University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( also known as UNC , UNC - Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , North Carolina , or simply Carolina ) is a coeducation al public research university located in Chapel Hill , North Carolina , United States . It is the flagship institution of the University of North Carolina and the second largest university in North Carolina . After being chartered in 1789 , the university first began enrolling students in 1795 , which allows it to be one of three schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States . North Carolina has been consistently ranked among the highest ranked universities in the United States and is one of the original eight Public Ivy schools that provide an Ivy League experience for a public schooling price . The first public institution of higher education in North Carolina , the school opened its doors to students on February 12 , 1795 . The university offers degrees in over 70 courses of study through fourteen colleges and the College of Arts and Sciences . All undergraduates receive a liberal arts education and have the option to pursue a major within the professional schools of the university or within the College of Arts and Sciences from the time they obtain junior status . Under the leadership of President Kemp Plummer Battle , in 1877 North Carolina became coeducational , while desegregation ended when African - American graduate students were admitted under Chancellor Robert Burton House in 1951 . In 1952 , North Carolina opened its own hospital up , UNC Health Care , for research and treatment , and has since specialized in treating cancer care . The school ' s students , alumni , and sports teams are known as " Tar Heels " . The campus of North Carolina is located in Chapel Hill , North Carolina , a university town . The campus covers a rather small over Chapel Hill ' s downtown area , encompassing places like the Morehead Planetarium and the many stores and shops located on Franklin Street . Students can participate in over 550 officially recognized student organizations . The student - run newspaper " The Daily Tar Heel " has won national awards for collegiate media , while the student radio station WXYC provided the world ' s first internet radio broadcast . North Carolina is one of the charter members of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which was founded on June 14 , 1953 . Competing athletically as the Tar Heels , North Carolina has achieved great success in sports , most notably in men ' s basketball and women ' s soccer . History . Charter ed by the North Carolina General Assembly on December 11 , 1789 , the university ' s cornerstone was laid on October 12 , 1793 , near the ruins of a chapel , chosen because of its central location within the state . Beginning instruction of undergraduates in 1795 , UNC is one of the oldest public universities in the United States and the only such institution to confer degrees in the eighteenth century . During the Civil War , North Carolina Governor David Lowry Swain persuaded Confederate President Jefferson Davis to exempt some students from the draft , so the university was one of the few in the Confederacy that managed to stay open . However , Chapel Hill suffered the loss of more of its population during the war than any village in the South , and when student numbers did not recover , the university was forced to close during Reconstruction from December 1 , 1870 until September 6 , 1875 . Despite initial skepticism from university President Frank Porter Graham , on March 27 , 1931 , legislation was passed to group UNC with the State College of Agriculture and Engineering and the Women ' s College to form the Consolidated University of North Carolina . In 1963 , the consolidated university was made fully coeducational , although most women still attended the Women ' s College for their first two years , transferring to Chapel Hill as a junior , since freshmen were required to live on campus and there was only one women ' s dorm . As a result , the Women ' s College was renamed the " University of North Carolina at Greensboro " , and the University of North Carolina became the " University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . " In 1955 , UNC officially desegregated its undergraduate divisions . During World War II , UNC at Chapel Hill was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V - 12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission . During the 1960s , the campus was the location of significant political protest . Prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , protests about local racial segregation which began quietly in Franklin Street restaurants led to mass demonstrations and disturbance . The climate of civil unrest prompted the 1963 Speaker Ban Law prohibiting speeches by communists on state campuses in North Carolina . The law was immediately criticized by university Chancellor William Brantley Aycock and university President William Friday , but was not reviewed by the North Carolina General Assembly until 1965 . Small amendments to allow " infrequent " visits failed to placate the student body , especially when the university ' s board of trustees overruled new Chancellor Paul Frederick Sharp ' s decision to allow speaking invitations to Marxist speaker Herbert Aptheker and civil liberties activist Frank Wilkinson ; however , the two speakers came to Chapel Hill anyway . Wilkinson spoke off campus , while more than 1 , 500 students viewed Aptheker ' s speech across a low campus wall at the edge of campus , christened " Dan Moore ' s Wall " by " The Daily Tar Heel " for Governor Dan K . Moore . A group of UNC students , led by Student Body President Paul Dickson , filed a lawsuit in U . S . federal court , and on February 20 , 1968 , the Speaker Ban Law was struck down . From the late 1990s onward , UNC expanded rapidly with a 15 % increase in total student population to more than 28 , 000 by 2007 . This was accompanied by the construction of new facilities , funded in part by the " Carolina First " fundraising campaign and an endowment that increased fourfold to over $ 2 billion in just ten years . Professor Oliver Smithies was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2007 for his work in genetics . Notable leaders of the university include the 26th Governor of North Carolina , David Lowry Swain ( president 1835 – 1868 ) ; and Edwin Anderson Alderman ( 1896 – 1900 ) , who was also president of Tulane University and the University of Virginia . The current chancellor is Holden Thorp , who earned a bachelor of science degree from UNC in 1986 , a PhD in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1989 , and was a postdoctoral associate at Yale University from 1989 to 1990 . Campus . UNC ' s campus is dominated by two central quads : Polk Place and McCorkle Place . Polk Place is named after North Carolina native and university alumnus President James K . Polk , and McCorkle Place is named in honor of Samuel Eusebius McCorkle , the original author of the bill requesting the university ' s charter . Adjacent to Polk Place is a sunken brick courtyard known as the Pit where students will gather , often engaging in lively debate with speakers such as the Pit Preacher . The Morehead – Patterson Bell Tower , located in the heart of campus , tolls the quarter - hour . In 1999 , UNC was one of sixteen recipients of the American Society of Landscape Architects Medallion Awards and was identified as one of 50 college or university " works of art " by T . A . Gaines in his book " The Campus as a Work of Art " . The university ' s campus is informally divided into three regions , usually referred to as " north campus , " " middle campus , " and " south campus . " North campus includes the two quads along with the Pit , Frank Porter Graham Student Union , and the Davis , House , and Wilson libraries . Almost all classrooms are located in north campus along with several undergraduate residence halls . Middle campus includes Fetzer Field and Woollen Gymnasium along with the Student Recreation Center , Kenan Memorial Stadium , Irwin Belk outdoor track , Eddie Smith Field House , Boshamer Stadium , Carmichael Auditorium , the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History , School of Government , School of Law , George Watts Hill Alumni Center , Ram ' s Head complex ( with a dining hall , parking garage , grocery store , and gymnasium ) , and various residence halls . South campus includes the Dean Smith Center for men ' s basketball , Koury Natatorium , School of Medicine , UNC Hospitals , Kenan – Flagler Business School , and the newest student residence halls . A new satellite campus , Carolina North , to be built on the site of Horace Williams Airport was approved in 2007 . This is planned to be primarily a research park with expanded science facilities , but will also add classrooms and residence halls to cope with future increases in student population . Sustainability . The principles of sustainability have been integrated throughout much of UNC - Chapel Hill . In the area of green building , the university requires that all new projects meet the requirements for LEED Silver certification and is in the process of building the first building in North Carolina to receive LEED Platinum status . UNC ’ s award - winning co - generation facility produces one - fourth of the electricity and all of the steam used on campus . In 2006 , the university and the Town of Chapel Hill jointly agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 60 % by 2050 , becoming the first town - gown partnership in the country to do so . Through these efforts , the university achieved a “ A− ” grade on the Sustainable Endowment Institute ’ s College Sustainability Report Card 2010 . Only 14 out of 300 universities received a higher score than this . Old Well and McCorkle Place . The most enduring symbol of the university is the Old Well , a small neoclassical rotunda based on the Temple of Love in the Gardens of Versailles , in the same location as the original well that provided water for the school . The well stands at the south end of McCorkle Place , the northern quad , between two of the campus ' s oldest buildings , Old East , and Old West . Also located in McCorkle Place is the Davie Poplar tree under which the university ' s founder , William Richardson Davie , supposedly selected the location for the university . The legend of the Davie Poplar says that if the tree falls , so will UNC . Because of the tree ' s questionable health from damage caused by severe weather such as Hurricane Fran in 1996 , the university has planted two genetic clones nearby called Davie Poplar Jr . and Davie Poplar III . The second clone , Davie Poplar III , was planted in conjunction with the university ' s bicentennial celebration in 1993 by President Bill Clinton . Another university landmark is the Confederate monument , known to students as Silent Sam , erected to commemorate UNC students who died fighting for the Confederacy . The statue has at times been dogged by controversy , some critics claiming that the monument invokes memories of racism and slavery , while others counter that " Silent Sam " is simply historical and a part of the rich heritage of the South . The statue depicts a soldier armed with a rifle , but lacking a cartridge box . Thus , Silent Sam does not carry any ammunition and is a " benign " soldier . The statue was erected in 1913 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor the school ' s Confederate heroes . The student members of the university ' s Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies are not allowed to walk on the grass of McCorkle Place out of respect for the unknown resting place of Joseph Caldwell , the university ' s first president . The Morehead – Patterson bell tower was commissioned by John Motley Morehead III , the benefactor of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship . The hedge and surrounding landscape was designed by William C . Coker , botany professor and creator of the campus arboretum . Traditionally , seniors have the opportunity to climb the tower a few days prior to May commencement . The historic Playmakers Theatre is located on Cameron Avenue between McCorkle Place and Polk Place . It was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis , the same architect who renovated the northern façade of Old East in 1844 . The east - facing building was completed in 1851 and initially served as a library and as a ballroom . It was originally named Smith Hall after North Carolina Governor General Benjamin Smith , who was a special aide to George Washington during the American Revolutionary War and was an early benefactor to the university . When the library moved to Hill Hall in 1907 , the School of Law occupied Smith Hall until 1923 . In 1925 , the structure was renovated and used as a stage by the university theater group , the Carolina Playmakers . It has remained a theater to the present day . Louis Round Wilson wrote in 1957 that Playmakers Theatre is the " architectural gem of the campus . " Playmakers Theatre was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973 . Today , the building is a venue for student drama productions , concerts , and events sponsored by academic departments . In 2006 , the university began a renovation of Playmakers Theatre , which has included an exterior paint job and interior remodeling . The renovation is expected to be complete by the end of 2010 . Academics . Curriculum . UNC offers 71 bachelor ' s , 107 master ' s and 74 doctoral degree programs . The university enrolls more than 28 , 000 students from all 100 North Carolina counties , the other 49 states , and 47 other countries . State law requires that the percentage of students from North Carolina in each freshman class meet or exceed 82 % . The student body consists of 17 , 981 undergraduate students and 10 , 935 graduate and professional students ( as of Fall 2009 ) . Minorities comprise 30 . 8 % of UNC ' s undergraduate population and applications from international students have more than doubled in the last five years ( from 702 in 2004 to 1 , 629 in 2009 ) . Eighty - nine percent of enrolling first year students in 2009 reported a GPA of 4 . 0 or higher on a weighted 4 . 0 scale . UNC students are strong competitors for national and international scholarships . In 2009 , two UNC seniors won Rhodes Scholarship s . The most popular majors at UNC are Biology , Business Administration , Psychology , Journalism and Mass Communication , and Political Science . UNC also offers 300 study abroad programs in 70 countries . At the undergraduate level , all students must fulfill a number of general education requirements as part of the Making Connections curriculum , which was introduced in 2006 . English , social science , history , foreign language , mathematics , and natural science courses are required of all students , ensuring that they receive a broad liberal arts education . The university also offers a wide range of first year seminars for incoming freshmen . After their second year , students move on to the College of Arts and Sciences , or choose an undergraduate professional school program within the schools of medicine , nursing , business , education , pharmacy , information and library science , public health , or journalism and mass communication . Undergraduates are held to an eight - semester limit of study . Department of Public Policy . The UNC Department of Public Policy is a public policy program offering specializations in areas such as global health policy , education policy , tax policy , and social justice . The Department was established in 2001 . Established in 1979 , the Curriculum in Public Policy Analysis was one of the first undergraduate degree programs in public policy , and a charter member of the national Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management . It was augmented in 1991 by an interdisciplinary PhD Curriculum in Public Policy Analysis . In 1995 the two curricula were combined and began recruiting their own core faculty . In 2001 the combined curriculum became the present Department of Public Policy . Honor Code . The university has a longstanding Honor Code known as the " Instrument of Student Judicial Governance , " supplemented by an entirely student - run Honor System to resolve issues with students accused of academic and conduct offenses against the university community . The Honor System is divided into three branches : the Student Attorney General Staff , the Honor Court , and the Honor System Outreach . The Student Attorney General is appointed by the Student Body President to investigate all reports of Honor Code violations and determine whether or not to bring charges against the student as detailed in the " Instrument . " The Attorney General is supported by a select staff of around 40 students . The Honor Court is led by the Chair , who is appointed by the Student Body President , and supported by Vice Chairs who adjudicate all students ' hearings . The Honor Court as a whole is made up of some 80 selected students . The Honor System Outreach is a branch of the System solely devoted to promoting honor and integrity in the University community . UNC is the only public university , with the exception of the military academies , that has a completely student - run system from the beginning to the end of the process . Libraries . UNC ' s library system includes a number of individual libraries housed throughout the campus and holds more than 7 . 0 million volumes in total . UNC ' s North Carolina Collection ( NCC ) is the largest and most comprehensive collection of holdings about any single state nationwide . The unparalleled assemblage of literary , visual , and artifactual materials documents four centuries of North Carolina history and culture . The North Carolina Collection is housed in Wilson Library , named after Louis Round Wilson , along with the Rare Books Collection and the Southern Folklife Collection . The university is home to ibiblio , one of the world ' s largest collections of freely available information including software , music , literature , art , history , science , politics , and cultural studies . The Davis Library , situated near the Pit , is the main library and the largest academic facility and state - owned building in North Carolina . It was named after North Carolina philanthropist Walter Royal Davis and opened on February 6 , 1984 . The first book checked out of Davis Library was George Orwell ' s " 1984 " . The R . B . House Undergraduate Library is located between the Pit area and Wilson Library . It is named after Robert B . House , the Chancellor of UNC from 1945 to 1957 , and it opened in 1968 . In 2001 , the R . B . House Undergraduate Library underwent a $ 9 . 9 million renovation that modernized the furnishings , equipment , and infrastructure of the building . Prior to the construction of Davis , Wilson Library was the university ' s main library , but now Wilson hosts special events and houses special collections , rare books , and temporary exhibits . Rankings and reputation . In 2011 , the " U . S . News & World Report " ranked UNC Chapel Hill 5th among the nation ' s top public colleges and universities . The university was named a Public Ivy by Richard Moll in his 1985 book " The Public Ivies : A Guide to America ' s Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities " , and in later guides by Howard and Matthew Greene . Many of UNC ' s professional schools have achieved high rankings in publications such as " Forbes Magazine " , as well as annual " U . S . News & World Report " surveys . In 2009 , " U . S . News & World Report " ranked UNC business school ' s MBA program as the 20th best in the United States . In the 2011 edition , " U . S . News & World Report " ranked the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health as the top " public " school of public health in the United States , and the second ranked school of public health in the nation ( behind the top ranked school , Johns Hopkins and ahead of the third ranked school , Harvard ) . The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy was ranked second among pharmacy schools in the United States in 2012 by the U . S . News & World Report . In 2005 , " Business Week " ranked UNC business school ' s Executive MBA program as the 5th best in the United States . Other highly ranked schools include journalism and mass communication , law , library and information studies , medicine , dentistry , and city and regional planning . Nationally , UNC is in the top ten public universities for research . Internationally , the 2011 QS World University Rankings ranked North Carolina 55th overall in the world , moving up 23 places from its position of 78th in the 2009 THE - QS World University Rankings ( in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings parted ways to produce separate rankings ) . UNC ' s undergraduate program is ranked 30th in the United States by the U . S . News & World Report and is consistently ranked among the nation ' s top five public universities , just behind UC Berkeley , University of Virginia , UCLA , and the University of Michigan . " Kiplinger ' s Personal Finance " has also ranked UNC as the number one " best value " public college for in - state students . Similarly , the university is first among public universities and ninth overall in " Great Schools , Great Prices " , on the basis of academic quality , net cost of attendance and average student debt . Along with one of the nation ' s most acclaimed undergraduate honors programs in a public institution , UNC also has the highest percentage of undergraduates studying abroad for any public institution . In 2012 , however , widespread academic fraud was detected at the university , when an investigation found that many courses in the Afro - American Studies Department were entirely pro - forma , wherein students could get a passing grade for submitting " term papers " without attending any classes . Going back to as far as 1997 , 216 classes were found to have potential or proven problems , and at least 454 student grades were changed without authorization . The investigation laid the fault for these irregularities entirely at the foot of two people : former Afro - American Studies Department chairman Julius Nyang ' oro , and former administrator Deborah Crowder . No other members of the faculty , staff , or administration were found responsible for any misconduct . Nevertheless , questions continue to be raised about just how endemic these problems are at North Carolina . Scholarships . For decades UNC has offered an undergraduate merit scholarship known as the Morehead - Cain Scholarship . Recipients receive tuition , room and board , books , and funds for summer study for four years . Since the inception of the Morehead scholarship program , 29 alumni of the program have been named Rhodes Scholars . North Carolina also boasts the Robertson Scholars Program , a scholarship granting recipients the opportunity to attend both UNC and neighboring Duke University . Additionally , the university provides merit - based scholarships , including the Carolina , Colonel Robinson , and Pogue Scholars programs , which offer full scholarships for out - of - state students . In 2003 , Chancellor James Moeser announced the Carolina Covenant , which provides a debt free education to low - income students who are academically qualified to attend the university . The program was the second in the nation ( following Princeton ) and the first of its kind at a public university . About 80 other universities have since followed suit . North Carolina is tied for the largest number of Rhodes Scholars among public universities ( 47 since 1902 ) with the University of Virginia . Additionally , many students have won Truman , Goldwater , Mitchell , Churchill , Fulbright , Marshall , Udall , and Mellon scholarships . Athletics . North Carolina team are known as the Tar Heels . They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) sub - level for football ) , primarily competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) for all sports since the 1953 - 54 season . Men ' s sports include baseball , basketball , cross country , fencing , football , golf , lacrosse , soccer , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field and wrestling ; while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , fencing , field hockey , golf , gymnastics , lacrosse , rowing , soccer , softball , swimming and diving , tennis , track & field and volleyball . The NCAA refers to UNC as the " University of North Carolina " for athletics . As of Fall 2011 , the university had won 40 NCAA team championships in six different sports , eighth all - time . These include twenty one NCAA championships in women ' s soccer , six in women ' s field hockey , four in men ' s lacrosse , five in men ' s basketball , one in women ' s basketball , and two in men ' s soccer . The Men ' s basketball team won its 5th NCAA basketball championship in 2009 , the second for Coach Roy Williams since he took the job as head coach . Other recent successes include the 2011 College Cup in men ' s soccer , and four consecutive College World Series appearances by the baseball team from 2006 to 2009 . In 1994 , the university ' s athletic programs won the Sears Directors Cup " all - sports national championship " awarded for cumulative performance in NCAA competition . Consensus collegiate national athletes of the year from North Carolina include Rachel Dawson in field hockey ; Phil Ford , Tyler Hansbrough , Antawn Jamison , Vince Carter , James Worthy and Michael Jordan in men ' s basketball ; and Mia Hamm ( twice ) , Shannon Higgins , Kristine Lilly , and Tisha Venturini in women ' s soccer . Mascot and nickname . The university ' s teams are nicknamed the " Tar Heel s , " in reference to the state ' s eighteenth century prominence as a tar and pitch producer . The nickname ' s cultural relevance , however , has a complex history that includes anecdotal tales from both the American Civil War and the American Revolution . The mascot is a live Dorset ram named Rameses , a tradition that dates back to 1924 , when the team manager brought a ram to the annual game against Virginia Military Institute , inspired by the play of former football player Jack " The Battering Ram " Merrit . The kicker rubbed his head for good luck before a game - winning field goal , and the ram stayed . There is also an anthropomorphic ram mascot who appears at games . The modern Rameses is depicted in a sailor ' s hat , a reference to a United States Navy flight training program that was attached to the university during World War II . Rivalries . The South ' s Oldest Rivalry between North Carolina and its first opponent , the University of Virginia , was prominent throughout much of the twentieth century . September 2012 saw the 121st meeting in football between the two teams . One of the fiercest rivalries is with Durham ' s Duke University . Located only eight miles from each other , the schools regularly compete in both athletics and academics . The Carolina - Duke rivalry is most intense , however , in basketball . With a combined nine national championships in men ' s basketball , both teams have been frequent contenders for the national championship for the past thirty years . The rivalry has been the focus of several books , including Will Blythe ' s " To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever " and was the focus of the HBO documentary " Battle for Tobacco Road : Duke vs Carolina " . Carolina holds an intense in - state rivalry with fellow Tobacco Road school , North Carolina State University . While attention shifted to Duke following a decline in NC State ' s basketball program since the 1980s , the rivalry is still held as one of the most bitter in the state . Combined , the two schools hold seven NCAA Championships and 27 ACC Championships in basketball . Students from each school often exchange pranks before basketball and football games . Rushing Franklin . While students previously held " Beat Duke " parades on Franklin Street before sporting events , today students and sports fans have been known to spill out of bars and dormitories upon the victory of one of Carolina ' s sports teams . In most cases , a Franklin Street " bonfire " celebration is due to a victory by the men ' s basketball team , although other Franklin Street celebrations have stemmed from wins by the women ' s basketball team and women ' s soccer team . The first known student celebration on Franklin Street came after the 1957 men ' s basketball team capped their perfect season with a National Championship victory over the Kansas Jayhawks . From then on , students have flooded the street after important victories . After a Final Four victory in 1981 and the men ' s basketball team won the 1982 NCAA Championship , Franklin Street was painted blue by the fans who had rushed the street . This event has led local vendors to stop selling Carolina blue paint as the Tar Heels near the national championship . School colors . Since the beginning of intercollegiate athletics at UNC in the late nineteenth century , the school ' s colors have been Carolina blue also known as " baby blue " and white . The colors were chosen years before by the Dialectic ( blue ) and Philanthropic ( white ) Societies , the oldest student organization at the university . The school had required participation in one of the clubs , and traditionally the " Di " s were from the western part of North Carolina while the " Phi " s were from the eastern part of the state . Society members would wear a blue or white ribbon at university functions , and blue or white ribbons were attached to their diplomas at graduation . On public occasions , both groups were equally represented , and eventually both colors were used by processional leaders to signify the unity of both groups as part of the university . When football became a popular collegiate sport in the 1880s , the UNC football team adopted the light blue and white of the Di - Phi Societies as the school colors . School songs . Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement , convocation , and athletic games are the university fight song s " I ' m a Tar Heel Born " and " Here Comes Carolina " . The fight songs are often played by the bell tower near the center of campus , as well as after major victories . " I ’ m a Tar Heel Born " originated in the late 1920s as a tag to the school ' s alma mater , " Hark The Sound " . " Hark the Sound " was usually played at the end of games , but as of late it has been played at the beginning of games as well . Student life . Organizations and activities . Most student organizations at UNC are officially recognized and provided with assistance by the Carolina Union , an administrative unit of the university . Funding is derived from the student government student activity fee , which is allocated at the discretion of the student congress . The largest student fundraiser , the UNC Dance Marathon , involves thousands of students , faculty , and community members in raising funds for the North Carolina Children ' s Hospital . The organization conducts fundraising and volunteer activities throughout the year and , as of 2008 , had donated $ 1 . 4 million since its inception in 1999 . The University is also noted for its Campus Y , the social justice hub on campus that houses many service and internationally focused organizations . The Campus Y was founded in 1859 , and is noted as a " leader in on - campus discussion and dialogue and off - campus service and activism " . The Campus Y was at the center of many progressive movements within the university , including the racial integration of the student body , the effort to improve wages and working conditions for University employees , and the establishment of the Sonja Haynes Stones Center for Black Culture and History . The Y is a collection of many UNC specific and outside organizations , such as Carolina Kickoff , STAND , Nourish International , Carolina Microfinance Initiative , Homeless Outreach & Poverty Eradication ( HOPE ) , and Project Literacy . The student run newspaper " The Daily Tar Heel " is ranked highly by " The Princeton Review " , and received the 2004 – 5 National Pacemaker Award from the Associated Collegiate Press . Founded in 1977 , WXYC 89 . 3 FM is UNC ' s student radio station that broadcasts 24 hours a day , 365 days a year . Programming is left up to student DJs . WXYC typically plays little heard music from a wide range of genres and eras . On November 7 , 1994 , WXYC became the first radio station in the world to broadcast its signal over the internet . A student - run television station , STV , airs on the campus cable and throughout the Chapel Hill Time Warner Cable system . Founded in 1948 as successor to the " Carolina Magazine " , the " Carolina Quarterly " , edited by graduate students , has published the works of numerous authors , including Wendell Berry , Raymond Carver , Don DeLillo , Annie Dillard , Joyce Carol Oates , and John Edgar Wideman . Works appearing in the " Quarterly " have been anthologized in " Best American Short Stories " and " New Stories from the South " and have won the Pushcart and O . Henry Prizes . The Residence Hall Association , the school ' s third - largest student - run organization , is dedicated to enhancing the experience of students living in residence halls . This includes putting on social , educational , and philanthropic programs for residents ; recognizing outstanding residents and members ; and helping residents develop into successful leaders . The organization is run by 8 student executive officers ; 16 student governors that represent each residence hall community ; and numerous community government members . RHA is the campus organization of NACURH , the largest student organization in the world . In 2010 the organization won the national RHA Building Block Award , which is awarded to the school with the most improved RHA organization . The athletic teams at the university are supported by the Marching Tar Heels , the university ' s marching band . The entire 275 - member volunteer band is present at every home football game , and smaller pep band s play at all home basketball games . Each member of the band is also required to play in at least one of five pep bands that play at athletic events of the 26 other sports . UNC has a regional theater company in residence , the Playmakers Repertory Company , and hosts regular dance , drama , and music performances on campus . The school has an outdoor stone amphitheatre known as Forest Theatre used for weddings and drama productions . Forest Theatre is dedicated to Professor Frederick Koch , the founder of the Carolina Playmakers and the father American folk drama . Many fraternities and sororities on campus belong to the National Panhellenic Conference ( NPC ) , Interfraternity Council ( IFC ) , Greek Alliance Council , and National Pan - Hellenic Council ( NPHC ) . As of spring 2010 , eighteen percent of undergraduates were Greek ( 1146 men and 1693 women out of 17 , 160 total ) . The total number of community service hours completed for the 2010 spring semester by fraternities and sororities was 51 , 819 hours ( average of 31 hours / person ) . UNC also offers professional and service fraternities that do not have houses but are still recognized by the school . Some of the campus honor societies include : the Order of the Golden Fleece , the Order of the Grail - Valkyries , the Order of the Old Well , the Order of the Bell Tower , and the Frank Porter Graham Honor Society . Student government at Carolina is composed of an executive branch headed by the student body president , a legislative branch composed of a student - elected student congress , and a judicial branch which includes the honor court and student supreme court . The Judicial Reform Committee created the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance , which outlined the current Honor Code and its means for enforcement in 1974 . Currently , Carolina boasts one of the only student - run judicial systems in the nation . All academic and most conduct violations are handled by the student - run Honor System . Prior to that time , the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies along with other campus organizations supported student concerns . Dining . Lenoir Dining Hall was completed in 1939 and opened for service to students when they returned from Christmas holidays in January 1940 . The building was named for General William Lenoir , first chairman of the Board of Trustees of the university in 1790 . The new Rams Head Dining Hall seats 1 , 300 people and has a capacity for serving 10 , 000 meals per day . It has one large dining area , two medium size dining areas , food service staff offices , kitchen , food preparation areas , storage and a Starbucks coffee shop . Rams Head Dining Center was opened to the students in March 2005 . It includes the Rams Head Dining Hall , Starbucks , and the Rams Head Market . It was opened to offer more food service options to the students living on south campus . In addition the dining hall ' s hours were extended to include the 9pm - 12am period , a time referred to as " Late Night " by students . Housing . On campus , the Department of Housing and Residential Education manages thirty - two residence halls , grouped into thirteen communities . These communities range from Olde Campus Upper Quad Community which includes Old East Residence Hall , the oldest building of the university , to modern communities such as Manning West , completed in 2002 . In addition to residence halls , the university oversees an additional eight apartment complexes organized into three communities , Ram Village , Odum Village , and Baity Hill Student Family Housing . Along with themed housing focusing on foreign languages and substance - free living , there are also " living - learning communities " which have been formed for specific social , gender - related , or academic needs . An example is UNITAS , sponsored by the Department of Anthropology , where residents are assigned roommates on the basis of cultural or racial differences rather than similarities . Three apartment complexes offer housing for families , graduate students , and some upperclassmen . Along with the rest of campus , all residence halls , apartments , and their surrounding grounds are smoke - free . As of 2008 , 46 % of all undergraduates live in university - provided housing . Alumni . With over 270 , 000 living former students , North Carolina has one of the largest and most active alumni groups in America . Many Tar Heels have attained local , national , and international prominence . James K . Polk served as President of the United States for a single term , William R . King was the thirteenth Vice President of the United States . North Carolina has produced many United States Senators including Paul Wellstone and Thomas Lanier Clingman , along with multiple House Representatives such as Virginia Foxx and Ike Franklin Andrews . Algenon L . Marbley and Thomas Settle have received positions of federal judge ship . Former Secretary of War and Secretary of the Army Kenneth Claiborne Royall and the fifth White House Press Secretary Jonathan W . Daniels were graduates of North Carolina . Tar Heels have also made a mark on pop culture . Andy Griffith and John Forsythe have become successful actors . Stuart Scott , Woody Durham , and Mick Mixon have become sportscasters . Civil War historian and writer Shelby Foote , sportswriter Peter Gammons , and Pulitzer Prize winner Lenoir Chambers all graduated from North Carolina . Other notable writers who have attended UNC include Thomas Wolfe , who has a memorial on campus ; National Book Award winners Walker Percy , Hayden Carruth , and Charles Frazier ; Dos Passos Prize winner Russell Banks ; National Book Critics Circle Award winner Ben Fountain ; Pulitzer Prize finalist Lydia Millet ; New Yorker columnist Joseph Mitchell ; Armistead Maupin ; and the notable poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Bollingen Prize winner Edgar Bowers . Caleb Bradham , the inventor of the popular soft drink Pepsi - Cola , was a member of the Philanthropic Society and the class of 1890 . Tar Heels have made their mark on the basketball court with Southern Methodist University head coach Larry Brown , title winning coach Roy Williams , Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak , college player of the year award winners George Glamack , Lennie Rosenbluth , Antawn Jamison , and Tyler Hansbrough , Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Michael Jordan , Billy Cunningham , and Robert McAdoo , great defender Bobby Jones , and NBA All - Star Vince Carter . Other notable Tar Heels include football players Lawrence Taylor and Dré Bly , soccer stars Mia Hamm , Ashlyn Harris , Heather O ' Reilly , Meghan Klingenberg , Whitney Engen , Allie Long , and Tobin Heath , baseball standouts Dustin Ackley and B . J . Surhoff , and Olympians April Heinrichs and Vikas Gowda . Many Tar Heels have become business leaders . The leaders include Jason Kilar , CEO of Hulu ; Howard R . Levine , chairman of the board and CEO of Family Dollar ; Paul Kolton , chairman of the American Stock Exchange ; Julian Robertson , founder of Tiger Management Corp . ; Bill Ruger , founder of Sturm , Ruger ; Warren Grice Elliott , former president of Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ; Allen B . Morgan , Jr . , founder and former CEO of Morgan Keegan & Company ; Ken Thompson , former chairman and CEO of Wachovia ; Hugh McColl , former CEO of Bank of America ; Sallie Krawcheck , former CFO of Citigroup Inc . and William Johnson , the current president and CEO of Progress Energy .