- “SCiLL prepares students for the responsibilities of citizenship and civic leadership by fostering a free-speech culture and providing an education grounded in encouraging the human search for meaning and developing the capacities for civil discourse and wise decision-making,” said Jed Atkins, director and dean of SCiLL.
In an announcement Friday, leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill said it has “unwavering confidence” in now-completed $1.2 million independent review of its School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL) after months of faculty turnover, but the university will not release details of the finding.
The school, approved by the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees in 2023, launched in fall 2024. SCiLL currently offers an undergraduate minor and plans to extend the program to master’s and doctoral levels.
Earlier this year, the school received a $10 million matching grant and $100,000 in direct funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The investment will support eight endowed professorships with the goal of establishing SCiLL as a world-class civics school focused on historical literacy and civil discourse.
“SCiLL prepares students for the responsibilities of citizenship and civic leadership by fostering a free-speech culture and providing an education grounded in encouraging the human search for meaning and developing the capacities for civil discourse and wise decision-making,” said Jed Atkins, director and dean of SCiLL.
Only one of the school’s nine inaugural faculty members remains. Last year, the school’s associate dean, David Decosimo, was fired from his administrative role. He announced the decision on X but still remains on faculty. Atkins continues to serve as the school’s dean despite criticism from former faculty members, including Inger S. B. Brodey, who resigned from the school via email in early March 2025.
I have been fired as Associate Dean of UNC's School of Civic Life & Leadership, without explanation & upon my return from parental leave.
— David Decosimo (@DavidDecosimo) September 2, 2025
I have some thoughts on the future of the civic school movement & the possibility of university reform.🧵
Paul Newton, the university’s general counsel, said the investigation was requested by Atkins. The university agreed to an independent review, which was announced by UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts at a faculty council meeting on Sept. 5 last year.
K&L Gates LLP, a global law firm, conducted the legal review of allegations and concerns raised about the school. Over a seven-month period, K&L Gates met with anyone who expressed a desire to share concerns about SCiLL. No students were interviewed.
“The Review Team interviewed dozens of individuals, reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents, and fully assessed each of the concerns that were brought to their attention by the university and all individuals who participated in the process,” Newton said.
At the end of the review, Newton said the university has unwavering confidence in the review’s comprehensiveness and objectivity. Further, Newton said, “The university is committed to taking all appropriate steps to ensure that necessary corrective actions are taken.”
The university declined to provide details on what “corrective actions” will be taken. Additionally, the university does not plan to release details of the review, according to Newton.
The review contains references to current and prospective faculty. Some interviewees expressed concern about their information being leaked to the public. Newton said the university decided to withhold details of the review after conducting extensive deliberation and weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks. Ultimately, the university decided to withhold the information to protect the anonymity and privacy of individuals who came forward and participated in the review process.
“The completion of this process provides clarity,” Atkins said in a statement. “I am thankful for the care with which it was undertaken and for the university’s commitment to due process and institutional integrity.”
The estimated total cost of the SCiLL review and report was $1.2 million. According to the university, no state funds were used.
“SCiLL was created to strengthen civic knowledge, civil discourse, and principled leadership—values that are essential to a thriving democracy and central to Carolina’s public mission,” Roberts said in a statement. “The school will continue to evolve and improve, and the university will stand alongside it with confidence in its future.”
You can learn more about UNC’s School of Civic Life and Leadership here.