Moeser Urges Faculty, Students to Fight Proposed Budget Cut

Moeser rallied those attending the Faculty Council meeting to support him in his stand against the 7 percent budget cut from the UNC system -- a total of $125 million -- that the state legislature's Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education formally requested last week. If enacted, the University's share of the cuts would total close to $25 million.

"He came out, both barrels blasting," said Faculty Council Chairwoman Sue Estroff.

Moeser asked faculty members to fight to protect the integrity and quality of UNC. He also emphasized that the tuition money intended for faculty salary increases would not be used to offset the budget cuts.

Estroff followed with a call to "join together to form an embrace for the common cause."

"We will not sell North Carolinians short," she said.

"We will not undermine their confidence (in the University)."

Moeser's speech at the meeting was part of an effort to spark a grassroots campaign by UNC faculty, students and parents to put pressure on state lawmakers.

He sent an e-mail to the University community Thursday informing it of the possible cuts.

The meeting also addressed a report of the Committee on Grading Standards, which was formed last year to investigate University grading policies and suspected grade inflation.

Committee Chairwoman Beverly Long presented the report and answered questions from concerned faculty.

The report served to raise faculty members' consciousness about grading standards, and it attributed rising student grade point averages, which have been increasing at UNC and at colleges around the country, to a variety of

causes.

It offered recommendations to the council on how to address the University's grading policies.

The report proposed an annual review of grades and a general summary of grading patterns by each department. It also supplied specific definitions of letter grades.

Some faculty members questioned the frequent review of grades.

One professor said it was "too intrusive." Another said the authority of professors was "being eaten away."

Others questioned the semantics of the definitions and called for a new grading system altogether.

The differing viewpoints and grading issues raised by the report will be revisited in the fall when the Faculty Council votes on grading resolutions.

There was also dissent regarding the proposal to change the academic schedule and shorten the current 150-day requirement.

The faculty postponed voting on the resolution to raise the issue at the faculty assembly of the UNC system after lengthy debate of the pros and cons.

Among other items discussed at the meeting, the council re-elected Secretary Joseph Ferrell to his position.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.