Board of Trustees received an update on life at UNC

When the Board of Trustees met in committees Wednesday, University Affairs chairperson Chuck Duckett opened his committee’s meeting by speaking on a personal issue.

“What we might want to do is work together versus making comments that aren’t helpful, quite frankly, to the University as it relates to the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory,” Duckett said.

Graduate and Professional Student Federation president Dylan Russell gave an update on GPSF and the goals he plans on working toward this year.

He said he wants to develop a bill of rights for graduate and professional students and find a way to provide increased stipends.

Bruce Cairns, chairperson of the faculty, then presented on the state of the faculty and asked that there be a more open way for the faculty to disagree on issues and share their opinions.

“It is our job to let people speak their voices and at the end of the day we have to figure out a way to make this work,” he said.

Commercialization and economic development

The focus of the commercialization and economic development committee was the Campus Y.

The Campus Y co-presidents Lauren Eaves and Regan Buchanan explained the role of the Campus Y to the committee.

“Basically, this history of being ingrained in the UNC community and committed to social justice and the Y continues to support students to pursue their passions to make a positive impact on campus throughout North Carolina and across the world,” Eaves said.

The committee ended with a presentation from Scott Diekema and Keegan McBride who run The Meantime in the Campus Y.

External relations committee

David Routh, vice chancellor for university development, said 2016 was the University’s best fundraising year — raising $495 million.

“I am a big fan of celebrating the success of our smaller units who are really getting the job done,” Routh said. “But I do want to tell you, we have the majority of our larger school units who had the best year ever.”

Routh played a video for the committee explaining ways the money could be used — Carolina Covenant Scholars, student-athletes and study abroad programs.

Finance, infrastructure and audit committee

Six items were approved with no objections at the committee meeting, including an approval for the site for the new Fetzer Soccer and Lacrosse Facility and Indoor Practice Facility.

Anna Wu, the associate vice chancellor for facilities services, introduced the request for site approval and said the project is separate from the renovation currently taking place on Hooker Fields.

“Connected to the Fetzer Field project, we’re requesting approval of demolition of the existing Fetzer Field, McCaskill Soccer Center and Belk Track to clear the site for the construction of the new facility,” Wu said.

The demolition request was approved.

The budget for the new facility is $55 million and the budget for the demolition of the current one is $1.2 million, and the Rams Club will fund both.

In addition, a site was approved for an addition to Chase Hall, which contains Rams Head Dining Hall. The addition would add over 150 seats to the dining hall.

“This project will add over five thousand square feet to the dining facility,” Wu said.

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