Julius Nyang’oro, chairman of the University’s Afro-American Studies Department, resigned from the position Thursday in the wake of “irregularities” surrounding courses in his department and their relation to the investigation into the football team, according to a statement from Chancellor Holden Thorp.
“Because academic integrity is paramount, we have every obligation to get to the bottom of these issues,” Thorp said. “This process has been difficult, and we’ve been through a lot this past year, but the only right thing to do is to pursue the facts and fix the problems.”
Nyang’oro became a focus of the football scandal in July when it was found that former defensive end Michael McAdoo had plagiarized a paper for Nyang’oro’s class, and the plagiarism had not been detected by Nyang’oro or the Honor Court.
The revelation sparked an examination of the University’s student-led honor system.
The (Raleigh) News & Observer later reported that Nyang’oro had hired a sports agent to teach a summer class without informing Karen Gil, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Gil appointed professor Evelyne Huber to interim chairwoman of the department. She is the chairwoman of the political science department, and will continue in that role, according to the statement.
Thorp said in the release that he has discussed the issue with Chairman of the Board of Trustees Wade Hargrove and UNC-system President Thomas Ross. Thorp’s decision to fire head football coach Butch Davis coincided with Hargrove’s election to board chairman.
Nyang’oro was the only black chairman of a department in the College of Arts and Sciences before he resigned, said University spokesman Mike McFarland.
Nyang’oro’s resignation represents the latest in a series of blows to the University’s diversity-related departments and centers.
