Thorp will meet with UNC's Board of Trustees Thursday

After two years spent grappling with a damaging NCAA investigation and unprecedented budget cuts, Chancellor Holden Thorp will look into the future.

At today’s full meeting of the Board of Trustees — the last of the academic year — Thorp will give a presentation that introduces UNC as a potential role model for public institutions across the country.

“Carolina, because of its affordability, is in an usual position to lead a national discussion,” Thorp said. “We haven’t doubled our tuition like other universities… and we have record-low levels of debt.”

The issues Thorp will address include the cost of education, faculty retention and new research objectives, he said.

Thorp said he wants the board’s committees to begin discussion about the pressure that state budgets and schools are undergoing and how to provide relief.

Thorp will also discuss the University’s next long-term fundraising campaign, which administrators hope will be the largest in the University’s history.

With the debate surrounding tuition hikes on hold, Thorp said there is no time like the present to step back and re-evaluate.

At the board’s budget, finance and audit committee meeting Wednesday, board members expressed relief that the long-debated tuition battle had come to an end, at least for now.

“It’s so nice to have a positive report,” said Sallie Shuping-Russell, chairwoman of the committee.

But administrators and board members said they are encouraged by student involvement.

Members of the Sierra Student Coalition attended the meeting to advocate for more transparency within the endowment and board members agreed with the idea.

“We’re working with the University on doing a better job of … educating students and the greater community about some of the issues,” said Jon King, president and CEO of the UNC Management Company. “We’re committed to having a forum at some point.”

Student Body Vice President Zealan Hoover is also heading a student committee focusing on faculty retention.

“For students to be talking about (retention), it’s a huge help to us,” Thorp said. “It’s not just about the administrators wanting certain staff, its about those same people impacting the students.”

Thorp said students will affect much of what UNC’s administration is trying to accomplish, especially when fighting to use tuition hikes towards faculty salaries.

“We need help from students to persuade the legislature that they want the increased funds used for that purpose,” Thorp said.

But the overriding theme of his presentation will be that the University is starting a conversation that can set examples for schools around the country.

“We’re going to try to get the board to let us know how to engage,” Thorp said.

“The fact that we don’t have any big tuition hikes and hopefully not big budget things, that creates opportunity for looking forward without an impending crisis.”

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