We hope you had a great Fourth of July. Summer can be a time to move at a slower pace, but the action hasn’t stopped for Carolina and the world of higher ed. Here are a few updates that we thought you might find of interest:
RED ALERT: SAVING SCIENCE
In early June, we highlighted the Trump administration’s latest assault on science. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a 400-page document proposing a sweeping rule change that would give political appointees in the Trump administration unprecedented power over billions of dollars in federal grants. If enacted, this new rule could be catastrophic for American scientific research. As a top-10 research university, this could have a huge impact on Carolina and the important work our Tar Heels do every day.
The OMB comment period closes Monday, July 13 at 11:59pm EDT. Please submit a comment here.
The public comment link includes thousands of comments from concerned citizens who oppose the rule. Upon reviewing hundreds of those comments, we found only one form comment posted in support by various respondents.
The outpouring of opposition to the rule is reassuring, and we encourage you to add your name and your voice before the July 13 deadline.
CAROLINA’S ECONOMIC IMPACT
Defending research funding isn’t only important because of the impact it has on Carolina. Tar Heel research has a massive economic ripple effect throughout North Carolina.
The recently released UNC-Chapel Hill Economic Impact Analysis details the $30.1 billion economic impact Tar Heel alumni contributed to the state in FY2025. Highlights of the report include:
- $18.34 billion contribution/value added to gross domestic product
- $30.1 billion in total economic activity (gross transactions, not net impact)
- 135,458 total jobs supported
- $1.1 billion in state and local tax revenue
Harrison Gilbert, UNC Research director of research partnerships and impact, said of the study:
“This was an opportunity to look at real government data that shows exactly who goes where and what they do. It’s important for our appropriators and our state leaders to know that UNC is one of the best investments that they can make.”
A STATE BUDGET, FINALLY
We couldn’t agree more that UNC is a great investment for state leaders, and for the first time in over 2 years, North Carolina has a state budget to make those investments.
Carolina Alumni Review reported of the new budget:
Included is $153.9 million allocated to the UNC System for enrollment growth. According to UNC System data, more than 256,000 students enrolled in the UNC System in fall 2025, a 3.4 percent increase over fall 2024. Carolina’s student population grew 5.1 percent over the same time span.
…. Carolina, along with N.C. State, will receive $3-million payouts in 2027 from sports gambling tax revenue. The funds will support each school’s athletics department.
The budget also stipulates that the University “shall establish and maintain the School of Civic Life and Leadership as a separate reporting unit of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.” It had been part of the College of Arts and Sciences since its inception in 2023.
SCiLL also stands to receive $5 million in recurring funds from the legislature that “shall be used only to support the School and shall not be redirected for any other ratified purpose.”
SCILL IN THE NEWS
While funding enrollment growth is a valuable part of the new budget, we can’t say we agree with the SCiLL inclusions, especially when there are so many other University budget gaps to fill.
As we’ve reported thoroughly, SCiLL is a lightning rod for controversy. A major outstanding point of contention is the concealing of a $1.2 million report investigating SCiLL’s dysfunctional management.
Last week, an Orange County judge said she lacked the jurisdiction to force a quick public release of the report, but the case will continue to a July 16 mediation.
In absence of a resolution on that matter, SCiLL continues to make news. The school is notable for its high faculty turnover, and that continued with the recent announcement of the departure of Professor John Rose, who will head to Johns Hopkins University’s School of Government and Policy this fall.
You might remember the Rose name from his brother, Matthew, being profiled in an Assembly piece earlier this year.
Professor Rose followed SCiLL Dean Jed Atkins from Duke and was one of SCiLL’s earlier faculty members, making his leave of absence from UNC just a couple years later especially notable as part of a troubling trend of faculty exits.
OTHER TAR HEEL TRANSITIONS
For those keeping tabs on bygone eras of Tar Heel leadership, former UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz has been in higher ed news recently for his own (almost) transition.
Guskiewicz served as UNC’s chancellor from 2019 to early 2024. Since March 2024, Guskiewicz has served as the president of Michigan State University, a school that gained notoriety for its own bout of leadership turnover, with six different presidents taking the helm since the 2018 resignation of President Lou Anna Simon. To follow the trend, Guskiewicz recently announced he was leaving for Clemson, only to quickly reverse course and say he’d stay at Michigan State.
Have any tips about other topics we should be tracking for future updates? Reply to this email to send us a note!