Radii, I knew that would bring a response from you. You are right except that I was solely talking about my experience at Chapel Hill from 15-20 years ago, when the RT was just beginning and technologies we take for granted was in their infancy. As far as the student population (undergrad), it was easy for a NC native to get into UNC (85% of the undergrads were in-state). That's the point. It was/is one finest state schools in the country, US News has always rated UNC as one of the best bargains. Because of this, I didn't experience much diversity of the student population beyond the dyed-in-the-carolina blue wool that perpuated generation after generation. This is not unique to UNC but as you experienced, UNC does have quite a reputation throughout the country (everywhere I have lived since then has a local UNC Alumni organization). Duke, on the other hand, was just too foreign for most UNC students and it was perceived that they were just a snobby school for Northerners. NCState was for the poor schmucks that couldn't even get into UNC for some reason.
By point about culturalism wasn't so much of ignorance but strong provincialism and localism, which - as I studied in grad school there - is a characteristic trait of many traditional Southern institutions and organizations, not just schools but businesses as well. SkyDog was being funny but really, he is right. It didn't matter what level of experiences and knowledge I (or other outsiders) had to bring into the department, the good-old-boys/girls did things their own way - as they had always been doing them for years - and didn't take kindly anyone telling them 15-20 yrs ago the emperor didn't have any clothes.