UNC BOG new memebers announced.

[8993]

Turning Fayetteville State into a satellite campus of UNCP would make the most sense, location wise. I know this would never be on the table, but Western Carolina and UNC-Asheville are close enough that they could merge too. Call it Blue Ridge University, Great Smoky University, or West North Carolina University, or something of the sort.

Appalachian State is definitely safe. Being in a more remote location with a high number of applicants, they'd be stupid to even consider getting rid of us.

[Black Saturday]

I think its a great idea, App takes over UNC Chapel Hill, and they become our first sat campus.

While this might be the best idea, some other good ideas could be:

-Make Elizabeth City State a satellite branch campus of ECU.
-Merge NC A&T and NC Central, give it a new name and minimize duplicate degree programs.
-Merge Fayetteville and Pembroke, give it a new name and minimize duplicate degree programs.

Bottom line, don't close down campuses, but eliminate a fair amount of upper administration and some support staff positions, and make some real reductions in duplicate degree programs that are somewhat close geographically (particularly if they are smaller degree programs at both places). The state could save some serious dollars and not do much, if any, real educational damage, IMO.

None of that is going to happen cuz. lol

[Black Saturday]

The Raleigh crowd thinks anything west of Charlotte is another state.

The Raleigh crowd thinks Charlotte is Chapel Hill west alright.

[MountainMan]

I think its a great idea, App takes over UNC Chapel Hill, and they become our first sat campus.

While this might be the best idea, some other good ideas could be:

-Make Elizabeth City State a satellite branch campus of ECU.
-Merge NC A&T and NC Central, give it a new name and minimize duplicate degree programs.
-Merge Fayetteville and Pembroke, give it a new name and minimize duplicate degree programs.

Bottom line, don't close down campuses, but eliminate a fair amount of upper administration and some support staff positions, and make some real reductions in duplicate degree programs that are somewhat close geographically (particularly if they are smaller degree programs at both places). The state could save some serious dollars and not do much, if any, real educational damage, IMO.

None of that is going to happen cuz. lol

Time will tell. I doubt those exact things will happen -- as I said they are, IMO, good ideas; not predictions you should bet your money on.

It's quite naive, however, to think that nothing much will change in higher education in NC over the next few years. Raleigh seems more intent than ever before to make still more cuts and (in their own way) to try to make higher education more "accountable." Reshuffling funding formulas, having a more direct management roll in the university system, impacting core curriculum issues, etc., are some of the things that would not have been politically possible just a few years ago, but may now be real possibilities. Previous talk of closing or merging a school in the UNC system was nothing that I took very seriously, but I wouldn't just laugh it off nowadays. Not saying all this is necessarily a good or bad thing -- but it does not seem to be the same-old-same-old to me. There is a real possibility for a new game in town in higher education in NC.