The third-largest university in North Carolina, East Carolina University is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina. Based in Greenville, North Carolina, it is a dynamic institution, focusing on teaching and research activities. The university started its operation, with the opening of East Carolina Teachers Training School, granted by the North Carolina General Assembly, in October 1909. It was founded with the main aim to alleviate the desperate shortage of teachers in the eastern part of the state. Later, in 1921, it was renamed East Carolina Teachers College, when it became a four-year institution. Its first bachelor's degrees were awarded the following year. In 1941, it began to offer liberal arts degrees and, in 1951, it changed its name to East Carolina College. It achieved university status in 1967, and became a campus of the North Carolina University system, in 1972. Over the years, East Carolina Universty has evolved as an emerging, national research university with an enrollment of nearly 23,000. Baccalaureate, master’s, specialists, and doctoral programs are offered in various areas of study, such as Liberal Arts, Sciences, and professional fields including Medicine. The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Fine Arts & Communication, the College of Health and Human Performance, the College of Technology and Computer Science, the School of Allied Health Sciences, the Brody School of Medicine, and the School of Nursing are among the colleges and schools of East Carolina. The main campus has an urban setting, occupying an area of about 520 acres and more than 3.5 million square feet of academic, research, and residential space, in 124 buildings. Sotuated in a residential area of Greenville, Health Sciences Campus covers nearly 750,000 square feet of academic and research space in 39 buildings. The West Research Campus is home to the North Carolina Institute for Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. In addition, Pitt County Memorial Hospital serves as a teaching hospital for the Brody School of Medicine. East Carolina’s School of Art maintains one of the largest art galleries in North Carolina. The main library at the university is the J.Y. Joyner Library, which is dedicated to providing the materials and services integral to the educational, scholarly, creative, and intellectual endeavors of the students, faculty, and staff of East Carolina University.