If you could change one thing about UNC it would be....

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
1

<p>I thought this would be fun. Perhaps, we can all come to a consensus, and send a petition to UNC once we discover the #1 thing wrong with the university (joking, of course). Anyways, I’ll start. </p>

<p>The Pit and all of its surrounding buildings—UL, Greenlaw, student stores, Davis and Hamilton (and, maybe, even the Union):</p>

<p>They all should be razed. I remember first coming to UNC and seeing the pit and thinking to myself, this can’t be the center of campus life, right? </p>

<p>About 90 percent of UNC’s campus is beautiful—stunning, in fact. However, this part of the school is laden with 1960’s—80’s architecture: big, quadratic, concrete monstrosities that don’t have the “distinguished feel” of the rest of the University. </p>

<p>I’m a sucker for classical architecture—whether that be neoclassical, Gregorian, Greek Rival or Gothic—it just has an everlasting value that can’t be matched by modern-style buildings. I just can’t see the pit and its surrounding entities having the same aesthetic charm as Polk Place or Old Campus 200 years from now. I just think it’s a shame that it’s there (and it’s the starting place for tours…ugh).</p>

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<p>I completely agree. I love the life of the Pit, but the buildings around it, save Lenoir, are quite hideous.</p>

3

<p>Change the student body so it’s only 50% instate, and make the sex balance equal.</p>

<p>Boom, you get a more prestigious college, more diverse classes, and a less neurotic social scene.</p>

4

<p>^^^
“Make the sex balance equal.”</p>

<p>Hard to do that, because we don’t have an engineering school, due to the non-competitive clause we have set up with NC State. But I doubt the average UNC applicant even considers NC State as a potential option.</p>

5

<p>I agree, they should reduce the in-state percentage to 50%, increase international and out-of-states. We desperately need more guys here as well! We could definitely get more guys here if we opened up the OOS and international pools. </p>

<p>I’d also love to decrease the student body by about 5K, increase the presence of the Honors Program, and force the NU, U, and RU to turn on Nextbus on the weekends.</p>

6

<p>Can we retroactively change things?</p>

<p>In that case, I’d go back and convince Marvin Austin never to open a twitter account.</p>

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<p>Some of you might find this article interesting:</p>

<p>[Cutting</a> Chapel Hill loose - Other Views - NewsObserver.com](<a href=“http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/17/921357/cutting-chapel-hill-loose.html#storylink=misearch]Cutting”>http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/17/921357/cutting-chapel-hill-loose.html#storylink=misearch)</p>

<p>It talks about the partial privatization of UNC Chapel Hill as a solution to budget cuts. I think it presents some novel ideas.</p>

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<p>I’m not a student, but I agree with some of what’s been said here. Increasing OOS/International admissions would be great for university finances and it would add to building a diverse class. I’m not so sure about having a sex-balance, though.

I’d say that a lot of UNC applicants, at least in state, seriously consider NC State. Most OOS and top in-state applicants might not, though.</p>

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<p>Prestige…</p>

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<p>@Harambee. Very interesting article. I think the author brings up some good points. While I’m not sure about the university going private (just seems too controversial and it would never happen), there is a viable argument for bringing in more out-of-state students: There are 16 other UNC-system schools that North Carolinians could attend if the 18% cap were eliminated. </p>

<p>‘The University for the People’ is a phrase that often comes up in heated discussions about the out-of-state cap. I think this is a problem. The phrase often equals ‘People of North Carolina’ and often makes the university seem to have an isolationist attitude. The fact is, UNC has gone beyond its humble beginnings as a regional school; it is now a national university, and the sooner administrators realize this, the better UNC will be.</p>

11

<p>UNC needs a dance department, or at least a modern dance ensemble.</p>

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<p>Offer more merit aid to retain talent in-state. Other states recognize the crucial importance of this – e.g., Florida with its Bright Futures Program, entirely based on objective criteria (SAT scores, GPAs) rather than on subjective, arbitrary, who-knows-what criteria. </p>

<p>You cannot retain talent in-state if you parcel out merit aid in miserly dribs and drabs. I get grief every time I bring this up, but it’s not exactly a novel, unheard-of point. Many others have also brought it up, both here at CC and in the wider community. </p>

<p>Other states recognize the problem; other states are addressing the problem. Obviously, then, there is a problem, and it’s high time NC recognized it.</p>

<p>When bright in-state kids opt for OOS schools with better merit aid, this inevitably hurts NC. How could it not? Chances are the kids who go out of state for school will settle down out of state, launch careers out of state, raise families out of state, contribute to the economies of other states. Does NC really need this right now? </p>

<p>This issue goes beyond UNC. It goes beyond other top schools in the UNC system. It concerns North Carolina itself. Our unemployment rate tops the national average; several of our major industries are in free-fall; our jobs are moving overseas. The last thing we need right now is to push talent out of state.</p>

<p>This is a real, legitimate issue that deeply concerns legislators and policy-makers in other states. We cannot afford to ignore it here in NC. The visionary states, the states now addressing the talent-retention issue, will leave us behind.</p>

<p>Yes, we need to attract more bright students from other states. At the same time, we need to retain the bright kids we already have here in-state. To insist that we are successfully doing so is to ignore reality.</p>

13

<p>Here we go again…</p>

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<p>Totally agree with @LadyDianseki</p>

<p>In-state, which is why UNC is the most if not the most prestigious public university in the country.</p>

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<p>Lady Di:</p>

<p>Live in NC and son has full ride offers from UNC and NC State (or foundations affiliated with the schools). So there is merit aid at the schools. Son turned down an opportunity to attend UFE weekend at Alabama and some other schools as well. Not all schools go strictly on test scores; I know there are schools that do (i.e. Alabama and Auburn) but each of these schools also have additional scholarships/aid based on other factors such as community service, leadership positions/experience etc. </p>

<p>There are other scholarships that do the same thing. For example the Coca-cola foundation is looking for students with grades, test scores, community service and leadership while other scholarship (Byrd for example) is grades and test scores. Is there a “correct” method in which to award scholarships? The state could go back to offering tuition to the NCSSM students at any in state school but that eliminates top students who elect to stay at home as juniors and seniors in high school.</p>

<p>UNC and NC State are very competitively priced for in state students. If you compare UNC’s in state tuition to other top public universities you will find it as much as half of other in state tuition (i.e. Illinois and Michigan) rates. The state has made a constitutional effort to keep tuition as low as possible and compared to other states one could argue that tuition is too low at UNC.</p>

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<p>Lady Di,</p>

<p>As I said in another thread, I highly doubt that SAT scores are a better – or fairer – judge of “talent” than the more holistic review that UNC uses for merit scholarships.</p>

<p>But regardless, even if you do use SAT scores as a judge of talent, UNC is decidedly not having trouble retaining talent from North Carolina.</p>

<p>In 2009, 42.6% of all of high school seniors in the state who scored 1400 or higher on the SAT enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill.</p>

<p>Those numbers are extraordinary – given that many people don’t even apply to UNC, others aren’t admitted, and others choose not come, the fact that over two-fifths of the NC students scoring above 1400 on the SAT nevertheless end up at UNC-Chapel Hill is impressive.</p>

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<p>“In-state, which is why UNC is the most if not the most prestigious public university in the country.” </p>

<p>classof2011:</p>

<p>I was hoping this thread wouldn’t turn into a debate of in-state vs. out-of-state, but are you mad??? UNC’s lack of diversity compared to peer-institutions, due to its over-abundance of in-state students, is the very reason why it is NOT the most prestigious public university. I love UNC (perhaps, which is why I am so critical of it) but I wouldn’t say UNC is more prestigious than Berkley (it’s probably a 4-way tie with UVa, LA, and Mich, though).</p>

<p>If UNC admitted more out-of-state students several things would happen:</p>

<ol>
<li>Overall test scores would go up (we’re currently at the bottom compared to the other top publics)</li>
<li>Its endowment would grow (we’re at the bottom compared to the other top publics and if you want to count funds available per student, we’re trailing W&M)</li>
<li>A more spread out alumni base. (Meaning, there would be more Ta Heels distrubted throughout the United States–and, even the world–to give another Tar Heel a helping-hand (i.e. a referral for a job, connections, etc.)
4.As a result of having more out-of-state students and thus more money, more merit and need-based aid would be available for prospective students. Thus, attracting more talent.</li>
</ol>

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<p>I would like better food in lenoir and no online math classes. Also, a better way to do the bball tickets.</p>

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<p>Anyone who thinks UNC is the most prestigious public has really drunk the kool-aid.</p>

<p>UCLA and Berkeley are globally renowned universities.
Then Michigan.
Then UVa.
Then UNC.</p>

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<p>Does it really matter about prestige? Just pick a school you like and then go to it, don’t worry about what others think.</p>