TO THE EDITOR:
In the Friday, Sept. 28 article “With 21-member group, chancellor search begins,” Katherine McAnarney overviews the committee recently appointed to find a new UNC chancellor who will serve starting in 2013.
Through several interviews, the individuals chosen were described as a “diverse set of people whose values collectively represent all of the constituents of the University.”
While this specific goal is important, the article fails to mention the true lack of diversity within the committee.
Having examined the list of appointed individuals myself, I am disappointed to see little gender or racial diversity is present. For instance, of the 21 committee members, only five are women and only four are non-Caucasians.
As a University that prides itself on racial diversity and has a large population of female students and faculty, the composition of the committee is skeptical.
While including prominent individuals who have a strong connection with the University is important, the committee should also attempt to properly represent the University’s overall composition.
Different ethnic and gender backgrounds represented at UNC have the ability to elicit differing perspectives; these varying viewpoints can be conducive to understanding both the needs of others and our overall surroundings.
Our school and community would benefit if the committee expanded a second time to include those with more dissimilar backgrounds.
