Some of the most interesting, impactful news from Carolina is delivered through a livestream of the University’s Faculty Council meetings.
Chancellor Roberts gave remarks at the Feb. 27 meeting (which you can view here, starting at 28:25), and we were encouraged by the empathy he showed, particularly in light of what we recently shared from Professor Mimi Chapman about the trials – and feelings of loneliness – professors are facing at this time. It’s clear Professor Chapman is not alone; we received many notes from other faculty members saying that Professor Chapman perfectly captured their own feelings.
“I don’t think I say often enough … I recognize it is a difficult and unsettling time to be a faculty member here and I think across the country,” Chancellor Roberts said in his remarks to the Council.
“One of the world’s great faculties is here in Chapel Hill,” he praised. He then turned his focus to the recently announced recording policy.
“The whole idea was to create clarity and reassurance,” Roberts said. “That policy clearly has not achieved that aim. So, I’ve talked to the provost and the faculty chair about it – we’re going to scrap it. We’ll go back to the drawing board.”
Roberts noted the issue of surreptitious recording hasn’t come up on campus since the widely publicized 2024 incident involving Professor Larry Chavis, and the administration will evaluate whether there needs to be a new policy.
History professor Miguel La Serna thanked Chancellor Roberts for listening to the concerns of faculty, saying:
“I know we come here, we ask tough questions a lot, but I also just want to acknowledge a moment when your administration has made a decision, gotten feedback, and listened to that feedback and then tried to reconsider it.”
La Serna said the administration’s actions have demonstrated a commitment to shared governance and creating trust between the faculty and administration.
“I appreciate you saying that. Thank you,” Chancellor Roberts replied.
The exchange was an example of what makes Carolina great. We commend Chancellor Roberts for listening and showing up for the faculty on this issue. We also want to challenge him to do more.
The area studies centers were another topic of discussion at this meeting (view here starting at 51:48). The University announced in December that all six area studies centers will close this year, and the announcement has faced considerable pushback.
Some progress is being made to salvage elements of the centers’ work by relying heavily on private and extramural funding. At the Faculty Council meeting, faculty involved in the work of the centers announced the formation of the International Program for Scholarship, Innovation, Training and Education (INSITE), which will serve as a “hub for teaching, research and service for students and faculty all across the University,” according to Graeme Robertson, the current director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies.
Robertson added, “we will continue to be centers of excellence that are deeply rooted in the regions and pay close attention to interdisciplinary work and to the regional perspectives from around the world.”
While we are proud of UNC’s devoted faculty for their commitment to carrying on their work in spite of devastating budget cuts, we call on the Chancellor to listen to the feedback of the Carolina community and reinstate the centers that are so important to making Carolina a true global university.
Carolina’s global stature is one of our strengths. UNC has more Fulbright Scholars than any other public university. Carolina is in the top 10 schools nationally in study abroad participation, with 47% of Carolina students studying abroad as compared to just 10% of students participating in study abroad from other institutions. Carolina is a primary partner with many international universities because of our faculty expertise and global reputation.
We must continue our commitment to global learning to recognize our full potential as a leader among public universities. That means reinstating the area studies centers that fuel that education. Chancellor Roberts can make it happen – and we challenge him to do so.