NCSA Becomes UNCSA

Some may not see a big difference between “North Carolina School of the Arts” and “The University of North Carolina School of the Arts,” but the school’s chancellor, John Mauceri, explains that the recent name change “is emblematic, in every sense, of a larger and, for us, deeply important shift in the attitude of our university and state leaders toward the School of the Arts.” The North Carolina School of the Arts became The University of North Carolina School of the Arts after the Governor gave his stamp of approval and signed it into law on August 8th (the bill had previously passed unanimously in the Senate and by a margin of 115 to 1 in the House).

Maureci also notes that, “while the school’s leadership had unanimously supported (and indeed, suggested) the name, the U is the tip of the iceberg.” He was certainly correct considering that the school received $24.5 million to construct two new buildings, further confirming its state backing. As the nation’s very first residential and state-supported school of its kind, UNCSA will continue the dedication to performing arts education that it began when it was founded in 1965, only now with the added bonus of a brand new-name that symbolizes the state support and faith in the school’s mission.

Visit http://www.ncarts.edu/ for more information.