About the University Archives

The University Archives exists as the institutional memory of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, documenting the school’s history from its extraordinary beginning to its  present day standing as one of the world’s premiere arts schools.

In 1997, a grant from Dr. and Mrs. James Semans and the Cannon Foundation enabled the School of the Arts to reestablish its Archives and reconnect with its institutional memory.  Just as individuals grow and learn from experience, so does an institution.  Experience implies a past, a history, and institutions which are able to learn from their past are able to function more effectively. Institutional memory permits informed dialogue and continuity and/or change.  It is critical to growth and development.