Carolina First

Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity

The Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity works to create deeper partnerships between the University and its minority alumni.

The committee is comprised of four sub-committees — the African American, Asian, Latino/a and Native American committees.

By engaging these important alumni constituencies, the committee is generating new leadership roles and funding opportunities critical to Carolina's mission to lead all public universities into the future of true excellence in higher education.

Underscoring the importance of our mission is the fact that in the 2006-07 academic year, UNC's minority enrollment topped 30 percent for the first time. A decade before, it was 20 percent.

Register to provide any feedback on how the committee can better serve your interests in Carolina.

Committee members

Contact:

Jackie Pierce
Major Gifts Officer for Diverse Constituencies
Office of University Development
jackie_pierce@unc.edu
(919) 843-6320

Ronda Manuel '05
Director of Diversity in Annual Giving
Office of University Development
Ronda_Manuel@unc.edu
919-843-3319

Welcome letter

Dear Carolina Alumni and Friends,

I am pleased to welcome you to the Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity web site.  I hope you will find the information here useful, and I hope you will return to the site frequently. I invite you to register on the site and give us any feedback on how we can better serve your interests in Carolina.

Originally called the Carolina First Minority Alumni Steering Committee, our group formed as part of the Carolina First Campaign. The committee worked hard and worked well together. So well, in fact, that when the highly successful campaign ended, we decided to stay united. Our new name, the Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity, reflects who we are and what we do. We will continue to be organized under the auspices of the UNC Office of University Development.

After many years of work and support from multiple constituencies, the Carolina American Indian Center opened last fall. Under the guidance of its first director, Dr. Clara Sue Kidwell, the center is flourishing in fostering programs, seminars, exhibits, community involvement and intellectual exchange geared towards American Indians, both on and off campus.

The center stands as just one example of the work this committee is about—minority alumni support to enhance leadership, collaboration, scholarship, service, engagement and diversity. The minority population here at UNC is growing rapidly, now representing 30 percent of the student population. Minority students are getting much more involved in campus life than ever before. They are an active force in student government, cultural programs, the Campus Y, athletics and many other volunteer opportunities at the University. We invite you to join in our cause to help Carolina be the absolute best that it can be. 

While minority alumni giving has risen steadily over the years, we recognize that there is still work to do. We must continue to look for ways to give back to the place that has given us the education and tools for our livelihood—and so many memories. The efforts we put forth today are critical, not only for the value of our degrees, but also for the students who follow in our footsteps at this great University. We need your help in becoming the leading public university in the country. 

Sincerely,

Kevin Maynor `79
Chair, Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity


.