Dear friend,
I was proud to be part of founding the Coalition for Carolina Foundation in 2021. It was a very different time then, just four years ago. Some of the challenges we faced then seemed insurmountable – many days, you wondered how things could possibly get worse.
Fast forward to 2025, and you have your answer. Not only are we facing attacks on fair, transparent governance at the University – something we have been shining a light on for the past four years at the Coalition – but it seems that over the past couple weeks, the assaults have been coming from all angles at an unprecedented pace.
Knowing that many of you reading this are alumni and concerned citizens who aren’t on campus every day, I wanted you to hear some first-hand impressions of what it’s like to be on campus. I don’t claim to speak for everyone at Carolina. These are my observations only, however stark.
There is unease around every corner. Graduate students, stymied by ‘stop-work’ orders and dark data archives wonder how their careers will progress. Faculty colleagues scramble to find ways to pay their research staff in the face of funding freezes. International students worry about being swept up in indiscriminate immigration raids even though their visas are in order. And, most recently, we received the tragic news that a recent UNC graduate was among those lost in the Potomac – her memory despicably being attacked by politicians.
In some domains, like research, news articles provide strange morsels of potential solace. Maybe the funding pauses are the result of a poorly executed transition in Washington. Indeed, the papers are now reporting that grant reviews will resume at the NIH. If the funding pauses don’t go beyond two weeks, all will be well. Tell that to the souls reliant on the soup kitchens in Sudan that have shuttered their doors. There are so many consequences for so many.
And yet, I keep counting the days hoping the articles are right, and that all will be resolved with time, and we’ll go back to a place of normalcy. Yet, in my heart – my true gauge of well-being – I am uneasy. The stomach stays tight. The concentration is poor. Perpetually braced for whatever comes next.
Through it all, there is one thing I know for sure: UNC faculty, staff and students need your support now more than ever. The future is so uncertain, and frankly, scary for so many.
You are going to keep hearing from us at the Coalition for Carolina on a variety of topics. That is our role – highlighting what otherwise might go unnoticed for the greater good of the University.
But as we cover topics both big and seemingly small, we know these world-altering events and their repercussions will likely continue playing out in the weeks and months to come. If you are overwhelmed, I want you to know you are not the only one, and we want to be a resource for you to stay updated and engaged as we navigate the challenges ahead.
Sincerely,
Mimi
P.S. Last week Carolina put a microphone in central campus asking passers by to state one good thing that happened to them that day. It was an important reminder that even in dark times, we are affirmed and supported by those around us. Let’s all take a play from that playbook and look for the good things even in the midst of hard days.
Thank you for this …