Martin: Diversity in the classroom and the boardroom By Jim Martin Even at its most refined, governance is messy. There’s no perfect process that can guarantee the right decision. The closest we can come is to make sure every voice is in the room arguing about what’s right. Diversity of thought is a bedrock principle… READ MORE
BOG Governance Committee takes up… governance
By David RiceHigher Ed Works CHAPEL HILL (Feb. 20, 2020) – Following scandals involving individual UNC Board of Governors members who intervened in campus decisions and two East Carolina University trustees who tampered with a student election, the Board’s Governance Committee launched a discussion of proper governance. In the first discussion of what Committee Chair… READ MORE
Lou Bissette: Building a perfect Board of Governors
By Lou Bissette I am very proud of the UNC System. Our 17 institutions constitute the finest public university system in the nation. I have been fortunate to serve a combined 17 years, first on the Board of Western Carolina University and then on the UNC System Board of Governors. Lately, we have seen a… READ MORE
History of UNC governance: ‘Lot of cooks in the kitchen’
By D.G. MARTIN Former UNC System President Margaret Spellings spoke for many North Carolinians concerned about the state’s public multi-campus university when she questioned, “You know, are we organized for success? “So we’ve got a Board of Trustees and a chancellor (on each campus), and a President and a Board of Governors (for the System),… READ MORE
2019: The turmoil continues
Turmoil continued through 2019 among the leadership of individual UNC campuses and the UNC System itself. A new state budget for 2019-21 still hasn’t been adopted; raises for K-12 teachers and higher education faculty are still on hold. And the fate of a statue continued to divert energy from the university’s more noble pursuits. Yet… READ MORE
Yet another UNC leadership change
CHAPEL HILL – With the resignation of Harry Smith as Chair of the UNC Board of Governors, we have yet another in a series of leadership changes across the University of North Carolina System. The Board elected Randy Ramsey yesterday to serve the remainder of Smith’s term as Chair until June 30, 2020.1 But this revolving door… READ MORE
Roper on UNC System challenges: ‘Settle things down’
CHAPEL HILL – The Interim President of the University of North Carolina System says his job is a remarkable privilege – but he also knows the University faces some trials. “We have some challenges,” Interim President Dr. William L. Roper says in the accompanying video. “And one challenge, just to be direct about it, is… READ MORE
Making it Work with UNC’s Board
By Mary Sue Coleman, PhD President, Association of American Universities As a proud alumna of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), I have watched with dismay as the UNC Board of Governors (BOG) has plunged one of the world’s most respected institutions of higher learning into a crisis. This is the institution… READ MORE
2018: Questions of leadership and governance
Our top higher-education stories of 2018 fell into several broad categories: LEADERSHIP/GOVERNANCE The year saw large questions of leadership and governance raised but not always answered. In May, the NC Board of Community Colleges named Peter Hans – a former board member with extensive experience in both community colleges and universities – as the new… READ MORE
Former BOG members on good governance
Good governance can take many shapes and forms, depending on the organization and circumstance, and is not always easy to see or detect. Bad governance is different – like many things, you know it when you see it. And what we saw at a recent meeting of the UNC Board of Governors was clearly bad… READ MORE