UNC Asheville will welcome its largest-ever crop of first-year students onto campus this Thursday and Friday, Aug. 13-14. The 750 incoming scholars, nearly half of which are transfer students, represent a 16 percent boost in enrollment compared to Fall 2014 figures, according to a media release from UNCA. Application numbers rose 4.7 percent over the same time period.
“The incoming class is more diverse, with an increase in African-American, Hispanic and American Indian students choosing to attend UNC Asheville,” reads the release. “Students from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) will start their studies as part of an instructional credit agreement signed in the spring.”
UNCA has also hired 24 more full-time faculty members to accommodate the influx of pupils.
Here is the full release from UNCA:
UNC Asheville opens the fall 2015 semester on Thursday, August 13, and will welcome first-year students moving into residence halls on Friday, August 14. The new students include UNC Asheville’s largest first-year class with 750 students, up 16 percent from fall 2014. The newest Bulldogs also include 341 transfer students.
“We are excited to start the fall semester at UNC Asheville with our largest enrollment to date, to greet our new students, and to welcome back our returning Bulldogs,” said Chancellor Mary K. Grant. “We’re also welcoming 24 new full-time faculty who will join the ranks of UNC Asheville’s talented and accomplished scholars and teachers.”
The incoming class is more diverse, with an increase in African-American, Hispanic and American Indian students choosing to attend UNC Asheville. Students from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) will start their studies as part of an instructional credit agreement signed in the spring.
First-year student applications to UNC Asheville also increased 4.7 percent over the previous year.
“Our value is nationally recognized,” said Shannon Earle, senior director of admissions and financial aid. “Students look to UNC Asheville for a top-quality education, priced competitively for in-state and out-of-state students, and in the perfect place. We’re in an area of the country and of higher education that offers an opportunity for students to explore, to find their path, and to make an impact.”
First-year students, transfer students and their families are invited to attend Convocation on Friday, August 14 at 4 p.m. The annual ceremony is followed by a campus picnic and Rockypalooza, named for the university’s Bulldog mascot, Rocky. The opening events of rendezblue continue through the weekend with residential students returning through Sunday. Classes begin on Monday, August 17.
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