The Board of Trustees met for their July meeting on Wednesday and Thursday. The board announced new policy, new positions and new attitudes after the recent tragedies across the world.
The new policy regarded alcohol violations across campus. The alcohol policy will be substantively reformed, with the focus being shifted from criminal citations for drinking related incidents to more rehabilitory measures, as indicated by the announcement that funds will be provided for the University to hire a substance abuse counselor at Counseling and Psychological Services, which it had been lacking.
“Treating problem drinking purely as a crime will not work,” said Winston Crisp, vice chancellor for student affairs.
“We must fundamentally reconsider how we talk about these issues. Going forward, we must treat this as a public health concern.”
The committee also finalized a blueprint for a monument which will commemorate the history of and controversy surrounding Carolina Hall, formerly Saunders Hall, on campus.
“The monument will have three panels,” Crisp said. “The first will depict the original construction of the building, what its original purpose was and whatnot, the second will focus on how it came to be named Saunders Hall, who Saunders was and the third panel will commemorate the choice to name the building Carolina Hall, and will absolutely include the protests and controversy that occurred as a result of that decision.”
At the general body meeting, Chair Dwight Stone took time to review recent tragedies, focusing on the killings of unarmed black men and police officers. Stone said he was scared for our society.
“I don’t understand what that is like,” Stone said.
Stone said the University will open discourse across campus and concentrate on the relationship between students, campus police and Chapel Hill police.
