Calabria prepares to bid post farewell

With just two weeks until Student Body President-elect Seth Dearmin’s inauguration, Matt Calabria’s term in the position is all but complete.

Earlier this week, Calabria attended his last scheduled Student Congress session. This morning will mark his final meeting as an ex officio member of the UNC Board of Trustees.

And the executive branch of student government released late Tuesday the March Report, its final review that details the executive branch’s progress this year.

When Calabria stepped into office last spring, he was fresh off a campaign spree that offered more than 60 platform planks.

His self-review devotes 44 pages to the successes and — ­by omission — the shortcomings of the administration.

“We worked pretty hard to complete what I think was a very ambitious platform,” Calabria said.

“We were smart to get our big priorities out of the way and to work on continuing projects and a lot of the nitty-gritty.”

Completing work on major platform points early in its term allowed the administration to focus on tuition discussions this spring, Calabria said.

The March Report leads with a detailed account of Calabria’s efforts to work with the members of the University’s governing boards to reduce tuition increases.

Some students have criticized Calabria for treating tuition increases as an inevitability, but the report lauds his collaboration with administrators to reach a compromise between the University’s needs and students’ interests.

“I think the model we set up this year was much more successful than those in previous years,” Calabria said. “We took on the philosophy of maximum positive effect.”

The report credits Calabria with influencing the trustees’ decision to reduce out-of-state tuition hikes from $1,200 to $950. Last week, the UNC-system Board of Governors reduced those hikes to $700.

Tre Jones, Calabria’s chief of staff, said Calabria’s willingness to work toward a consensus had a strong impact in the revision.

“I think the strategy was this: Come to that table as a reasonable party so that your concerns will be voiced and listened to rather than patently rejected,” Jones said.

The report also includes summations of Calabria’s work to establish a sustained campus music downloading program and the administration’s efforts to lobby politicians on students’ behalf.

Both efforts also required compromise and collaboration with administrators and legislators.

Student Body Vice President Alexa Kleysteuber said the administration’s cooperative efforts were visible through her work as chairwoman of the Student Advisory Committee to the Chancellor.

She said the group made an effort to work with Chancellor James Moeser rather than “making him feel obligated to all of our demands.”

Jones said the effort to compromise in numerous areas of the University will be Calabria’s legacy.

“I think that the Calabria administration was characterized by smart policy objectives,” he said. “In other words, they were well-reasoned rather than rally-around -the-flag politics.”

Calabria said he hopes future student body presidents will also work toward consensus.

But he said the executive branch is not ready to declare an end to its work.

“One thing you learn about this position is there’s always more to do if you have time to do it.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.