Board of Governors reconvenes today

When the UNC-system Board of Governors met in committees Thursday, it considered allowing historically black and minority institutions to accept more out-of-state students than currently permitted.

UNC-system schools have an 18-percent cap on the enrollment of out-of-state freshmen, and the proposal discussed would raise the cap to 30 percent for the system’s six historically black and minority colleges.

Harold Martin, chancellor of N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University, said in an interview after the meeting that raising the cap would help the historically black university.

If schools violate the cap for two consecutive years, there is a penalty.

“(Increasing the cap) would be a great opportunity based on our records that a high percentage of students we bring to North Carolina remain in North Carolina,” Martin said, adding that many study in areas like the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields and business.

“They stay as nurses, they stay as teachers and they bring value to the economy of our state.”

But UNC-Pembroke student Robert Nunnery, a non-voting student member of the board and president of the system’s Association of Student Governments, said while it would benefit schools like N.C. A&T, smaller schools like Fayetteville State University and UNC-P wouldn’t need the increase anytime soon.

“Pembroke doesn’t have that many out-of-state students — we’re not even pushing the out-of-state cap as of now,” he said.

“(It could be good) for the long-term growth of the university. Short-term, I’m not sure.”

Martin said a policy change would not deny access to any North Carolina prospective student.

The proposal recommends a five-year pilot program with an annual report to the board. A final decision by the board is not expected anytime soon.

The board’s special committee on military affairs also met Thursday to discuss ways to recruit more student veterans in system schools. There are an estimated 7,000 veterans in the system.

Ann Marie Beall, director of military education for the General Administration, said at the meeting that the system wants to be more competitive with other institutions that are heavily recruiting veterans.

The committee discussed the possibility of giving the board more authority to deal with student veterans — instead of leaving it to the federal government and the GI Bill for student veteran benefits, which has undergone several changes.

Members also discussed the possibilities of offering online degrees or in-state tuition to student veterans.

Beall said she wants to have recommendations ready for when the N.C. General Assembly reconvenes for the legislative short session in May.

The full board will come together again today. UNC students have said they will march to the meeting to protest the board’s August ban of gender-neutral housing for the system.

Nunnery said while he thought the ban was unfortunate, he felt it was the best outcome available.

“Would you rather have state law ban gender-neutral housing, or would you rather have BOG policy ban it?” he said, adding that board policy is easier to overturn.

“This gives students flexibility to revisit the issue later on.”

Senior Writer Lucinda Shen contributed reporting.

state@dailytarheel.com