A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT designating the university of north carolina at pembroke as North Carolina's historically american indian university.
Whereas, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke was originally established in 1887 as Croatan Normal School in response to a petition from the American Indian people in the Robeson County area; and
Whereas, the General Assembly changed the name in 1911 to the Indian Normal School of Robeson County and again in 1913 to the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County; and
Whereas, in 1926, the Board of Trustees added a two‑year normal program beyond high school, and phased out elementary education; and
Whereas, the first 10 diplomas were awarded in 1928, when the State accredited the school as a "standard normal school", and additional college courses were later added with the first college degrees conferred in 1940; and
Whereas, in 1941, the General Assembly changed the name to Pembroke State College for Indians, and the school's curricula further expanded; and
Whereas, in 1945, enrollment was further expanded to include American Indians from other tribes, and in 1949 the name was shortened to Pembroke State College; and
Whereas, in the wake of the 1950s and 1960s civil rights and school desegregation laws, the General Assembly changed the name in 1969 to Pembroke State University and made the school a regional university; and
Whereas, three years later, in 1972, the General Assembly established the 16‑campus University of North Carolina System, with Pembroke State University as one of its constituent institutions; and
Whereas, on July 1, 1996, Pembroke State University officially became the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; and
Whereas, The University of North Carolina System currently consists of 16 university campuses, five of which are designated as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, but the University of North Carolina at Pembroke has never been officially acknowledged as a Historically American Indian University; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is officially designated as North Carolina's Historically American Indian University.
SECTION 2.  G.S. 116‑13.1(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Equity in University Improvements. – The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall continue to study and monitor any inequities in funding for capital improvements and facilities needs which may still exist on North Carolina's Public Historically Black Colleges and Universities and North Carolina's Historically American Indian University, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, beyond the funding of the projects provided for in this act, and shall report annually to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations on any remaining inequities found, including recommendations as to how those inequities should be addressed."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.