Class of 2013 flocks to UNCW
Amber Hughes | News Editor
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The freshmen who filled Trask Coliseum Monday, Aug. 17, may come from varied backgrounds and interest, but they were all united in a sea of teal at the 2009 UNCW Convocation.
The class of 2013 flag was revealed by fellow freshman Jared Toback, as they were officially welcomed to the university by Student Body President Mark Blackwell and Sammy C. Hawk on the Campus Commons.
The new members of the UNCW community then trekked to Trask where Interim Provost Dr. Cathy Barlow, Chancellor DePaolo, featured speaker Dr. Pete Schuhmann, and other UNCW faculty welcomed them.
"It [Convocation] was the first time I realized that this is real, and me and my friends talked about what we wanted to get involved in," freshman Lauren Hartlaub said.
The class of 2013 falls in line with the current UNCW trend of academic quality, with an average 3.77 GPA and 1168 on the SAT.
"We've become used to the academic quality of UNCW rising every year over the past 10 years," Associate Provost Dr. Terry Curran said.
This is also a large class, with the current number of incoming freshmen totaling 1970. This number is expected to go up and down over the next several days, however.
The 1970 freshmen fall right in the zone of the university's target of 1950, according to Dr. Curran who said UNCW is experiencing a healthy growth.
UNCW's housing situation is also doing well this year, being able to accommodate 90 percent of the freshmen. Some are being placed in temporary spaces, but they are expected to receive a permanent spot soon.
Although this freshmen class represents 22 countries and 36 states, the university is proud that 86 out of 100 North Carolina counties are represented at UNCW this year with this class.
"We are excited to be serving the state of North Carolina and for people to see as our student body grows," Dr. Curran said.
Another interesting trend is that 11 homeschooled students are attending UNCW this year, which is a greater number than normal. Dr. Curran said that universities nation-wide are noticing this trend, as well as more early college students.
Though the university will not know until October or November, Dr. Curran expects UNCW to rank in the top two or three public universities in the state, due to the quality freshmen.
"These statistics help us, as well as the community and alumni, understand where we are going as our academic qualities and university grow," Dr. Curran said.
Download the Class of 2013 photo
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