Since its construction in 1907, the Campus Y has been a center for student involvement in social concerns. A department in Carolina's Division of Student Affairs, the Campus Y is dedicated to making the world a better place.

Its mission is "the pursuit of social justice through the cultivation of pluralism." Work by the Y's committee covers a wide range of activities, from mentoring local elementary school children to advocating for criminal justice awareness. Thomas Wolfe, author of Look Homeward, Angel, wrote in a second-floor room, and the Y's chapel hosted the first motion picture shown in Chapel Hill.