UNC Pembroke Breaks Ground on Clinical Sciences Building to House NC’s First Public Optometry School

UNC Pembroke breaks ground on its new Clinical Sciences Building. The project moves the university closer to opening North Carolina's first public optometry school. The Golden LEAF Foundation contributed $4,864,368 to support the College of Optometric Medicine, paying for clinical and training lab equipment.

The building will cost $96 million and span 74,000 square feet. Inside, students will find advanced clinical training labs, simulation spaces, and patient care areas. No other public optometry school exists in North Carolina or within the UNC System.

The program will admit its first class in fall 2027. Students will work in clinical settings as early as the second year. The curriculum combines simulation training, live patient care, and rural clinical experiences.

“We are deeply grateful to our state legislators for their leadership and support, and to the Golden LEAF Foundation for their partnership in advancing this important project. Together, these investments are helping us expand high-demand health programs, address critical workforce shortages and create new opportunities for students while improving access to care across southeastern North Carolina,” Cummings said, per UNCP.

Projections show trouble ahead. Rural communities could face a shortage of nearly 70% of the eye care providers they need by 2035. Thirteen counties in North Carolina lack a single optometrist.

Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings said optometrists play a role in early detection of systemic health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, often before symptoms appear. "The vision for UNCP's College of Optometric Medicine extends beyond traditional eye care, preparing optometric physicians to play a critical role in the overall health of the communities they serve," Cummings said in a UNCP release.

The UNC System Board of Governors approved the college in 2024.