Something to Hope For
By Mimi Chapman Please note, the Coalition for Carolina does not have a stand on the on-going war in the Middle East. We are concerned for the well-being of all on our campus and recognize the complicated factors at play in the choices campus leadership makes in such unsettling times. The post below is meant […]
SCiLL Looks Like What We Feared: Origins May be Destiny
We vowed to keep an open mind about the new School of Civic Life and Leadership that was mandated at UNC by trustees and the legislature. But the school looks more and more like what we were told it wouldn’t be: a center for right-wing views and something removed or exempt from normal university hiring […]
UNC Takes a Step Backward on Racial Diversity
UNC has taken a serious step back from its commitment to fairness and equal opportunity. Black student enrollment in this year’s freshman class dropped from 10.5% to 7.8%, Hispanic enrollment dropped from 10.8% to 10.1%, and Native American enrollment dropped from 1.6% to 1.1%. This is the first class to be admitted since the U.S. […]
Hark the Sound? Will Tar Heel Voices be Heard?
By Mimi Chapman Over the holiday weekend, I was interested to see this article from the Associated Press in which three faculty members express concern about what our commitment to diversity actually means in light of the Students for Fair Admissions decision and, perhaps even more importantly, the Board of Governors’ decision to do away […]
Trustees Tried to Bully Bubba, But Got Called for a Foul
Chair John Preyer and his allies on the UNC Board of Trustees have a history of bullying, harassing and intimidating long-time UNC leaders – even forcing some to leave Carolina. This time, the bullies got called out. They planned a secret, closed-door meeting where they would pummel and pillory Bubba Cunningham, who has been our […]
Supporting Institutional Neutrality and Student Success
On Thursday 23 May, the UNC Board of Governors voted 22-2 to replace the Regulation on Diversity and Inclusion (§300.8.5) of the UNC System Policy Manual and Code. The new Regulation aims to strike a balance between what is referred to—in this Regulation and in contemporary discussions—as institutional neutrality, on one hand, and academic freedom and […]
Division Over UNC Protest Reflects Damage from Legislative Interference
Image source: https://www.wunc.org/show/due-south/2024-05-01/unc-chapel-hill-pro-palestinian-protests-student-journalists The UNC campus and the larger Carolina community are deeply divided over the pro-Palestinian protests on campus and the administration’s response. This is a time when our university needs experienced leadership, constructive dialogue and a free exchange of ideas and information. It is a time when North Carolina needs UNC to provide […]
Gratitude
Dear Coalition of Carolina Supporters, We hope this letter finds you well and in good spirits. On behalf of entire Coalition, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your steadfast support of our mission to defend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from partisan interference. Your commitment to the principles of Lux […]
A New Assault on Carolina is Happening
We are seeing signs of a more extreme political assault against UNC – and indeed all of higher education. Trustees Welcome a Harsh Critic Heather Mac Donald, a fellow from the right-leaning Manhattan Institute, spoke last week to the external affairs committee of the UNC Board of Trustees. She told the trustees that eliminating affirmative […]
No Joking Matter, Mr. Speaker
As UNC students were being removed from the North Carolina House gallery last week for protesting against gun violence, Speaker Tim Moore laughed, joked that the protesters must secretly be Duke students and quipped; “This is not a pep rally.” They know that, Mr. Speaker. The next day, the campus was on lockdown again. Another man […]