October 12, 2018 - Faculty Governance

Meeting of the Faculty Council

Friday, October 12, 2018, 3:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.
Kerr Building, Room 1001
Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Agenda

3:00 p.m. Chair of the Faculty’s remarks

Professor Leslie Parise

3:05 p.m. Presentation of Thomas Jefferson Awards
Presented by Chancellor Carol Folt

Professor Michael McFee reading citation
Professor Connie Eble, Department of English and Comparative Literature (recipient)
Professor Jonathan Oberlander reading citation
Professor Sue Estroff, Department of Social Medicine (recipient)

3:25 p.m. Presentation of the Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prizes for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement by Young Faculty
Presented by Chancellor Carol Folt

Professor Joaquín Drut, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Professor Shawn Hingtgen, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics
Professor Juan Song, Department of Pharmacology
Professor Gabriel Trop, Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures

3:35 p.m. Chancellor’s remarks

Chancellor Carol Folt

3:55 p.m. Introduction to parliamentary process (PDF)

Professor Vin Steponaitis, Secretary of the Faculty

4:00 p.m. Resolution 2018-5 (PDF). On Not Returning Silent Sam to its Original Location

4:20 p.m. Resolution 2018-6 (PDF). On Five Principles for a Safe Way Forward

4:40 p.m. Resolution 2018-7 (PDF). On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam

Appendix A (PDF). Resolution 2017-10. On Silent Sam.
Appendix B (PDF). Message from Chancellor Carol L. Folt, August 31, 2018
Appendix C (PDF). Statement of 450 UNC-CH Faculty Re: Confederate Monument; September 5, 2018
Appendix D (PDF). Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam
Appendix E (PDF). Statement 417: UNC Faculty endorsing the statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam, September 10, 2018
Appendix F (PDF). Partial list of other memorials to Confederate soldiers already on campus

5:00 p.m. Adjournment

Video of Proceedings

Watch the full video [Streaming]

Journal of Proceedings of the Faculty Council

The Faculty Council of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill convened on October 12, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. in Kerr Hall, Room 1001 at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

The following 56 members attended: D. Aikat, Anksorus, Ansong, Baumgartner, Beltran, Berkowitz, Berman, Boon, Brewster, Burch, Byerley, Calikoglu, Chambers, Clegg, Cox, Cuddeback, Daughters, Dobelstein, Duqum, Edwards, Entwisle, Fisher, Folt (Chancellor), Fry, Furry, Gentzsch, Gilland, Graham, Halladay, Hannig, Hester, Joyner, Kris, Krome-Lukens, Larson, Lee, A. Levine, C. Levine, Lithgow, Malloy, McGrath, Moore, Parise (Chair of the Faculty), Perucci, Platts-Mills, Pukkila, Ramaswamy, Rashid, Scarlett, Steponaitis (Secretary of the Faculty), Upshaw, Vaidyanathan, Walter, Wilhelmsen, Willett, Williams and Zomorodi.

The following 20 members received excused absences: J. Aikat, Austin, Bloom, Cope, Estrada, Giovanello, Halpern, Hill, Koonce, Mayer, Mayer-Davis, Muller, Renner, Rudder, Tepper, Thorp, Thorpe, Watson, Yaqub and Zvara.

The following 16 members were absent without excuse: Arnold, Clement, Coble, Felix, Fromke, Gilchrist, Hessick, Hobbs, Ives, Khan, Kireev, Lundberg, Song, Stenberg, Williams and Zamboni.

Others in attendance: Cravey (AAUP Observer), Nabatoff (Undergraduate Representative) and Swain (Graduate Representative).

Chair of the Faculty’s remarks
Chair of the Faculty Leslie Parise welcomed everyone to the first Faculty Council meeting of fall 2018. The Faculty Council meeting scheduled for September 14, 2018 was canceled because of campus closures due to Hurricane Florence. Today, the campus celebrated the 225^th University Day, commemorating the laying of the cornerstone of Old East that marks the official founding of the university.

The Board of Governors charged Chancellor Folt and the Board of Trustees with creating a plan for the disposition of the Confederate statue known as Silent Sam. Chancellor Folt asked the Faculty Executive Committee to take an active role in gathering information from faculty. Professor Parise thanked the Office of Faculty Governance (OFG) staff members for their work in organizing a series of faculty brainstorming workshops. The Office of Faculty Governance worked with Board of Trustee Lowry Caudill and a professional facilitator to design the workshops. Many faculty members were appreciative of the opportunity to share their ideas and brainstorm with their colleagues. Some faculty expressed frustration with the Board of Governors’ charge and the inability to quantify their preferences. Professor Parise said the OFG staff has captured all the responses and they are able to collate the data. The Office of Faculty Governance has received feedback on ways to improve this process; this structure can be used to collect ideas on future issues.

Preliminary results of the workshops will be posted on the Office of Faculty Governance website. Some ideas generated during the workshops include: relocating the statue to Bennett Place or another Civil War-related site; moving the statue to the North Carolina History Museum; returning the statue to the Daughters of the Confederacy; melting the statue; creating a UNC-Chapel Hill civil rights museum; collaborating with other entities to create a traveling museum that contextualizes monuments from the Jim Crow era; and commissioning artists of color to use the base in new artwork. No one recommended returning the statue to its original location in McCorkle Place. It appears that most faculty are opposed to the statue’s return to campus.

Professor Parise made several announcements. First, she expressed her thanks to all of the staff, faculty and students who helped victims of Hurricane Florence on and off campus. She announced that the Committee on Collegiate Sports, in conjunction with the Faculty Athletics Committee, is hosting the Student-Athlete Mental Health and Well-being Workshop on October 18^th in the University Room of Hyde Hall.

Presentation of the Thomas Jefferson Award
Chancellor Folt announced that the winners of the Thomas Jefferson Awards are Professor Connie Eble (English and Comparative Literature) and Professor Sue Estroff (Social Medicine).

Professor Michael McFee (English and Comparative Literature) read the Award Citation [PDF] for Professor Eble. Chancellor Folt mentioned that Professor McFee was recently selected as one of six recipients of the 2018 North Carolina Award, which is one of the state’s biggest awards.

Professor Eble said she is undoubtedly the most surprised and appreciative recipient of this award. She first heard about the Thomas Jefferson Award 47 years ago when she joined the English Department at UNC-Chapel Hill. Since then, in many ways Thomas Jefferson’s esteem has been tarnished, while Alexander Hamilton’s is on the rise due to the biography by Ron Chernow and the acclaimed musical drama “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Professor Eble made connections between herself and Thomas Jefferson. She grew up in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana and attended Jefferson Elementary School on Jefferson Highway, all named after Thomas Jefferson. The Thomas Jefferson portrait staring down at her from the first through the sixth grade, could have set her on the path to becoming a student of the English language, writing a dissertation on the earliest attested stage of the language and teaching a required graduate course in Old English—a language that Jefferson taught himself and made part of the undergraduate curriculum at the University of Virginia. Professor Eble said that regardless of discipline, faculty agree with the Jeffersonian values of independence, freedom of conscience and knowledge. The university experience of students and the well-being of North Carolinians benefit from having these ideals upheld. In that spirit she is happy to accept the Thomas Jefferson Award. Chancellor Folt then presented the award. The faculty stood and cheered.

Professor Jonathan Oberlander (Social Medicine) read the Award Citation [PDF] for Professor Estroff.

Professor Estroff said it is beyond difficult to explain how she feels about joining the ranks of the heroines and heroes on this campus. Thomas Jefferson said, “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.” The university is currently experiencing a little rebellion. Professor Estroff said we are at our best when we honor each other, especially when we are at odds and when deeply held social and moral tenants are challenged daily. The local cultural symbol Silent Sam calls for and from us, authenticity, patience, recognition, discomfort and humility. Professor Estroff said it is time to make some steps toward an agreed upon pathway, to this end she wholeheartedly supports the resolutions up for consideration. One privilege of being involved in Faculty Governance and being Chair of the Faculty [a position she held from 2000-2003] is discovering so many extraordinary, generous, thoughtful, determined and enlightened faculty in every corner of the university. The power and immeasurable value of their contributions are immense and enduring. Professor Estroff acknowledged the partnership and mentorship of former chancellors Michael Hooker and James Moeser. It has been her good fortune to work among an exceptional conglomeration of scholars in the Department of Social Medicine. In 2001, Professor Estroff spoke at convocation and said to the students that if they are lucky while at Carolina, they will fall in love twice, once with an idea, issue or cause and once with a person. She told the students that this love will shape them, shake them up and change their lives. Professor Estroff ended with a quote from Annie Dillard, “The thing is to stalk your calling in a certain skilled and supple way, to locate the most tender and live spot and plug into that pulse.” Professor Estroff said she is grateful to have found a tender and live spot to plug in to. Chancellor Folt then presented the award. The faculty stood and cheered.

Presentation of the Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prizes for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement by Young Faculty
The Hettleman Prizes recognize achievements of outstanding junior tenure-track or recently tenured faculty. Chancellor Folt presented the Hettleman prize to Joaquín Drut, associate professor of physics and astronomy; Shawn Hingtgen, associate professor of pharmacoengineering and molecular pharmaceutics; Juan Song, assistant professor of pharmacology; and Gabriel Trop, associate professor of Germanic and Slavic languages and literatures. All recipients were honored with applause.

Chancellor’s remarks
Chancellor Folt began by talking about hitting the milestone of the 225^th University Day and the need to reflect on our history as well as our future. She also wanted to point out that Provost Blouin was unable to attend University Day and the Faculty Council meeting because he is at the University of Kentucky receiving their equivalent of the Thomas Jefferson Award. Chancellor Folt said University Day is a time to be thankful and there is much to be grateful for. The University’s response to Hurricane Florence was remarkable. She acknowledged the staff of the Carolina Center for Public Service for their hard work in relief efforts. A shelter for victims of Hurricane Florence was opened in the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education. Staff from across the campus contributed to the success of the shelter. Facilities cleaned the shelter space within two hours, there was also IT support, a mini hospital, activities for children and a place for animals. Chancellor Folt was touched by the response from the campus community. One of the first groups of people in the shelter spoke Swahili, two faculty members who spoke Swahili volunteered to translate for them. The men’s basketball team, the cheerleading team, the band and a number of women’s sports teams visited the shelter. Many people do not have homes to return to, so there are still opportunities to help.

Chancellor Folt thanked the Faculty Executive Committee members for facilitating the faculty brainstorming workshops. She attended some sessions and found them to be helpful. This workshop process is important. The students and staff are also gathering feedback. Chancellor Folt said she’s never seen this scale of discussion on one topic among groups on campus since she’s been here.

Chancellor Folt said University Day is an important time to talk about the history of the university. Professor James Leloudis (History), Vice Chancellor for Workforce Strategy, Equity and Engagement Felicia Washington and Chancellor Folt gave keynote addresses at University Day. Professor Leloudis’ keynote address focused on the history of the university. Vice Chancellor Washington’s keynote address focused on her personal relationship with the university. Chancellor Folt spoke about the future of the university. Chancellor Folt wanted to point out that she issued an apology for the university’s participation in the practice of slavery. She read a portion of the apology to Faculty Council; the full text can be found here [webpage]. Chancellor Folt recognized that an apology means nothing without purposeful action. Many people have worked to reconcile the university’s past with its present and future, but there is much work to be done. Chair of the Faculty Leslie Parise and Chair of the Employee Forum Shayna Hill gave welcome speeches at University Day that highlighted the amazing accomplishments of the faculty and staff.

Chancellor Folt announced the Blue Sky Scholars Program, a new scholarship fund for middle-income undergraduates from North Carolina. The university recently received a $10 million gift from Bill and Anne Harrison to strengthen the university’s global programs. Bill Harrison is one of the key contributors to the growth of the university’s international reputation. This year the university ranked 30^th on Shanghai Ranking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities. A few years ago, the university was ranked 151st. This year, UNC-Chapel Hill was ranked ninth in the world on Reuters’ ranking of the World’s Most Innovative Universities, which is based on a university’s capacity to advance science, invent new technology and power new markets and industries. Nineteen new need-based scholarships were named after bridge builders of the university. The Bridge Builders Program names scholarships after UNC-Chapel Hill luminaries who helped fulfill Carolina’s mission as a public institution and whose leadership represents the values that define the university. The Bridge Builders are Susan Grey Akers, Bryan Brayboy, Albert Lemuel Bunker, Anne Cates, Herb Davis, Elson Floyd, Henry Frye, Linwood Futrelle, Michael Green, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Larry Keith, Jackie Overton, Linda Ellen Oxendine, Dr. Raj Panjabi, Daniel Pollitt, Susie Marshall Sharp, Chuck Stone and Weiming Lu.

Professor Bruce Cairns (Medicine) said like others, this institution has made monumental mistakes and we have been leaders as we have addressed these challenges head on. Professor Cairns said that as we move forward, we should be considerate and avoid personal attacks and questioning motives, especially those of Chancellor Folt who is under tremendous pressure. The nation, citizens of North Carolina and most importantly the students are watching the actions of the university.

Lindsay Ayling (Graduate Student) highlighted some of the risks of returning Silent Sam to campus. She and other Silent Sam protesters have received a number of violent threats, of which she shared examples with the Council. She asked Chancellor Folt how the administration could consider returning Silent Sam to campus, while at the same vowing to support law and order.

Chancellor Folt acknowledged the horrible treatment that Lindsay Ayling and the other Silent Sam protesters are facing. She recommended that Lindsay follow up with UNC Police. Chancellor Folt said she is trying her best to bring forth a workable solution. She has to work with the Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors to get legislation changed in order to move forward with a plan that will best serve the university. Chancellor Folt thanked Lindsay for sharing her experience.

Introduction to the parliamentary process
Secretary of the Faculty Vin Steponaitis gave a brief overview of the parliamentary process to help set the stage for the upcoming discussion of the resolutions. Each Faculty Council member received a one-page document [PDF] detailing basic parliamentary procedure.

Resolutions
Three resolutions concerning the Confederate statue known as Silent Sam have been put before the Council. Professor Steponaitis said each resolution must be read separately, but it is important to understand their relation to one another in order to participate in the debate. Each submitter introduced their resolutions, then Faculty Council discussed each individually.

Resolution 2018-5. On Not Returning Silent Sam to its Original Location
Chair of the Faculty Leslie Parise introduced Resolution 2018-5 [PDF] on behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee. The resolution supports Chancellor Folt’s statement that Silent Sam does not belong at the front door of a welcoming university. The resolution also includes language from the statement released by members of the Council of Chairs in the College of Arts and Sciences regarding Silent Sam.

Resolution 2018-6. On Five Principles for a Safe Way Forward
Resolution 2018-6 [PDF] was submitted by Professor Malinda Maynor Lowery (History) and Professor Michelle King (History). Professor Maynor Lowery requested permission to withdraw Resolution 2018-6 from the agenda. In order to meet the deadline, they submitted the resolution hastily, without knowing enough about the process. They did not realize that their principles would be debated by Faculty Council. Their goal was to engage in a collaborative discussion between people of different points of view, in order to obtain shared principles to guide the plan on the disposition of Silent Sam. They have met their goal and their principles have the support of 151 faculty members. Professor Maynor Lowery will forward the letter to Chancellor Folt and the Board of Trustees.

Professor Steponaitis said once a motion comes before a deliberative body, it becomes the property of the body. Withdrawing a motion such as this requires permission from the body.

On behalf of Professor Maynor Lowery, Professor Steponaitis put forth a motion to withdraw Resolution 2018-6 from the agenda by unanimous consent. The motion was withdrawn with no objections.

Resolution 2018-7 (PDF). On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam
Professor Frank Baumgartner (Political Science) introduced Resolution 2018-7 [PDF] to Faculty Council. He submitted this resolution when he noticed the agenda did not include the “Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam.” This statement details the demoralizing burden that Silent Sam has created for black faculty. They are asked to stand as symbols of diversity, while the university supports a symbol that is contrary to those values. Silent Sam creates an unwelcoming and hurtful environment. Professor Baumgartner recognized that because of his identities, Silent Sam does not affect him the same way it affects black faculty. He shared a story from a faculty colleague, who said it is traumatizing every time she has to hear the story of Julian Carr and his speech at the unveiling of Silent Sam, where he boasts about brutally attacking a black woman. This story reminds her that she, or any of her black students, could have been in that same position. Professor Baumgartner said this story does not affect him the same way, because he is not a black woman, but he can empathize and understand. The statements by black faculty members cannot be ignored. Professor Baumgartner wants everyone to understand that this issue has created a hostile work environment. The statement from UNC black faculty states that the statue’s meaning has remained consistent with its original meaning, it is the university that has changed. It is a fundamental contradiction for the university to maintain a symbol of white supremacy, while claiming to support a diverse faculty and student body. Professor Baumgartner said it is time to act on these claims and take the statement written by black faculty members seriously.

Discussion and vote
With all of the resolutions having been read, the Secretary of the Faculty then went through the remaining two resolutions according to their order on the agenda.

Resolution 2018-5. On Not Returning Silent Sam to its Original Location
Secretary of the Faculty Vin Steponaitis stated the question and opened the floor for discussion.

Elyse Crystall (English and Comparative Literature) said it seems that Resolution 2018-5 and Resolution 2018-7 are in conflict with each other, and you cannot make a unified statement if you vote for both. Resolution 2018-7 states that Silent Sam should not be on campus at all. Resolution 2018-5 states that Silent Sam should not be placed at the front door of the university, but does not state that it should be removed from campus completely.

Professor Steponaitis said it’s not an either-or situation. Resolution 2018-5 states that Silent Sam should not be placed at the front door of the university, it does not specify where else the statue could be placed. The resolution also includes a statement of values from members of the Council of Chairs. Resolution 2018-7 constrains where Silent Sam can be placed if it is not at the university’s front door. To his understanding, one is not in conflict with another. The most general resolution was placed under consideration first, followed by the resolutions that include additional constraints. The resolutions are listed on the agenda in this order to ensure that passing the first resolution wouldn’t preclude the passing of the subsequent resolutions.

Professor Deb Aikat (Media and Journalism) said the Faculty Council has three options. The first option is to pass both of the resolutions as they were presented. The two resolutions are in partial conflict with each other. Professor Aikat is a member of the Faculty Executive Committee, which voted to submit Resolution 2018-5 for consideration in early September before Resolution 2018-7 was on the table. The second option is to reject Resolution 2018-5, then vote in Resolution 2018-7. The third option is to reject Resolution 2018-7, then vote in Resolution 2018-5.

Chair of the Faculty Leslie Parise said another option is to combine Resolution 2018-5 and Resolution 2018-7.

Secretary of the Faculty Steponaitis said one way to combine the resolutions would be to amend the main motion by adopting language from Resolution 2018-7.

Professor Sue Estroff said another option is for the Faculty Executive Committee to withdraw their motion.

Professor Steponaitis said procedurally that would be difficult. The submitter must make a request to withdraw the motion, in this case the submitter is the Faculty Executive Committee, which is a body of 14 people. It would be easier to amend Resolution 2018-5 or to defeat Resolution 2018-5 and pass Resolution 2018-7. Another option is to postpone discussion of Resolution 2018-5 until after the vote on Resolution 2018-7.

Professor Jan Hannig (Statistics and Operations Research) said Resolution 2018-7 brings up a very important point about supporting black faculty, and he likes that Resolution 2018-5 supports Chancellor Folt. Professor Hannig thinks Faculty Council should combine the two motions.

Professor Cairns said from a procedural standpoint, since the Faculty Executive Committee was representing Faculty Council while creating Resolution 2018-5, it would be nice for the Faculty Council to comment. He does not see the two resolutions as contradictory. From past experiences, having the Council weigh in on the actions of the Faculty Executive Committee is extremely important.

Professor Wendy Brewster (Medicine) said she does not see how Resolution 2018-5 and Resolution 2018-7 can be combined. Resolution 2018-7 seems absolute and it calls for the permanent removal of Silent Sam from campus. Resolution 2018-5 states that Silent Sam does not belong at the university’s front door but implies that the statue could be placed in another location on campus. If the statue is permanently removed from campus, saying the statue does not belong at the university’s front door does not make sense.

Professor Steponaitis interprets the part of Resolution 2018-5, which states the Confederate statue does not belong “at the front door of a safe, welcoming, proudly public research university,” as meaning Silent Sam should not be placed in its original location. Professor Steponaitis gave an example of how the two motions can be combined. The language from Resolution 2018-7 “we request the permanent removal of the statue and its base from the UNC campus,” could be added to Resolution 2018-5. In other words, the statue is not at the front door or on campus.

Professor Amy Levine (Medicine) said everyone in the room knows that the “front door” of the university means McCorkle Place, however this is not stated in Resolution 2018-5. UNC-Chapel Hill is a campus with no borders. Someone may be confused by the resolution if they do not know that McCorkle Place is the university’s front door. Professor Levine asked if the resolution is stating that Silent Sam should not be returned to McCorkle Place, or is the resolution stating that Silent Sam should not be placed in a prominent place that people use to enter the university, which could cover a lot of spaces.

Professor Jennifer Larson (English and Comparative Literature) made a motion to amend Resolution 2018-5 by taking the entire text of Resolution 2018-7 and adding it to Resolution 2018-5 as the first paragraph. Professor Larson also amended the language from “returning the statue to the university’s front door” to “returning the statue to the campus.” This motion was seconded.

Professor Steponaitis stated the question and opened the floor to discuss the amendment.

Professor Hannig questioned whether using the word “campus” in Resolution 2018-5 is precise enough wondering if it should specify “UNC-Chapel Hill campus.”

Professor Emeritus Andrew Dobelstein asked if Resolution 2018-5 was introduced.

Professor Steponaitis said resolutions are introduced when they are published on the agenda.

Professor Cal Lee (Information and Library Science) asked about the viable possibilities for the relocation of Silent Sam. The statue can be moved to another place on campus or the university can invest in a civil rights museum, these are very different ideas, but both would be on campus. He feels that it is impossible to answer this question without knowing the viable possibilities for relocation of Silent Sam.

Professor Steponaitis said many ideas about the disposition of Silent Sam were brought forth during the faculty brainstorming sessions, but he does not know what will be adopted by the Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors.

Professor Jill Moore (Government) said Professor Larson’s amendment eloquently captures the sentiments that people want to support from both resolutions. The statement of values contained in Resolution 2018-5 is important, but a clear statement about the permanent removal from the UNC-Chapel Hill campus is also important. The amended language solves the problem of a perception of conflict between the resolutions and makes them consistent with each other.

Professor Lee Berkowitz (Medicine) said from reading the resolutions it is his understanding that Silent Sam belongs to the university and the question before us is where the statue should be located. He asked for clarification on his assumption.

Professor Steponaitis said through resolutions, the Faculty Council is expressing its will as a faculty body as to what the direction of the solution should be.

Professor Hannig made a motion to amend the amendment proposed by Professor Larson. The amendment to the amendment is to add “UNC-Chapel Hill” in front of the word campus. The motion was seconded.

Professor Steponaitis stated the question and opened the floor to discuss the amendment to the amendment.

Professor Larson asked if the title has to be changed.

Professor Steponaitis said the title does not have to change.

Professor Nancy Fisher (Medicine) said the title is no longer consistent with the wording of the resolution.

Professor Steponaitis said people are more concerned about the content of the resolution than the actual title. He suggested editing the title last.

Professor Timothy Platts-Mills (Medicine) asked black faculty members in attendance to comment on whether relocating Silent Sam to a UNC civil rights museum is an acceptable alternative to removing the entire statue from the campus. Professor Platts-Mills said there may be legitimate perspectives about Silent Sam from North Carolinians that do not stem from hate towards other people. Some people’s perspective about Silent Sam stem from the fact they have ancestors who fought in the Civil War. Even though we know the history of how Silent Sam was created, there may be value in retaining some of that history on campus, rather than removing it and losing control of the narrative.

Professor Adaora Adimora (Medicine) said she does not claim to speak for the entire black faculty. Personally, she does not consider it acceptable for Silent Sam to remain on this campus in any form. She added that Silent Sam represents white supremacy and past treasonous activity against the United States. Professor Adimora said she sees no reason to keep it on campus or any place of honor.

A Faculty Council member asked about the strategy around expressing support for Chancellor Folt’s August 31^st statement in Resolution 2018-5 as opposed to Faculty Council asserting the values detailed in her statement, and Chancellor Folt supporting Faculty Council’s resolution.

Professor Yolanda Scarlett (Medicine) said she is a North Carolina native of mixed heritage. Her great-great grandfather, a white man, fought as a Confederate soldier. Her great-grandfather, a black man, was a painter for David Lowry Swain, former president of the university. Professor Scarlett said we need to learn from this history and move forward. She does not think we can move forward with the base or statue anywhere on campus.

Professor Aikat believes the title of Resolution 2018-7. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam reflects the sentiments of Resolution 2018-5. On Not Returning Silent Sam to its Original Location better than the current title.

The motion to amend the amendment from “returning the statue to the campus,” to “returning to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus,” passed unanimously.

A Faculty Council member made a motion to call the previous question, which was Professor Larson’s amendment.

Professor Steponaitis said this motion requires a two-thirds vote.

The motion to call the question passed unanimously.

The motion to amend Resolution 2018-5 by taking the entire text of Resolution 2018-7 and adding it to Resolution 2018-5 as the first paragraph and amend the language “returning the statue to the university’s front door,” to “returning the statue to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus,” passed with no abstentions.

Professor Deb Aikat made a motion to amend the title of Resolution 2018-5. On Not Returning Silent Sam to its Original Location to “Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam” The motion was seconded.

Professor Rohit Ramaswamy said the revised title does not do justice to the support of Chancellor Folt’s statement. Professor Ramaswamy made a motion to amend the amendment proposed by Professor Aikat from “Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam” to “Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement on the Permanent Removal of Silent Sam from Campus.” The motion was seconded.

Professor Baumgartner said we have ignored black faculty members long enough. It is very important to explicitly recognize that Faculty Council is standing in support of black faculty.

The motion to amend the amendment from “Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam” to “Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement on the Permanent Removal of Silent Sam from Campus,” did not pass.

Professor Deb Aikat made a motion to amend the amendment from “Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on Silent Sam” to “Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on the Permanent Removal of Silent Sam from Campus.” The motion passed.

Professor Steponaitis stated the question and opened the floor to discuss the new main motion Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on the Permanent Removal of Silent Sam from Campus.

Professor Vaughn Upshaw (Public Health) said Resolution 2018-5 does not address the larger issue that Professor Baumgartner spoke to. There are many symbols on campus that create an atmosphere of hostility for people. She is concerned that this resolution only focuses on one symbol and does not address the culture of symbolism on campus. Professor Upshaw feels this resolution does not capture the message that Faculty Council is trying to convey, which is the need for explicit and contextualized conversations about “what we believe and how we are going to stand for what’s moral, ethical and where we want to be as a campus.”

Professor Meg Zomorodi (Nursing) made a motion to amend the language of Resolution 2018-5 from “the values that the statue represents” to “the values that the statue and base represent.” The motion passed unanimously.

Professor Berkowitz said he is concerned that the resolution is inconsistent. The first paragraph calls for Chancellor Folt and the Board of Governors to make a relocation plan, but the subsequent paragraphs state that Silent Sam should not be returned to campus.

Professor Steponaitis said the resolution does not seem inconsistent.

Resolution 2018-5. On Supporting a Statement from UNC Black Faculty on the Permanent Removal of Silent Sam from Campus [PDF], as amended, passed unanimously.

Professor Baumgartner made a motion to withdraw Resolution 2018-7 from the agenda by unanimous consent. The motion was withdrawn with no objections.

Adjournment

Its business having concluded, the Faculty Council adjourned at 5:06 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Kadejah Murray
University Program Associate

Vin Steponaitis
Secretary of the Faculty