State Check On BOG Put Off for Now

The N.C. General Assembly voted to create the commission in October 2001 after several legislators questioned the board's size and its impact on the system's two research universities -- UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University. The study commission is scheduled to report its findings in January 2003.

But the 10-member commission has not been able to meet because of the extended legislative session caused by difficulties drafting the state budget.

Commission member Rep. Beverly Earle, D-Mecklenburg, added that other committees also have not met as a result of budget problems because special committees, such as the BOG study commission, cannot meet during regular session.

"Although we definitely need to look at the Board of Governors, it might not be a major priority right now given the state of the budget," said Earle.

Along with time spent on the budget, some legislators' outside jobs cause scheduling conflicts. "We just started getting compensation for outside meetings, but some people who have other jobs can't afford to come back to spend extra time."

BOG Chairman Brad Wilson said that although the commission still has time to meet before the 2003 session convenes Jan. 29, he does not expect the report to be ready.

"I don't expect the current study commission to ever meet."

Wilson added that because the board was created by the General Assembly, legislators have the right to test the BOG's effectiveness in their own time.

"We understand that the General Assembly has other prerogatives and complex issues they have to settle first," he said. "We can respond to them whenever they report their findings."

Wilson said the commission might be proposed again in 2003 with new legislators assigned to investigate. Any new commission likely would have more Republican members than the current commission because Republicans now have a two-seat majority in the House. The current commission has eight Democrats and two Republicans.

During the last two sessions, Republican leaders have at times pointed to the UNC system as an area of financial excess, but Wilson said he is not concerned about the party shift.

"I'm not worried about the change in the House," he said. "I would expect the General Assembly as always to be fair and sensitive to universities."

But Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said a new commission likely will not have to be appointed.

He said that although most legislators have been concentrating on the budget and election campaigns, they might have time to convene the commission before session starts.

"I would hope they will meet before the Christmas holidays," he said. "They can meet and report or meet and wait to report later on."

He said committee members will prioritize their schedules, but if a pressing problem with the BOG develops, they will report to the General Assembly as scheduled.

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