CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Johnson C. Smith University is kicking off a yearlong celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the university’s founding.

The historically black university in Charlotte has a student body of about 1,500 and was chartered in 1867.

Special programs are being planned at the university throughout the coming school year. The new academic year begins on Monday with an event on campus featuring coffee and an address by university president Ronald L. Carter.

The university’s sesquicentennial logo is also being unveiled and 150 biodegradable balloons in the school colors of gold and blue are being released.