Moeser's review kicks off

Behind the closed doors of the Chancellor Ballroom in the Carolina Inn, members of UNC's governing board spent several hours analyzing the leadership of the University.

All the while, Chancellor James Moeser lingered outside the room and mingled with members of his cabinet.

Now in his fifth year at the University, Moeser is under review in his tenure as chancellor.

As regulated by University policies, the UNC Board of Trustees is taking a comprehensive, multifaceted look at Moeser's term as chancellor.

"I'm feeling very good about it now so far with what I've seen," Moeser said. "I'm sure we'll be able to find out more about it later."

Moeser's review process - the exact details of which remain confidential - is similar to all standard fourth-year comprehensive performance

reviews of chancellors in

the UNC system.

Trustees have worked to solicit feedback from faculty, staff, community and alumni representatives, along with students.

They also are collecting input from several groups, including external communities such as the Board of Visitors and the Carolina First campaign.

The Research Triangle Institute, an independent, nonprofit research corporation, is compiling the data.

"We are getting a lot of input around campus," said Richard "Stick" Williams, chairman of the board of trustees. "Now we are in the process of interpreting all that and really figuring out what it all means."

After trustees complete their assessment, they will pass it on to the UNC-system Board of Governors and the Office of the President.

By the beginning of the semester, Moeser had compiled a 12-page sampling of what he considered key accomplishments at the University from August 2000 until June 2004 for his self-assessment.

The list includes the implementation of several large-scale policy changes, which range from appointing several top administrators to launching the Carolina Connects tour, a public relations campaign to strengthen the University's ties to each corner of the state.

Moeser's term as chancellor has been marked by efforts to end binding early decision admissions and to pursue academic initiatives that include securing approval for the Academic Plan, proposing policy changes on an 18-percent cap for out-of-state students and launching the Carolina Covenant.

During his address at the board's meeting, Moeser spoke of the success of this initiative to allow the state's poorest students to graduate debt free.

"We have taken a leadership role nationally," he said. "It is a project designed to ensure success for these students."

Moeser also has led efforts to secure a stable source of funding for the University. He has campaigned for the approval of the statewide Higher Education Bond Referendum, managed budgets exceeding $1.4 billion and embarked on the University's Carolina First Campaign, a $1.8 billion private fund-raising initiative.

And the physical structure of campus has taken on a new form during Moeser's term with the implementation of the Campus Master Plan and the revitalization of planning for Carolina North, a 50-year proposal for a mixed-use research facility.

The work of several top administrators, including Provost Robert Shelton; Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for University advancement; and Nancy Suttenfield, vice chancellor for finance and administration, also is under review this year.

They all were recruited to the University soon after Moeser stepped into his position in the fall of 2000 and are ready for their five-year evaluations.

"What it really does is it forces really, really busy people to sit down and take a deep breath and review their work," Shelton said.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.