Moeser Did Right Thing For UNC

After months of courtship, Moeser announced that discussions with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development about establishing a satellite UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School campus in Doha, Qatar were over, due to significant gaps in financial expectations.

Like Chancellor Michael Hooker, who considered building a satellite business school in Indonesia in the mid-1990s, Moeser clearly understands that great 21st century universities must have campuses around the world.

But by ending negotiations with the Qatar Foundation last week, Moeser demonstrated something not all Tar Heels were certain of -- that Moeser understands how important it is not to sell Carolina to just anyone.

Ever since Moeser arrived in 1999, hailed as a champion fund-raiser who would turn UNC's financial situation around, many Tar Heels believed he saw campus through a dollar-bill green lens, rather than a Carolina blue one.

But to my relief, the man in charge does know the importance of preserving UNC's good name before we go global.

Despite Qatar's enticing offer of an international foothold and the opportunity to help create a peaceful democracy in the Middle East, Moeser did the right thing -- he refused to participate unless UNC's educational standards were maintained.

Moeser refused to go ahead with the project unless the Qatar Foundation covered all management expenses. The chancellor rightly reasoned that during a state budget crisis, North Carolinians should not be financing oil princes' educations.

Furthermore, Moeser demanded that Qatar take care of UNC faculty's financial and safety concerns, as Qatari officials expressed their desire to have faculty members uprooted from Chapel Hill for several years.

UNC's negotiating team made clear that the Qatar project should also benefit the Chapel Hill community.

A note written by Provost Robert Shelton indicating that UNC was debating over a Qatari gift -- ranging from $10 million to 35 million -- to UNC was encouraging. Imagine how much could have been accomplished in Chapel Hill with a gift of that size -- up to three times the amount to be raised with the tuition increase approved by the UNC Board of Trustees.

It took guts for Moeser, who is extremely focused on raising the UNC endowment, to turn down millions and millions of dollars in favor of doing the right thing.

Thanks, Chancellor Moeser, for not selling out. That was enough money to make most Tar Heels cry at the negotiating table, and you didn't flinch.

It is ironic that the Qatar decision did not come down to safety or academic and religious freedom concerns but money -- Moeser's weakness.

It's a shame UNC missed such a fantastic international opportunity, but at least our institutional integrity is intact. It's an even bigger shame that Qatar would not fork over the extra oil money to ensure educational peace of mind in Chapel Hill.

In future international entanglements, Chancellor Moeser, please keep the lessons learned from Qatar in mind. The world is full of oil money, but only one UNC.

Sadly, Qatari students have lost out on a UNC education. But on the upside, Chancellor James Moeser has gained Tar Heels' respect -- including mine.

Columnist Katy Nelson can be reached at knelson@email.unc.edu.