UNC-system happenings for June 18-25

UNC-W loses lawsuit

UNC-Wilmington is weighing its options after a U.S. District Court Judge ordered the university to pay over $700,000 in legal fees for a professor’s lawsuit.

Sociology and criminology professor Mike Adams sued UNC-W, claiming he was denied a promotion due to his religious beliefs. Adams had initially asked for over $1 million, but the amount was reduced to $710,625.

The university filed a notice of appeal after a jury ruled in Adams’ favor. The university released an official statement last week.

“Though the university is gratified the plaintiff ’s request for fees and costs was reduced approximately 30 percent by the court, the state/university still believe the costs and fees to be excessive,” the statement said, which was provided by Janine Iamunno, a UNC-W spokeswoman, in an email. 

State auditor investigates UNC-G

The N.C. Office of the State Auditor investigated the travel expenses of senior administrators at UNC-Greensboro. Senior administrators didn’t need to receive advance

approval for trips and travel expenses, violating Office of State Budget and Management and UNC-G policies.

The travel expenses of the chancellor, provost, vice chancellors, deans, associate provosts and directors reporting to the provosts totaled $456,644 during the 2011-13 fiscal years.

Following the investigation, the state auditor recommend- ed UNC-G require written authorization and approval for senior administrators’ travel expenses.

“The University of North Carolina at Greensboro accepts and has already implemented, in April 2014, the recommendation of the State Auditor,” UNC-G Chancellor Linda Brady said in a letter to the state auditor. 

UNC-A starts environmental institute

UNC-Asheville received a $1 million grant to create an environmental institute as a national model to promote sus- tainability in business. UNC-A was given the grant by Dr. Charles McCullough Jr., a resident of Asheville for over 40 years, and his wife Shirley Anne McCullough.

The institute will be known as the McCullough Institute for Conservation, Land Use and Environmental Resiliency.

UNC-A students and professors, business leaders and partner organizations like UNC-A’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center will work together at the institute.

“The McCullough family realizes that a multidisciplinary approach to environmental resiliency is ideally suited to the character of UNC-Asheville, the values of our residents and the interests of our faculty and students,” UNC-A Chancellor Anne Ponder said in a press release.