5 Appointees Complete BOG Review Commission

The N.C. General Assembly passed legislation in December allowing the formation of a 10-member UNC Board of Governors Study Commission.

Black appointed Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange, to serve as co-chairman of the committee with Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland.

Black also appointed Rep. Philip Baddour, D-Wayne; Rep. Beverly Earle, D-Mecklenburg; Rep. Marian McLawhorn, D-Pitt; and Rep. David Miner, R-Wake.

Black's five appointees complete the 10-member commission.

Rand was appointed to the commission Monday by N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare.

Basnight's other four appointees are Sen. Linda Garrou, D-Forsyth; Sen. John Garwood, R-Wilkes; Sen. Jeanne Lucas, D-Durham; and Sen. R.C. Soles, D-Columbus.

Hackney said the commission is important because the UNC system cannot be successful unless its governing body is operating at its full potential.

He emphasized that while he expects the suggestions made by the commission to have an impact, any final decisions will depend on consent from the General Assembly. "It's too soon to tell," he said.

An initial meeting of the commission has yet to be arranged. Hackney said he expects the commission to present its findings to the full legislature during its 2003 session.

Miner said he thinks it was a wise decision to have the commission consist entirely of state legislators and to exclude BOG members or UNC-system officials.

"I think we need people who are currently not on the board," he said. "If (Black or Basnight) appointed someone, (the BOG member) obviously would have self-interest."

Baddour said the commission will first examine the structure of the BOG and make a judgment as to whether it should be changed.

"Some people thought we should take a look at how (the BOG) is constituted, how it is set up, to see if it is the best way to do it," he said.

Miner said he expects the commission to consider whether the board's structure is outdated. He said he thinks the board should be studied every few years to ensure that its structure remains streamlined.

"I accepted the position because I think a review of the board is necessary," he said.

"(There are) questions about the efficiency of the board, (like) Does it serve its mission?"

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.