One of the goals of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is to extend intellectual inquiry and engagement into the local, national, and global communities. One avenue for doing so is through the college’s programs and events offered to the university community and the broader community. In response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the College will continue to adapt its community offerings for health and safety reasons.
Lectures
Among its efforts to share its knowledge with the community, the College traditionally offers the Personally Speaking series, a public lecture as part of the Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau Witness in Residence Initiative, the Loy H. Witherspoon Lecture, the Levine Lecture, the Dr. Bertha Maxwell-Roddey Distinguished Africana Lecture and the Barnhardt Seminar on Ethics and the World of Business. In addition, the College and its academic units offer other events throughout the year, bringing speakers of national, international and local stature to educate, challenge and engage the community.
Personally Speaking Series
The UNC Charlotte Personally Speaking series is presented in a collaborative sponsorship by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, J. Murrey Atkins Library, and The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City. It takes the audience on often unpredictable, sometimes uncomfortable, and always interesting explorations of subjects researched and published by our faculty. Each season, UNC Charlotte scholars/researchers talk about books they have written and how they came to write them, with opportunities for attendees to engage with the speaker. Due to uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, some events are being held virtually. Past talks are available on the College's YouTube channel. Read more >>
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Witness in Residence Initiative
The Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau Witness in Residence Initiative in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences seeks to encourage conversations about issues pertaining to human rights and social justice in the United States and globally. Read more >>
Collaborations and Experiences
The departments and centers within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences work constantly to create and enhance educational collaborations and experiences for their students, staff, faculty, and the community. (Search for College events on the campus calendar.) This can also take the form of internships, partnerships, and multi-disciplinary research projects. In addition, there are several Centers on campus that work with community members to address important, contemporary topics.
The Center for the Study of the New South
The Center for the Study of the New South promotes discourse and dialogue on a rich and diverse constellation of topics and ideas relating to the New South. Known as the period of regional history from the end of the Civil War to the modern era, the New South offers a bold tapestry of history, culture, social movement and political issues ripe for reflection and study. The Center invites the community to join conversations around current issues such as past series of discussions on "Growing Up Southern," sports in the New South, Southern foodways, race and civil rights in the New South, "Growing Up As An Immigrant in Charlotte," and other timely topics. The Center partners with community organizations to broaden its reach and to build collaboration and knowledge. Read more >>
Charlotte Teachers Institute
Through intensive, long-term seminars led by UNC Charlotte and Johnson C. Smith University faculty, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers learn new content, work collaboratively with other teachers, and develop new curricula for their students. Teachers serve as leaders in the institute and choose seminar topics they deem most important and engaging for current CMS teachers and their students. In addition to its annual seminars, the Charlotte Teachers Institute presents special events open to all teachers including “Evening for Educators” and “Teachers as Scholars” where CTI Fellows share the new curricula they developed in their seminars. CTI also offers community programs open to the public such as the popular “Exploding Canons” cultural collaboration series. In 2013 CTI and its partners were recognized by the Council of Great City Schools with the Shirley S. Schwartz Urban Education Impact Award. CTI programs are made possible by a joint commitment of resources from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Johnson C. Smith University and UNC Charlotte, and through the generosity of private funding institutions. Read more >>
Center for Professional and Applied Ethics
The Center for Professional and Applied Ethics provides leadership in 21st-Century ethics education and research in the Greater Charlotte region and beyond. The Center collaborates with a diverse range of on- and off-campus constituencies. The Center engages students and faculty in ethics-related educational events, research collaborations, and outreach activities. One of its signature events is the Barnhardt Seminar on Ethics and the World of Business. It invites members of the off-campus professional community to partner on specific ethics-related projects and provides ethics-related educational programming to the campus and the general public through numerous lectures, conversations and programs. It aims to increase awareness of the ethical importance of public practices and policies. Read more >>
UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens
For over 50 years, the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens has been a botanical and horticultural center of learning and expertise and a living classroom for the campus commuity and broader community. The web of life is complex, with its foundation built upon the many plants covering our Earth. Nowhere else in Charlotte can you explore this foundation as deeply as the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens can build understanding of the role of plants in human life, while also offering the calm and balance the world of plants provides. As the green heart of the community, the Botanical Gardens presents the science, culture and diversity of the plant kingdom in an inclusive, inviting space. With open access, along with varied classes, plant sales, experts, and cozy spots to escape and dream, the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens is a treasure worth exploring. Read more >>
The Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Studies
The Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Studies is dedicated to research, education, and outreach. Understanding the causes and lasting consequences of mass violence are essential for the prevention of future atrocities. The Center is committed to innovative research and to education, recognizing the need to not only learn from the past but to confront injustice and promote human rights in our own world. The Center organizes research projects and symposia with graduate and undergraduate students. In April 2019 we hosted our first tri-annual international conference: “Denial: The Final Stage of Genocide.” Our second conference, on race & genocide, will be held in 2022. We also organize Study Abroad trips, and beginning in 2021 will take students to Rwanda. The Center offers a minor in HGHR Studies and works with other educators to offer workshops and other teacher-training initiatives. Read more >>