Message from Chancellor Aswani K. Volety

Dear UNCW Community:

The start of a new academic year brings energy and vibrancy to campus that point to the possibilities ahead. With enrollment estimated at 20,000 this fall, we have plenty of new and returning Seahawks eager to see what the year brings. Thanks to the efforts of our Housing and Residence Life staff and their partners across campus, Move-In provided a warm welcome for about 5,700 students who settled into campus housing in August. UNCWelcome events will carry that feeling into the next month, through Family Weekend at the end of September.

More from UNCWelcome

The start of a new academic year is a time of transition, and we recognize that mental health and wellbeing are important. To help make resources easier to access for students, the Division of Student Affairs has launched a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources webpage. I am also excited to announce the UNCW Chancellor’s Leadership Institute, a new program designed to cultivate emerging leaders across the university. It gives participating faculty and staff members an opportunity to learn more about UNCW, connect across campus and grow as leaders.

Our university has a long legacy of memorable leaders, and the Seahawk family lost two of them recently. Although former Chancellor Emeritus James R. Leutze and former Athletics administrator Pat Howey served UNCW in different ways, they both shared a deep commitment to our students and university. We are grateful for their many contributions and the lasting impact they had on generations of Seahawks.

UNCW begins this year in a strong position, with growing enrollment, sound financial management, talented faculty and staff, and tremendous support from our alumni and community, including $39.9 million in philanthropic giving over the past year. Our fall sports are off to a great start, with wins from both men’s and women’s soccer as well as volleyball hosting the Seahawk Classic. Check out their schedules and other UNCW Athletics action at uncwsports.com. While you are at it, visit uncw.edu/arts to discover many ways to immerse yourself in our campus creativity.

Higher education across the nation is changing quickly, and we will continue to adapt while staying focused on what matters most: creating opportunities for our students to learn, grow and succeed. Our new theme, “Where You Will,” highlights the possibilities of a new academic year and emphasizes the opportunities for students centered in the heart of our university. It celebrates how UNCW and its community can move forward and where that journey may lead. I deeply appreciate the many supporters engaged in our Seahawk family, and I look forward to seeing all we will achieve together this coming year.

Yours in Seahawk spirit,

Aswani K. Volety

Chancellor

Above: An illuminated drone show was a highlight of Dub After Dark, hosted by UNCW's Association for Campus Entertainment as part of the UNCWelcome series of events.

Where You Will

Connect

Sammy C. Hawk greets students during Convocation in Trask Coliseum. The annual celebration officially welcomes undergraduate students to UNCW, bringing together students, faculty and staff as one community.

GALLERY

Students hurried across campus or took a minute to get ahead on reading during the first day of classes. Enrollment at UNCW is expected to near 20,000 this fall.

The UNCW Alumni Association invited alumni employees to enjoy complimentary coffee from alumni-owned business Hidden Grounds before the start of the fall semester.

Aerial view of UNCW campus overlaid with logos for EmergeOrtho, UNCW Athletics and Novant Health

Novant Health and EmergeOrtho entered into a multi-year agreement with UNCW Athletics to be the Seahawks' official healthcare provider and sports medicine provider.

The State of North Carolina will honor bestselling author Jason Mott ’06, ’08M with the 2026 North Carolina Award for Literature, the state's highest civilian honor.

Students sit and watch a food delivery robot on its way

Through a new partnership with Avride, a fleet of autonomous robots will begin delivering campus dining orders. The new robots have expressive digital faces and a larger carrying capacity than ones previously deployed at UNCW.

UNCW leadership from across the university hosted new faculty at Kenan House before the start of the fall semester. Toby, the Volety family dog, made the rounds to greet visitors.

UNCW's School of Nursing held a pinning ceremony in McNeill Hall for the first class to graduate from the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program.

UNCW welcomed about 5,700 new and returning students to on-campus housing ahead of the fall 2026 semester. New procedures for Move-In launched this year to better accommodate growing traffic and increased enrollment.