As a reminder, all eligible NCSSM Residential graduates immediately enrolling in a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina may apply for the UNC Tuition Grant beginning with the Class of 2021 and continuing until further notice from the North Carolina General Assembly. This program is an incredible opportunity for NCSSM graduates to remain in North Carolina and earn an undergraduate degree from one of the best public university systems in the nation at a significantly reduced out-of-pocket cost.
If you are planning on attending a UNC System school, please read this step-by-step guide. Remember, your application MUST be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2025.
Juniors must submit the following form to indicate whether or not they intend to move out of their residence hall on Wednesday, May 21 OR Friday, May 23. Juniors who do NOT wish to participate in Commencement exercises must move out of their residence hall and check out with their CC between 1:00pm and 5:00pm on Wednesday, May 21. Juniors who wish to remain on campus after exams to participate in end-of-year activities and Commencement exercises must move out of their residence hall and check out with their CC prior to 2:00pm on Friday, May 23.
Seniors must move out of their residence hall and check out with their CC prior to 2:00pm on Friday, May 23.
During the week leading up to move out, students will have specific tasks to complete each day to ensure that they will be ready on the day they move out. The Final Week Checklist will be posted on the door of each room and will be checked each night by their CC. Please note that students will NOT be permitted to attend hall or campus events until their CC confirms that all tasks have been completed.
Once a student is ready to check out, their CC will stop by their room and confirm that they have properly followed all Checkout Procedures. Please note that the student and a legal guardian will both need to be present to sign the Room Condition Report to complete the checkout process. Once all checkout procedures have been completed, the student will immediately leave campus. Students who check out prior to Friday, May 23 may return to campus for the Commencement ceremony ONLY and should not return to campus for any other reason.
Class of 2025, you have put in an impressive amount of work these past two years and SAB has put together a special celebration to honor that! Join us on Friday, May 16th at 7:00PM on Bryan Lawn to celebrate the end of your NCSSM journey From Zoom to Bloom!
We hope you'll take the time to come out and dress up (dressy casual attire), enjoy some sweet treats, and appreciate the company of your classmates before commencement.
Students who remain on campus May 21 & 22 are invited to enjoy a two day end-of-year celebration that will feature an outdoor field day, glow-in-the-dark kickball, an inflatable water slide, a bounce house, food trucks, sweet treats, and one last Hill Street block party! Please encourage your student to attend these events to help say goodbye to the Class of 2025 and to close out a great school year!
Commencement
Please join us as we graduate our 44th class of residential students on Friday, May 23rd at 9:00am on Watts Lawn. The ceremony is open to NCSSM seniors and their families. We welcome the junior class to participate in Commencement, though junior attendance is not mandatory. No tickets are required UNLESS inclement weather necessitates moving indoors. If Commencement is moved indoors, each senior will receive 4 wristbands: 2 wristbands for guests to attend Commencement in the Charles Eilber Physical Education Center (PEC), and 2 wristbands for guests to watch the Commencement livestream in locations around campus: the Auditorium, Lecture Hall, and Music Suite. If the ceremony is moved indoors, juniors (outside of Marshals and those performing music) will not participate in the ceremony and will move out of their rooms. Juniors and their families will be able to view livestream of Commencement from off campus. As a reminder, all students must move out of their residence hall rooms and check out with their CC no later than 2 p.m. on Commencement day. The entire event will be livestreamed on the NCSSM YouTube Channel. For more information about Commencement please visit: https://www.ncssm.edu/commencement
On Saturday, April 5th, NCSSM’s 2025 Prom “Medieval Promenade” will take place in the Museum of Life and Science. Pre-sale tickets are $50 and may be purchased here until April 4th at 5:00pm, and day-of tickets will be $60 in exact change. If your student is planning to stay off campus on the night of Prom, please have them fill out an Overnight Orah pass request with exact details of their travel plans (including address, mode of transportation, and full name of their host) by Midnight on April 1st. No concessions will be made if this date is missed.
Students may request to bring their vehicle from home to campus for the day of Prom. Please visit the NCSSM Prom Website permissions tab to learn more about important dates and deadlines for Prom vehicle use.
Parents! Parent volunteers can help with food prep, clean-up, decorating, ticket sales, coat check, and more, and are always essential for creating a beautiful Prom night. Sign up here if you’re interested in lending a helping hand!
For more information about our prom, check out the NCSSM Prom Website, and feel free to email prom@ncssm.edu with any questions.”
Residence halls will close on Friday, April 11th at 5:00pm and will reopen on Monday, April 21st at 12:00pm. Since this is a long break students must unplug all items in their room, including fridges and fish tanks. Students should properly defrost their fridge to avoid puddles or mold growth over the break. Students are encouraged to take home as many items as possible that they will not need for the remainder of the year. Students are also advised to return to campus with boxes to prepare for move out.
The Senior Leadership Campus Service process is coming to a close. Senior Leadership announcements will be sent out on Tuesday, April 22 at 4:00pm and applicants will have until Thursday, April 24 to submit their decisions to program coordinators. Please note that the SLSC process does not account for every senior campus service assignment. Juniors should reach out to any employees that they may be interested in working with next year if they chose not to participate in the SLCS process. They can also contact Justin Plummer (plummer@ncssm.edu), Campus Service Coordinator and Associate Director of Student Services, if they have any questions.”
Looks like we’ve got a mystery on our hands… Latin America Fest is happening on May 3rd from 7-8:30 PM in the ETC Auditorium, and the clues all point to an unforgettable night. Join us as we unmask the beauty of Latin culture through dancing, spoken word, music performances, and more. Grab your magnifying glasses and get ready; because this is one case you won’t want to miss!
The Spring Final Assessment Schedule has been shared by Academic Programs. Synchronous final assessment blocks are arranged to minimize exam conflicts and to minimize conflicts with the AP Exams scheduled for Friday, May 16. Academic Programs will work directly with students and instructors to resolve those conflicts in the weeks before the end of the semester. As in previous semesters, Academic Programs have indicated deadlines for submitting projects, papers, and take-home exams by academic discipline to ensure that all asynchronous assessments are not due at the same time.”
The Prom Committee is excited to extend an invitation to all residential students to join us for a night at the Medieval Promenade of 2025. Prom will occur on April 5th from 8pm-12am at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. Click HERE for details about the event, how to purchase tickets, important forms, transportation options, and more!
Each year, the Prom Committee invites NCSSM families to participate in the festivities by volunteering the night of Prom at the Museum of Life and Science. There are many opportunities to be involved, from helping out with set up, to organizing the coat check, to serving appetizers, desserts, and drinks, to directing students throughout the museum, and of course the dash to clean everything up and pack it away in record time at the end of the night. Even if you can't join us at the museum for prom night, you have the opportunity to purchase desserts for students to enjoy! For more information about volunteering at Prom, check out THIS LINK and be on the lookout for an email from Trish Aiello in the coming weeks for signups!
In keeping with tradition, Student Life will also host an After Prom event for students to enjoy late night pizza in the PEC after prom ends. Additional details about the event and how to participate will be shared with students in future communications.
As you and your student make plans for Prom 2025, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Prom Coordinators at prom@ncssm.edu with any questions.
Juniors and Seniors will receive an email with information concerning move-out in the next week or two. In the meantime, best practice is to start evaluating which items to take home over the upcoming extended weekend and spring break. The more items students can get home over our final extended weekends of the year, the easier move-out will be. Good items to consider taking home are winter coats and clothes, extra furniture, and large items.
Just a quick reminder that the Residence Halls will be closing on Friday, March 21st at 5:00pm. Halls will reopen on Monday, March 24th at noon.
Students will submit an Overnight pass on Orah before or during our hall meeting right before the Extended Weekend. On this Orah pass, they indicate where they are going for the break, who they are traveling with, and how they are getting to their destination. If students have specific questions about checkout procedures for the Extended Weekend, they should speak to Vanessa Ponce or Hope Gambill.
The Senior Leadership Campus Service (SLCS) selection process is underway! Over twenty different assignments participate in this process which should help juniors find a senior campus service assignment they're excited about. An overview of the process and the various positions can be found on the SITE. Please note that the SLCS process does not account for every senior campus service assignment. There are many opportunities for leadership in campus service to consider. Juniors should reach out to any employees that they may be interested in working with next year.
Grab your passports! We're heading to Sikhadula! On February 22nd at 7:30pm in the Auditorium, we'll be taking a flight to Sikhadula - a place where Black culture can thrive undivided by land and sea. Come with us to enjoy the various aspects of Black culture as we explore Sikhadula! We hope to see you there! This is a free event, but we have limited seating so be on the lookout for tickets dropping soon!
Just a quick reminder that the Residence Halls will be closing on Thursday, February 27th at 5:00pm. Halls will reopen on Sunday, March 2nd at noon.
Students will submit an Overnight pass on Orah before or during our hall meeting right before the Extended Weekend. On this Orah pass, they indicate where they are going for the break, who they are traveling with, and how they are getting to their destination. If students have specific questions about checkout procedures for the Extended Weekend, they should speak to Vanessa Ponce or Hope Gambill.
January Term (J-Term) is a special session during which NCSSM provides significant opportunities for students to engage in unique educational experiences. These experiences include both regular coursework, offered in a different format, and unique learning opportunities beyond the standard curriculum, both in and out of the traditional classroom context. J-Term aims to engage students in a rigorous exploration of a subject area of great interest in a way that contributes to their academic and personal growth and serves them well in their future academic aspirations. J-Term also provides an opportunity for students to interact with their peers from our Morganton campus; some Morganton students will be visiting Durham for their classes, and vice-versa. J-Term travel courses also include students from both campuses.
On Monday, January 20th, NCSSM will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy by having a day dedicated to community service, education, and unity. The day is considered part of the academic calendar and the expectation is that students participate fully in the day’s activities and events.
Just a quick reminder that the Residence Halls will be closing on Thursday, January 30th at 5:00pm. Halls will reopen on Sunday, February 2nd at noon.
Students will submit an Overnight pass on Orah before or during our hall meeting right before the Extended Weekend. On this Orah pass, they indicate where they are going for the break, who they are traveling with, and how they are getting to their destination. If students have specific questions about checkout procedures for the Extended Weekend, they should speak to Vanessa Ponce or Hope Gambill.