Over 600 UNC-Chapel Hill faculty have signed a letter (original, archived copy) condemning the interference and overreach of the North Carolina legislature, the UNC System Board of Governors, and the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees whose actions violate the principles of academic freedom and shared governance that undergird higher education in N.C. and the U.S. If enacted, we believe that these measures will further damage the reputation of UNC and the state of North Carolina and will likely bring critical scrutiny from accrediting agencies that know undue interference in university affairs when they see it.
News coverage of the faculty letter:
- House bill could eliminate tenure in the UNC System, faculty see it as a threat to academic freedom (Daily Tar Heel)
- As GOP lawmakers target university tenure, faculty and campus leaders sound the alarm (NC Newsline)
- Bill would mandate history course, prescribe curriculum at UNC universities, community colleges (NC Newsline)
- Dean shares more details as controversial new school proceeds at UNC-Chapel Hill (NC Newsline)
- Hundreds of UNC professors oppose ‘overreach’ (Inside Higher Ed)
- UNC ‘civic life’ center progressing, over faculty objections (Inside Higher Ed)
- On Air Today: Jay Smith and Max Eichner (Chapelboro)
- UNC professors accuse lawmakers of ‘overreach,’ NC bill could eliminate tenure (Fox News)