Trouble Brews with the UNC BOG

[Gonzo]

Aside from the usual pervasive Chapel Hill nepotism and dwindling UNC System member autonomy, there are some really disconcerting matters being decided in the coming days.

I'll highlight the reports I've been reading:

-"Right-sizing" the UNC Sytem (



This language seems like they're going to close a school(s).

-More BOG input on Chancellor searches WITHOUT voting (

-They're moving towards closing many centers across the system. (The poverty center at UNC CH is one of them and they're meeting fierce resistance from liberals and academics [redundant?] across the state)

-Likely voting to increase tuition state-wide

[HighlandsApp]

NC Constitution states that NC Universities should be "..as free as practical." This newly appointed BOG group has a different opinion on those words from those running the university over the last 200+ years.

[HighlandsApp]

I wonder who they will choose to merge us with? Will AppState be merged with/called WS State or a new name?

"#UNC BOG Harry Smith wants “right-sizing” NC univ system, current 17-campus unsustainable."That's where we're headed as a committee" #ncga"

There are only a few campuses with issues, all others have record enrollment. Is record enrollment the problem? Others in NC Legislature have stated that UNC schools have an unfair advantage over private schools in the state and that that must be rectified.

Will be an interesting few years with the NC Legislature now calling all of the shots over UNC System Schools.

[EastHallApp]

I believe the general consensus is that "right-sizing" is bureaucratic jargon for closing one or two HBCUs (and/or UNCP).

[AppSt92]

I wonder who they will choose to merge us with? Will AppState be merged with/called WS State or a new name?

"#UNC BOG Harry Smith wants “right-sizing” NC univ system, current 17-campus unsustainable."That's where we're headed as a committee" #ncga"

There are only a few campuses with issues, all others have record enrollment. Is record enrollment the problem? Others in NC Legislature have stated that UNC schools have an unfair advantage over private schools in the state and that that must be rectified.

Will be an interesting few years with the NC Legislature now calling all of the shots over UNC System Schools.

That's pretty scary. Sad what this has come to. We're going backwards as a state.

[AppfaninCAALand]

Perhaps they should merge A&T with either UNG-G or W-S State?

[HeffnerIV]

I wonder who they will choose to merge us with? Will AppState be merged with/called WS State or a new name?

"#UNC BOG Harry Smith wants “right-sizing” NC univ system, current 17-campus unsustainable."That's where we're headed as a committee" #ncga"

There are only a few campuses with issues, all others have record enrollment. Is record enrollment the problem? Others in NC Legislature have stated that UNC schools have an unfair advantage over private schools in the state and that that must be rectified.

Will be an interesting few years with the NC Legislature now calling all of the shots over UNC System Schools.

That's pretty scary. Sad what this has come to. We're going backwards as a state.

Oh good Lord

[AppinATL]

Georgia has been doing this the past couple of years. But the college landscape in GA is very different. NC has lots of good size schools where GA has basically just 4. Tons of smaller schools and those are the ones they've been merging. Its been pretty clean and simple and without much controversy down there. I don't know how it will play out in NC.

[JTApps1]

Maybe they can rename Western Appalachian State University-South Campus The meltdown in the Whee would be hilarious to watch.

[huskie3]

Maybe they can rename Western Appalachian State University-South Campus The meltdown in the Whee would be hilarious to watch.

JT have been going to too many ciaa parties? APPALACHIAN should never be associated with west carolina, not even to make them mad.

[HighlandsApp]

Nah, they will merge UNCA into WCU. The NC General Assembly hates Liberal Arts Schools big time. UNCP and Fayetteville State merge into UNCW. Does WSSU, NCA&T and NCCU merge as one HBC, or Does UNCG get NCA&T and WSSU? Interestingly, there are a number of negative remarks/tweets from BOG regarding the fact that 46% of UNC Systems growth in last 10 years was all at UNCC. Hope we are left be.

[JTApps1]

Maybe they can rename Western Appalachian State University-South Campus The meltdown in the Whee would be hilarious to watch.

JT have been going to too many ciaa parties? APPALACHIAN should never be associated with west carolina, not even to make them mad.

It must have been the Stepshow that got me

I would never truly want that bunch in the Whee to be apart of App, but it would be fun to start a rumor just to get a reaction out of Cat faithful.

[asutrnr81]

I wonder who they will choose to merge us with? Will AppState be merged with/called WS State or a new name?

"#UNC BOG Harry Smith wants “right-sizing” NC univ system, current 17-campus unsustainable."That's where we're headed as a committee" #ncga"

There are only a few campuses with issues, all others have record enrollment. Is record enrollment the problem? Others in NC Legislature have stated that UNC schools have an unfair advantage over private schools in the state and that that must be rectified.

Will be an interesting few years with the NC Legislature now calling all of the shots over UNC System Schools.

That's pretty scary. Sad what this has come to. We're going backwards as a state.

Oh good Lord

The attack on public education Pre-k-16+ is clear, intentional, and the wrong way to go for this state. Picking and choosing the laws to follow is another area of concern that is going to be interesting to watch. It is a financially significant issue given the impact of poverty in our state! ....not to mention it is self fulfilling!

[CheckYosef94]

I've heard rumors that UNCP is going to be shut down.

[HighlandsApp]

Recent statements from the BOG point to big change coming:

“The model should be much smaller than it is,” UNC Board of Governor member Harry Smith Jr. said about the UNC system last Thursday, during a committee meeting discussion about tuition and fee increases. “It’s my personal opinion that it’s way too big,” Smith said, about the UNC system. “I’d like to look at the entire system and see how many campuses we need.” In an interview this week, Smith said the fact-based review could include consolidations, closures or mergers with regional community colleges. He doesn’t know when it will begin, but hopes to start soon.

The system-wide review could result in recommendations to consolidate or shutter campuses and follows recent decisions by the UNC Board of Governors that have attracted public attention and criticism.

James Moeser, a former chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, wrote in an essay published this week that recent actions by the board has him concerned about the future of the university system.

He is worried about “collateral damage to the university from these actions and from statements from people in high places that suggest a lack of support for academic freedom, a lack of understanding of the real purpose of a public university,” Moeser wrote.

[HeffnerIV]

I'm really not sure what my stance here, but is the state's mission to have as many campuses as possible or to provide educational opportunities and a trained workforce?

[bcoach]

I'm really not sure what my stance here, but is the state's mission to have as many campuses as possible or to provide educational opportunities and a trained workforce?

Somebody need to start thinking about a trained workforce. We have just too many companies who are having to import that trained workforce.

[ASUMountaineer]

I have always thought 17 campuses seemed awfully big for North Carolina, but that was completely an uninformed, outsider view. I am not qualified to make a determination on the number of necessary campuses.

I believe that it is in the public's interest to have each region of the state represented with public higher education institutions. We have that now, but do we have too many is the question. I'm not sure, but we also have to ask ourselves if the current system (from pre-K through college) is sustainable. Our education system in NC is a mess, and currently has no clear direction for how it can be fixed. With that said, I'm not convinced that higher education is the best place to start...this will be something to watch!

[HighlandsApp]

This is interesting and seems crazy:

"McCrory’s budget would limit the use of state dollars to $1 million at each campus for private fundraising efforts. That would affect 12 campuses and reduce university funding in that area by $18 million."

If private fundraising brings in $18 million why put a stranglehold on raising this money?

[HighlandsApp]

I have always thought 17 campuses seemed awfully big for North Carolina, but that was completely an uninformed, outsider view. I am not qualified to make a determination on the number of necessary campuses.

I believe that it is in the public's interest to have each region of the state represented with public higher education institutions. We have that now, but do we have too many is the question. I'm not sure, but we also have to ask ourselves if the current system (from pre-K through college) is sustainable. Our education system in NC is a mess, and currently has no clear direction for how it can be fixed. With that said, I'm not convinced that higher education is the best place to start...this will be something to watch!

Georgia consolidated a few colleges, but their system is much larger, both in number of students and in number of schools but still have 11 campuses with less than 5k in students each:

The USG is the fifth largest university system in the United States by total student enrollment, with 318,027 students in 30 public institutions.In 2012, the 30 USG institutions had a $14.1 Billion Economic Impact on the state of Georgia. Georgia Tech in Atlanta and UGA had the largest impacts on their regional economies: $2.6 billion and 20,869 jobs at Georgia Tech and $2.2 billion and 22,196 jobs at UGA. Georgia State University in Atlanta had a $1.6 billion economic impact with 13,736 jobs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University ... of_Georgia

NC and Ga are similar in a lot of ways and both have just shy of 10mm in population, but their system is more than 1/3 larger than ours and they have the Hope Scholarship for instate students.

There very well would be efficiencies with the UNC combining a few campuses that have similar purpose, are located nearby and struggling to attract students.

The troubling part are the continued use of words suggesting a significant reduction in the size of the university by the BOG is troubling. What size do these folks think AppState should be? What colleges and programs will they decide to cut because they overlap with UNCC or WCU?

The biggest question is why does this group of successful businessmen and women believe that one of the most respected State University systems in the country is broken?