The Faculty Council passed Resolution 2017-2. On Supporting Permanent Legal Status for DACA-Eligible Individuals at its regular meeting on Friday, October 13, 2017. The resolution endorses the UNC system-wide Faculty Assembly’s Resolution 2018-1. On Supporting the North Carolina Congressional delegation to create a permanent legal status for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) eligible individuals.
The UNC Faculty Assembly serves the President, UNC General Administration, the Board of Governors, the NC General Assembly, and campus faculty and administrative bodies, as a faculty advisory body on system-wide issues.
On Friday, the UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty Council endorsed the Faculty Assembly’s adoption of the statement below:
The Faculty Assembly supports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and is troubled by the potential loss of their opportunity to continue as students in our universities. These young people embody the ideals illustrated in “Higher Expectations: The Strategic Plan for the University of North Carolina.” Their presence contributes to the Excellent and Diverse Institutions which make up the UNC System. Their motivation, tenacity and courage are characteristics that foster Student Success and we encourage all students to possess. DACA facilitates Access to higher education and student diversity. Because of DACA, they can work and pay taxes that support our university system. Their contributions make an Economic Impact nationwide and specifically in North Carolina. They participate in all aspects of campus academic life and connect the universities of the system to various communities through Community Engagement. Our support for DACA recipients is directly aligned with the visionary approach to higher education embraced by the UNC System.
North Carolina and our nation are better off because of their presence. We demonstrate our humanity through our commitment to these DACA youth. The university is a beacon of hope for all who enter its walls and it is incumbent upon us, the faculty, to uphold the ideals that we hold true. Dreamers are an integral part of the fabric that makes our system the dynamic leader in higher education that it has been and continues to aspire to be. The Faculty Assembly implores our elected officials and all members of the North Carolina Congressional delegation to prioritize and move quickly to create a permanent legal status for DACA eligible youth.
During discussion of the resolution, Chancellor Carol Folt said she has “signed on to many of these” statements requesting legislators “to create permanent legal status” for DACA eligible students.
Folt said the resolution presented a “chance to have a collective opinion” on the matter. The Faculty Council passed Resolution 2017-2 unanimously.
