Chancellor Holden Thorp steps down after turbulent tenure

When Chancellor Holden Thorp announced on Sept. 17 that he was stepping down at the end of the year, the University wasn’t ready for him to give up.

The Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students encouraged him to stay — but their pleas were not granted.

Thorp, a Fayetteville native and UNC alumnus, was expected to remain in the position for at least 20 years.

Thorp has faced a series of athletic, academic and administrative scandals that have plagued his tenure.

Not even hundreds of students, faculty and staff holding a rally supporting Thorp could dissuade him from leaving.

“It means so much to me that so many of you want me to stay on as chancellor beyond this year,” Thorp said in a speech at the rally, when he showed up unannounced.

“But I am confident that it’s in the best interests of the University, and me and my family, for me to go back to the faculty next fall.”

“The chancellor has inherited a set of problems not of his making and has done an exemplary job in trying to address those problems in a thoughtful and deliberate manner,” he said.

Thorp will return to teaching and research, which has been an inviting option for him, he said in an interview after his decision.

“It’s been a tough two years. So there have been days where I thought that being in the lab looked pretty good,” he said.

“(Sept. 16) was the day when it looked really good.”

“So I’m going to spend more time with students ­­­— and less time wearing a suit.”

emergency meeting

Thorp was met by a standing ovation of more than 300 faculty members, who voted overwhelmingly in support of a resolution that called on UNC-system President Thomas Ross to decline Thorp’s resignation.

“In the difficulties of the present moment, Holden Thorp still remains the best person to the lead the faculty through these challenging times,” chairwoman of the faculty Jan Boxill said at the meeting.

But Thorp had already made up his mind despite faculty efforts.

A 21-member search committee was formed immediately following his announcement, tasked with finding his replacement.

The search process for the new chancellor is picking up steam, as the chancellor search selection committee met in closed session Monday to discuss candidates.

The candidates were presented by Bill Funk, leading consultant for R. William Funk & Associates, which was the firm used to select Thorp.

Hargrove said Monday that the group is strong.

“The pool of candidates that have expressed interest and we’re looking at is very impressive.”

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