The Formation of UNC CAUSE

The National College and University System Exchange (CAUSE) provided a forum/national conference for computing professionals to share and exchange common concerns. In 1973, Erwin Danziger, Director ADP at UNC Chapel Hill, provided the encouragement and initiative that resulted in several of the institutions in the UNC System joining National CAUSE collectively with a “system membership.” Although many of us were meeting prior to this time and sharing ideas, the first official meeting of UNC CAUSE was on November 12, 1974, at UNC General Administration in Chapel Hill. The meeting was one day long and 28 persons attended representing 12 of the institutions in the system.

We met to discuss the possibility of establishing a system-wide network of data processing professionals with the goals/objectives of sharing applications between campuses to reduce development costs associated with administrative applications. Since we shared the same goals/objectives as the National CAUSE, we called ourselves UNC CAUSE. Not for Chapel Hill, but for the UNC System!

UNC CAUSE Structure

UNC CAUSE has both a small Executive Team and an Advisory Board to help with continuity from year to year in addition to the annual conference planning team.  Those members can be found on our Governance page here:  https://unccause.org/mission/governance.

The annual conference is hosted and planned by the UNC System Schools that are split by region on an annual rotating basis:

East

• East Carolina University
• Elizabeth City State University
• Fayetteville State University
• North Carolina State University
• University of North Carolina Wilmington

West

• Appalachian State University
• North Carolina School of the Arts
• UNC-Charlotte
• UNC-Asheville
• Western Carolina University
• Winston- Salem State University

Central

• North Carolina Central University
• North Carolina A&T State University
• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics*
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

*Includes the Durham and Morganton campuses.

UNC CAUSE Now

The UNC CAUSE organization has developed into a dynamic, creative, and innovative group of professionals providing insight and support for the constituent institutions in their pursuit of the utilization of information technology. Our conferences are of particular importance to all members and provide a state-wide forum for our staff to be exposed to advances in information technology and have opportunities for professional development at a reasonable cost. Since our beginning, we have solicited active participation from agencies in State Government, specifically those agencies that we deal with on a daily basis in our work.  This opportunity for sharing, input, and dialog has enhanced the UNC systems environment and directions related to the technologies we support; it also allows us to have some influence within our State regarding issues involving our chosen profession.

We have an ever-increasing opportunity to deliver capabilities to our customers and thus empower them via technology to be more productive and creative in their jobs. Our organization, UNC CAUSE, for the past 45+ years has and in the future will continue to help us to be better information technology professionals in the arena of higher education.