Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Convocation message of unity grows from Bonnie Cone legacy

By Jared Moon

While pondering this year’s Convocation presentation, one inevitably is forced to contemplate the emphasis placed on encouraging an engaged, committed and collaborative environment at UNC Charlotte with Chancellor Phil Dubois' theme of restoring the “Uni” in University resonating throughout speech.

Thanks to Bonnie Cone – the University founder, this is not a new concept at UNC Charlotte.  This institution has a rich history of leveraging the joint efforts of many individuals to form a single, unified institution charged with providing an affordable, high-quality education.  Miss Bonnie’s tireless efforts and ability to motivate others to join her mission has always provided a standard for which is a great point of pride for this University; a standard that is also engrained in the 49er spirit the school’s mascot personifies.

That sense of collaboration and resilience remains relevant to this day and is paramount to the success of the University as it continues to grow in both size and stature within the region.

UNC Charlotte is integral to the fabric of the Charlotte region and as the city attempts to stake its claim as a leader, inevitably, UNC Charlotte must follow suit.

The demand for higher education in this region has never been higher and UNC Charlotte has positioned itself to meet that need.

While industry partnerships like EPIC (Energy Production and Infrastructure Center) and PORTAL (Partnership, Outreach, and Research to Accelerate Learning) are vital to the University’s growth, and football allows for new opportunities, its fundamental element is the mental and physical capital of its faculty and staff.

Chancellor Dubois’ message was not novel but necessary.  Those of us invested in UNC Charlotte must continue to tap that unified sense of purpose to maintain that the University continues to be the vibrant, kinetic and essential resource it already is.

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Jared Moon is communications coordinator in the Office of Public Relations.

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