Former BOG member Walter Davis -- the letter's author -- also has served on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees.
Davis filed the lawsuit in May, alleging that a 30-year state law that reserves several seats on the BOG for racial, gender and political minorities was unconstitutional. The BOG opted in June not to challenge the lawsuit.
But before legislation changing state law could make its way through the N.C. General Assembly, a provision was attached to the bill calling for a study of the structure of the BOG -- the UNC system's governing body.
Earlier this month all 16 UNC-system chancellors signed a letter to state legislators stating their opposition to the study.
The letter followed a similar one signed by former governors Jim Hunt, Jim Martin, James Holshouser and Bob Scott, along with former UNC-system presidents Bill Friday and C.D. Spangler.
Both letters state that the study is poorly timed because the UNC system has to contend with several other significant issues -- including budget cuts and high levels of campus construction -- in the coming months.
"It is my understanding that upon learning that one of the chancellors intended to remain neutral on the proposal, she called that chancellor into her office and said the chancellor needed to take a position and oppose the study," Davis' letter states.
Davis would not specify to which chancellor he was referring.
Davis' letter also states that several UNC-system chancellors were hesitant to sign the letter until they learned that chancellors from both UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University had agreed to sign it.
