It’s a great day (and week) to be a Tar Heel! Thousands of students have descended on campus to start the 2025-2026 school year. It should certainly be an interesting one.
Many of us have fond memories of arriving on campus for the first time – getting settled in our dorms, making new friends and the excitement of experiencing a big university environment from lecture halls to football games.
Whether you graduated decades ago or are part of this new class of 2029, you are part of a very special family at UNC.
We at the Coalition for Carolina know that well, and it’s why we do the work we do. The year ahead will be an exciting one – it always is in Chapel Hill. But it will also come with its share of challenges, as we’ve seen over the past few years and even more acutely over the past few months.
To kick off this new school year, we wanted to share some of what we’ve been watching and will continue to watch in the months ahead:
Tenure’s future seemed tenuous at a May 2025 meeting of the UNC Board of Trustees. Chancellor Lee Roberts sought to clarify Carolina’s commitment to tenure in a recent news interview, and, during the most recent Board of Trustees meeting last month, UNC Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jim Dean delivered a presentation to Trustees outlining the purpose and impact of tenure. Protecting tenure is crucial to the future of Carolina as a top-tier university, and while tenure should not require defending, we’re relieved and proud to hear University officials doing so in the face of resistance from some Trustees.
Carolina Alumni’s Independence is Under Fire
Carolina Alumni (previously known as the UNC General Alumni Association) is the oldest independent alumni association in the country, founded in 1843 by 31 UNC graduates, including Governor John Motley Morehead. The group’s independence came under fire at a recent Board of Trustees meeting, with then-Chairman John Preyer likening the association to a “parasite.” The independence of Carolina Alumni is critical, worthy of our best efforts to protect – especially as it publishes the top-notch Carolina Alumni Review, the main source of University news for most alums.
Since the start of 2025, research funding has been gutted by the federal government. As one of the top research universities in the country, UNC-Chapel Hill stands to lose more than most universities as cuts and their repercussions continue to unfold. We called on UNC System President Peter Hans and UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts to be outspoken advocates for protecting research funding. It’s critical not only for the University, but the countless lives that are touched and saved by the discoveries and lifesaving treatments University researchers develop through their work.
See also: A Future Without Research, The Real Impacts of Research Cuts, Europe Is Recruiting Our Researchers, The Stories Behind the Stats
Belichick scored big. Where’s faculty’s payday?
UNC has a hot-shot, Super Bowl-winning football coach. Was Bill worth the bill? Football season is upon us and one of the hottest questions surrounding UNC will be sure to grab headlines as the games begin.
What other things are on your mind? What would you like to hear about as we tackle the year ahead?
As proud alums and friends of Carolina, it’s our job to support the University and make sure current and future students have positive experiences and enriching opportunities. Thank you for being part of that mission and supporting the efforts of the Coalition for Carolina.
Please consider making a contribution to the Coalition here.