Governance

University boards have the primary responsibility for ensuring fidelity to the institution’s mission, managing university finances, and setting personnel policies. The following articles expose poor governance practices and identify policies that keep boards accountable to the taxpayers, students, parents, alumni, and donors whom they serve.

Jan 19, 2023 · Jenna A. Robinson

How the UNC System is Propping Up Enrollment

Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment has been falling since 2010. The trend is being driven both by a shrinking pool of high-school graduates and those graduates choosing to attend universities at…

Jan 16, 2023 · Richard K. Vedder

Who Should Own the University of North Carolina?

As a college professor from the Midwest, I usually shy away from commenting on higher-education policy issues in other parts of the country. But North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s November…

Jan 11, 2023 · James E. Moore, II, Spiro Pantazatos and Kursat Pekgoz

The Empress Wears No Clothes

Catherine E. Lhamon is the current Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Despite the unassuming title, her position wields enormous power. The Assistant…

Jan 9, 2023 · Ashlynn Warta

It’s Way Past Time to End the Standardized Testing Waiver

In the midst of the Covid pandemic, the UNC Board of Governors made the decision to take some pressure off potential applicants by implementing an emergency waiver for the System’s…

Jan 6, 2023 · Ezra Meyer

Grotesque Antisemitism at George Washington University

On October 11, a number of students gathered outside the George Washington University’s Jewish student center in protest of a routine event held by the student group GW for Israel.…

Jan 2, 2023 · Martin Center Staff

Reforms We’re Cheering For in 2023

Each January, the staff of the Martin Center share our higher-ed-reform dreams for the coming year. Will all of our wishes come true? Probably not. Nevertheless, we offer them here…

Dec 30, 2022 · Thomas Grennes

How Diversity Conceals More Than It Reveals

Offices with titles such as “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” have become common in business, government, and universities. Employees are sometimes required to take courses in diversity training, and, in some…

Dec 28, 2022 · Richard K. Vedder

Wanted: A Successful Collegiate Rent-Seeker

Economists call someone who gets paid more than necessary to produce a good or service a “rent-seeker.” Arguably the preeminent rent-seeker in higher education, Terry Hartle, announced his retirement recently…

Dec 26, 2022 · Ashlynn Warta

Can UNC-System Schools Afford to Show Taxpayers the Money?

Some North Carolina residents may not be aware of just how many of their tax dollars go to support the UNC System. Given the massive support provided by the state…