UNC Board of Trustees
UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor to talk free tuition plan with UNC Board of Governors
UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will give a presentation at a special meeting of the UNC Board of Governors next week on his plan to cover the costs of tuition and fees for students whose families make less than $80,000 a year. The plan, announced last week, stirred some controversy among members of the Board […]
Gov. Roy Cooper lets UNC omnibus bill become law without his signature
Gov. Roy Cooper let an omnibus bill dealing with University of North Carolina System campuses become law without his signature Thursday. N.C. Senate Bill 195 made a series of changes to policies governing the state’s universities — none exceptionally controversial. The bill, originally filed in March by N.C. Sen. Amy Galey (R-Alamance) had several prominent […]
As UNC-Chapel Hill announces free tuition, political appointees raise questions, push back
When UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced last week the university would begin providing free tuition and required fees for students whose families make less than $80,000 a year, it came as a surprise. Not just to the general public, but to the university’s board of trustees and the UNC System Board of Governors, as […]
Commentary: UNC Chapel Hill trustees misfire with rushed and ill-conceived plan to launch conservative school
Two weeks ago, the UNC Board of Trustees arrived in Chapel Hill hellbent on launching yet another salvo in the campus Culture Wars. They surprised everyone with a resolution calling for the creation of a new “School of Civic Life and Leadership.” Comprised “of a minimum of 20 dedicated faculty,” this proposed school would help develop student “skills in public discourse” in the service of “promoting democracy and serving to benefit society.”
One year later, Walter Hussman still denying involvement in Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure standoff
This week marks one year since acclaimed journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones turned down a tenure offer from UNC-Chapel Hill, choosing to instead start a new Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard University. Policy Watch broke the story of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees initially denying Hannah-Jones a vote on tenure, and deeply reported the […]
UNC-Chapel Hill trustee’s involvement in debate between candidates for student body president sparks controversy
The student body president at UNC-Chapel Hill is calling for the removal of a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, who he says interfered in an online debate between candidates for student body president earlier this month. Student Body President Lamar Richards sent a complaint to the UNC System president and chair of the UNC Board of Governors’ University Governance Committee...
UNC Board of Trustees approves “outspoken conservative” voice as new provost
The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved Chris Clemens, a senior associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, as the university’s new executive vice chancellor and provost after a special meeting held largely in closed-session Thursday. Though the vote was in the brief open session portion of Thursday's meeting, the board took the unusual step of not publicly disclosing what they were voting on or using any names or titles.
UNC Board of Trustees approves “outspoken conservative” voice as new provost
The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved Chris Clemens, a senior associate dean, as the school’s new executive vice chancellor and provost after a special meeting held largely in closed-session Thursday. Though the Board of Trustees vote was in the brief open-session portion of Thursday’s meeting, the board took the unusual step of not publicly […]
PW exclusive: Author Geeta Kapur discusses her new book detailing the history and legacy of racism at UNC
As a lawyer and civil rights activist, Geeta Kapur was well aware of racism in North Carolina. But she had a blind spot concerning the history of her alma mater. That changed in 2010, when she attended an exhibit on the Black experience in the South at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library. “It was called ‘We […]
New members join UNC Board of Trustees, shifting demographics but likely not ideologies
Six new members are set to join the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, changing the board’s demographic makeup but likely not its conservative bent. The new trustees will have to contend with the fallout from the Nikole Hannah-Jones case, which has prompted an exodus of Black faculty and raised questions about the effectiveness of the university’s shared governance structure.
Trustees’ handling of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ tenure application shows how university boards often fail the accountability test
University boards of trustees hold considerable power over the institutions they govern, but get attention only when they’re hiring a new president or if there is a crisis. Yet, increasingly boards aren’t navigating or mediating crises – they are creating them. On June 30, after deliberating in a closed session, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted 9-4 to grant journalist, MacArthur Fellowship recipient and Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure.
UNC’s Student Body President met with Chancellor to discuss Hannah-Jones’ tenure case, racism in the university
UNC Chapel Hill Student Body President Lamar Richards met with Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz on Wednesday to discuss student concerns after the fallout of the Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure case. Richards discussed his conversation with Guskiewicz at the inaugural Campus President Council meeting, saying the chancellor was receptive to their concerns but offered little in terms of […]