RALEIGH — UNC General Administration last spring urged UNC School of the Arts and UNC-Greensboro to consider a “highly collaborative strategy, such as joint program delivery,” on the grounds that the programs were too similar and the schools are so close to each other geographically. Campus officials have resisted.
RALEIGH — A high-ranking manager at the UNC School of the Arts will keep her $114,695 a year job despite investigative findings that she improperly gave a state computer to her son for use at college and then obtained another one for herself at taxpayer expense. The Office of State Auditor said Lisa Smith, chief information officer at the School of the Arts, “may have violated” a state statute prohibiting procuring state property for personal use, a misdemeanor.
RALEIGH — A Christian group at UNC-Chapel Hill that believes homosexuality is a sin may be compelled to accept gay students as members if the university changes its policies regarding campus organizations.
RALEIGH — When Gov. Mike Easley and the first lady fly in state aircraft, most of their trips include a connection to Brunswick County, where the couple owns two homes. Easley does not reimburse the state for any portion of the coastal trips, although state documents apparently require that he do so.
RALEIGH — Chancellors from two North Carolina institutions of higher education — the largest and one of the smallest — have joined more than 280 other college and university presidents nationally in support of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which is to be officially launched this month.
CHAPEL HILL — UNC Chancellor James Moeser set a goal Wednesday of raising $1 billion in external research grants by 2015, which would require a significant boost in fund-raising annually.
CHAPEL HILL — The graduation ceremonies held at many colleges and universities in North Carolina this past weekend marked the end to yet another academic year, one that will be remembered for turmoil that included hirings and firings, freedom of speech controversies and a terrorist attack with an SUV.
KANNAPOLIS — More than two years after Pillowtex closed in July 2003, a major public-private research initiative is being developed that will transform the site of the former manufacturing company into what is billed as a national leader in biotechnology research.
RALEIGH — University, community college, and state budget office officials spent part of last week lobbying state legislators for more funding for higher education, while arguing against proposed line-item budget cuts. University of North Carolina President Molly Broad, UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser, and North Carolina A&T Chancellor James Renick made presentations to members of the Joint Appropriations subcommittee on education. The presentations, including those made by representatives from the community college system, focused on the theme of making college more affordable while increasing funding for university and community colleges needs.
CHAPEL HILL — The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted Thursday to increase tuition for in-state students by $200 and out-of-state students by $950. The increase is a $50 reduction in each case from what the trustees had considered the day before. UNC-Chapel Hill’s request will join others within the UNC system for a possible vote on tuition increases next month during the Board of Governors meeting Feb. 11. Board of Governors Chairman Brad Wilson has been outspoken in his belief that after several consecutive years of tuition increases that UNC system students deserve a break.
RALEIGH—For the second time in as many years, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill stands accused of discrimination against a Christian student group. In December 2002, UNC-CH threatened to withdraw official recognition and benefits from the student group InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and other Christian student organizations, based upon the groups’ desire that their leadership adhere to the group’s religious beliefs, which UNC-CH argued ran afoul of its policy of nondiscrimination. National public outcry and the threat of a lawsuit prompted Chancellor James Moeser to issue a request to his staff “to allow IVCF to continue to operate as an officially recognized student organization.”
