UNC Right To Consult Conscience

The daily activity of campus can seem mundane, but the truth is that UNC-CH has a higher place in society than many other institutions.

It's a well-deserved ego that comes from UNC-CH being a haven of higher thought that produces scientific research and ideas that can shape and improve society in the ways of medical advances, political policy and literary contributions, just to name a few.

And it's an ego that comes with a certain responsibility that UNC-CH administrators seem well aware of.

This responsibility has increasingly come to light in the past year as the downturn in the state and national economy has forced people to reevaluate their priorities.

Perhaps the first example of UNC-CH realizing what a large social impact it can have on the outside community came last May when the University's Department of Athletics was poised to install a $2 million dollar video board in Kenan Stadium.

Although the money for the video board came solely from private donations, University administrators were hesitant about the negative public perception that could come from flaunting private money when state officials were projecting a budget shortfall of about $2 billion for the 2002-03 fiscal year and members of the N.C. General Assembly were discussing cutting funding for UNC-system schools.

"Even though it was a privately funded project paid for through broadcast rights, the symbolism didn't feel right," said Chancellor James Moeser. "It was a taxpayer sensitivity issue. Not only our staff, but thousands of people in North Carolina were without jobs."

A few months ago, the University showed again that it realizes the message its actions can send out when administrators decided to defer lighting the Bell Tower, a move that would have cost $100,000.

Officials had private contributions identified and earmarked for the physical upgrade, but they decided to redirect it to support academic programs, sending out the message of where the University's priorities lie in times of budget constraints.

And now the University's sense of its outside impact is being tested once again as the Carolina First Campaign is entering its public phase, with administrators touting UNC-CH's goal to raise $1.8 billion in private funds in the name of becoming the leading public university.

Although in the past year UNC-CH has showed that it is cautious about how it flaunts its private financial resources, it seems that administrators are slightly shifting their public attitude toward private money as financial times change.

The public phase of the campaign originally was scheduled to commence in October 2001, but administrators delayed the move after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, partly due to concerns of appearing callous while asking for donations when other fund-raisers were channeling money to the attack victims.

As the private phase of the campaign progressed this past year, administrators were cautiously boastful about announcing large donations and news that they were exceeding its goals, remaining sensitive about the continuing economic downturn facing the state and nation.

But as the tension of financial woes have eased, with the figure of potential UNC-system budget cuts being reduced, UNC-CH administrators have duly responded, now seemingly feeling freer to brag about its private coffers, as press releases and ceremonies have abounded.

UNC-CH does have a right to boast about its private donations, and administrators do have a right to assign the University a bigger ego as a result.

Alumni and corporations donate money to UNC-CH because they believe it is a great institution, and it's hard not to tell others about praise and compliments when you receive them.

UNC-CH's administrators, however, have proved their ability to take the high road, sacrificing publicity, video boards and illuminated landmarks to preserve the image of humility they know others will be noting.

There's nothing better than a little conscience to back up an ego.

Karey Wutkowski can be reached at karey@email.unc.edu.