]    Procurement Services 336-334-7555 [email protected]    Accounting Office 336-334-7684    Treasurer’s Office 336-334-7721    Payroll Office 336-334-7888 [email protected]

Upcoming Transition Period for Contracts and Grants

Natalie Teagle, director of contracts and grants in the Division of Research and Economic Development (DORED), is retiring, effective April 30. Please join us in congratulating Teagle on this professional milestone. To address Teagle’s approaching departure, Associate Vice Chancellor Melissa Hodge-Penn is working to expedite a plan for temporary and long-term support, as well as the redistribution of Teagle’s duties and grant portfolio until a new director is hired. If you have questions or concerns, contact Hodge-Penn at [email protected]

Use of Aggie Mart for Foundation Funds

We are thrilled to announce a fantastic update! AggieMart will soon be accessible for the use of philanthropic/foundation funds, expanding its reach beyond just university funds. This means that in the near future, purchase order requests, check requests, new vendor requests, and the processing of invoicing will all be seamlessly facilitated through AggieMart. Stay tuned for more updates and information as we roll out this exciting development!

Blackboard Base Navigation The campus will soon experience a new look for Blackboard and a new way to navigate the system. On May 15, Blackboard was updated to incorporate the new Base Navigation, which has a sleek, modern look and feel that will make it easier to access important information.     The tabs and modules on the landing page in our current Blackboard environment will be combined into one navigation menu on the left side. This navigation menu will get users quick access to courses, organizations, tools, and other valuable information with just one click!     For more information about the upgrade to Base Navigation, including resources and training information, visit the Base Navigation for A&T site or contact ITTD at 336-285-4499.

Reminder: Blackout Period for the Retirement Programs – Begins March 25

The University of North Carolina recently announced TIAA would provide all recordkeeping services for the UNC Retirement Programs. A notice was mailed to you in January, 2024 outlining how your account balance(s) will transfer from Fidelity to TIAA.     As a reminder, there will be a blackout period to facilitate the transfer of existing investment balances from Fidelity to TIAA. During this time, you will not be able to change your investment choices, take or change loans, make withdrawals, or transfer funds. The blackout period affecting Fidelity accounts is expected to begin March 25, 2024, at 4 p.m. (ET), and is expected to end during the week of April 15, 2024. Please review the Blackout Notice, which was mailed to you in January, for more information. You can also review a copy of this notice at TIAA.org/UNC.     Important note: The date of the transfer and the end of the blackout period depend on the accurate, timely transfer of data and assets from Fidelity to TIAA. If this does not occur, the end of the blackout period could be delayed.

If you have any questions, please call TIAA at 866-681-0594. Consultants are available weekdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (ET).     Thank you for your patience during the retirement plan transition!

2024-2025 FAFSA and Aid News

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a critical completion milestone on the college access journey for students and their families. The FAFSA process has changed to implement provisions of the FUTURE Act and the FAFSA Simplification Act. At a high level, the FAFSA changes are a significant overhaul of the FAFSA system, including an updated FAFSA form, need analysis, and provisions to many of the policies and procedures used by schools. The FAFSA determines a student's eligibility for multiple grants and aid for all income levels. Regardless of income, any student who wants to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs is encouraged to complete the FAFSA.

      FAFSA News and Aid Resources

FAFSA Toolkit : The Financial Aid Toolkit provides federal student aid information and outreach tools for counselors, college access professionals, nonprofit mentors, and other advisors. 

Students attending North Carolina A&T State University in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 are encouraged to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA at  www.studentaid.gov . If you have already completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA, you will be notified of your eligibility status between April 15-30. 

Students attending N.C. A&T State University in academic year 2024-25 are encouraged to begin researching  scholarship opportunities . 

Financial Aid Cost of Attendance Survey Request 

On March 18, 2024, the University of North Carolina System began surveying students regarding the 2024-2025 Cost of Attendance (COA). The COA is the cornerstone of establishing a student's financial need, as it sets a limit on the total aid that a student may receive for purposes of the Campus-Based TEACH Grant and Direct Loan programs and is one of the basic components of the Pell Grant calculation. Surveys will be emailed to students’ university email addresses. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the COA survey.

Next NC Scholarship (2024-25 Academic Year)

North Carolina residents attending N.C. A&T Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 may be eligible for up to $8,000 in the Next NC Scholarship. For a complete list of requirements, please visit the  College of Foundation of North Carolina .  

Summer 2024 Financial Aid

Students attending N.C. A&T Summer 2024 can complete the  Summer Financial Aid Application  beginning Monday, April 1. 

The Aggie Summer Scholarship will not be offered in Summer 2024. Please visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in the Dowdy Administration Building, suite 100, to determine summer aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Changing Service Delivery Model, Hours to Better Serve Students

Beginning Friday, March 22, the Office of Financial Aid will change its service delivery model to better serve the North Carolina A&T student body and incoming students.

Financial Aid recognizes that reaching its staff by telephone can be difficult during peak periods. The new “focused” office hours will allow Financial Aid to better serve students in person or by phone and process the high volume of paperwork that flows through Financial Aid daily.   

New Schedule (Effective May 22, 2024) 

  Monday–Thursday 

Service by phone and email: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  

Walk-in service: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  

Appointments: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.    

Process documents: 8 a.m.-5 p.m .      

Service by phone and email: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Professional development and process documents: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  

Closed for walk-in service

Closed for appointments

The new operations schedule will enable Financial Aid staff to be more responsive to students by phone more easily during hours focused exclusively on that need. The new schedule will be more beneficial for students who need assistance with questions regarding federal financial aid and scholarship programs. 

Mental Health First Aid Training – Coordinate Dates with Instructor

Mental Health is of extreme importance to our campus community. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been funded to conduct Mental Health First Aid trainings on our campus. If your division or department would like to be trained as Mental Health First Aiders, schedule a training before June 21. Our campus has certified instructors for the following: Adult Mental Health First Aid, Higher Ed Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health First Aid for Military, Veterans, and their Families. To coordinate a training or for more information contact Diatra Savage ([email protected]).

Digital Navigator Program – Ongoing

F.D. Bluford Library has launched pilot program to expand and support our laptop loans. Students, faculty, and staff can request to work with a digital navigator to support their digital inclusion needs.        The Digital Navigators at F.D. Bluford Library can help you:        Connect to free and low-cost internet options    Access digital literacy skills training    Recommend students to our laptop lending program     Request an appointment to work with a digital navigator:        You can also call 336-285-4164 to get help filling out this form to make an appointment.     Students who receive Pell grants qualify for reduced cost internet through the Affordable Connectivity Plan. We can help these students access this resource.

Seeking participants for a little cigar and cigarillo use research study

Researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Center are seeking volunteers to participate in a research study about little cigar and cigarillo use and health messages. If you currently use or formerly used little cigars or cigarillos, you may be eligible!     Participants will be asked to attend virtual meetings and complete assigned tasks (ie. online surveys). During these meetings you will be asked to contribute your opinions and suggestions about beliefs, messages, and social media ads about little cigar and cigarillo use. Participation in this study will take about 60-90 minutes per meeting for up to four meetings a calendar year. Participants will be compensated $50 per meeting attended and $50 for completion of assigned tasks following each meeting.     If you are interested in this research study, please answer questions here to see if you are eligible. For more information, contact Corey Levinson at [email protected]

Employee Email Signatures  

Returning and new employees, please take some time to review the “Email Signature” section in N.C. A&T’s  Brand Strategy Guide . On the  Copy Guidelines page , scroll down to “Email Signature,” read the guidelines and update your email signature as needed. While there are some acceptable (slight) variations across units, our aim is to be consistent and professional. 

2024 Benefit Reminders        With the new year upon us, be sure to review this important and timely benefit news and information.        STATE HEALTH PLAN    •Any benefit election you made during Open Enrollment for the State Health Plan took effect on January 1, 2024. Remember to review your recent paycheck to ensure that the plan you elected is reflected with the corresponding deductions. Deductions for health care are withheld one month in advance of the coverage effective date (December deductions pay for January coverage).    •You will receive a new State Health Plan ID card.        NCFLEX AND UNIVERSITY BENEFITS    •Any benefit elections you made during Open Enrollment for NCFlex and the University benefit programs took effect Jan. 1, 2024. Remember to review your paycheck on Jan. 31 to ensure that the programs you elected are reflected with the corresponding deductions.    •Please read the information pertaining to the specific plans listed in this update as it may impact your paycheck if you are enrolled in the benefit program referenced.        UNC Voluntary Life Insurance and AD&D (Securian)    •If you are enrolled in UNC Voluntary Life Insurance through Securian, you may see a change in your deduction beginning with your January paycheck. Adjustments to your premium are made based on your age as of Jan. 1, 2024.        Critical Illness and Accident Plans (Voya)    •If you are enrolled in the Critical Illness plan through Voya, you may see a change in your deduction beginning with your January paycheck. Adjustments to your premium are made based on your age as of Jan. 1, 2024.    •If you are enrolled in the Critical Illness and/or Accident Plan through Voya, don’t forget to earn your wellness benefit payment by completing an eligible health screening test. Each covered member can file for a wellness benefit payment once per calendar year.        Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)    •If you were enrolled in the Health Care FSA for 2023, eligible health care expenses must have been incurred by Dec. 31, 2023. You have until March 31, 2024, to submit 2023 claims for reimbursement. You can rollover up to $570 of your unused account balance into 2024, as long as you have a minimum balance of at least $25. Any funds exceeding this amount will be forfeited. The rollover will not count toward the 2024 maximum election amount (currently $3,050 for 2024). This rollover feature only applies to the Health Care FSA.    •If you enrolled in the Health Care FSA for 2024, eligible health care expenses must be incurred January 1 through Dec. 31, 2024, to be eligible for reimbursement. You have until March 31, 2025, to submit claims for reimbursement.        Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)    •If you were enrolled in the Dependent Day Care FSA for 2023, eligible dependent day care expenses must be incurred by March 15, 2024, provided you remain actively employed through Dec. 31, 2023. You have until March 31, 2024, to submit 2023 claims for reimbursement. Any unused funds will be forfeited.    •If you enrolled in the Dependent Day Care FSA for 2024, eligible dependent day care expenses must be incurred Jan. 1, 2024 through March 15, 2025, to be eligible for reimbursement. You have until March 31, 2025, to submit claims for reimbursement.        RETIREMENT PROGRAM -2024 Contribution Limits    •The limit on contributions to a 403(b)/401(k) plan for 2024 is $23,000. If you are over the age of 50, or will turn 50 by Dec. 31, 2024, you are eligible for an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution.    •The limit on contributions to a 457(b) plan for 2024 is also $23,000. If you are over the age of 50, or will turn 50 by Dec. 31, 2024, you are eligible for an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution.    •Employee contributions to a 403(b) and 401(k) plan are combined together when determining your maximum contribution; however, employees can maximize saving opportunities by contributing to a 457(b) plan. Amounts contributed to a 457(b) plan are not combined with your 403(b) and/or 401(k) contributions when determining your maximum contribution limit.        Enhancements to Your UNC System Retirement Program – Coming Soon!    •Last September, we announced the University selected TIAA as our single retirement program recordkeeper for all five of the UNC Retirement Plans – ORP, 403(b) Plan, 457(b) Plan, Senior Administrative Officer Retirement Program and Senior Athletic Employee Retirement Program. With this change, you will soon have a more simplified experience to help you meet your individual retirement goals and needs.    You’ll receive more information at your home address in the coming weeks explaining the changes, steps you can take and key dates. Please review the information carefully.        FORM 1095-C    Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers are required to report any qualifying medical coverage that you and your dependents were enrolled in during the previous calendar year. You will receive a Form 1095-C which includes information about the health coverage offered to you by the University. The form will be mailed to your home address sometime in the first quarter of 2024. You will not need to attach or file your Form 1095-C with your 2023 Federal income tax return; however, you may need to use its information when you complete your tax return.        QUESTIONS?    Please contact your University Benefits Department if you need assistance or have questions about the benefit plans you have enrolled in.

The University of North Carolina System 403(b) Plan Universal Availability Notice for 2024

 The University of North Carolina System (“UNC System”) offers a choice of voluntary supplemental retirement programs so employees can save additional amounts for retirement. Under the UNC System 403(b) Plan (“the 403(b) Plan”), eligible employees may elect to defer a portion of their compensation to the 403(b) Plan on a pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) basis.        The 403(b) Plan is designed to help you invest more money today so that you have the income you need in your retirement years. It supplements the Optional Retirement Program of the University of North Carolina and the N.C. Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System, the State's mandatory retirement plans available to permanent employees working 30 or more hours per week. Even employees not eligible for one of the mandatory retirement plans may be able to make voluntary contributions to the 403(b) Plan.        ELIGIBILITY    All employees, other than UNC Health Care System employees, who receive compensation reportable on a Form W-2 and pay FICA (Social Security) tax are eligible to participate in the 403(b) Plan, so long as the employee elects to contribute at least $200 each calendar year.        CONTRIBUTIONS    An eligible employee may elect to defer a portion of his or her compensation on a pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) basis.        Pre-tax Contributions: Both federal and state income taxes are deferred on the contributions and any earnings until distributed from the Plan. Distributions are taxable as ordinary income for federal and state income tax purposes. Generally, a participant must begin receiving a distribution by April 1 following the year in which they turn age 73 or terminate employment with the UNC System, whichever is later.        Roth (After-tax) Contributions: Roth contributions are included in your gross income and subject to federal and state income taxes when they are contributed to the Plan. However, these contributions are not taxed again at distribution. Moreover, any earnings on the contributions are not subject to federal and state income taxes upon distribution, as long as a five-year period has passed since Roth contributions were first made to the Plan and the distribution is a “qualified distribution.” A qualified distribution is a distribution (i) made on or after the date you turn age 59½, or (ii) made to your beneficiary or estate after your death, or (iii) made after you are totally and permanently disabled.        CONTRIBUTION LIMITS    Annual contribution limits are set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS allows an eligible employee to make an additional catch-up contribution beginning in the year in which he or she turns age 50. For 2024, the calendar year limits under the 403(b) Plan are as follows:        Calendar Year Annual Contribution Limit: $23,000        Age 50+ Catch-up Contribution Limit: $7,500        Note: This is a combined limit for Pre-tax and Roth (After-tax) contributions. In addition, if you also participate in the State of North Carolina 401(k) Plan, then your contributions to both the 403(b) Plan and the State’s 401(k) Plan, combined, count toward the regular and catch-up contribution maximums.        APPROVED VENDORS    In the fall of 2023, we announced that the UNC System would be moving from two approved vendors (TIAA and Fidelity) to a single provider (TIAA) for the University’s retirement programs, including the 403(b) Plan. The transition to TIAA has begun and the vendor(s) you can use will depend on your enrollment date:        •New 403(b) participants enrolling on or after September 1, 2023 will have their 403(b) contributions directed to TIAA.        •403(b) participants enrolled prior to September 1, 2023 with an existing Fidelity account can continue to direct their 403(b) contributions to Fidelity until February 2024. In late February, all your future 403(b) contributions will be directed to a new TIAA account. And we expect your Fidelity 403(b) account balance will transfer to TIAA in April 2024.        Both TIAA and Fidelity offer a wide range of mutual fund investment options and annuity products through their own funds as well as other investment managers. Both companies offer resources and tools to help participants plan their investment strategy. Eligible employees should contact each vendor for information about plan investment options and services provided.        •TIAA: 800-842-2252        •Fidelity Investments: 877-862-4032        ENROLLMENT PROCESS    Eligible employees may enroll immediately upon date of hire or at any time. To start the enrollment process, please visit the UNC 403(b) website and follow the steps listed:        •Step 1: Complete a Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) (forms and instructions available on the website)        •Step 2: Enroll in the Plan and select investments with TIAA        Contributions may be designated as a percentage of salary or as a flat dollar amount depending on your campus payroll capability. The SRA will apply only to amounts earned after enrolling in the Plan, and an employee’s election under the SRA will continue until the SRA is modified or revoked by the employee.        MODIFYING A DEFERRAL ELECTION    An eligible employee may increase, decrease or stop his or her future contributions to the plan at any time by completing an SRA.        MORE INFORMATION    If you have questions about the 403(b) Plan, please contact your University Benefits Administrator or visit the UNC 403(b) website.        This notice is provided as a source of information and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice. If legal advice, tax advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a professional advisor should be sought. Every effort has been made to make this notice as thorough and accurate as possible. However, there are other legal documents, laws and regulations that govern the operation of the Program. It is understood that in the event of any conflict, the terms of the Plan Document, applicable law, and regulations will govern.

New Year, New You: Transform Your Health with Personalized Nutrition Counseling

The BCBS NC State Health Plan includes a free benefit to help make their members as healthy as can be. They cover nutrition counseling and classes at 100%, with no copay due and no limit on the number of visits. This is for everyone in your family that is included on the policy. Our office, Christie RD, is a medical provider with BCBS and can provide these free services to you!     Christie RD is a private practice based in North Carolina and has been providing nutrition services for over 12 years. Our registered dietitians will partner with you to help achieve your nutrition goals. We believe that one size never fits all, especially when it comes to lifestyle. We collaborate with you to create a custom plan to reach your wellness goals, guided by your unique medical, physical and personal needs. Whether you have a chronic medical condition, want to lose a few pounds, are training for a marathon, or just want more energy, our mission is to help you feel good, prevent disease and live happier.        We offer individual in-person or telehealth appointments as well as monthly virtual nutrition classes.        What happens during a visit with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist?        •We talk to you and gather information about your current eating patterns, health issues, medications, exercise, favorite foods, lifestyle, and weight history etc.    •We partner with you to help you set realistic health and/or weight goals.    •Using science -based nutrition principles, we educate you on easy and effective changes that you can make in your eating pattern to help you reach your goals.    •During each visit, we talk about challenges that you are having and give you ideas to make healthy eating easier. We can modify the recommendations and continue to work with you until you reach your goals and beyond.    •If you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, or diabetes we can provide diabetes self-management education.     Our office will collect your insurance information upon scheduling, we take care of submitting the claims afterwards, so there is nothing for you to do to receive the free coverage. We take care of all of that for you!     To get in touch with us and to learn more please visit our website here .

Ally Accessibility Tool

Earlier this fall, a new accessibility tool, Ally, was added to all online courses in Blackboard to enhance accessibility. On Dec. 19, 2023 Ally was added to all Spring 2024 courses and all Blackboard course shells going forward.     Faculty and staff can register for training at: https://learn.ncat.edu     Students can register for training at: https://ncat.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqc-2qrz0sHdOC1JybNFHV_QU8XvY2lxjK    

For more information regarding Ally and accessibility, contact ITTD (336-285-4499) or visit: https://hub.ncat.edu/administration/its/ittd/ally.php

Post-Open Enrollment Reminders

Congratulations  Aggies on successfully navigating the Open Enrollment period for 2024! We truly appreciate your support and partnership during this time.        We are pleased to announce the 2024 open enrollment period was a success and there are a few reminders that we would like to advise you of.        Please note that dependent verifications must have been completed by Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, for those who added dependents during the open enrollment period. Any invalidated dependents will have their coverage terminated starting Monday, Nov. 20. You can find a full list of appropriate documentation and examples on the State Health Plan’s website.        If you selected that you are a tobacco user but are willing to visit a Primary Care Provider (PCP) for tobacco cessation counseling,Nov. 30 was the deadline to complete your tobacco cessation counseling to avoid risking the loss of your premium credit. To ensure the credit is applied, we recommend that you upload your office visit summary to the Document Center located in eBenefits. Please note that you must present your State Health Plan ID card in order for the visit to be covered at 100% by the Plan. If you combine your tobacco cessation visit with another service, there may be a copay.        Finally, we would like to inform you that new employees enrolling in November or December for coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2024, will not be able to complete their tobacco cessation visit until Jan. 1, 2024.        Thank you again for your participation in the Open Enrollment period, and the Benefits and Leave team at North Carolina A&T looks forward to serving you in the future.

Become an organization advisor

Are you interested in becoming an organization advisor? We have many registered student organizations looking for a professional staff/faculty member to become their advisor. With over 150+ different groups with various interests, there are tremendous opportunities to make an impact. Mentoring and advising can be rewarding to share interests, knowledge and transferable skills. Organization advisors must be full-time faculty or staff members and have a desire to connect with students in a meaningful way. If you are interested in serving as an advisor, please fill out the interest form . Once there is a possible match regarding interest, the Office of Student Activities & Campus Involvement will be in touch.

Flu/COVID Vaccines

Aggies know what to do! Come through the Student Health Center and get your COVID and flu vaccines.

The Alvin V. Blount Jr. Student Health Center now has updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID booster  vaccine s as well as seasonal  flu  shots available to protect you and your loved ones!     Stay up to date with all your recommended vaccination needs. No appointment is necessary! Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions, please call 336-285-2905 or email [email protected].       Vaccination Hours:        Monday: 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., 2-4 p.m.        Tuesday: 8 a.m. -12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.        Thursday: 8 a.m. -12:30 p.m., 2 – 4 p.m.        Friday: 8 a.m. - 12:30pm, 2-4 p.m.        * Vaccine s will be billed to most major insurance plans.*

Spring Registration Information

All students advisors, deparment chairs, associate deans and deans:  STAGGERED REGISTRATION STARTS Oct. 30, 2023.          Registration will RESUME Jan. 2 - 22, 2024 with an assessment of a $50 late fee.        STAGGERED REGISTRATION:    10-30-23: Special Populations and Graduate Students may register.    11-6-23: Seniors, Special Populations and Graduate Students    11-7-23: Juniors, Seniors, Special Populations and Graduate Students    11-8-23: Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, Special Populations and Graduate Students    11-9-23: ALL Students    NOTE:         Registration will resume Jan. 2.

Nutrition Services for A&T Faculty and Staff – Ongoing

Nutrition Counseling Benefits with the Blue Cross Blue Shield State Health Plan        The BCBS NC State Health Plan includes a free benefit to help make their members as healthy as can be. They cover nutrition counseling and classes at 100%, with no copay due and no limit on the number of visits. This is for everyone in your family that is included on the policy. Our office, Christie RD, is a medical provider with BCBS and can provide these free services to you!        Christie RD is a private practice based in North Carolina and has been providing nutrition services for over 12 years. Our registered dietitians will partner with you to help achieve your nutrition goals. We believe that one size never fits all, especially when it comes to lifestyle. We collaborate with you to create a custom plan to reach your wellness goals, guided by your unique medical, physical and personal needs. Whether you have a chronic medical condition, want to lose a few pounds, are training for a marathon, or just want more energy, our mission is to help you feel good, prevent disease and live happier.        We offer individual in-person or telehealth appointments as well as monthly virtual nutrition classes.        What happens during a visit with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist?    • We talk to you and gather information about your current eating patterns, health issues, medications, exercise, favorite foods, lifestyle, and weight history etc.    • We partner with you to help you set realistic health and/or weight goals.    • Using science-based nutrition principles, we educate you on easy and effective changes that you can make in your eating pattern to help you reach your goals.    • During each visit, we talk about challenges that you are having and give you ideas to make healthy eating easier. We can modify the recommendations and continue to work with you until you reach your goals and beyond.    • If you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, or diabetes we can provide diabetes self-management education.        Our office will collect your insurance information upon scheduling, we take care of submitting the claims afterwards, so there is nothing for you to do to receive the free coverage. We take care of all of that for you!    Click here to sign up: https://christierd.com/telehealth-offerings/

Digital Learning Faculty Fellows

Fall 2023 Digital Learning Faculty Fellows are ready for peer consultations and support all semester long. Fellows serve as peer consultants and assist CTE and the Extended Campus with projects to support faculty development in the areas of online learner engagement, teaching excellence and technology integration. Fellows participate in weekly online teaching check-ins and one-on-one consultations through the Blackboard Faculty Commons community of practice. ​Please reach out to them. Be sure to check the Commons Calendar for availability and visit the discussion board to join the conversation about high-quality online teaching and learning.​

COVID-19 Coverage Information for Employees

For Members on the 80/20 Plan, 70/30 Plan and High Deductible Health Plan:

The State Health Plan covers both the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine administration at 100% when members receive the vaccine at an in-network provider as part of the plan’s preventive care benefits. If members receive any other service during the visit, the visit may be subject to a copay.     The plan covers COVID-19 tests that are administered by a provider. If members receive any other service during the visit, the visit may be subject to a copay.

The federal government announced that the COVID-19 public health emergency ended on May 11, 2023. As a result:        -The Plan will no longer cover the cost of over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests. Members will be responsible for the cost.        -The Plan will no longer cover the cost of COVID testing as it relates to return to work. This means if you have to test negative before returning to work or if a place of employment requires regular testing.        Please call Customer Service at 888-234-2416 if you have any questions about your benefits.        Employees will need to use their sick or vacation leave for illness due to Covid-19. If you should have any questions, please contact Department of Human Resources

Lunchtime Baller

All N.C. A&T faculty and staff come out and improve your health and burn calories with coworkers as you enjoy some friendly basketball games during lunch time! Every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. in Moore Gym. Contact Gerard Harvey for more information at office: 336-285-4232 or email: [email protected] .

Introducing Ally Accessibility Software

 Introducing Ally Accessibility Software! Starting in September, Ally orientation is available to enhance Blackboard course material accessibility. Get ready now for a more inclusive learning experience by visiting ITTD learn.ncat.edu. Ally is automatically enabled for online classes on Sept. 29, while campus courses can activate through ITTD. Learn more at the Anthology Ally link .

Revised Policy Posted

The following revised policy has been approved and is posted on the Legal Affairs website. Managers and employees across the University are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with all policies posted on the Legal Affairs website.

Policy Posted

The following new policy has been approved and is posted on the Legal Affairs website. Managers and employees across the University are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with all policies posted on the Legal Affairs website.

Important Update Regarding UNC Retirement Plan Recordkeepers

This spring, we communicated that the UNC System was exploring a move from two recordkeepers (TIAA and Fidelity) to a single retirement plan recordkeeper for our UNC Retirement Plans. With assistance from our plan’s investment advisory firm, CAPTRUST, we completed the RFP process and are pleased to announce that we have awarded the contract to manage all participant retirement plan assets to TIAA. This impacts all five UNC Retirement Plans. These plans include:        • UNC Optional Retirement Program (ORP)    • UNC System 403(b) Plan    • UNC System 457(b) Plan    • UNC Senior Administrative Officer Retirement Program    • UNC Senior Athletic Employee Retirement Program        As previously communicated, the move to a single retirement plan recordkeeper will offer many potential advantages. It will allow us to:        • Streamline and simplify the enrollment process    • Better leverage the University’s $10 billion in defined contribution retirement plan assets to reduce recordkeeping expenses    • Consider investment solutions that better fit the unique aspects of our employee demographics    • Provide employees with a clear and consistent financial education and advice program        And there are also benefits for participants like yourself, including:        • Lower cost investment options, including mutual funds and collective investment trusts    • Consider plan pricing structures that further optimize investment returns for participants    • Contribution planning and investment selection advice    • Enhanced participant engagement on issues related to financial planning    • Customized retirement income solutions    • Consistent messaging about how the various plans work         WHAT’S NEXT    Beginning Sept. 1, 2023, for all new employees, retirement contributions will only be made to accounts with TIAA. If you currently have your UNC Optional Retirement Program employer and employee funds split between TIAA and Fidelity, all contributions effective on or after Jan. 1, 2024, will be required to be sent to TIAA. No action will be required by you, as we will work with your institution to make this change.        In the upcoming months, you will receive more information about the change, including a transition guide which highlights details about the fund lineup available through TIAA, the fund mapping process, key dates, and the decision-support resources available to you.        We encourage you to take full advantage of the guidance and tools available to help you maximize your savings and plan for a successful retirement. If you have questions, please contact your University Benefits Administrator.

A&T Cybersecurity Alert

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been informed by third-party vendors that provide services to many of our students and employees of a cyberattack that exposed the personal data of some of their customers. No systems owned or operated by N.C. A&T were compromised in this incident, but personal information from some customers or users, including individuals affiliated with A&T, was exposed. The affected businesses are contacting affected individuals directly. For additional information, go to the   A&T Cybersecurity Alerts page .

Office of International Affairs: Faculty-led Proposals

If you are interested in developing a faculty-led program, please contact the Office of International Affairs.         The Office of International Affairs proposal deadlines:    -Feb. 28, 2024 for Spring Break 2025    -April 30, 2024 for Summer 2025

Please submit all faculty-led proposals to [email protected] or call 336-334-7551 or 336-285-2600. For information, visit the website .

A policy has been approved and is posted on the Legal Affairs website. Managers and employees across the university are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with all policies posted on the Legal Affairs website.

N.C. A&T ID Cards Approved for Voter Photo Identification

On July 17, 2023, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) approved 99 institutions’ student and employee identification cards – including North Carolina A&T State University – for use as photo identification for voting in the 2023 municipal elections and 2024 primary and general elections statewide. Approved cards will remain valid for use as a voter’s photo ID through Dec. 31, 2024. 

For additional details, see  Voting as an N.C. A&T Student / Employee Voter Information . 

Office of the Dean of Students 2023-24 Handbooks

The 2023-24 handbooks have been uploaded on the Dean of Students webpage . There have been updates to both books to include edits to the number of the student codes of conduct in the "Student Conduct Handbook.” There have also been updates to the information under several departments in the "Student Handbook." Please note that you will be alerted if any updates are made to the handbooks throughout the academic year. We ask that you also familiarize yourselves with “reporting forms,” "student rights and responsibilities" and the process for requesting "disciplinary clearances."

New Form for Credentialing Requests - Beginning June 1 Starting June 1, all credentialing requests will be submitted using the new Dynamic Credentialing Form. This update will allow auto-population for several required fields used in the current form, reducing the time spent completing the form. Once the form goes live, you will find the link on the Aggie Hub and on the OSPIE website.  Please continue to use the PDF version of the credentialing form and submit it through Freshdesk through the end of May. Please email Kismye Averett at [email protected] if you would like to preview the training video prior to the launch.  

Important Information About Upcoming Request for Proposal for UNC Retirement Plan Recordkeepers The University of North Carolina (UNC) System is committed to periodically reviewing its retirement programs to make sure they continue to help you meet your retirement and financial goals. Among the things considered are the range of investment options available through the plans, investment option performance and value, recordkeeping costs, and whether the plans give access to services that complement your retirement plan accounts.

The UNC System has decided to explore moving from two recordkeepers (TIAA and Fidelity) to a single retirement plan recordkeeper for all five UNC Retirement Plans. These include:

UNC Optional Retirement Program (ORP)

UNC System 403(b) Plan

UNC System 457(b) Plan

UNC Senior Administrative Officer Retirement Program

UNC Senior Athletic Employee Retirement Program

The purpose of this communication is to provide you with advanced notice of the upcoming RFP just so you are aware of it. To be clear, no changes have been made to our recordkeepers at this time. If you are enrolled in any of the retirement plans referenced above, you do not need to take any action.

Moving to a single retirement plan recordkeeper would create greater efficiencies and economies of scale.

Consolidating our retirement plan recordkeepers into a single recordkeeper offers many potential advantages to you as a plan participant. It will allow us to:

• Streamline the enrollment process
• Better leverage the University’s $10 billion in defined contribution retirement plan assets to reduce recordkeeping expenses
• Consider and possibly implement investment solutions that better fit the unique aspects of our employee demographics
• Provide you with a clear and consistent financial education and advice program

What’s next?  We expect to issue the RFP soon. Our plan’s investment advisory firm, CAPTRUST, will be assisting the University with reviewing RFP proposals. We will report back to you when the RFP process has been completed. If a new recordkeeper is selected, we will communicate next steps and our implementation timeline.

If you have questions, please contact the N.C. A&T Benefits Department.

Aggie Resources

This sheet provides the N.C. A&T with quick and efficient access to our campus and community resources. This will provide students with the information and support that they need when experiencing or knowing someone experiencing crisis. Listed are all available resources in both English and Spanish!

Employee Training: Getting Ready for your New Laptop

Eligible A&T employees will receive new laptops this spring! To prepare for the new equipment, employees should take the following steps now:        1. Sign into your web browsers to access your bookmarks and passwords.    2. Set up OneDrive and manage backups to access all the files on your old device.    3. Take screenshots to remember configurations for Outlook Desktop settings (If applicable).     Step-by-step instructions are provided in the New Laptop Initiative Checklist . Virtual training is also available to assist employees. All employees are encouraged to attend. Register at learn.ncat.edu (using your OneID username and password).     Click here to download the schedule and access links to additional resources, and here for a promotional video. For more information about the Employee Laptop Initiative, visit the Employee Laptop Initiative webpage . 

UPD Public Safety App "SafeZone"

The University Police Department and Emergency Management are encouraging all Faculty, Staff, and Students to download the public safety application "SafeZone". Put our campus emergency "Blue Phones" in your pocket by allowing you to make contact with the police department at the touch of a button. The "SafeZone" app allows you to request assistance, report suspicious activity, and get general safety information all in one location. Download today in the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

Equity Chair Needed

With reps from across campus, the Chancellor's Council on Intercollegiate Athletics ensures institutional control of our athletics program. Currently, the Council is seeking a chairperson to head the subcommittee on Student-Athlete Gender Equity. The chair also serves on the Council. If you are interested in being recommended to the Chancellor for this position, please email Vincent Childress at [email protected]. This is a commitment, so this is a good opportunity for someone who needs service at the University level.

Laboratory Animal Resource Unit Renovation – Jan. 1, 2023 to Sept. 1, 2024

Suspension of use of Laboratory Animal Resource Unit (LARU). On Sept. 20, 2021, the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) was awarded a $5.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to renovate and modernize the Laboratory Animal Resource Unit (LARU). Presently, the facility is scheduled to undergo renovation beginning May 2023. During this time, no animals can be housed in the vivarium to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all animals and vivarium personnel.

Effective immediately, grant  submission s that require housing laboratory animals between the estimated timeframe of Jan. 1, 2023 – Sept. 1, 2024 should identify alternatives to LARU, as well as budget for the services required, as LARU will not be available. Investigators that currently house animals in LARU and/or were recently approved and funded to conduct animal research, will be provided temporary housing space to continue their research efforts. Further information regarding the relocation of the research animals can be obtained from Andrea Gentry-Apple, DVM, Director of the Laboratory Animal Resource Unit and Paulnisha Granger-Koonce, Administrator for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee in the Office of Research Compliance and Ethics. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time of transition.

Aggie Source Food Pantry/Aggie Rack

The Aggie Source Food Pantry and Rack is available to all currently enrolled students by appointments during regular operating hours. We offer food, feminine products at the pantry and professional wear at the professional clothing at the Rack. If you have any questions or would like further assistance, or information on drop-off please call 336.285.4453 or email us at [email protected].        Hours of Operation:    1 - 5 p.m. (Monday and Tuesday)    10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Wednesday and Thursday)

The mission of the Aggie Source Food Pantry is to support individuals by alleviating the stress associated with short-term food insecurity and other financial constraints, through the collection of non-perishable and shelf-stable food items. Apply today on 1891Connect!     The Aggie Source food pantry is located at 205 Nocho Street, Suite 115 (the old Sebastian Health Building). We are open to currently registered students during regular hours of operation. 

Suicide Prevention and Resources

Counseling Services is here to help. We are located in Murphy Hall Suite 109 and can be reached at 336-334-7727 for free and confidential services.

Additional resources:

   Call 911    Report to your nearest ER    Dial 988 for Suicide & Crisis Hotline    Call Counseling Services    Download Togetherall App    Download myssp app    Download OASIS app    Download Early alert app

Clear Bag Policy for Harrison Auditorium

In an effort to enhance public safety, Harrison Auditorium has modified its security policy by limiting the size and style of bags allowed in the Auditorium.        Approved Bags    • Clear Tote – Plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12″x6″x12″    • Plastic Storage Bag – Clear, one (1) gallon, resealable    • Small Clutch Purse – Approximately the size of a hand with or without a handle or strap. No larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″ with or without a handle or strap. Can be carried separately or within an approved plastic bag.

An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at a gate designated for this purpose. Please limit the number of items you bring to the facility on event days.        Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:    • All purses, bags or containers larger than a small clutch bag    • Backpacks    • Binocular case – Binoculars may be worn around the neck    • Briefcases    • Camera bags    • Cinch bags    • Computer bags    • Coolers    • Fanny packs    • Luggage of any kind    • Seat Cushions

Strategic Priorities

The following focused priorities for 2022-23 reflect North Carolina A&T State University’s goal to perform and be recognized at the highest level of doctoral research universities. As we pursue new levels of competitiveness and impact, we continue to drive toward meeting

A&T PREEMINENCE 2023 key performance indicators (KPIs) for student success, while also advancing the research enterprise and institutional efficiency and effectiveness through operational improvements. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) are integrated throughout the priorities. All employees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the university’s strategic priorities at here.

Follow N.C. A&T on Social Media Make sure to stay in the know! Get the latest information, updates, news and activities. Follow N.C. A&T on all social media platforms. Visit here.

As gas tax that supports a well-functioning transportation system has become unsustainable over the last decade, the Eastern Transportation Coalition, a partnership of 17 states and Washington D.C., needs your help to explore an alternative approach, called a Mileage-Based User Fee (MBUF), where each driver pays for the miles they drive instead of the fuel they buy.

To better understand how an MBUF program could work, the Coalition is conducting a FREE Pilot Program in North Carolina and they want N.C. A&T students, faculty, and staff to join and tell them their perception of MBUF and its impact on our communities. Please see more information and sign up on this link. Your voice matters for new upcoming statewide transportation initiative!

Students are required to have health insurance either by remaining on their parents’ insurance or buying an individual insurance plan. Students without insurance may purchase the Student Blue Student Health Insurance. Students will be automatically billed (on tuition account) and enrolled in the Student Blue coverage, unless a waiver is completed by the semester due date Sept. 12.

University Writing Center Hours and Services Offered The University Writing Center, located in the General Classroom Building, Room 309, is currently open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Sunday (virtually) from 2-6 p.m. The UWC assists students with organization, development, audience awareness, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, citations, and other writing concepts for all types of writing in all classes. Students may schedule an appointment at www.ncat.mywconline.com or may visit the UWC for walk-in assistance.     The UWC assists faculty by providing course-imbedded tutors, delivering presentations, and facilitating workshops. Additionally, writing consultants will visit classrooms to introduce the UWC to students. Faculty and staff should email the UWC at [email protected] to request services. They may also call the UWC at 336-285-3531.

COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination/Boosters Available The A.V. Blount Jr. Student Health Center is available for COVID-19 testing Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

COVID-19 vaccines are also available at the Student Health Center Pharmacy Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. daily. 

Counseling Services has partnered with an online service called TogetherAll to provide 24/7 support to students. Students can register with their Aggie email , provide quick demographical information (can also remain anonymous) and in 3 minutes have access to a counselor at any time. The service also provides mental health resources, peer support communities, creative outlets and more.

Learn STEM Skills and Credentials with Digital Badge Program N.C. A&T is starting a digital badge program, funded by the National Science Foundation, to enable undergraduate students to increase their STEM skills through mentorship programs, experiential learning activities, research opportunities, scholarships, and more.

The ASETTS program will connect students to researchers, professionals, and alumni from STEM‐related fields currently working in transportation careers and give students extra credentials to increase their marketability and secure employment after graduation.

Events This Week

Division of Research and Economic Development “Grants 101” Webinar – May 29

The Division of Research and Economic Development is presenting the “Grants 101” webinar Wednesday, May 29 from 11 a.m. to noon. The webinar’s title is “Getting Started in Grant Writing for Early & Middle Career” and Dr. Steven Jax will guide early to mid-career faculty by identifying the funding landscape appropriate to their career stage, assessing likely competitiveness, and discussing setting the stage for competitive grant seeking. Topic discussions will include how to ask colleagues and mentors for valuable feedback, and how to leverage and contextualize prior experience and publications. Register here .

Updated Summer Mental Health First Aid Trainings

Adult Mental Health First Aid - June 6 Student Center Multipurpose Rm 232 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.  Faculty/Staff/Students

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults.

Mental Health First Aid for Military, Veterans, and Their Families   June 13 Student Center Multipurpose Rm 232 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  Faculty/Staff/Students

Mental Health First Aid for Military, Veterans, and their Families is an evidence-based and early intervention training program developed for adults to learn how to assist and support members of their community who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. This training specifically addresses the relevance of mental health to military culture, information on risk factors such as mental and physical trauma faced by many service members and their families, how to break down stigma and how to reach out to those who suffer in silence and are reluctant to seek help.

Mental Health First Aid for Higher Ed - May 28 and 29 Bryan Fitness Center Multipurpose Room (Must Attend both dates 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)  Faculty/Staff Only

This course teaches early intervention techniques and improves mental health literacy to help you understand, identify and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges. This engaging training program will help you decrease stigma, address tough challenges, and allow your students, professors, and other school faculty to show up fully in their daily lives and support those around them.

Mental Health First Aid for Higher Ed - June 3 and June 4 Bryan Fitness Center Multipurpose Room (Must Attend both dates 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Faculty/Staff Only

Mental Health First Aid for Higher Ed - June 17 and 18 Bryan Fitness Center Multipurpose Room (Must Attend both dates 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Faculty Staff/Only

Events Next Week

Fulbright Program Grant – Take Your Aggie Pride Worldwide!

Calling all Aggies!        *Are you curious about other cultures?    *Would you love to engage in a fully-funded cross-cultural exchange in one of 160 countries for 8-12 months and represent your slice of America?    *Can you imagine living out the phrase "Aggie Pride, Worldwide?"        The Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant may be a great fit for you!        Read more here and contact Ms. Alsace Gallop at [email protected]

Become a 2024 Marshall or Rhodes Scholar!

Are you ready to stand up for the world as a Rhodes Scholar? Do you want to strengthen the US-UK “special relationship” as a future leader and Marshall Scholar?     Contact Ms. Alsace Gallop ([email protected]) in NCAT Extraordinary Opportunities through early June 2024 for guidance and feedback: https://tockify.com/aggiehonors/detail/1788/1714968000000https://tockify.com/i/site/login?next=%2Fe%2Faggiehonors%2Fdetail%2F1788%2F1714968000000%3Fsearch%3Deo%26startms%3D1714968000000

A&T Partners with WSJ to Offer School-Sponsored Subscription

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and The Wall Street Journal have partnered to provide a school-sponsored WSJ subscription to all students, faculty and staff.

Through the partnership, subscribers will have full access to WSJ’s award-winning journalism via WSJ.com and the app, as well as a wide variety of curated content – from podcasts and newsletters to career insights and personal finance advice.

Students, faculty and staff at N.C. A&T can activate their complimentary subscription by visiting WSJ.com/NCAT. Those who pay for an existing WSJ subscription may call 1-800-JOURNAL and mention they are switching to their school-sponsored subscription. Partial refunds will be made.

WSJ is a global news organization that provides leading news, information, commentary and analysis. Published by Dow Jones, WSJ engages readers across print, digital, mobile, social and video. It holds 38 Pulitzer Prizes for outstanding journalism.

Additional Announcements

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or having thoughts of suicide, please contact Counseling Services. Counseling Services provides trainings on suicide prevention. You can become a gatekeeper and save a life by recognizing the warning signs, offering hope, and referring others to seek professional assistance. Here are some resources on suicide prevention.

·           National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24 Hours) 1-800-273-8255 ·           American Psychological Association (APA)  http://www.apa.org/ ·           Suicide warning signs  http://www.apa.org/topics/suicide/signs.aspx ·           Speaking of Psychology: Preventing suicide  http://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/preventing-suicide.aspx ·           Suicide Prevention  http://www.apa.org/advocacy/suicide-prevention/index.aspx

The University of Chicago The Law School

Alison lacroix sheds light on the “interbellum constitution” at 2024 fulton lecture.

The decades between 1815 and 1861 did not see any changes to the text of the US Constitution. Yet, Alison LaCroix, Robert Newton Reid Professor of Law and a faculty member in the History Department, contends that this period, which she calls the era of the Interbellum Constitution, was a time of profound transformation. In her new book, The Interbellum Constitution: Union, Commerce, and Slavery in the Age of Federalisms , LaCroix explores this neglected period, asserting that it was far from uneventful.

LaCroix, a legal historian who has served on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court, discussed her insights on May 7 at the Law School’s Fulton Lecture.

At the outset of the event, which was recorded by C-SPAN, LaCroix assured audiences that the plural “s” in “Federalisms” in the title of her book is not a typo. One of the key arguments that she makes is that many distinct “federalisms” existed during the interbellum period.

The political disagreements of the period involved multiple layers of government; they were not just between states and the central power. These “federalisms” concerned disputes among local county sheriffs, state legislators, private citizens, foreign relations, including with Native nations, the president’s cabinet, Congress, governors, and more. Intense political debates around how to divide powers swept the country and happened in various arenas, from newspapers to private letters to courtrooms.

“Early 19 th century Americans were consumed by arguments about concurrent power, because how that power was to be demarcated just wasn’t clear from the constitution,” said LaCroix. “After 1815, most of the pressing legal and political debates concerned the domains in which concurrent power was debated, which were mainly commerce, migration, and slavery.”

According to LaCroix, the elaborate constitutional discourse of that period laid out much of the federalism landscape that we know today. Laws may have not changed during those years, but the meaning of the constitution itself was changing.

LaCroix highlighted two episodes from her book to illustrate the creative constitutional thinking of the Interbellum Period, focusing on the port city of Charleston, South Carolina, in the 1820s and 1830s.

The first involved Justice William Johnson, Jr., a nationalist and federal power advocate whose parents were Revolutionaries. Johnson presided over a case involving Henry Elkison, a free Black British sailor challenging a South Carolina law that mandated the jailing of free Black seamen. It wasn’t the first time a Black sailor challenged this law, but what made Elkison’s case unique was that the British government was funding and supporting it.

There were other levels of government involved in the battle as well, demonstrating that this was not a simple state versus federal dichotomy. Those other players included the local sheriff, the US Secretary of State, the US Attorney General, British ministers in London, the British consul in Charleston, and a private group called the South Carolina Association, who, interestingly, were the ones prosecuting the case.

Johnson ruled that the law violated federal authority over interstate and international trade, igniting a backlash and cries of nullification in Charleston.

The second episode centered on Maria Henrietta Pinckney, a staunch nullifier and daughter of famed patriot Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. Pinckney, who inherited the Pinckney Mansion and dubbed it “nullification castle,” published a radical pamphlet in 1830. Her writing argued that the American union was a compact of the states rather than a government formed by the people and criticized the Supreme Court's nationalistic power.

Interestingly, Johnson had studied law with Pinckney’s father and was a frequent visitor to the Pinckney Mansion. Despite their shared connections, however, Johnson and Pinckney drew vastly different conclusions from their constitutional heritage. “The lessons they drew from the legacy that informed both their lives could not have been more different,” said LaCroix.

LaCroix believes a key aspect of the Interbellum Period today is its ability to give context to moments of intense political and legal debate.

“Many commentators cite the Civil War as an analogy and a cautionary tale for the current moment, but the most accurate benchmark is not the war itself; it’s the five decades of simmering constitutional conflict that preceded the war’s outbreak,” she said. “The similarities between those years and today provide context, insights, and yes, perhaps a warning.”