Lack of student input has been an ongoing concern in the development of the five-year strategic plan for the future of the UNC system.
But on Oct. 30, a forum at UNC-Chapel Hill will give students a chance to make their voices heard in this critical process.
Students should take advantage of this chance.
This forum is one of few opportunities students will have to give their input in a plan that will determine the direction of the UNC system in the coming years. The five-year plan will likely focus on efficiency and ensuring that students are prepared to enter the job market. But maintaining affordability and preserving a focus on a liberal arts education should also be prioritized.
The five-year plan will be used to determine budget priorities and to guide academic policymaking across the UNC system. Its values should represent the best interests of the current and future students who stand to gain, or lose, the most from it.
But without a strong student voice, they might take a back seat to the needs of the business community, which is more directly represented in the process.
The now 30-member Advisory Committee on Strategic Directions tasked with guiding the creation of this plan includes prominent political and business leaders from the state. Their input matters, but so does that of the more than 220,000 students in the UNC system who have only one representative on the committee.
The timeline of the five-year plan to be published in January is not ideal for ensuring the interests of all stakeholders are represented.
But if the University and the UNC system are to reflect the values of students both now and in the future, students should go to the forum to voice their hopes and concerns.
