UNC President Margaret Spellings was greeted Tuesday, her first day on the job, by student protests at six campuses around the state.
UNC Chapel Hill’s campus was the hub of the action, with a few hundred students walking out of class to assemble on the quad. The familiar chants that have erupted at meetings of the board of governors over the past several months were raised once again as students voiced their disapproval of Spellings’ record.
“Whose university? Our university!” The crowd shouted, as shown by this video from the Raleigh News and Observer.
Other protests on Tuesday included those at Appalachian State University, N.C. A&T State University, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, and UNC-Wilmington.
Students have cited Spellings, former secretary of education in the George W. Bush administration, as an education profiteer and corporate figure, and have said they are upset about her record on gay issues, given a 2005 controversy in which she revoked public funding for an animated PBS children’s show that portrayed gay characters.
Spellings defended her record following her hiring in October, saying that her focus was not on “those lifestyles” but rather on how taxpayer money is spent.
That statement prompted members of UNC Chapel Hill’s faculty to pen a resolution on Feb. 19 requesting that Spellings clarify her stance on gay and lesbian issues within the university system.
“While the university is in the midst of important attempts to address appropriately the inclusion and support of varied and diverse populations, we call upon Ms. Spellings to reassure LGBTQ students, staff, and faculty by stating her support for LGBTQ communities and the study of LGBTQ issues at UNC,” the statement from 32 faculty members says.
Spellings responded to the faculty resolution in a Feb. 29 letter, affirming her support for equality, and for gay and lesbian academic initiatives at UNC.
“Our institutions thrive because of our commitment to academic freedom and the pursuit of free, unfettered inquiry, and we have a responsibility to provide students with diverse perspectives, academic programs, and campus opportunities that will inform their own values and perspectives as they prepare to lead our interconnected, global society,” the letter reads.
Protest against Spellings began after her controversial hiring last year, when faculty and students complained about the board’s failure to show transparency during the search for a new university president.
Spellings, who was doing a radio interview during the protests Tuesday, said that she didn’t find the demonstrations upsetting.
“It’s just life in public service these days — welcome to the NFL,” Spellings said during the interview. “But I hope that these folks will give me a chance and get to know me, and my work and acts will speak for themselves over time.”
Spellings will act as president at the March 4 meeting of the Board of Governors at Fayetteville State University, where more protests are expected from some student and faculty groups.