While the University created a committee of 21 people to seek out candidates the decision about its next chancellor ultimately falls on the shoulders of one man: UNC-system President Erskine Bowles.
The committee will select three names to submit to Bowles who will narrow the field to one and submit that name to the Board of Governors for approval.
The chancellor hired will report to Bowles but the relationship between UNC-Chapel Hill's chancellor and the UNC-system president has been described as both a partnership and a hierarchy.
The president is responsible for setting the direction of the system which comprises 17 constituent institutions. Each constituent institution has its own chancellor who reports to the president and Board of Governors.
N.C. Sen. Richard Stevens R-Wake" said it is going to be important that Bowles and UNC-CH's next chancellor foster a strong relationship.
""It will be extremely important that they work together as a team"" he said. There are a lot of interests at stake.""
Because chancellors are responsible for their institutions but answer to the president"" there is the potential for disagreements.
Differences can emerge about the direction a university should take or how to get there.
""Any time you have two people deciding the direction of a university" there is the potential for conflict" N.C. Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland said.
There tends to be a greater chance of conflict when a new president is introduced into a system, potentially stepping on the toes of chancellors.
Professionals disagree all the time" Stevens said. When it's private that's fine. When it becomes public" then someone is going to lose.""
This was the case at Louisiana State University" where the introduction of a new system president led to the chancellor's resignation.
Sean O'Keefe who resigned as chancellor Feb. 1 cited disagreements with the system's leadership as a reason for his resignation.
O'Keefe had been chancellor for a year and a half implementing his own agenda approved by the system's Board of Supervisors when John Lombardi became the system's new president in 2007.
In addition to a changing presidency the Board of Supervisors which is equivalent to the UNC-system's Board of Governors" had changed 10 of its 16 members.
O'Keefe said the new leadership wished to take the university in a different direction than he was hired for.
""There is a new president" new board members and new leadership he said. They have different ideas for the system" and it's better for them to get somebody who can deliver them with a straight face.""
He said the reason he was hired - to implement his ""flagship agenda"" - was no longer supported"" so he decided to step down.
O'Keefe said that it is ultimately the president's system and that a chancellor is responsible to that.
""If it doesn't suit what you think is the right direction at the time" you have to make the choice to get out of the way" he said.
A similar situation took place at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville when Loren Crabtree resigned as chancellor, citing differing philosophies in the area of governance"" with system president John Petersen as a reason for resignation.
When Bowles was hired in 2006"" Stevens said he did not see any kind of conflict with Chancellor James Moeser.
""They seemed to work together immediately"" he said. I think both understood the relationship between the two very well.""
Conflict is less likely to emerge when the president is already in place and a new chancellor is hired" which will be the case of UNC-CH's next chancellor. Rand said that while the personality in South Building will change" there will be little change in the professional relationship.
""Different ideas may be discussed" but there will be significant similarity in the way things are done" he said.
One reason, Stevens said, is that UNC-CH is the system's flagship and also where Bowles is based.
The fact that he's at the flagship" that he has more exposure to campus and he's able to see the day in and day out of what's occurring at Chapel Hill is going to make for a strong relationship" he said.
Another reason the relationship will be strong, Stevens said, is that Bowles will recommend the final candidate.
It's going to be his choice"" Stevens said. That alone is going to make for a different relationship.""
He said Bowles is likely to pick someone he is going to work well with"" someone he will look at as a ""teammate.""
""It should be a pretty strong relationship"" Stevens said. Bowles is going to be highly confident in who he selects.""
Contact the Investigative Editor at iteam@unc.edu.
