In 1971, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation bringing all 16 public institutions that confer bachelor's degrees into The University of North Carolina System. As a result of the consolidation, N.C. A&T became a constituent institution and Lewis Carnegie Dowdy, the college's sixth president, was reappointed as the college's first chancellor in July of the following year. The 1988 school year saw N.C. A&T set an enrollment record with 6,200 students. The following year, the college bested its record with a total of 6,500 students.