BOG turns toward affordability, diversity in development of strategic plan

The UNC-system Board of Governors met Friday in Chapel Hill to discuss how its strategic plan for the university system should address diversity and the rising cost of higher education.

The plan, which will be finalized by January 2017, will outline the Board’s goals for the UNC-system for the next five years. The plan’s focus on affordability, accessibility and student success echoes the goals UNC-system President Margaret Spellings laid out for the system in her inauguration speech Thursday.

The Board's Committee on Strategic Planning recently sent out a survey to UNC-system schools to solicit feedback for the plan. The survey was distributed to various students, faculty, staff and members of the boards of trustees at each institution.

J. Craig Souza, vice chairperson for the Strategic Planning Committee, said in the meeting there have been over 2,500 responses to the survey.

Harry Smith, a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, said universities should be given more independence in working toward increased affordability.

“I would like to see the Board of Governors get less active in management and really let the chancellors and Margaret run the system,” he said.

Jayna Fishman, a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, said the development of the strategic plan is inherently flawed because the members of the Board are not elected.

“They have complete power over the UNC-system without having to report back to anyone in the UNC system,” Fishman said. “I don’t think this setup can ever create results that truly represent what the people who study and work in the UNC system truly need.”

Board Chairperson Lou Bissette said during the meeting supporting the system’s historically black colleges and universities is critical to the strategic plan.

“Through this support, we will work to continue to create high demand, high quality programs at these institutions,” he said.

The Board also discussed developing specialty programs at schools and examining faculty retention. It will hear a presentation on faculty compensation at its December meeting.

“Our goal is to ensure relevant, 21st century knowledge and skills are being taught,” Anna Nelson, chairperson of the Committee on Educational Planning, Policies and Programs, said to the board. “Additionally, it is our goal to improve timely degree completion for all students.”

Miranda Cecil, a first-year at UNC-CH, said the goals in the strategic plan should apply equally to all system schools.

“I think they should focus on making sure that all of the schools have the same affordability and commitment to diversity,” she said. “We need to focus on creating the same standards for all institutions.”

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