university college

Welcome UCOL Students!
Our goal for all first-year students in University College is for you to feel connected:

  • connected to your faculty and advisors,
  • connected to potential majors,
  • connected to campus resources,
  • and connected with your peers.

All of the evidence shows that this first year is one of the most challenging periods in a student's college career, but also one of the most rewarding.  Our goal is to provide you with a menu of options that are all designed, in different ways, to help you get the most out of your first year and to make the transition. 

***Beginning Fall 2009, all University College freshmen will participate in a seminar designed to help you connect to the responsibilities and opportunities you have at UNC Charlotte. Each of these seminars will help you make connections with your peers, faculty, and the many resources available to UNC Charlotte 49ers. ***

There are 3 options - you pick the best for your needs and interests:

1) Learning Communities
UNC Charlotte Learning Communities help students transition through academic and social challenges by providing small, supportive living and learning environments. You will interact closely with UNC Charlotte faculty, staff and peer mentors through areas of common interest, enroll in 2 or more of the same courses in both the Fall and Spring semester, and in many cases live together in the same residence hall. Learning Communities that are open to UCOL students include University College/Liberal Arts & Sciences (UCLAS), Gen X, Global Village, BEST, UTOP, Leadership, Genocide/International Law and Human Rights, and Community Service. You can get more information at www.lc.uncc.edu.

2) Linked Courses: UCOL 1600 and ENGL 1101X
The linked writing seminar for new freshmen combines small group writing seminars with regular lecture meetings to engage first-year students more fully with the liberal studies curriculum through in-depth discussion and writing. This is a two semester sequence that includes UCOL 1600 (a 6- credit course) one semester and ENGL 1101x in the opposite semester; these two courses can be taken in either order. By completing both courses, students satisfy the general education requirements for ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102, and one LBST course.  (In essence, four courses for the price of three!) Additional campus resources are available to you.

3) Freestanding Freshman Seminars
The Freshman Seminar/College Transitions course is a three credit, graded elective designed to introduce you to campus resources and provide ongoing support and orientation during your transition from high school to college. In this course you will develop your critical thinking skills, learn new strategies for successful studying in college, and build supportive relationships in the classroom with peers and instructors. Students may register for UCOL 1000 or UCOL 1200. Your advisor will provide you a list of sections open to students who are not in a learning community when you meet at SOAR.

University College Supports ALL UNC Charlotte First-Year Students
There are several initiatives supported by University College that will engage first-year students in getting the best start for their college careers. These options are open to students in any major:

Academic Advisors: Your Trusted Guides
You will be faced with many options as you begin your life as a Charlotte 49er. Remember, your best source of information about all of these options, academic and co-curricular, is your advisor.  Staff in the University Advising Center (for UCOL students) and in the advising offices of all of the Colleges know about all of these programs and how they might benefit first-year students.  Talk to your advisor during SOAR and during the school year to see how the various programs at the University can help you succeed.

SOAR