Chair of the Faculty
About the Chair of the Faculty
As stated in Section 3-1 of the Faculty Code, the chair of the faculty has the following duties, in addition to those that may be determined by the chancellor or Faculty Council:
- To serve as chair pro tempore of the Faculty Council and of the General Faculty,
- To make an annual report to the Faculty Council on the state of the faculty, and
- To represent the chancellor in all academic matters whenever requested by the chancellor
The position of chair of the faculty was created on 26 October 1951 as a requirement of the Faculty Code of University Government.
The chair of the faculty serves a three-year term and is ineligible for immediate reelection. Nominations take place every third year and are made by the Advisory Committee. The elected chair takes office the following July 1. Interim vacancies in the office of chair of the faculty are filled through appointment by the Advisory Committee.
Current Chair of the Faculty: Mimi Chapman
Professor Mimi Chapman, the Frank A. Daniels Distinguished Professor for Human Service Policy Information in the School of Social Work was elected to serve as the University’s 25th chair of the faculty in spring of 2020.
A native of Texas, Professor Chapman received her B.A. in Journalism and American Studies from Baylor University, a master of science in social work from The University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in social work from Carolina. She joined the UNC-Chapel Hill faculty in 2001. In addition to teaching in the School of Social Work, she also serves as its director of doctoral admissions.
Faculty Governance committee service includes past membership on the Faculty Council, Faculty Executive Committee, Faculty Grievance Committee, Faculty Hearings Committee and, most recently, the Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure.
Professor Chapman feels that her role is to listen to faculty colleagues and administrators throughout the University to understand their perspectives, prompt maximum transparency, and provide forums for conversations and information sharing. At the beginning of her term, Professor Chapman wrote a message to the faculty saying, “Although our University has been through challenging times before, it is hard to imagine a time in which honest dialogue, good information, and constant communication were more important than they are now.”
If you wish to contact Professor Chapman regarding faculty governance-related matters, please email facultychair@unc.edu or call the Office of Faculty Governance at 919-962-2146.
Chairs of the Faculty, 1952-present
From 1952 until 1974, the term of Chair of the Faculty began January 1. Effective with the 1974 election, the beginning date of the term has been July 1. Due to this change, Prof. Okun’s term was extended by six months.
| Years served | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1952-1955 | William S. Wells | Kenan Professor of English |
| 1955-1958 | Dudley DeWitt Carroll | Kenan Professor of Economics |
| 1958-1961 | William S. Wells | Kenan Professor of English |
| 1961-1964 | George M. Harper | Professor of English |
| 1964-1967 | Corydon P. Spruill | Alumni Distinguished Professor of Economics |
| 1967-1970 | Frederic N. Cleveland | Professor of Political Science |
| 1970-1974 | Daniel A. Okun | Kenan Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering |
| 1974-1977 | George V. Taylor | Professor of History |
| 1977-1980 | E. Maynard Adams | Kenan Professor of Philosophy |
| 1980-1983 | Daniel H. Pollitt | Graham Kenan Professor of Law |
| 1983-1986 | Doris W. Betts | Alumni Distinguished Professor of English |
| 1986-1989 | George A. Kennedy | Paddison Professor of Classics |
| 1989-1991 | Harry Gooder | Professor of Microbiology and Immunology |
| 1991-1994 | James L. Peacock III | Kenan Professor of Anthropology |
| 1994-1997 | Jane D. Brown | Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication |
| 1997-2000 | Richard N. Andrews | Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering |
| 2000-2003 | Sue E. Estroff | Professor of Social Medicine |
| 2003-2006 | Judith W. Wegner | Professor of Law |
| 2006-2009 | Joseph Templeton | Francis Preston Venable Professor of Chemistry |
| 2009-2011 | McKay Coble | Professor of Dramatic Art |
| 2011-2014 | Jan Boxill | Master Lecturer of Philosophy |
| 2014-2017 | Bruce A. Cairns | John Stackhouse Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Director of the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center |
| 2017-2019 | Leslie Parise | Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Biophysics |
| 2019-2020 | Lloyd Kramer | Professor of History |
