University College Celebrates Growth with New Plaque at Alumni Center

Walking along the path to the outside entryway of NC State’s Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center on Centennial Campus, one will find a row of plaques representing the university’s twelve colleges. 

Before this year, however, a plaque for University College, a college that houses two expansive academic departments, enrolls the university’s second-largest incoming class every year through the Exploratory Studies program and also houses undergraduate education, academic enrichment programs, the arts, academic advising and critical student services, was missing. 

On a frigid Wednesday morning, that absence was rectified. Division of Academic and Student Affairs Vice Chancellor and Dean Doneka R. Scott led a group of division and college faculty and staff along the path, speaking about the efforts to bring a University College plaque to the alumni center.

After reaching the end of the path, Scott approached a cloth-covered section of the wall, removing the cloth to reveal a brand new plaque representing University College. 

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the outstanding contributions of our dedicated faculty and staff in University College, who have consistently offered a diverse array of vital academic programs and invaluable student services,” Scott praised. “This milestone marks another significant step in the growth of the college. The presence of a plaque at the alumni center will not only instill a profound sense of belonging in our graduates when they return, but also stand as a testament to the exemplary work of our faculty and staff.”

This milestone marks another significant step in the growth of the college.

University College has offered several academic minors within Performing Arts and Technology and Health and Exercise Studies, and Performing Arts and Technology now offers a Bachelor of Science in Music Technology, University College’s first official academic major. 

The new plaque also serves as a further celebration of adding the new major. Those efforts, led by former Department of Performing Arts and Technology department head Dan Monek, who is now a provost faculty fellow in the Office of Faculty Excellence, came to fruition last fall. 

“The design and approval of the new interdisciplinary major was such a big journey,” Monek said. “University College and the department have never had graduates that were solely theirs. Of course, we had a lot of alums who were in programs that the college offered, but, for the first time, students will identify University College as their four-year home while they are studying at NC State.” 

University College and the department have never had graduates that were solely theirs.

Senior Associate Dean Ontario Wooden explained that offering the new major solidifies University College as a degree-granting college. 

“It’s a really great amalgamation of interdisciplinary things that are going on,” Wooden said. “This process has been ongoing for seven years, trying to get the major approved through the appropriate channels on and off campus. So it’s time to celebrate.” 

In addition to unveiling the new plaque, Scott also presented Monek with a framed photo of it to commemorate his efforts in leading the design and approval process for the new major.

Monek explained that having the plaque gives returning alumni who were involved in programs in University College as a major part of their college experience a sense of inclusion when they come to the alumni center. 

“Even though it’s a small thing, I think having University College represented on the wall helps reinforce the integral role its programs play in everyone’s journey at NC State,” Monek said. 

This post was originally published in DASA.