September 7, 2012
Meeting of the Faculty Council and the General Faculty
Friday, September 7, 2012
3:00 p.m.
Hitchcock Multipurpose Room
Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History
Chancellor Holden Thorp and Professor Jan Boxill, Chair of the Faculty, presiding
Twitter hashtag: #FacCouncil
Agenda
3:00 Presentation of 2012 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prizes for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement by Young Faculty to:
Evan Dellon, Departments of Medicine & Epidemiology
Malinda Maynor Lowery, Department of History
W. Kimryn Rathmell, Departments of Medicine & Genetics
Yang Yang, Department of Sociology
- Chancellor Holden Thorp
3:05 Presentation of the 2012 Thomas Jefferson Jefferson Award to Prof. Joy Kasson
- Chancellor Holden Thorp
- Citation read by Prof. Sue Estroff
3:10 Chancellor’s Remarks and Question Period
- Chancellor Holden Thorp
3:40 Provost’s Remarks and Question Period
- Provost Bruce Carney
3:45 Chair of the Faculty’s Remarks and Question Period
- Prof. Jan Boxill
4:00 Work Plan for the Faculty Athletics Committee, 2012-13
- Prof. Joy Renner, Chair
- Prof. Renner’s PowerPoint
- Presented by the Agenda Committee, Prof. Boxill, Chair
4:25 Resolution 2012-9. On Affirming the Academic Integrity of African and Afro-American Studies.
- Presented by the Agenda Committee, Prof. Boxill, Chair
4:30 Invited Guests
- Ms. Jackie Overton, Chair, Employee Forum
- Mr. Will Leimenstoll, Student Body President
- Presented by the Agenda Committee, Prof. Boxill, Chair
4:45 Educational Policy Committee Resolutions
Resolution 2012-11. On Minimum Requirements for Course Syllabi.
- Prof. Theresa Raphael-Grimm, EPC Chair
5:00 Adjourn
Minutes
Journal of Proceedings of the General Faculty and Faculty Council
September 7, 2012
The General Faculty and Faculty Council of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill convened September 7, at 3:00 p.m. in the Hitchcock Multipurpose Room of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.
The following 65 members of the Faculty Council attended: Bachenheimer, Balaban, Bhardwaj, Boettiger Cooney, Boxill, Bunch, Cavin, Chambers, Champagne, Chapman, Chen, Chenault, Cohen, Collier, Copenhaver, DeSaix, Eaker-Rich, Earp, Ferrell, Friga, Gerhardt, Giovanello, Grabowski, Hackman, Heenan, Heitsch, Hill, Hirsch, Houck, Howes, Ives, Joyner, Kang, Koomen, Kramer, Kurtz-Costes, Lee, Leonard, Linden, Maffly-Kipp, Mayer-Davis, McMillan, Moon, Moracco, Moreton, Nelson, O’Shaughnessey, Palmer, Parreiras, Paul, Persky, Pertsova, Reiter, Renner, Rodgers, Schoenbach, Stenberg, Steponaitis, Swogger, Thorp, Toews, Wang, Waterhouse, Watson, and Webster-Cyriaque.
Call to Order
Chancellor Holden Thorp called the General Faculty and Faculty Council to order at 3:00 p.m.
Hettleman Awards
Chancellor Thorp presented the 2012 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prizes for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement by Young Faculty. This year’s recipients are Evan S. Dellon, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology; Malinda Maynor Lowery, Associate Professor of History; Kimryn Rathmell, Associate Professor in of Medicine and Genetics; and Yang Yang, Associate Professor of Sociology.
Thomas Jefferson Award
Chancellor Thorp presented the 2012 Thomas Jefferson Award to Joy Kasson, Professor of American Studies and English. Prof. Sue Estroff read the citation. The Council congratulated Prof. Kasson with a standing ovation. Prof. Kasson expressed her thanks for the award. (See Appendices A and B.)
Chancellor’s Remarks and Question Period
The Chancellor addressed the multiple investigative reports released over the summer on the problems and challenges of balancing athletics and academics. The Chancellor expressed support for the work of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies and Chair Eunice Sahle for restructuring the department’s shared governance structure. He recounted that the University forced the retirement of the former chair, Prof. Julius Nyang’oro, and that the former department manager, Deborah Crowder, is no longer employed at the University.
The Chancellor said that there have been three additional extensive reviews that have recommended improvements and new safeguards. In addition to the initial reports produced by the College of Arts and Sciences, there is a report on the academic support program for student-athletes, an independent study task force report, and a Faculty Executive Committee subcommittee report. He thanked Dean Karen Gil and Sr. Associate Deans Bill Andrews, Jonathan Hartlyn, and Bobbi Owen for working to put in place the 70 recommendations arising from these reports. He said that the administration will cooperate fully with the Board of Governor’s investigation.
The Chancellor reported that he has asked former governor Jim Martin to lead an independent review of any additional academic irregularities that may have occurred . This review will be conducted with the assistance of Baker Tilly, a prominent accounting and advisory firm. Baker Tilly began work last week and their findings will be presented to a Board of Governors panel and to the faculty. Their assignment is to review and assess new academic policies, procedures and controls put in place to prevent future breaches of academic integrity.
In response to the recommendation of the Faculty Executive Committee for appointment of a panel of outside experts charged with making recommendations on how to balance athletics and academics, the Chancellor reported that he has asked Dr. Hunter Rawlings, President of the Association of American Universities, to undertake that assignment. Rawlings is a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences and a former president of both the University of Iowa and Cornell University. His academic field is Classics and he was a student-athlete as an undergraduate. This effort will proceed after the Baker Tilly review and the report of the Board of Governors panel. The Chancellor asked that feedback about the review process be directed to Erin Schuettpelz, Chief of Staff, who is coordinating the independent review efforts.
The Chancellor outlined steps that have already been taken to address the multiple investigative reports. The academic support program has been reorganized to make clear that it answers to the College of Arts and Sciences. Dean of the Graduate School Steve Matson is organizing a national search for a new director of the academic support program. Mr. Harold Woodward will serve as interim director. The summer bridge program has also been expanded to include student-athletes to help them transition from high school to the University.
The Chancellor stated interest in strengthening the relationship between faculty and athletics by encouraging communication between the for the Academic Support Program Faculty Advisory Committee, the Faculty Athletics Committee, and the Faculty Athletics Representative. Prof. Joy Renner, the new Chair of the Faculty Athletics Committee, spent the summer meeting with stakeholders to discuss how the committee can better ensure academic integrity and full integration of student-athletes into the life of the University.
Chancellor Thorp reported that the African and Afro-American Studies Department has enacted a series of new procedures and has revised its governance structure. The Chancellor reaffirmed that the department is an essential part of the University. In the College of Arts and Sciences there is now an annual process for reviewing enrollments for every department. The Summer School has implemented new policies for monitoring enrollments as well.
Turning to other matters, the Chancellor said that there is much good news to report:
- This year, we enrolled nearly 4,000 first-year students from an applicant pool of over 29,000 that was up 24% from last year.
- Our faculty secured $760 million in research grants, moving Carolina up to ninth place nationally in federal research expenditures despite cuts in funding and stimulus money.
- New commitments in private giving increased by 8% and the number of donors increased to 78,000.
- The tuition increase enabled the University to give raises for the first time in years.
- The percentage of faculty retention is back up to pre-2008 levels.
- The University filed an amicus brief last month in the case of Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin encouraging diversity in higher education.
- The University is working to preserve 100 acres of land south of the North Carolina Botanical Garden (known as the Parker Property) to keep it accessible to students and researchers.
The Chancellor reported that at the March Board of Trustees he had talked about the pressures that higher education is facing. In response, the University has launched the 21st Century Vision of the Public University to guide our next fundraising campaign. The effort will launch on September 27 when Hunter Rawlings will be here to lecture on challenges for the public university.
Questions
Prof. Jay Smith (History) read a statement to the Council and expressed concern that the University’s response to the issues in athletics are unsettling for two reasons: 1) it has appeared the University has been withholding information from the public at times and 2) information in various points has seemed to conflict with facts already reported. (See Appendix C.)
Chancellor Thorp responded that the University has struggled with how to respond to statements in the media that concern individual students and employees. He pointed out that the University is obligated to obey the strictures of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the North Carolina State Personnel Act, both of which impose confidentiality requirements on certain public records. The Chancellor said that naming Governor Jim Martin to conduct an independent investigation and issue recommendations will help set up a more transparent process.
Provost’s Remarks
The Chancellor thanked Provost Bruce Carney for his years of service and the faculty rose in a standing ovation.
Provost Carney said he is going to an AAU meeting for Provosts and will be on a panel that will discuss the core curricula recently developed at the University of Rochester and Harvard University. Rather than compare their curricula with ours, he said he planned to speak about efforts at Carolina that connect students to classes, faculty, and events beyond the core curriculum. Three things illustrative of that theme are the innovate@unc.edu effort, the campus-wide Water in Our World theme, and the Carolina Fine Arts presentation of the Rite of Spring at 100.
Chair of the Faculty’s Remarks and Question Period
Chair of the Faculty Jan Boxill addressed the faculty on her priorities for the coming academic year. See Appendix D for the full text of her remarks.
Prof. Boxill said that her first year as Chair of the Faculty had been very busy and at times challenging as the University has been addressing serious concerns in both athletics and academics. She said that she would like to begin this year walking in a different direction: toward renewal. She emphasized that we must once again affirm the reasons why the University exists: teaching, research, and service. In order to move forward, she said that “the faculty must take the lead in strengthening the kind of relationship with athletics that will enhance the student experience, not just for athletes but for all students.”
Prof. Boxill listed three priorities for 2012-13:
- Restore confidence in our integrity in academics and athletics first by embracing the Chancellor’s directives to find answers to the questions that have been asked to strengthen and enhance the relationship between athletics and academics.
- Rediscover and commit to the mission of the University of teaching, research, and service, and
- Restore and enhance morale through partnership with students, faculty and staff to enhance the UNC experience for all of us.
With respect to the third priority, Prof. Boxill named several initiatives she has taken:
- The Faculty Welfare Committee has been reconstituted and charged with identifying ways to improve retention rates for faculty, students, and staff.
- The Faculty Committee on Community and Diversity has been reconstituted and charged with working Vice Provost Taffye Clayton on retention of male minority students and other areas of concern.
- She is working to deepen the University’s understanding of the important role that sports play in our culture.
As to the latter point, she said “our problems are not unique, but with the faculty, staff, and resources on this campus, and with the support of the administration, we DO have the opportunity to be in the forefront of handling the complexities of big-time sports properly; we must seize upon this, because whether in sports, academics, or life: ‘The death of ethics is the sabotage of excellence.’”
Work Plan for the Faculty Athletics Committee, 2012-13
Prof. Joy Renner (Allied Health), Chair of the Faculty Athletics Committee, outlined the new structure and work plan for the Faculty Athletics Committee (See Appendix E).
Resolution 2012-8. On Endorsing the Faculty Executive Committee Report on Academic Irregularities and Commending Chancellor Thorp’s Actions to Restore Confidence in Carolina’s Academic Integrity.
Prof. Jan Boxill presented the resolution on behalf of the Agenda Committee. The resolution was adopted without dissent. (See Appendix F)
Resolution 2012-9. On Affirming the Academic Integrity of African and Afro-American Studies.
Prof. Jan Boxill presented the resolution on behalf of the Agenda Committee. Prof. Kia Caldwell (African and Afro-American Studies) read a statement from faculty in that department. (See Appendix G.)
Prof. Debbie Stroman (Exercise and Sports Science), Chair of the Black Caucus, expressed ongoing support of the department and strong confidence and trust in the faculty of the department. (See Appendix H.)
The resolution was adopted without dissent.
Invited Guests
Ms. Jackie Overton, Employee Forum Chair, expressed support for the Chancellor and the Department of African and Afro-American Studies. She said that the recent improvements in the housekeeping department show that the Chancellor is supportive of making changes to improve Carolina. She supported the resolution in support of AFAM. She said that she had minored in African & Afro-American Studies as an undergraduate that she never experienced easy classes as a student in that department. She thanked and commended the Chancellor for listening to staff concerns.
Mr. Will Leimenstoll, Student Body President, discussed the issue of financial aid and said that his cabinet has been working on the issue all summer. He said that students are dedicated to making sure that Carolina remains one of the few universities that meet one hundred percent of financial need.
Resolution 2012-7. On Opposition to a Cap on Use of Campus-Based Tuition Increases for Need-Based Student Aid
Prof. Jan Boxill presented the resolution on behalf of the Agenda Committee. (See Appendix I)
Prof. Pete Andrews (Public Policy) said that meeting financial need is one of the ways in which Carolina has distinguished itself and attracts exceptional students. He strongly endorsed the resolution.
The resolution passed without dissent.
Resolution 2012-11. On Minimum Requirements for Course Syllabi.
Prof. Theresa Raphael-Grimm (Nursing) presented the resolution on behalf of the Educational Policy Committee.
Prof. Kristen Reiter (Public Health) asked if the resolution applies to all graduate and undergraduate courses. Prof. Raphael-Grimm confirmed that it applies to all courses.
Prof. Greg Copenhaver (Biology) asked how the resolution will be enforced. Sr. Associate Dean Bobbi Owen said that there will be communication efforts at the orientation for new faculty and through the Dean’s Council. Faculty will have to provide a syllabus on or before the first day of class. Prof. Raphael-Grimm explained that the Educational Policy Committee does not have the power to enforce compliance with the policy. She said the intent of the resolution is to be sure that students are made aware of what the expectations for the class are on or before the first day of class.
Secretary of the Faculty Joe Ferrell said that the resolution would be effective upon adoption and that it would be the duty of the Dean or department chair to ensure compliance.
Prof. Greg Copenhaver (Biology) asked what would happen if changes must be made to the syllabus after the first day. Prof. Shielda Rodgers (Nursing) said that one of the problems addressed by a syllabus is assure that students know when tests or examinations are coming up. The resolution is not intended to prevent innovation in the classroom or changes to the syllabus. Prof. Raphael-Grimm clarified that the syllabus is only a blueprint, not a contract that the faculty cannot change.
Prof. Vic Schoenbach (Public Health) asked if all readings and case studies have to be included in the syllabus on the first day. Prof. Raphael-Grimm said that was not the intent.
Prof. Susan Bickford (Political Science) asked for clarification about the target audience and how the course fits into broader educational themes requirements. She said that those requirements are not clear. Prof. Raphael-Grimm explained that those requirements are helpful for students to determine where the course fits in the progression toward completing their major or minor requirements. Prof. Joy Renner stated that the information would be very helpful for academic advising. Prof. Shielda Rodgers added that the course description could be similar to what is in the course catalog.
Prof. Jennifer Ho (English) asked about the requirement for the department to collect and retain syllabi from faculty. Prof. Raphael-Grimm explained that the retention issue did not originate with the Educational Policy Committee, but was a recommendation from outside advisors and the University Archivist. Sr. Associate Dean Bobbi Owen said the retention policy is needed in the event that a student needs to prove he or she has met a specific degree requirement in order to graduate. Retaining the syllabus as a record of the course for four years coincides with the length of time for completion of an undergraduate degree. She said the purpose is not to police faculty compliance. Prof. Raphael-Grimm added that retention of syllabi is also done to protect intellectual property.
Prof. Beth Moracco (Public Health) said that she appreciated the spirit of the resolution but had concerns about language that could be interpreted as contractual and requirements for review and enforcement. She also questioned whether the wording inhibited the ability for faculty to change their syllabi during the semester. Prof. Raphael-Grimm said that the subcommittee struggled with the language because they wanted to be sure that the resolution was enforceable but flexible enough to accommodate needed change.
Prof. Steve Leonard (Political Science) said that he doesn’t think that failure to provide a syllabus is a problem significant enough to warrant faculty legislation. He asserted that the proposed resolution imposes a rigid framework that might lead to a slippery slope of further requirements.
Prof. Steve Bachenheimer (Microbiology and Immunology) said that Julius Nyang’oro’ s courses are an example of a faculty member who didn’t provide a syllabus. He moved to postpone further consideration of the resolution at this meeting and to continue discussion at the next meeting. The motion to postpone was seconded and passed.
Resolution 2012-10. On Revising the Standards for Continued Academic Eligibility for Undergraduate Enrollment.
Prof. Raphael-Grimm presented the resolution on behalf of the Educational Policy Committee. (See Appendix J.) She explained that the purpose of the resolution is to remove obsolete language from the standards on continued academic eligibility. The language to be deleted was added when the Council revised the eligibility standards in 2007. It is no longer needed, she said. The resolution was adopted with a correction to change “20013” to “2013” in the first line.
Adjournment
The time for adjournment having arrived, the General Faculty and Faculty Council adjourned at 5:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted
Joseph S. Ferrell
Secretary of the Faculty
Appendix A
Thomas Jefferson Award Citation: Joy Kasson
The Thomas Jefferson Award celebrates a first among equals; one of our colleagues whose qualities of person, scholarly practice and beneficence bring her to our attention; whose attributes we link to the fortunately enigmatic and prodigious Jefferson. He once proclaimed, “Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” We know who Joy Kasson is and thus bestow this expression of our gratitude that she is our colleague and admiration for her scholarly reach and her quiet ferocity for learning, remembering, and community.
Professor Kasson received her BA with honors in American History and Literature from Radcliffe College in 1966 [of which she is quite proud—that Radcliffe appears on her C.V. and not Harvard]. She was then awarded both a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and Fulbright Scholar before beginning graduate study. She completed the PhD at Yale University in American Studies in 1972, making her one of the first scholars in the nation to hold a PhD in this new discipline, and then joined our ranks in 1971 as an instructor in the Department English. She persevered during those early years with the grace and dignity we know so well, asserting her rights and intellect as an academic and a professional during a period when women were not expected to go to college, except to earn their M.R.S.
Joy won her first teaching award in 1985, named for Katherine Kennedy Carmichael. Since then she has been recognized with Tanner (1991) and Johnston (2002) awards for teaching, the Bowman and Gordon Gray Chair for Distinguished Teaching (1992-1995), the Max Chapman Family Fellowship (1998) and most recently the inaugural award for mentoring from the Women’s Leadership Council (2006). For 4 decades, she has captivated and intellectually nourished her students, our students, and her colleagues. [Well I remember the first time I met Professor Kasson. It was a dissertation committee she chaired for a medical humanities graduate fellow who was teaching medical students in our department—the beachhead for humanities and social science in the school of medicine. I was thrilled to find the breadth of scholarship and intellect, the curiosity and disciplinary trespass, and the pleasure with which Joy Kasson nourished and guided this young scholar. It was then that her gentle demeanor, twinkle in the eye, razor sharp insight, and thoroughly composed direction of the committee made an indelible impression.]
“There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me,” declared Thomas Jefferson—a description most befitting Joy Kasson. She reads closely and insightfully the icons of past and present, examines how we shape and visually represent who we are and what we celebrate, and illuminates the innate, often shadowed connections between our heroines and heroes and the sentiments and rhythms of then and now. Joy Kasson has mastered the art of presenting rigorous academic work in a popular fashion that is engaging without descending into platitudes. Joy Kasson is the current Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Scholar for Carolina Performing Arts and later this fall will deliver the E.M. Adams lecture in the College, and the Program in Humanities and Human Values. She was elected as a Fellow of the American Antiquarian Society in 2011, and as a member of the Society of American Historians in 2001.
Her stewardship in guiding the fledgling Curriculum in American Studies to national and international recognition and department status in 2008 is a testament to the power of her intellectual creativity and adventure, as well as her wisdom and impatient patience with institutional process. As chair of that Department for the past decade, she took on the toughest job on this campus—leading and building in a time of scarcity. Joy is as foundational and sustaining to the Institute of Arts and Humanities and the National Humanities Center as the buildings within which they reside. [My personal favorite: “The Gilded and Gritty” seminar for high school teachers]. Her reach goes well beyond our landscape to Kings College, the National University of Singapore, the Smithsonian, our undergraduate program in London, and to secondary schools through the National Humanities Faculty in North Carolina, California, Illinois, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky, and Washington. Durham Academy, The Duke Center for Documentary Studies, and Reynolda House Museum are also beneficiaries of Joy Kasson’s guidance and commitment. She has, in Jefferson’s observation, considered herself a kind of public property because she assumes a public trust. She debunks the notion that engaged humanities scholars and scholarship are oxymorons.
One of the best kept secrets of our faculty is the high prevalence of robust and heartfelt citizenship, on and off the campus. There is among us a cultural practice of unassuming, often unannounced, generosity, of commitments made and kept, and of contributions made for their own sake and for the wellbeing of others—not for a line on a CV, or to fulfill personal ambition. Joy Kasson personifies this kind of chronic beneficence. She has served the University of North Carolina Press in various capacities since 1994, most recently as Chair of the Board. The Morehead Foundation, Burch Programs, this council, the Program in Humanities and Human Values, the Johnston Center, and the Ackland have all benefitted from her attention and energy. [During my tenure as faculty chair, I relied upon and was fed by Joy’s presence and rapt attention at every meeting of this council, I have never encountered her on or off campus when she did not lead off with a campus concern, or considered critique of a current controversy.] As a campus citizen she is a passionate and principled advocate for deeply held principles, is legendary for her ability to ask hard questions in a non-confrontational manner, for reminding us of our obligations to each other, and with gentle force, prodding us to be our best selves. She artfully blends diplomacy and directness, commentary that is compassionate and compelling–able to reach even the most skeptical trustee or administrator with her candor and authenticity. Her discrete generosity extends even to saving a colleague from the embarrassment of choosing the wrong fork at an important dinner.
Annie Dillard once observed that “The trick of reason is to get the imagination to seize the actual world–if only from time to time.” She was exhorting us to imagine with our surrounds, not apart from them. To center our senses and sensibilities in the here and now, seasoned with symbols, sentiments, and curiosities. For seizing our actual world in so many ways, we honor Joy Kasson as the recipient of The Thomas Jefferson Award for 2012.
Appendix B
Thomas Jefferson Award Acceptance Comments
I cannot tell you how honored I am to receive this award. I know it expresses the esteem of my fellow-faculty members, and I humbly join a list of much-admired previous recipients who have helped transform Carolina over the fifty years this award has been in existence.
As it happens, I think about Thomas Jefferson every year, since I teach about him regularly in my American Studies introductory class. Jefferson was a complex man, a man of his time who nonetheless transcended it. I would just like to reflect for a minute on the significance of the fact that we, at the nation’s first State University, regularly honor a faculty member in the name of Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson’s grave marker, which he designed himself, states: “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.”
How interesting that he wanted to be remembered for these three accomplishments among the many of his career. Not President of the United States, Secretary of State, Governor of Virginia, commissioner of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Certainly not planter, slaveholder, co-organizer of a political party.
His list of accomplishments is idealistic and aspirational, speaking to his best hopes for himself and his nation. And among these is the founding of Virginia’s public university.
The University of North Carolina was well under way when Jefferson’s hopes for a university in Charlottesville were finally realized in 1819. But for decades, Jefferson had been advocating a comprehensive system of public education, from elementary schools “for all free children, male and female,” to a state-supported university where liberal education would enable citizens of ability to resist tyranny and to assume leadership roles in the future. Importantly, he added, “they should be called to that charge without regard to wealth, birth or other accidental condition or circumstance.” He continued to support the establishment in his home state of a university “where every branch of science, deemed useful at this day, should be taught in its highest degree.”
Note that Jefferson was not interested in a good-enough university. He corresponded with internationally-known scientists and philosophers, examined the structure and principles of renowned European universities, and came up with his own plan for an ideal learning environment. He called it an “academical village,” where professors and students lived in proximity and engaged together in high-level learning.
Forgive me this history lesson. The point I want to make is that this award highlights our own dedication to the mission of the public university, to come together as a community, to advance learning at a high level, and to do this in an institution that is open, as far as possible, to individuals of ability without regard to financial means and family background. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a leader in educational accessibility; we the faculty are devoted to the highest educational standards. Although we may often have disagreements about the best way to achieve this mission, we should never lose sight of our devotion to it. The Thomas Jefferson Award, which I gratefully accept today, represents our annual rededication to these goals and this mission. Thank you for adding me to the list of advocates for public higher education.
Appendix C
Statement by Professor Jay Smith
As I have already told you, Chancellor, I am very pleased by the recent steps you’ve taken to restore confidence in UNC. I’m also grateful to Jan Boxill and the FEC for their prompt, vigorous response to the specific concerns expressed to them by faculty back in May. It seems that we may finally be turning a corner in this two-year saga, and that’s great. But since it’s a duty of the assembled faculty to speak truth to power when evidence suggests that power has been used inefficiently or ineffectively, I do want to offer a few words of critique. It needs to be acknowledged publicly by someone here today that the summer of 2012 has been something of a public relations disaster for the University. The disaster had many causes, some beyond your control, and I recognize that.
But the University’s public responses to the ongoing crisis have been unsettling for two reasons. First, it has often appeared that the University is withholding information from the public, revealing as little as possible as slowly as possible. Indeed, for the last year the University community has been repeatedly blindsided by new revelations that left us scrambling to understand and explain evidence that might have been dealt with openly much sooner. Second, there has also been a marked tendency, by a whole range of University spokespersons, to say things that openly conflict with the facts as already reported. This has created a ‘falling through the looking glass’ sensation for many alumni, supporters, and faculty of this institution. It reflects poorly on the entire University, and it therefore affects everyone in this room.
Foremost among the baffling assertions made in recent months is one expressed first in the Hartlyn/Andrews report and then amplified throughout the summer by a whole phalanx of administrators: [I quote] “No evidence indicated that student-athletes received more favorable treatment than students who were not athletes” in the fraudulent Nyang’oro courses; the University has added that this whole episode is therefore “not an athletics issue.” Amazingly, this rhetoric continued even after it was revealed, through a series of FOIA requests, that two-thirds of the students in those courses were athletes, and that the most infamous course of all, last year’s AFAM 280, a course Nyang’oro was not even qualified to teach, enrolled a total of 19 students—every one of them a Carolina football player. The existence of that course alone provides very powerful evidence that the Nyang’oro scandal was ALL about athletics. Yet Andrews and Hartlyn made their statement about “no evidence” and you and others have repeated and elaborated on that statement for months. Chancellor, such statements—whatever their value when talking to NCAA policemen—distort the nature of the problems we’re facing and they therefore undermine public confidence in the judgment and honesty of UNC-Chapel Hill. Even a simple public acknowledgment of previous misjudgments or misstatements would have helped to repair the damage, but no such acknowledgment has been forthcoming.
If we can return to my first point—the perceived tendency to withhold information and to engage the public and the press only reluctantly and mistrustfully—let’s look at a recent event. In your presentation to the BOG last week you evidently blamed two careless techies for the Julius Peppers fiasco. But technical carelessness is not the full story. The world knows about Julius Peppers’ grades today because the University refused to take seriously the questioning of Dan Kane, a dogged reporter whose name we should all know by now. Many weeks before he published his pivotal story on the so-called test transcript he asked the University to confirm or deny—through examination of student records—that the transcript belonged to a real student. He had the student’s matriculation date, his SAT score, and he could point to some very peculiar notations on that alleged test transcript. In other words, the University should have been able to answer his questions within hours. But instead of confirming the reality of the record and then moving to protect that student’s privacy, the University ignored the N&O’s questions and left that transcript on a publicly accessible web site, where it was available for later plundering by NC State fans. Julius Peppers reacted with equanimity to this puzzling institutional failure, but others would have responded with lawsuits.
There have been other less-than-forthcoming moments in this sad story, but I won’t pile on. I just want to conclude by saying that I think it is beneath the dignity of a great university for any of us to be complaining about journalists or wondering why those mean people in the press won’t leave us alone. We should be doing all we can to get out in front of the press, to preemptively air our dirty laundry, so that we can prove to the world—because we now need to prove it—that there are things more important to UNC than athletics success or the careers of individual faculty or administrators: namely, truth, honesty, integrity, and our hard-earned reputation as the University of the people.
Appendix D
Address by the Chair of the Faculty
My first year as your chair has been very busy and at times challenging. Our University has been addressing serious concerns in both athletics and academics that have at times overshadowed our outstanding accomplishments. And though we may still have a bumpy road ahead, I would like to begin this year walking in a different direction. I choose to call this our “renewal year.” Our University Family—faculty, staff, administrators, and students—have reviewed the past, reacted to present concerns, and now needs to enter a process of renewal. I hope you will join me as we remember once again the reasons this University exists: teaching, research and service. Let us begin our walk together today.
As the Chancellor said in his letter to the campus on August 16th and again today, “We have the opportunity now to determine where we want to be in the future, and what kind of the relationship we want between academics and athletics at this University.” In order to move forward, we as faculty must take the lead in strengthening the kind of relationship with athletics that will enhance the student experience, not just for athletes but for all students.
In the words of Charles Kuralt, “What it is that binds us to this place? It is not the well, the bell,” [or I might add, even basketball]. “Instead, our love for this place is based on the fact that is as it was meant to be, the University of the People.” The people who come to us did not all come here to focus their studies on Louis XVI, or even Plato …they come to us thirsty to gain knowledge of languages, cultures, sciences, music, theater, art, history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, religion.
They come to learn about who we, and they are, and what kind of world we and they want to live in. They also come as they are, some with many academic credit hours, and some with none. They come with hopes and dreams, but also with scars and blemishes that often times stifle or retard their pursuit of those hopes and dreams.
The 3,928 first-year students who started classes here a few weeks ago were chosen from a record 29,507 applicants. They hail from 97 North Carolina counties, 43 states and 29 countries. The class includes award-winning researchers, artists, directors, dancers and writers, as well as champion student-athletes, and community activists. 96 percent participated in community service; 75 percent played a sport; 57 percent participated in music, drama or other arts; 51 percent held a position as president of class or club; 26 percent conducted research outside the classroom.
These are the people we are entrusted to develop into citizens and future leaders of our society—all of them, and not just in the lecture and lab classrooms but in all kinds of classrooms; and there are many kinds, including the academic ones of course, but also service learning, student government and the over 700 organizations. Thousands of students, faculty, and staff are involved this incredible experiential education. And yes then there are sports and athletics. These activities outside the traditional classroom are important classrooms themselves. As faculty we must ensure their integrity, which brings me to my priorities for this academic year.
They are:
1. Restore confidence in our integrity in academics and athletics first by embracing the Chancellor’s directives to find answers to the questions that have been asked to strengthen and enhance the relationship between athletics.
Following release of the reports on independent studies and the African and Afro-American Studies Department, a number of faculty wanted to insure that these reports fully explored all relevant issues. The Faculty Executive Committee contemplated how to respond. With the support of the Chancellor, on May 14th I appointed a three-member subcommittee of the FEC to examine the reports in response to impassioned feedback from concerned faculty.
I want to thank the subcommittee members, Laurie Maffly-Kipp, Steve Bachenheimer, and Michael Gerhardt who spent a great deal of their summer producing a report for the Faculty Executive Committee. You didn’t hear a great deal from the faculty before that because we didn’t want to rush to judgment. As academicians we are trained, and profess to our students, the importance of process, and being methodical and analytical in reaching conclusions and decisions, and this takes time. A rush to judgment could not only lead to actions that are ultimately detrimental to our mission, but such a rush is antithetical to what we stand for. We used this same approach in handling these recent events.
The Chancellor responded by setting in motion the recommendations made in the report, but a great deal had already been done before our report was submitted. I urge you to read all three of these reports and not rely purely on what you read in the newspapers, which can only be snippets. All are on the Faculty Governance website.
Another priority to restore confidence in integrity is to complete the work of the Honor System Task Force. A great deal has already been done. Members of the task force created and launched an Honor Court Module which is on everyone’s Sakai sites. Also on your sites is the plagiarism tutorial and we now have an active Faculty Advisory Committee.
The Center for Faculty Excellence, in particular Director Eric Muller and Research Director Sohini Sengupta, completed the Turnitin software pilot and submitted a report to the FEC. As you might imagine, the pilot revealed no definitive answer; there were positives and negatives, so I will sit down with the Chancellor and members of the Task Force to make a decision about whether UNC should purchase the software.
The Committee on Student Conduct is working on several other initiatives which will be presented to the Faculty Council this term. Given the tradition of UNC’s Honor System, reform is not easy. It too takes time to do the full analysis to get it right.
2. Rediscover and commit to the mission of the University of teaching, research and service. These three goals are sometimes at odds with each other but the University has a bold innovative and engaging academic plan which recognizes and enhances the mission, focusing on the interrelation among the three aspects and is directed toward the enhancement of the student academic experience as well as faculty and staff development. After only one year of the implementation process, many exciting projects are already taking place that reflect various aspects of this plan to provide the kind of education we want in both traditional and non-traditional classrooms. E.g. Approximately 80% of our entering students will be able to enroll in a First Year Seminar; we have pilot innovative courses as part of the Explosive Ideas program; and Honors programs have expanded.
Last year the Faculty Council adopted a unique two year campus theme that addresses one of the most important issues of the future—“Water in our World.” To recognize and show the University’s commitment to the theme, our University Day Speaker on October 12th is Jamie Bartram, Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Director of the ‘Water Institute at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, and co-chair of the steering committee.
Students have embraced the theme and have several projects that will be visible throughout the year. They are looking for the same commitment from us. On way for us to show our commitment is to devote a component of already existing classes, or create new classes that will raise the awareness of water in our world. Some faculty have already done this, but I invite all of us to share in that commitment. To see the events in place for the fall, visit watertheme.unc.edu
3. Restore and enhance morale through partnership. Both the Academic Plan and the Water Theme are designed to create a partnership with students, faculty and staff to enhance the UNC experience for all of us. Shortly you will hear from two very important people on this campus who have agreed to meet regularly with me and the Chancellor to create the kind of partnership we want to enhance all of our lives.
Other concerns to restore and enhance morale:
A. Retention of faculty, students and staff. There are many reasons we stay or leave UNC– morale, resources, salary, & benefits to name a few. To address these, I have reconstituted the Faculty Welfare Committee.
Fixed Term Faculty Concerns: Great strides have been made and last year the Faculty Council approved the position of Master Lecturer. I am pleased to report that three Senior Lecturers were promoted to Master Lecturer. But there are other issues to complete, so I will continue to work with the Fixed Term Faculty Committee and the Administration to make fixed term faculty positions attractive and respected career paths.
Similar to the faculty, our student retention rate is quite good, but one area that needs our serious attention is the retention of male minority students. I have reconstituted the Faculty Committee on Community and Diversity to work with Vice Provost Clayton on this and other issues. But, the most important component to their retention is US, the faculty. These students are in our classes and it is up to us to engage them in what we have chosen as our life’s work. We must use innovative strategies to address this situation. We all have something we want to share—let’s make an effort to share it with all students.
B. Sports: It is clear that sports play a significant role in our culture. Perhaps some might say to our detriment, but I want to say to our benefit. We learn a great deal about who we are as a society by the sports we play and watch, and by how we play them. If we need any reminder just think back to the Olympics a few weeks ago, where UNC was well represented.
Our sports teams and individual student-athletes exhibit the best of human movement, serve as representatives of the University, participate in research projects, and serve to demonstrate our commitment to diversity and gender equity. Sports have played a significant role in integrating colleges, especially for immigrants and African Americans. And Title IX remains the single most significant piece of legislation that expanded opportunities for women in educational fields as well as in athletics. Through ticket sales and other athletic revenues, our sports programs provide scholarships for other students on campus, provide support for our spectacular Marching Band, and of course unite the Tar Heel Family.
Another demonstration of the influence of athletics on campus is right here where we are in the Sonja Haynes Stone Center. Some of us remember Professor Stone very well. She was one of the most inspiring, dynamic, and engaging teachers of African-American culture and history. You could not take her class without learning and wanting to learn more. Many African-American students took her classes because she engaged and challenged them to learn, embrace, and share their history and culture.
Three of these were star football players who played a significant role in bringing this Center to fruition. Their names were John Bradley, Jimmy Hitchcock, and Tim Smith. They brought what they had learned in the classroom to the football field and to their fellow athletes, and they brought what they learned on the football field to their fellow students in the classroom. Some of us remember the controversy surrounding the building of this center and its location. After much opposition, these young men along with the Black Student Movement changed the momentum and gained support for this Center. It may be ironic that we are meeting here in the Jimmy Hitchcock room. Last Spring in this room, UNC’s Black Caucus and the Parr Center for Ethics sponsored a panel discussion, entitled “Respect and revolution of the Black Athlete.” Jimmy Hitchcock, as one of the panelists, talked about this period in his life and where he is now. Growing up he seldom if ever read books, [they were not in his home] his only interest and goals were to play football in college and professionally. He did both, but something happened along the way. He took AFAM 101 where Professor Stone introduced him to literature, history and other academic areas with the result that he received his B.A., became a voracious reader, and passed this on to his children, who are all stellar students. Indeed his eldest daughter graduated high school with honors and is now on scholarship as a first year student at North Carolina State.
As I said in my comments to the Board of Trustees, I have spent nearly my whole life involved in sports, and for the past 40 years, my academic research and teaching have focused on ethics in sports. I have written on and given many lectures that address some of the very issues we are facing. While not unique, they are helping me think even more about the moral significance of sport not just here, but in our society. What is the value of sports on campus? They are the front porch of the University and they do serve to bring us together, but has money corrupted intercollegiate sports, and are we treating our student-athletes fairly? These are questions that we, UNC faculty members, must ask ourselves – individually and collectively.
Our problems are not unique, but with the faculty, staff, and resources on this campus, and with the support of the administration, we DO have the opportunity to be in the forefront of handling the complexities of big time sports properly; we must seize upon this, because whether in sports, academics, or life: “The death of ethics is the sabotage of excellence.”
Again the words of Charles Kuralt: “Our love for this place is based on the fact that it is, as it was meant to be, the University of the people.” This is the time for us to reflect, respond, rediscover, and renew the purposes for the establishment of this oldest public university in the country. Now more than ever we need to come together to as partners as we remember once again the reasons this University exists: teaching, research, and service.
We face many challenges, but we also have amazing talents and brilliance here on our own campus. Together and sharing in responsibility, I am confident we can overcome these challenges and become a stronger university that all of us can continue to be proud of. The choice is ours and I invite you join me and begin our walk today in establishing a partnership to restore confidence in integrity, regain morale, and renew our trust in each other. To begin, I invite all of you, and for you to invite all your colleagues, to walk side by side, in solidarity and in support of one another to celebrate who we are by attending the University Day Celebration on October 12th . Water Theme steering committee. Jamie Bartram will be University Day speaker
Appendix E
2012-13 Faculty Athletics Committee Work Plan.
Joy Renner, Chair
“Academics, Athletics, Faculty Athletics Committee”
September 7, 2012
My point of entry…
- Teach undergraduate students and graduate students
- Academic advisor
- Director for three programs
- Have experience with at risk students, high demand programs with heavily committed students, learning disadvantaged students
- 3 years on FAC
What I brought with me…..
- Carolina grad
- No previous contact with athletics other than occasional attendance at events
- Recognition that I possessed a limited understanding of the breadth of athletics, both its contributions to higher education and its effects on higher education
Starting place for forward planning
- Out of unclear, assumed, and incomplete understanding comes:
- Criticism
- Blame
- Call for quick responses
- Broad calls for action that would change everything before we fully evaluate what works, what needs changes, and what should be eliminated
Creating a Just Culture
“People make errors, which lead to accidents. Accidents lead to deaths. The standard solution is to blame the people involved. If we find out who made the errors and punish them, we solve the problem, right?
Wrong. The problem is seldom the fault of an individual; it is the fault of the system. Change the people without changing the system and the problems will continue.”
Don Norman, Author, The Design of Everyday Things
Disciplinary Theory Model
- Human Error – Individual should have done other than what they did; inadvertently causes or could cause an undesirable outcome
- Negligent Conduct – Subjectively more culpable than human error; failure to exercise the skill, care, and learning expected of a reasonably prudent person; Failure to recognize a risk that should have been recognized
D. Marx. Patient Safety and the Just Culture, 2001
Disciplinary Theory Model
- Reckless Conduct – Conscious disregard of visible risk; Higher degree of culpability than negligence
- Knowing violations -Knowingly violates a rule;
- Not necessarily related to risk taking; individual knew of or intended to violate a rule, procedure, or duty in the course of performing a task.
D. Marx. Patient Safety and the Just Culture, 2001
HUMAN ERROR
Inadvertent Action
Manage…
Changes in
- Process
- Procedure
- Training
- Design
AT RISK BEHAVIOR
Unintentional Risk Taking
Manage:
- Remove incentives for at-risk behaviors
- Create incentives for healthy behaviors
- Increase situational awareness
RECKLESS BEHAVIOR
Intentional Risk Taking
Manage:
- Remedial action
- Punitive action
FAIR AND JUST CULTURE
- What are the rules?
- Does everyone know them?
- How do we differentiate an individual with a problem vs. a good person set-up to fail in an “unsafe” system?
- The critical importance of having one set of rules and avoid work-arounds
Creating a Just Culture
- A just culture recognizes that competent professionals make mistakes and acknowledges that even competent professionals will develop unhealthy norms (shortcuts, “routine rule violations”), but has zero tolerance for reckless behavior
Important
- To understand the scope of the unacceptable and inappropriate situation, create a climate that fosters trust
- Personnel are encouraged and willing to report errors and incidents, near misses or “good catches”
- Provides fair-minded treatment, creates effective structures that help people reveal their errors and help the organization learn
- It is NOT non-accountable, nor does it mean avoidance of critique
- After careful collection of facts, if reckless or willful violation of policy, negligent behavior, corrective action may be appropriate
2012-2013 Faculty Athletics Committee
- Effectiveness
Clear understanding of purpose
Support – information, guidance, policy
Time and effort availability
2012-2013 Faculty Athletics Committee
In our role in advising the Chancellor and informing our academic community, we will be fulfilling these roles by:
1) monitoring existing systems and policies and organization related to academics,
2) reviewing present and past academic outcomes and trends,
3) seeking out Best Practice information from our academic peers to guide our refinement of the UNC connection of academics and athletics, and
4) providing input to new systems and policies to strengthen the student-athlete’s UNC experience
Role of the committee members
- the perspective as a faculty who has an understanding of the academic expectations and the mission of the University.
- the perspective of “content” expert on an assigned topic
- the perspective of student-athletes and coaches from assigned teams.
- This type of preparation and thinking will allow us to review comprehensively and to reflect openly on information shared and directions chosen.
Activities
- Serve as point person for discussions related to assigned topics
- Develop network of resources to support the monitoring of, review of, and suggestions for the Chancellor and University community related to assigned topics
- Review information related to the assigned teams
- Provide the primary and secondary administrators and coaches and team captains with contact information and invite them to share any questions, concerns, or suggestions they might have for the committee
Topics to monitor, review, and strengthen:
- Admissions – from recruiting through matriculation
- Academics – majors/courses/progress toward degree/registrations
- Advising and student success– student support programs – existing and needed faculty connections – communication/outreach/inclusion
- Student-athlete experience – surveys and focus groups and other information gathering to base decisions on improving and strengthening the student-athlete experience
- Policies and Procedures – review of P&P from around the campus related athletics and develop new P&P needed to fortify existing systems or establish new ones
- Administration and Operations – personnel, hirings, responsibilities, funding, principles
Content/Topic Experts
- Admissions – Beverly Foster and Layna Mosley
- Advising – Beverly Foster and Eileen Parsons
- Academics – Andrew Perrin and Glynis Cowell
- Student-athlete Experience – Glynis Cowell and John Stephens and Barbara Osborne
- P & P – Eileen Parsons and Barbara Osborne
- Admin & Op – John Stephens and Gene Orringer
Points to Ponder (for faculty)
- Classroom environment
- Response to information request
- Response to travel letters
- Understanding of attendance policy
- Fairness in the classroom
- Other factors reflected in academic performance, not just athletics participation
- Communicate or “talk about”
- Value (not monetary) of sports team to the student-athlete and the student body and the University
- Value of a recognized successful athletics program
- Not enough information (right now)– Can student-athletes be successful at UNC – Chapel Hill?
Bridge versus Bond
- Bridge allows the two (academics and athletics) to stay separate and just provides communication between the two
- Bond creates a situation where one cannot move without the other
Parting note
To: Cary Kolat
You knocked it out of the park. It really was great and served exactly the purposes I had hoped.
The students were really excited about it, and will long remember it. It will be a highlight of my course. After you left we had a great time of discussing all the wisdom in what you shared; there was incredible commonality with everything we talk in health care about regarding recruiting the right people, coaching up talent, setting performance goals for individuals, teams, and organization, etc.
I also appreciated your talking about how you help the students with all of life, and provide a home away from home for them. It was fantastic. You are doing amazing work.
I will definitely want you to come back next year to do the same thing. Thanks for already offering to do so.
Again, many thanks Cary.
P.S. If any of your students are interested in the Health Professions broadly speaking, the Bachelor of Science in Public Health is a great major, and you could send them to me to discuss the program. It’s a very strong major with great students and I would certainly recommend it.
Karl E. Umble, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Communication
Share your thoughts, concerns, questions, experiences, models, suggestions, and information
Appendix F
Resolution 2012-8. On Endorsing the Faculty Executive Committee Report on Academic Irregularities and Commending Chancellor Thorp’s Actions to Restore Confidence in Carolina’s Academic Integrity.
The General Faculty resolves:
The faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the July 26, 2012 report of the special subcommittee of the Faculty Executive Committee written in response to recent disclosures of academic irregularities involving student-athletes and others, and commends Chancellor Thorp on the actions he has taken to restore confidence in Carolina’s academic integrity, specifically
- An independent review headed by Dr. James G. Martin to identify any other academic irregularities that may have occurred;
- A study headed by Dr. Hunter Rawlings of the appropriate future relationship between academics and athletics at Carolina;
- Reorganization of the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes;
- Expansion of academic advising by adding new positions to monitor and oversee academic advising for student-athletes;
- Coordinating and clarifying the relationship between academic advising and the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes;
- Strengthening faculty involvement in athletics;
- Strengthening the connections between the Department of Athletics and the College of Arts and Sciences; and
- New and strengthened policies in the College and Summer School designed to prevent future irregularities.
Appendix G
Statement from the Faculty in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies
We, the faculty of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, would like to officially recognize General Faculty Resolution 2012-9, which affirms the academic integrity of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies. We are gratified by this show of support from our colleagues at the University. As faculty in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies we wish to underscore the significance of the interdisciplinary fields of African and Afro-American Studies within the life of our University, nation, and world. Our department has a long and accomplished history of educating students at the University and supporting their intellectual development as they prepare to become leaders and engaged citizens. Our faculty members’ areas of scholarly expertise provide unique and important perspectives on social dynamics and challenges facing diverse communities and nations in the twenty-first century. As a faculty, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence and best practices in teaching and research as we continue to serve students and the wider community.
September 7, 2012
Barbara Anderson, Lecturer and Associate Director, African Studies Center
Lydia Boyd, Assistant Professor
Kia Caldwell, Associate Professor
Allasane Fall, Lecturer
Perry Hall, Associate Professor
Reginald Hildebrand, Associate Professor
Kenneth Janken, Professor
Joseph Jordan, Adjunct Associate Professor and Director, Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History
Michael Lambert, Associate Professor and Director, African Studies Center
Margaret Lee, Associate Professor
Esther Lisanza, Lecturer
Timothy McMillan, Senior Lecturer
Alphonse Mutima, Adjunct Assistant Professor
Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, Professor
David Pier, Assistant Professor
Robert Porter, Lecturer
Charlene Regester, Associate Professor
Eunice Sahle, Associate Professor and Chair
Mamarame Seck, Assistant Professor
Bereket Selassie, William E. Leuchtenburg Professor of African Studies and Professor of Law
Appendix H
Carolina Black Caucus Statement of Support for the Department of African and Afro-American Studies
We, the members of the Carolina Black Caucus (aka The Black Faculty and Staff Caucus), express our ongoing support for the Department of African and Afro-American Studies.
We are encouraged by the oral and written communications from the Chancellor Holden Thorp, Dean of Arts & Sciences Karen Gil, and Faculty Chair Jan Boxill, that demonstrate a strong confidence and trust in the faculty and staff of said department.
We also remain observant of particular actions that may unfairly cause doubt and suspicion of any, and all, employees and students in our athletic and academic university community.
We are Carolina and we are one. We are doing great things and we will continue to discover, teach, and serve this state and country. Our unity is our strength.
Respectfully, the Carolina Black Caucus
Appendix I
Resolution 2012-7. On Opposition to a Cap on Use of Campus-Based Tuition Increases for Need-Based Student Aid.
The General Faculty resolves:
The faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill strongly endorses the policy of appropriating a portion of the revenue generated by campus-based tuition increases to hold harmless recipients of need-based student aid, and expresses opposition to any proposal that would compromise that policy.
The Secretary of the Faculty is instructed to transmit this resolution to the President and Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.
Comment: Tuition and fees at Carolina remain among the lowest nationwide, in keeping with the spirit of the North Carolina Constitution’s provision that the benefits of an education at the state’s universities, “as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the State free of expense.” Nevertheless, many students would not be able to afford a Carolina education without strong need-based aid. The Carolina Covenant, which guarantees that no student who qualifies for admission to Carolina will be turned away for lack of financial resources, stands as nationally-recognized testimony to our commitment to the fundamental public policy embodied in the constitutional call for public higher education at minimal expense to the student. Today, Carolina holds a proud position as one of only two top public universities that guarantee to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need for all undergraduates.
This tradition of affordability and accessibility has been possible through a combination of strategies, of which the allocation of a substantial portion of tuition increases has been a crucial part. In 2012-2013, Carolina is allocating about 38 percent of its increased tuition revenues for financial aid. If, as one proposal under consideration by the Board of Governors recommends, the University had devoted only the minimum amount (25 percent) of tuition revenue permitted to aid, an estimated 2,200 students would no longer receive crucial need-based grants.
A robust program of need-based aid benefits the entire University community and Carolina’s aspirations to academic excellence by ensuring that the most able, prepared, and accomplished applicants that Carolina gets are able to enroll here. Their presence, in turn, enhances the education of all of their classmates, bolsters the research and teaching environment for the faculty, and adds significantly to the academic excellence of the University. Without the students that a strong program of aid attracts, the education of all students—and the level of excellence of the entire University—would suffer.
Appendix J
Resolution 2012-10. On Revising the Standards for Continued Academic Eligibility for Undergraduate Enrollment.
The Faculty Council resolves:
Beginning with the Spring Semester, 2013, the Academic Eligibility Regulations as found in the online Undergraduate Bulletin are revised as follows:
“Academic Eligibility
The University expects all students to study and perform to the best of their abilities. The eligibility standards listed below do not suggest acceptable academic performance, but rather minimum levels. Students failing to meet these standards are not making good use of their educational opportunities.
First-year students entering the University on or after May 14, 2007 are required to meet the requirements listed below. These standards will apply to sophomore transfer students beginning Fall 2008 and to junior transfer students beginning Fall 2009.
Eligibility standards
Good Standing entitles a student to enroll in a fall or spring term. The requirements for ordinary Good Standing are as follows.
A 2.0 cumulative grade-point average and the following number of credit hours passed:
9 hours to enter a second semester
24 hours to enter a third semester
36 hours to enter a fourth semester
51 hours to enter a fifth semester
63 hours to enter a sixth semester
78 hours to enter a seventh semester
93 hours to enter an eighth semester
Special permission of the Dean to enter a ninth semester (See guidelines*)
A student who falls short of these standards will be considered in “good standing–on probation” for one semester provided he or she passed at least nine credit hours of graded coursework in the preceding semester and was not already on probation. Probation is considered good standing.
Academic Ineligibility
Students who do not qualify for automatic probation or who do not meet cumulative eligibility standards after a probationary term are academically ineligible and may not enroll in a spring or fall term.
Appeals
Students may, under extraordinary circumstances, present an appeal in writing to the dean of their school (for students in the College of Arts and Sciences, this is the Associate Dean for Advising). The Dean will refer the appeal to the administrative board of his/her school.”
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