The UNC system Board of Governors should reconsider the movement toward a performance-based funding model for universities.
With the new model, universities would receive funding based on graduation and retention rates and degree efficiency.
While it may sound like a good plan to increase academic quality in the state’s institutions, it won’t benefit every school. It could potentially even harm some.
For example, a performance-based model does not take into consideration students with a lower socioeconomic status or those who commute to their campus. Both situations have an effect on the time it takes to graduate.
Some students in North Carolina need to step out of school to work and make money to afford attending, thus taking longer to graduate.
The system’s smaller schools have a larger proportion of these students and would be unfairly affected by this model.
Schools could additionally see lower retention rates if students choose to transfer, even if they transfer in-state.
Universities should be applauded and given assistance for working to get fiscally disadvantaged students through graduation, no matter how many years it takes.
UNC-CH would not be affected as much as other schools in the system. The University tends to do well in the criteria the Board of Governors would use.
