Family Guide

We are so honored to have you and your whole family join us at Carolina!

We hope this guide will help give more insights into the college experience. In addition to information, we have included topics for you all to discuss so that you are all a team through the college-going process.

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Carolina Latinx Center

Established in October 2019, the Carolina Latinx Center allows students, faculty, and staff to explore Latinx cultures, histories, and traditions and use that understanding to work across racial and ethnic communities in North Carolina, the country, and the world. For faculty, staff, and students engaged in research, teaching and/or service related to Latinx communities and issues, the Center connects them with one another and with community partners.

Our commitment is not limited to our educational initiatives, community engagement, or scholarship, but to our mission and values to inspire understanding, appreciation, empowerment, and advocacy of Latinx communities. From our campus-wide celebrations and recognitions of the richness of Latinx communities to the one-on-one conversations with our students we advance the University’s mission of teaching, research, and public service and enhance the well-being of our broader community.

We know that when your student attends Carolina, they represent more than just themselves. As such, we want to invite you all to join us for our events.

Our annual programs include:

  • El Inicio
  • CLC Open House
  • Latinx Heritage Month Celebration
  • La Conferencia
  • Exitos Latinx Graduation Ceremony

Keep in touch with us on our social accounts:

  • Facebook:
    • @CarolinaLatinxCenter
  • Twitter:
    • @UNC_CLC
  • Instagram:
    • @UNC_CLC
  • LinkedIn:
    • Carolina Latinx Center

Living in Chapel Hill

Living on Campus – Residence halls located in close proximity are grouped together as communities. Each of the 14 undergraduate residential communities include a professional full- time, live-in staff member (Community Director) and student staff including a Community Manager (CM) and Resident Advisors (RAs). RAs are undergraduate peers who have been trained to help you learn about student life and the best ways to connect with the larger Carolina community. Living on the residence hall floor, the RA serves as a resource, support person, and guide to help you get the most out of their college experience.

Some of the residences are co-ed. The main objective of co-ed living is to promote a diverse and inclusive community, fostering opportunities for students of different genders to interact, learn from each other, and develop mutual respect. The co-ed living spaces are designed with appropriate security measures and privacy considerations to protect the well-being and comfort of all residents.

Living off-campus provides a greater sense of independence and freedom compared to living in university residences. Students have more control over their living space and can establish their own rules and schedules. Off-campus housing options offer more space than typical on-campus dormitories. They can access larger apartments or houses with multiple rooms, providing more privacy and comfort.

In some cases, living off-campus can be more cost-effective than living on-campus, especially if students share rent with roommates. But, don’t forget to account for other living expenses such as parking, utilities, and wifi.

Security

At Carolina, we are committed to providing the safest campus environment we can for our entire community. The Alert Carolina safety awareness system is an important part of that commitment. The system educates the campus about what to do in an emergency and where to find safety-related resources. A key part of Alert Carolina involves its emergency alert messaging system that sends both emails and text messages to students, faculty, and staff. To receive text messages, students must register a cell phone number at alertcarolina.unc.edu/register. Alert Carolina is the best source for current information before, during, and after an emergency.

In the evening, students can use Safe Walk or Point 2 Point (P2P) Shuttle to reach their destination accompanied by a fellow student or staff member. The Carolina Ready Safety app is available for students to use on their phones. There is a feature that allows students to use Bluelight, and a security staff member will virtually follow them to ensure their safety.

To enter the resident halls, a OneCard is required. Each student only has access to their dormitory. The buildings are kept locked 24 hours a day, and it is recommended that students lock their dormitories.

Carolina Dining Service

With over 25 dining locations throughout campus, Carolina Dining Services (CDS) CDS is dedicated to keeping our Tar Heels well-fed, happy, and feeling at home!

There are two dining halls, Chase and Top of Lenoir, both conveniently located in the center of campus. Daily dining options range from pizza to sushi and everything in between! Vegan, vegetarian, and made- without-gluten options are available at every meal period to help accommodate all Tar Heels!

This may be the first time your student is going to be having regular meals away from home. This makes home meals that much more meaningful

Campus Health

Campus Health is the clinic dedicated to serving students at UNC-Chapel Hill. Campus Health provides a broad range of ambulatory primary care and mental health services, using board-certified providers and specialists to care for students’ medical and mental health needs. The services offered are:

  • Primary Care
  • Nutrition Services
  • Gynecology
  • Sports Medicine/Orthopedics
  • Physical Therapy
  • On-Site Laboratory Services and Radiology Services
  • Campus Health Pharmacy and Student Stores Pharmacy
  • Allergy injections
  • Asthma specialty care
  • Diabetes care
  • Onsite dental services provided by Campus Smiles

Mandatory Health Insurance

All eligible students enrolled in the UNC system colleges and universities, including UNC-Chapel Hill, are required to have health insurance coverage. This means that all eligible students attending the University must provide proof of a creditable health insurance policy.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides mental health care and is available to assist your student in managing academic and personal demands more effectively. CAPS offers initial assessments, brief individual psychotherapy, group therapy, medication management, community referral coordination, academic intervention and after hours phone support.

Student Clubs/Organizations

Although academic achievement is important, it is equally beneficial to prioritize and nurture social relationships. That’s why UNC has over 800 student clubs and organizations that focus on many areas. Carolina’s goal is to enhance the academic experience and build a community.

Student groups often become a vital part of a student’s experience because of the relationships they build at UNC and beyond through their membership.

Some examples of Latinx-based student organizations are:

  • Association of Latino Professionals for America
  • Mi Pueblo – largest UNC Latinx student group
  • National Association of Hispanic Journalists
  • Siembra UNC
  • Students United for Immigrant Equality

Fraternities and Sororities

Joining a fraternity or sorority is an opportunity to find a community with shared goals that live on beyond the college years. Because of the Greek letters used to identify the organizations, it is often referred to as ‘Greek Life’.

Although there are many media portrayals of Greek Life, we do not believe they do the organizations justice. They are social, volunteer, and academic groups. Some of the benefits of joining a fraternity or sorority include high academic standards, networking opportunities nationwide, and community service involvement.

In addition to the traditional organizations seen in the movies, at UNC there are three organizations with a focus on the Latinx community:

  • Fraternity: La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc.
  • Sororities: Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc., and Omega Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

General Academic Information

For many the first two years of enrollment, regardless of major, students’ academic home will be the General College, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Most classes are 3 credits which equals 3 academic hours. There are more challenging courses that come with a lab or lecture component that may be worth more hours, and conversely, there are some courses that are less intensive that may be worth fewer hours.

Although they say three hours, that does not include study time outside of class. It is common for a 3 credit class to meet twice a week for about two hours and then require at least three hours of homework before the next class period. That does not take into account major assignments or exams!

When students accumulate 60 academic hours, they will be automatically transferred to the College of Arts and Sciences, where they can pursue majors and minors from over 40 academic departments and curricula.

This is also when a student may choose to apply and enter a professional school. Some of those schools include, Education, Global Public Health, Kenan-Flagler Business School, Information and Library Science, Hussman School of Journalism and Media, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy.

Full-time students take a minimum of 12 credit hours, or 4 classes each semester.

In practice, most Carolina students select a 15-hour course load (about five courses a semester). During the first two weeks of the semester, students can drop a course using the online registration system, but they are responsible for ensuring that their schedules do not fall below the minimum 12 academic hours required for full-time registration.

Each student is assigned an academic advisor to help them ensure they are keeping track of their credit hours for graduation.

The Learning Center is an educational service that provides academic support for UNC-Chapel Hill students. We offer both in-person and online coaching, as well as a collection of online resources for students and educators.

The Writing Center is an educational service that provides academic support for UNC-Chapel Hill students, focused on developing writing skills.

Study Abroad is an enriching and transformative experience for students. By traveling to another country to continue their education, students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture, learn a new language, and expand their academic and personal horizons.

Peer Mentoring – The Center for Student Success Center offers three different peer mentoring programs: the Minority Advising Program, the Carolina Covenant Peer Mentoring, and the C-STEP Peer Mentoring.

Each of them is designed to provide specialized support to specific student populations. The three programs focus on ensuring a smooth and enjoyable transition to the Carolina family through special events and personalized attention.

Congratulations and welcome again to the Carolina familia! We are so honored to have you all join our community and we hope today is one of many times that we will see you on campus. Please keep in touch with us and let us know how we can make your experience the best.

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