Faculty Council passes DACA resolution

Friday’s Faculty Council meeting tackled student and campus enrichment, UNC’s Campaign for Carolina and a resolution supporting permanent legal status for those under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Here's what you need to know: 

1) The Faculty Council approved a resolution which supports legal status for DACA eligible individuals. 

The resolution supports a longer resolution passed by the faculty assembly, a larger body of faculty representatives from all 17 campuses of the UNC system. 

The resolution from Friday, Resolution 2017-12, said the council stands with both students and colleagues who are losing DACA status.

Two members abstained from the vote. One was Charlie Tuggle, associate dean of the School of Media and Journalism.

“It seems to me if you have permanent legal status DACA no longer applies,” Tuggle said. “It just didn’t make sense to me.” 

2) Chancellor Carol Folt addressed the Faculty Council about the NCAA ruling and Campaign for Carolina  

The NCAA determined on Friday that no penalties will be brought against UNC. Folt said she was not surprised by the ruling. 

"I think it was the right decision, and I tend to believe that when the facts are there, the right decisions will be made,” Folt said.

Folt also presented the "For All Kind: The Campaign for Carolina" to the faculty and discussed its importance. The goal of the campaign is to raise $4.25 billion by Dec. 31, 2022. Of that sum, Folt said UNC will try to raise $1 billion for aid for students from all levels, undergraduate to professional. Part of the funds will be dedicated toward improvements for faculty.

"It's really about students, it's about faculty, and it's about innovation,” Folt said. 

3) Provost Bob Blouin outlined his aspirations for the campus and challenges that will be met.

Bob Blouin took his new position as provost and executive vice chancellor of the University in September. This was his first address to the faculty council.

He said his mission as provost is to enact the vision of the Campaign for Carolina. He said the biggest difficulty being provost is being able to fully maximize every department’s potential on campus, and that collaboration will be the primary way to overcome this challenge. 

Aside from the new campaign, Blouin said UNC has been exploring a new budgeting model for the past one and a half to two years.

"I have asked that we slow down that process, to give me the opportunity to look carefully at it and to further study it, and to a great extent to perhaps make it a bit more transparent for all,” Blouin said. 

4) Professor Lissa Broome, faculty athletics representative, discussed NCAA investigations about athletes. 

Broome addressed the latest investigations conducted throughout all D-1 programs, examining possible violation regarding influences of shoe companies on men's college basketball. 

“Our athletic department is already working to that effect and has that investigation ongoing,” Broome said. “So that is something we will be watching in future both at our campus and around the country.” 

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