CHAPEL HILL — The University of North Carolina Board of Governors is rethinking how it does business.
A board subcommittee Oct. 4 held a “meeting to discuss meetings.” The BOG, which sets policies and approves university budgets, must meet at least six times a year. But those discussions are inefficient, board member Marty Kotis said.
During a special board meeting in September, Kotis, Tom Fetzer, and a handful of board members released a list of demands. Kotis, an outspoken advocate for administrative reforms, suggested a task force to tighten up meeting processes.
Communication among board members is a problem, but dramatic changes aren’t needed, Fetzer said.
Board meetings generally take a day and a half, but that’s too long, several members say. A handful of the governors travel hours to attend.
Tedious housekeeping items often clutter the board agenda and could be condensed, said UNC President Margaret Spellings.
“I think we’re often frustrated because there’s so much mail to move.”
Time spent around the table should be productive, Fetzer said.
To accomplish that, board members should receive materials and presentations well in advance, Kotis said. The board shouldn’t have to sit through a long presentation then cram any debate into a five-minute window at the end.
“Rushing to get our answers in five minutes is tough,” he said.
Members need to examine meeting results.
“What are we accomplishing, what are we moving forward, and what are our deliverables at the end of that meeting?” Kotis asked.
The staff tries to send materials 10 days before a board meeting, said Andrea Poole, a senior UNCGA staffer. Sending things earlier is impractical, but staffers will try to accommodate members as much as possible, Spellings said.
The board may consider streaming or recording committee meetings, which fill one day.
Full board meetings are broadcast live on UNC-TV, a practice Spellings started when she took office in 2016. Livestreaming individual committees could be expensive, but administrative staff will crunch numbers before the November board meeting, Poole said.
If UNC can spend almost $10 billion running a system it shouldn’t have a problem dropping a few thousand to make meetings available to the public, Fetzer said.
Streaming doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, Kotis said.
Chancellors — expected to show up for every meeting — should have an option not to attend, said Fetzer.
“If the most important use of your time is to come to the board meeting, by all means, come.”
Spellings also wants to set aside time for two or three chancellors to speak at each board meeting.
The board will consider these, and other, proposals Nov. 3.
Some BOG members suggested moving UNC General Administration headquarters out of Chapel Hill, disconnecting from the system’s flagship school. Another board task force will discuss that issue Oct. 9.