Although the commission members were appointed in April at the request of the N.C. General Assembly, no action has been taken on the study. The commission is scheduled to report its findings in January 2003, the start of the next session.
Lawmakers said the commission will not meet until the end of this legislative session, which likely be in the next couple of weeks.
"The studies are conducted between sessions,"said Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, co-chairman of the commission.
The General Assembly passed legislation last year calling for the study after several key legislators questioned the size and impact of the BOG on the UNC system. Some have said the BOG, which has not changed since the system's inception in 1971, hinders the effectiveness of the system's flagship universities -- UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University.
BOG Chairman Brad Wilson said the study of the board's structure understandably has taken a back seat to the state's budget crisis. "The lack of action shows that the budget process is difficult and complex, but that doesn't mean that the restructuring isn't important," he said.
Wilson said he still expects the commission to carefully examine the way the UNC-system governing body works and to compare alternatives to the structure.
Wilson said that the commission still has ample time to perform a thorough study but that the depth of its report will depend on how many times members meet before finalizing the report. "The more comprehensive the scope is, the more time they'll need," he said.
Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said he is anxious for the commission to begin its in-depth study of the board. "I hope to meet as soon as this legislative session is adjourned," said Rand, who also serves as co-chairman of the commission. "We're going to do the best we can in the time we have to do it. This committee's findings are a top priority for me."
Rand said the commission will take additional time for the study if needed.
