Fedex Global Education Center
UNC—Chapel Hill emphasized its growing focus on international studies and programs with the opening of the FedEx Global Education Center in 2007. The modern building at the corner of McCauley Street and Pittsboro Street houses many of the university's centers with an international focus, offices, an auditorium, and classrooms. The building's construction was funded primarily from the North Carolina Higher Education Improvement Bonds Referendum, passed in 2000, but it received its name in recognition of a $5 million gift from FedEx. It was the first major building on the campus to be named for a corporation (although earlier research labs were named for their corporate sponsors). The decision to name the building after a corporation was somewhat controversial, attracting criticism from some faculty and alums who felt that the university either sold the name for too small an amount or missed an opportunity to honor an important figure from the university's past.
Date Established: 2004
Date Range: 2004 – Present