NCSU engages in teaching whether in the seminar room, the lecture hall, or in informal conferences; whether on the main campus in Raleigh or in extension classrooms in any of the state's 100 counties. NCSU understands that all its activities either provide instruction directly, or support instruction through the storage, discovery, communication, and dissemination of knowledge. According to the Mission Statement, NCSU regards undergraduate education as its "major responsibility," but NCSU is also a "national center for doctoral studies" where "research and scholarly inquiry form the foundation for education and public service." Thus, "NCSU's dual designations as a land-grant university and a Research University I form the basis for the unique role of NCSU in the University of North Carolina" [4.0.2].
Each semester NCSU teaches nearly 27,500 undergraduate, graduate, and lifelong education students on the Raleigh campus and numerous others in nondegree extension activities sponsored by the extension programs in each school or college. In addition, NCSU offers extension-credit courses and degree programs by cable, video, and satellite to forty-five states and the District of Columbia, as well as to England, France, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Austria, and Venezuela.
The quality of academic offerings and degree programs at NCSU is maintained through regular and periodic review by the University Courses and Curriculum Committee. The quality of faculty is maintained through regular review and evaluation and through following organized procedures for hiring, promotion and tenure, and professional advancement. These procedures and processes will be discussed in more detail and their effectiveness assessed in chapters of this self-study devoted to discussion of NCSU's undergraduate and graduate programs and NCSU's faculty.
