In an email sent on Monday morning, Chancellor Carol Folt and the UNC Board of Trustees released a statement saying that they have created an email account for the community to share their ideas for the future of Confederate monument Silent Sam.
"I know that many in our community and beyond feel passionately about the monument," the statement says. "As a next step, we have created a dedicated email address, uncmonument@unc.edu, for anyone to submit ideas about the statue’s future."
In the statement, Folt and the BOT said that while they could not respond individually to every submission, they would review each one.
Silent Sam was pulled down by demonstrators in a protest on Aug. 20. On Aug. 28, the UNC Board of Governors announced that a plan for Silent Sam's future must be formed by Nov. 15.
Shortly after the statue's collapse, many wondered if the monument would need to be replaced, referencing a North Carolina statute dictating that monuments, memorials and works of art cannot be removed without prior approval, and that if they are removed, they must be replaced within 90 days. The statute also states that if an object of remembrance is removed, it must be relocated to a place of equal honor, accessibility, prominence, visibility and availability.
On Aug. 31, Chancellor Folt released a statement saying that while the monument has a place in history, it was a threat to public safety.
"Silent Sam has a place in our history and on our campus where its history can be taught, but not at the front door of a safe, welcoming, proudly public research university," she said in the statement.
The newly-announced email comes after The Daily Tar Heel released calls, voicemails and emails received by the Chancellor's Office and other UNC officials immediately following Silent Sam's removal. Many who called showed outrage and anger about the monument's removal and lack of University response.
Read the transcripts of calls the Chancellor's Office received after Silent Sam fell.
In the statement, the Chancellor and Board reminded emails sent to the uncmonument@unc.edu are public record, similar to the texts, emails, calls and voicemails released earlier this month.
Chancellor Folt and the UNC Board of Trustees will present their plan to UNC-System President Margaret Spellings and the Board of Governors by Nov. 15, though they did not say if it will take until the deadline to create it.
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