On-campus subject matter experts comprised of faculty, staff and leadership from each university will begin a broader evaluation of opportunities in four primary areas: student pathways and expanded academic opportunities; academic collaboration; artistic collaboration; and shared operational infrastructure and institutional capacity.   

Areas being explored include intercampus semester exchanges, international study-abroad programs, graduate assistantships and intercampus minors. Academic collaboration could include faculty exchanges, joint research and scholarship, and interdisciplinary work connecting the arts with traditionally STEM-related fields.  

Areas under consideration for artistic collaboration include creating stronger connections between UNCSA’s School of Drama and PlayMakers Repertory Company and exploring opportunities for Carolina Performing Arts programming in Winston-Salem. Projects created through UNCSA could similarly be presented in Chapel Hill, creating new audiences and opportunities for artists in both communities.

The partnership comes as both institutions continue to invest in their respective strengths. UNC-Chapel Hill, home to arts and cultural organizations including PlayMakers Repertory Company, the Ackland Art Museum and Carolina Performing Arts, recently announced the Thomas S. Kenan III Place for the Arts and Culture District and a new leadership structure designed to strengthen connections among its cultural institutions, encourage collaboration and expand public access. Through the partnership, UNCSA would benefit from UNC-Chapel Hill’s scale, resources and broad academic offerings, while UNC-Chapel Hill students and faculty would gain greater access to UNCSA’s specialized arts expertise and conservatory programs. Together, the universities could create new opportunities across disciplines, strengthen operations and make the best use of public resources. 

UNCSA is pursuing this partnership as a strategic investment in its long-term future. As the landscape of higher education and the arts continues to evolve, the partnership represents an innovative approach to strengthening the university, expanding opportunities for students, and ensuring its long-term sustainability. The goal is to build on UNCSA’s strengths and position the university to thrive for generations to come while preserving the distinctive conservatory education at the heart of its mission. 

On-campus subject matter experts comprised of faculty, staff and leadership from each university will collaborate on pathways to move forward in the project components. A more complete scope of the project, task force structure, and an implementation roadmap will be available in early 2027. 

UNC School of the Arts and UNC-Chapel Hill will identify opportunities to coordinate service contracts, align or integrate enterprise systems and explore areas where sharing resources could reduce expenses while maintaining each institution’s distinct needs and operations. For UNCSA, these savings could free resources to strengthen student experiences, academic programs, and critical operational and personnel needs. For UNC-Chapel Hill, collaboration could expand academic and artistic opportunities for students by drawing on UNCSA’s specialized expertise and existing capabilities.

No. UNCSA is entering discussions about a partnership from a position of financial strength and as a strategic investment in its long-term future. A comprehensive campaign focused around visionary ideas to shape the university's future is currently underway, with several significant gifts already secured, and Institutional Sustainability has been a core pillar of UNCSA Forward, the 2022-27 strategic plan. The changing landscape of higher education and the arts creates an opportunity to think boldly about how UNCSA can become stronger and more sustainable while preserving its distinctive conservatory education. The partnership would allow both universities to build on their strengths, expand opportunities for students and use public resources more effectively. 

As part of the partnership, in-state residents who graduate from UNCSA’s High School program and meet the general requirements will not only receive free tuition to any UNC System university to which they are admitted, they will now receive guaranteed admission to UNC-Chapel Hill, beginning with the class of 2027.  Otherwise, there will be no impact on the student experience at either university at this time. UNCSA and UNC-Chapel Hill will form task forces to advise on and explore possibilities within the partnership to be announced at a later date. 

UNC School of the Arts and UNC-Chapel Hill have signed a non-binding agreement to begin discussions to create a partnership.  

UNCSA and UNC-Chapel Hill have explored mutually beneficial initiatives over the past years and already successfully partner to support students in a range of areas, including student health services, digital accessibility compliance and promoting arts exposure in both communities. Artistic collaborations facilitated by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at UNCSA included the development and premiere of “Johnny Loves Johann” in 2025-26 with Carolina Performing Arts.  

No. Each university will retain its own current, separate admissions requirements and processes.  

No. This partnership will establish a cooperative relationship that benefits both institutions while allowing each institution to retain its distinct institutional name, brand, logos, marks, and other elements of its visual identity, and maintain responsibility for their management and use. The partnership will preserve the distinct public identity of each university. 

No. Task forces consisting of faculty, staff and leadership at both universities will be formed to advise on and explore each area of a partnership designed to benefit both universities through expanded opportunities and shared resources – not a merger. The universities will remain distinct institutions with their own governance, leadership, academic programs, faculty, cultures, identities and degree-granting authority. Each institution will retain its admissions processes, fundraising strategy and teaching model, as well as brand. 

No decisions have been made about which administrative departments or services may be affected. Task forces with representatives from both universities will explore opportunities to share resources and services, drawing on UNC-Chapel Hill’s greater scale and infrastructure. These groups will evaluate specific areas and make recommendations before any changes are made. 

No. UNCSA and UNC-Chapel Hill will retain independent and autonomous hiring. 

A key goal of this partnership is to identify operational efficiencies that could free resources for areas of critical need such as personnel. 

Each university will retain its own fundraising strategy and institutional Advancement operation. The partnership may create opportunities for collaboration, but UNCSA and UNC-Chapel Hill will continue to pursue philanthropic support for their respective institutions and priorities.  

No specific programs or opportunities have been finalized at this time. Faculty, staff and leaders from both universities will work together to explore opportunities in four primary areas: student pathways and expanded academic opportunities; academic collaboration; artistic collaboration; and shared operational infrastructure and institutional capacity. 

Potential opportunities for students include spending a semester at the other university, participating in international study-abroad programs, pursuing intercampus minors and accessing graduate assistantships. Faculty could also collaborate through exchanges, joint research and projects connecting the arts with STEM fields. 

Artistic opportunities being explored include closer connections between UNCSA’s School of Drama and UNC-Chapel Hill’s PlayMakers Repertory Company, as well as bringing Carolina Performing Arts programming to Winston-Salem. UNCSA projects could also be presented in Chapel Hill, creating new audiences and opportunities for artists in both communities. 

There are no changes to existing degree programs or the student experience at either university at this time. Task forces from both institutions will explore opportunities to expand academic offerings, with the intention of preserving existing programs and building on each university's strengths. Neither institution intends to develop bachelor's degree programs that compete with those offered by the other. The overall goal is to give students access to a broader range of educational opportunities while maintaining the distinct programs that define each university. 

The training and mission at UNCSA will not change. A goal of this partnership is to find savings in administrative and operational areas so UNCSA can direct more resources to what matters most: students. By operating more efficiently, UNCSA can strengthen and invest in the academic programs and conservatory training at the heart of its mission. The savings could also be directed to student services such as health services and dining services. 

Academic requirements will not change at either university as part of the partnership, and each university will retain its distinct faculty. 

While campus exchanges, intercampus minors and transfer pathways are areas being explored as the partnership is developed, there is no change at this time. UNCSA and UNC-Chapel Hill will form task forces to advise on and explore possibilities within the partnership. 

As part of the partnership, in-state residents who graduate from UNCSA’s High School program and meet the general requirements will not only receive free tuition to any UNC System university to which they are admitted, they will now receive guaranteed admission to UNC-Chapel Hill, beginning with the class of 2027. 

UNCSA will remain a separate university with its own culture, brand and degree-granting authority. Your degree remains a UNCSA degree, and your identity and relationship as a UNCSA alumnus will not change.

As the partnership develops, we will explore whether opportunities available through Carolina’s alumni programs and resources could also benefit UNCSA alumni. No changes to alumni benefits or services have been established at this stage.