Greetings From Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber At Charlotte’s December 2025 Commencement

Dear Graduates,

Congratulations on your graduation! While today marks the culmination of your hard work and perseverance, it’s also a day of celebration for your family, friends and the faculty and staff who have supported you every step of the way.

UNC Charlotte was founded in 1946 to fill an educational gap in North Carolina’s largest city. In the decades since its humble beginning, we’ve grown into North Carolina’s urban research university, a Carnegie R1 institution now serving more than 32,000 students. From the beginning, our mission has been rooted in expanding access to higher education—and our continued success is thanks to the extraordinary students, exceptional faculty and staff, dedicated alumni, generous supporters and strong leaders who have propelled us forward.

We are a university on the move. Since 2020, we’ve climbed 85 spots in the overall U.S. News & World Report rankings and currently hold the No. 74 spot among public universities for 2026—making us one of the fastest rising universities in the nation. And we’re one of only three in North Carolina to be ranked among the nation’s top 75 public universities. Additionally, UNC Charlotte ranks highest of all public universities in North Carolina in U.S. News & World Report’s “Most Innovative Schools” category, where we’re ranked No. 38 in the nation.

You should be proud of the degree you’ve earned from UNC Charlotte. It represents not only academic achievement but also personal growth. During your time here, you’ve developed intellectually, emotionally and socially through engaging in classroom discussions, participating in campus activities, completing internships, interacting with individuals from other cultures and connecting with the greater Charlotte community.

On behalf of UNC Charlotte’s Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. We are proud of all you have accomplished and grateful to have been a part of your journey.

As you step into this next chapter, you also step into a lifelong relationship with UNC Charlotte as a proud member of our Alumni Association—now more than 187,000 strong around the globe. Stay connected, get involved and let your Niner pride continue to grow. May the friendships and memories you’ve made here stay with you always. And wherever your journey takes you, never forget—you are always a 49er!

Sincerely,

Sharon L. Gaber / Chancellor