CORRECTION: The original version of this story misquoted board member Marty Kotis about his thoughts on fellow board member Joe Knott's statement on the legislature's involvement on the board. The story has been updated to reflect these changes.
The UNC-system Board of Governors gathered at 2 p.m. today for a previously unscheduled meeting. For 45 minutes, the board discussed salary increases for UNC faculty and staff as well as a request from two N.C. legislators for the records from the board’s emergency meeting on Oct. 30.
At the closed Oct. 30 meeting, the board agreed upon raises for 12 system chancellors, including a $50,000 raise for UNC-CH Chancellor Carol Folt.
After vice-chairperson Lou Bissette indicated his desire Friday to provide the confidential records from the previous meeting to the legislature, board member Joe Knott spoke at length of his disapproval.
“I think what has been one of the keys to preserving academic excellence here has been the insulation of the university from political control,” he said. “The legislature should not be involved directly with the running of this university.”
Knott accused legislators of attempting to control the selection process of the board’s next president, and said their information request represented a continuation of unusual interrupting of the board’s business by the political arm of the state government.
The board elected former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Oct. 23 to replace current system-president Tom Ross. The closed-door search process for his successor drew criticism from faculty and legislators alike.
Board member Marty Kotis was clear in his denouncement of Knott’s statements.
