While the University has been free of formal reports of serious verbal and physical assaults on Muslim and Arab students, the Office of Minority Affairs is trying to start dialogue between racial and religious groups to prevent hateful acts that have occurred across the country.
Many of the suspected terrorists associated with the attacks are of Arab descent or are members of the Muslim faith, including Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the attacks.
When that news was made public, hate crimes occurred across the country, including bomb threats to Islamic mosques as close to home as Raleigh.
As a result of the backlash, Archie Ervin, director of UNC's Office of Minority Affairs, said Monday that his office is ready to help members of the targeted groups at the University, even though it has not dealt with the groups much in the past.
Ervin said Chancellor James Moeser's office has been in touch with members of the Muslim Student Association and the UNC Arab Club in case either organization has concerns.
"We as a university community must remember that we value everyone in our community," Ervin said. "We are a community of enlightened people, I hope."
Ervin said he used his lunch break Tuesday to meet with leaders of several different faiths from Chapel Hill and Carrboro to bring the groups together and start a dialogue between them.
"We really want to find a way to make connections with people who want to be connected with," Ervin said.
Ervin said Tuesday's meeting was a success and that a similar meeting with student religious leaders is in the works.
