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.

May 24, 2021 · Jenna A. Robinson

It’s Not About ‘Politics’—The Brouhaha over Nikole Hannah-Jones

Last week, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees came under fire for “viewpoint discrimination” over its decision not to offer tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, who will join…

May 20, 2021 · Jenna A. Robinson

Did You Know? Not All UNC Students Get the Same Funding

The University of North Carolina system includes 16 universities, from large campuses with high research activity to small liberal arts institutions. They differ in many ways, from location to student…

May 12, 2021 · Jay Schalin

University Decline: Hofstadter’s Warning Has Been Ignored

The 1960s were a turbulent period for academia, and we are still struggling with the repercussions of that turbulence today. Indeed, today’s “woke” campus is in many ways the result…

May 10, 2021 · Shannon Watkins

UNC’s 1619 Project Hire: A Case Study of Failed University Governance

The recent hiring of New York Times columnist Nikole Hannah-Jones as a faculty member in UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism raises serious red flags about how the university is…

Apr 26, 2021 · Jay Schalin

Perpetual Scandal-Mongering as a Political Tool

Members of the media and faculty erupted into histrionics at the recent appointment of Darrell Allison to the chancellorship of Fayetteville State University. It is a great scandal, they claimed;…

Apr 22, 2021 · Shannon Watkins

Did You Know? Where UNC System’s $10 Billion in Revenue Comes From

Everything that the UNC system and its constituent institutions do is dependent on a generous inflow of money. In fiscal year 2020, the UNC system received $10.2 billion in revenues,…

Apr 19, 2021 · Shannon Watkins

A Chancellor Search Tainted with Suspicion and Shrouded in Secrecy

The recent appointment of Darrell Allison to the chancellorship of Fayetteville State University (FSU) has sparked a controversy. The UNC Board of Governors’ (BOG) announcement elicited immediate pushback from those…

Apr 15, 2021 · Megan Zogby

Did You Know? Higher Ed Admissions Scandal Comes to Netflix

Netflix’s documentary Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal tells the story of rich parents bribing their children’s way into their college of choice. While the story has been reported…

Apr 12, 2021 · Shannon Watkins

A Conversation with UNC System President Peter Hans

A new leader took the helm of the University of North Carolina system during a tumultuous time. In the midst of a global pandemic, Peter Hans was elected UNC system…

Apr 5, 2021 · Jay Schalin

UNC Governing Boards Fiddle while Reason Burns

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles. Part I can be found here, Part II is here, and Part III is here. The “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”…