But Thorp also touched on recent troubles, including a complaint — related to the University’s handling of sexual assault — filed against UNC to the U.S. Department of Education on Jan. 16, and the problems found in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies.

Thorp said he believes the University’s sexual assault policy is in compliance with the guidelines set by the Office for Civil Rights. He also said he believes this complaint is a great opportunity to get more people involved in the conversations about sexual assault on college campuses.

Thorp said the most telling finding of the Martin Report, released on Dec. 19, was that no other faculty members were involved in the academic scandal.

“The important thing that happened to me was Gov. Martin giving really a tribute to our generous colleagues in African and Afro-American studies,” he said. “They’ve been through a lot this past year and a half with people equating the situation with the whole department rather than the individuals involved, and that has been something that has been painful to me.”

Thorp concluded his remarks by answering questions from students about his thoughts on raising the out-of-state student cap, the job the University has done in bringing diversity to faculty and offering in-state tuition to undocumented students who have grown up in North Carolina.

Brittany Clark, a member of Student Congress, said she thought Thorp’s address was informative, and she was impressed by how he handled student questions because they covered such a wide range of topics.

“Overall, I thought it was a positive message that he brought to Student Congress,” she said.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.