There is a growing movement among flagship state universities around the nation to sever financial ties with their respective states. Even the Chronicle of Higher Education recently weighed in on the growing trend of schools severing state ties amidst greater economic uncertainty and the desire among many administrators to exercise greater autonomy in admissions and spending practices.
As UNC-CH grapples with annual budget cuts, it seems that the reliability and necessity of our own financial relationship to the state could be called into question.
If these cuts continue, it could be tempting for UNC-CH to go the way of schools it considers its peers by relying more heavily on private giving, but such autonomy could fragment a system that functions best as a holistic unit.
As the N.C. General Assembly continues to subject UNC-system schools to reductions in state funding, UNC-CH is facing a steep budget shortfall.
Last fall, Gov. Bev Perdue called on UNC-system schools to consider moving to a more privately funded model, and included a 9.5 percent cut to the system in her budget proposal.
In difficult financial times, no option should be off the table, but it is important to remember how uniquely integrated UNC-CH is as part of the UNC system.
As the system works to eliminate unnecessary duplication, establish more specialized schools and tailor programs to particular institutions, it seems that a shift to a private funding model could prove detrimental to a system whose schools are becoming increasingly integrated.
Furthermore, becoming less beholden to the state stands counter to the goals of UNC Tomorrow, an initiative which seeks to reciprocate benefits from the state by giving back to it.
If cuts continue, however, UNC-CH could be forced to re-evaluate its current funding model and financial relationship with the state to ensure stability in the University’s budget and to preserve quality.
