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Daily Tar Heel University Editor Whitney Kisling sat down with James Moeser, asking him to define his chancellorship and his approach to the position. From successes to unexpected challenges, he laid out how he views the past eight years in South Building.
It's been eight years since James Moeser was announced as UNC's ninth chancellor. In the time he's spent at the top University position, he's brought UNC's state funding to a new level, begun construction projects that rival the size of Wake Forest University and helped develop one of the most renowned programs for financial aid at any university in the country. Although these accomplishments easily fit on a checklist of goals, the position is more than check marks next to listed items.
After 26 years at UNC, Steve Allred, executive associate provost, will move to the University of Richmond on July 1 to take a higher administrative position. Allred, who is a 1974 alumnus, said he made the decision to become Richmond's provost last week, after being nominated last semester. "This was a great opportunity made more difficult by the fact that I've been here 22 years - not counting the time in school," he said. The move marks the first departure of any top-level administrator in South Building since Chancellor James Moeser announced in September that he will step down. Allred, though, said his decision has nothing to do with Moeser. "I don't want this to be misread as a concern about that," he said. "Bernadette Gray-Little will be our provost, so there will be continuity within South Building." The University will begin an internal search for his successor probably this week, and Allred, who makes about $218,000 per year, will remain executive associate provost until he starts at Richmond. At UNC, Allred heads the enrollment policy advisory committee and also helps lead the Enterprise Resource Planning initiative. He also is involved in hirings, as well as student admissions decision appeals - something he cited as one of the toughest parts of his job. He began his UNC career in 1986 as a professor in the School of Government - then called the Institute of Government. Mike Smith, dean of the School of Government and vice chancellor for engagement and public service, has known Allred since he came to the school and hired him to become director of the Master of Public Administration Program within the school. "Steve is a problem solver who sees the big picture," he said. Co-workers described Allred as a dedicated leader and listener, as well as someone with a sense of humor. "He knows how to put people at ease, and at the same time he knows how to ask questions that get at the truth," said Steve Farmer, director of undergraduate admissions, who has worked with Allred for the past eight years. "(He has) I think just a great combination of common sense and really uncommon intelligence." Although his roots lie deep with UNC - his wife, Julia, works in the admissions office with Farmer; his daughter Meredith is a sophomore; and his son James was student body president in 2006-07 - Allred said he is looking forward to the opportunities that Richmond presents. "When you're in administration, you get solicitations from search firms and most of them you delete, but this one seemed intriguing." At Richmond, Allred will work closely with Ed Ayers, president of the university. Richmond is a smaller private university that Allred said has substantial resources and a focus on campus beautification. The university is aiming to become more diverse, accessible and engaged with the city of Richmond - goals Moeser said relate to Allred's work at UNC. And though Allred said he's excited to get to work at Richmond, UNC won't be just a former job. "I'm still a Tar Heel born, a Tar Heel bred," he said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
4 p.m. - Steve Allred, executive associate provost, will leave UNC to become provost at the University of Richmond on July 1. Allred, who also is a 1974 alumnus, said he made the decision to head north last week, after being nominated last semester. "This was a great opportunity made more difficult by the fact that I've been here 22 years - not counting the time in school," he said. At UNC, Allred leads the enrollment policy advisory committee and also has helped lead the Enterprise Resource Planning initiative. He began his UNC career in the 1980s as a professor in the School of Government - then called the Institute of Government. The University will begin an internal search for his successor probably within the next few days. Allred, who makes about $218,000 per year, will remain executive associate provost until he starts at Richmond. Coworkers described Allred as a dedicated leader and listener, as well as someone with a sense of humor. "He knows how to put people at ease and at the same time he knows how to ask questions that get at the truth," said Steve Farmer, director of undergraduate admissions, who has worked with Allred for the past eight years. "(He has) I think just a great combination of common sense and really uncommon intelligence." See Monday's Daily Tar Heel for the full story. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu
After a moment of silence held for Student Body President Eve Carson, who served on the university affairs committee of the Board of Trustees, the now four-member committee heard several updates on campus issues. Mike Smith, vice chancellor for engagement and public service, gave an update on UNC Tomorrow. He explained that several policy committees are working to get a response to the UNC-system Board of Governors by May 1. The responses will detail how the University will respond to six main goals of the project.
Although the campus community is still mourning the death of Student Body President Eve Carson, the work in her office must continue. There are exactly two weeks left until the inauguration of next year's student government. And in the time between now and then, this year's leaders said they will function as a group to finish their work. Next year's leaders are squeezing plans to stay on track. The Student Code calls for the vice president to assume the duties of the student body president if that person cannot continue them. The executive branch decided Monday night to work as a unit in the last two weeks, turning to Student Body Vice President Mike Tarrant for all official duties, as needed. "We've already started a little bit," Tarrant said. "It's sort of simple things." Essentially, Tarrant will sign and turn in documents that Carson would have had to deal with, such as bills to Student Congress. In the final leg of the year, the student body president position has few other mandated jobs. "Basically we're functioning the way we were before, but obviously without Eve," he said. "I'm prepared to do whatever's necessary, according to the Code." For next year, though, there's been a need to tighten schedules and plans so that no time is lost by the April 1 inauguration day. After pushing back some of the application deadlines for Cabinet positions, Student Body President-elect J.J. Raynor said there is greater pressure for the process to go smoothly. "We're just trying to do what we can," she said. "We had some 4 a.m. e-mails going back and forth (Sunday) night - we're going to make the details work." The selection committee will hold interviews for applicants Thursday, in an effort to catch students before the Easter weekend. Traditionally, the new Cabinet is approved by the departing session of Student Congress at its last meeting of the year. But that schedule is later this year, and Congress' final meeting is just a few days later. "I think we will call a special session of Congress," Speaker Tyler Younts said. "That's what we're planning on doing." Younts said that he has been coordinating with the executive branch about this and other matters that need to be wrapped up and that everything has gone smoothly. The bigger question is whether applicants will be as strongly scrutinized as in years past when time allowed for more consideration. Raynor said her confidence in this year's process lies in the more in-depth nature of the applications and the flexibility in scheduling that everyone has shown, as well as the fact that she is not directly a part of the process. "Because I'm not directly involved, I can handle the other applications. . It's a hard place, but we're going to make it work," she said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
ATHENS, Ga., March 9 – On the corner of Eve Carson’s hometown street is a sign: Franklin Street.
Before a new crop of law students ever walks through the doors of the Van Hecke-Wettach building, they already have had their first Carolina Law experience. "When we assemble an orientation, we put them out on the street and hope it doesn't rain," said Jack Boger, dean of the School of Law. The other option - putting all the students in the law school's rotunda - is hardly an option at all. That area holds only about 100 people, and the first-year class is usually 235 students.
Before a new crop of law students ever walks through the doors of the Van Hecke-Wettach building" they already have had their first Carolina Law experience.""When we assemble an orientation" we put them out on the street and hope it doesn't rain" said Jack Boger, dean of the School of Law.The other option - putting all the students in the law school's rotunda - is hardly an option at all. That area holds only about 100 people, and the first-year class is usually 235 students.Administrators expect that five years from now, it will be a different story and the first-year class could be housed in a new auditorium. Last week they lifted the curtain on plans to secure a larger and updated facility at Carolina North.The move is supposed to make for a more comfortable learning environment, rather than bump up enrollment numbers.The law school hasn't increased the size of its first-year class much during the past 10 years, except this year, when it took 240 students.I can't remember the last time that the target was higher or lower than 235 students"" said Michael States, assistant dean of admissions for the law school.Although the plan is to take 40 more students in the next five years, administrators say the expansion is about the necessity of state-of-the-art education facilities.Plans for the Van Hecke building, which has begun to fall apart, have not yet been determined.And for the law school community, the most talked about issue with the move seems to be whether the school will become further disconnected from the main campus.But below the radar, there's a discussion about the quality of the legal education and what it means to have the school's identity tied to the name Carolina North"" versus ""UNC-Chapel Hill.""The concept of Carolina North is a changing plan" originally lauded as a research and corporate-sponsored campus. The law school's decision means the satellite campus's identity is being redefined allowing for more academic-centered units to be housed there.The proximity of other departments to the Van Hecke building has helped create an environment for joint research among the faculty" a major focus of Carolina North.""There's a lot of people that do law research and politics research"" said Luis Lluberas-Oliver, Student Bar Association president.If the law school is the only academic unit at Carolina North for some time, those relationships have the potential to become nonexistent or hardly evident.So far, the Innovation Center is the only other building with concrete plans going forward. Other academic groups and concepts have yet to commit, and a design and physical plan have yet to be confirmed.One of the things that weighed against this choice was a lack of specificity about Carolina North" Boger said.But Boger's decision to make the law school one of the first tenants could be enticing for others.The fact that the law school is there as an academic unit would make it more appealing to us and ... any academic unit" said Mike Smith, dean of the School of Government, adding that the law school would give Carolina North a less corporate-partnership feel.""Boger said he thinks other professional schools and a planned Centers and Institutes building would be appropriate neighbors. But it will be several months" at the least before another decision is made. So until then the law school remains the only academic group to tie its name with Carolina North.The future of the Van Hecke-Wettach law buildingA facilities planning committee which meets every few weeks will develop a plan for when the building vacates. No decision has been made or suggested as to how the building should be used yet.The building: Earliest availability: 2012 Modifications: built in 1968 renovated in 1999 Gross size: 165948 square feet Notable features: centrally located rotunda that holds about 100 people Recent issues: Brick facade collapsed in September and building was fixed by January Neighboring sites: School of Government Hooker Field Ridge RoadContact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
After 18 months of consideration, UNC's School of Law will move to Carolina North, making it the first academic unit to commit to the satellite campus. Jack Boger, dean of the law school, announced the decision in an e-mail to the law school community Friday. The move has been a possibility since last spring, but when the law school's current building started to fall apart in September, officials began to consider it more seriously. It won't be until 2012 at the earliest that the law school would make the move. "There are a lot of things that have to fall in place before the law school can move to Carolina North," said Matt Marvin, director of communications for the law school. First, a preliminary review by architectural firm SmithGroup must be turned into an official plan. Boger said that probably would wrap in January 2010, after which construction would take about two years. The total cost has not been calculated, though the preliminary review projects about $93 million. Funding would come from the state legislature, and UNC has made the new building a top priority for funding. "Just because we're in that top three or four, we realize it's a lot of money being asked for, and we still have to make our case to the legislature," Marvin said. The new building should give the law school space for small classrooms, offices for faculty and student groups, and a large auditorium. A larger law library has been noted as one of the biggest perks of the new building. "We learn a lot about online research . but there's really no substitute for knowing how to go find it in the books," said Matt Liles, a third-year law student. Liles is part of the Pro Bono Board, one of the few groups that now has office space. "We're lucky enough to have our own office. It's a hallway. It's been made into an office, but it's far more than other student organizations." The other option the law school considered was renovating the current building, built in 1968 and added to in 1999. The SmithGroup conducted a review of that site, finding that it would cost $91 million, just $2 million less than a new building. Renovating that site also would mean the school could not expand again and parking would be eliminated. "That wasn't going to address the long-term future of Carolina Law," Marvin said. Because Carolina North will be brand new and the law school probably will be the second building built there, there's the potential to expand again in a few decades, if needed. Carolina North, though, was envisioned as a research campus. And what officials said they hope to show with the law school becoming the first academic tenant is that the proposed campus's mission is more than corporate partnerships. "It's going to be more than a research campus. It's going to be our expansion campus," Boger said. "We want to signal that it's not just about research - it's about teaching as well." Moving about two miles north of main campus has been suggested as further disconnecting the law school from the University. The problem is, many faculty perform research with other departments. But many said they aren't concerned as the move won't change the identity of Carolina Law. "You tend to have foundations and develop roots with the people that are near you," said Luis Lluberas-Oliver, Student Bar Association president. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Picking up where they left off in November, UNC trustees took a deeper look at graduate student support Thursday, suggesting that money should be set aside specifically for that population. After hearing a presentation by Provost Bernadette Gray-Little, the Board of Trustees requested that the University evaluate the competitiveness of teaching and research assistant stipends, as well as determine if about $4.5 million in tuition revenue could be saved for graduate students. Data from the presentation shows UNC at a comparable salary level with peer institutions: about $17,000 for nine-month research assistant stipends and about $14,500 for nine-month TA stipends. But trustees questioned whether the peer comparisons were appropriate. "I worry that we're trying to figure out the wind speed with a thermometer," Board Chairman Roger Perry said. The College of Arts and Sciences allows each of its 45 academic departments to determine how money is spent for TAs - whether it increases the number of positions or increases individual pay. So because average pay varies from department to department and even from school to school, an overall average of about $17,000 is somewhat misleading, trustees suggested. "We're using a benchmark peer group that really may not be the best way to look at it," said trustee Rusty Carter, who has been an advocate of graduate student support both this year and in years past. When trustees voted in November to increase graduate student tuition by $400 for residents and $800 for nonresidents, Carter gave passionate pleas for clarity on where the revenue will go. The only concrete plan is for 35 percent of all tuition dollars to be set aside for student aid and 7 percent for academic advising. The main chunk - 58 percent - goes to faculty salaries. At the meeting Thursday, Carter questioned whether tuition is the best source for faculty salaries, noting that UNC-system President Erskine Bowles has been successful in securing funding in the past. "We have the world's best advocate for faculty salaries," he said. Student leaders and trustees argued that this money will go further for graduate students than for faculty. "It has the potential to do a huge amount of good," said Lauren Anderson, Graduate and Professional Student Federation president. Support for graduate students is split into four main categories: service stipends, non-service stipends, tuition support and need-based financial aid. Graduate students also can receive health insurance. Of the $168 million that supported graduate students last year, 28 percent, or $47.3 million, went to research assistant fellowship and TA stipends. And although there has been progress with graduate student funding this year, such as the 30 new science and technology fellowships, the long-term issue is security. Multiyear work is more enticing than a semester-by-semester agreement, officials said. "The issue is whether the individual student feels like he's getting a competitive package," trustee Nelson Schwab said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
In the next few years, UNC's School of Medicine plans to double its freshman class. Soon after, it should begin a physical expansion project that could cost in the ballpark of $1 billion. The Board of Trustees approved design plans Wednesday for the master plan of UNC Health Care and the medical school, as well as heard a presentation on expectations for the future of the school's student population. The physical expansion includes a new bed tower, more research facilities and renovated academic buildings. Now, the University must find funding, and the N.C. General Assembly is one of the first places officials will start looking. "That's a lot of money, and I readily acknowledge that," Dr. Bill Roper, CEO of UNC Health Care and dean of the School of Medicine, said as he presented the design plan to the trustees. Roper said the buildings in UNC Hospitals should cost about $725 million, with $400 million of that coming from the hospitals. The research section - still in the design phase - is estimated at $200 million. And the most uncertain part of the plan is Berryhill Hall, where most undergraduate teaching is housed. Officials haven't decided if that building will be renovated or rebuilt, but the expected cost is about $100 million. The expansion has been under review for about a year, but facilities have been nearing capacity for several years, officials said. "We are jammed full all the time," Roper said. "We need to expand." The new bed tower would ultimately add about 300 new beds to the existing 700. The other buildings would alleviate the crunched research and classroom space. Anna Wu, director of facilities planning, said construction is several years away. But the enrollment expansion should begin fall 2009. The goal is to expand the freshman class by 44 percent - from 160 to 230 students - by 2011. Those students will be part of a new partnership between UNC and medical centers in Asheville and Charlotte. The idea is to train students in North Carolina so they will stay to do their residencies in the state, in turn supporting the state's need for more doctors and nurses. "There are states that are shrinking," said Etta Pisano, vice dean for academic affairs at the medical school. "We're not one of them." Assistant University Editor Danielle Kucera contributed reporting. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Once trustees vote today, next year's tuition rates will be nearly set. The Board of Trustees' audit and finance committee decided Wednesday to recommend the chancellor's proposed increases when the full board convenes today. After much discussion, the four-member committee decided to give two proposals to the full board today. First, the committee will recommend that nonresident graduate tuition be increased by $800, resident graduate by $400 and nonresident undergraduate by $1,250. The other proposal is for school-based increases. "We didn't have any room to increase resident students," said Provost Bernadette Gray-Little, referring to the state mandate that resident undergraduate tuition stay the same next year. Student fee increases of $57.19 for graduates and $56.89 for undergraduates also will be submitted to the full board. Chancellor James Moeser's recommendations were on the conservative side of the tuition and fee advisory task force's proposed ranges. And during Gray-Little's presentation, several trustees interjected with questions on the rationale behind the proposals. Repeatedly, trustees came back to the issue of where the tuition money will go. While administrators have set aside 35 percent for student aid and $600,000 for academic advising, the rest - a little less than $5.3 million - is set for faculty salaries. That money could go to increases in current salaries, recruitment of new faculty and increases in stipends. "I would hope that we could get a very definitive amount of net gains," said trustee Rusty Carter, who does not serve on the committee. One of the biggest worries of the committee was that the tuition hikes essentially aren't high enough to keep UNC competitive with its peers. "If we continue to raise less than our peers . then the quality of this degree is going to go down," trustee John Ellison said. But Moeser made it clear that this is not the year to work toward a competitive goal, considering resident tuition can't increase at all. "It didn't seem to me this year to really address the competitive issue with our peers," he said. "This is the time to take a more moderate (approach)." That rationale leads to expectations of greater increases in the future, as UNC continues to push for its goal of reaching the 80th percentile of peer institutions for faculty salaries - an aim it still falls short of. Today's decision comes two months earlier than previous years, but administrators say the reason for the early vote is so that the UNC-system Board of Governors has time to review the recommendations. Once that board meets in February to make that decision, tuition prices will be set for the 2008-09 academic year. And after Wednesday's committee meeting, officials are expecting the recommendations to go through as they are. "It'll be a very interesting discussion," Student Body Vice President Mike Tarrant said. "Because even though there are a lot of opinions in the room, I think I saw the numbers telling the story." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. ATTEND THE BOARD MEETING Time: 8 a.m. today Location: Chancellor's Ballroom, Carolina Inn Info: unc.edu/depts/trustees/agendas.html
As a new site review begins for a law school building, classes won't resume in the original Van Hecke-Wettach law building until next semester - about a month later than originally scheduled. Four of the five classrooms that were closed when the building's brick facade began to collapse in September won't open until January, though they will be "finished enough" to hold exams by Dec. 3, said Jack Boger, dean of the School of Law. The fifth room won't be ready in time for exams, Boger said, adding that the remaining work should be complete by Dec. 31. "It's somewhat longer than initially hoped," he said. The delay is caused by several construction contractors working at the same time. Some of the work they're doing is matching new brick to the brick from the original 1968 facility and building steel to fit into the building's structure. While the contractors continue to work on the Van-Hecke building, law students remain spread throughout the main UNC campus for classes. Luis Lluberas-Oliver, Student Bar Association president, said the off-site classes have been difficult for students to adjust to, as laptop batteries don't last the length of two- or three-hour classes, and there isn't enough work space in auditoriums, such as the Student Union's. "Everyone's just excited to get back into it so we can resume normalcy," he said. While the work continues on Van Hecke-Wettach, architectural firm SmithGroup will review a potential new site for the law school at Carolina North, UNC's proposed satellite campus about a mile and a half north of the main campus. SmithGroup just finished a review of the current site on Ridge Road, concluding that it would be extremely costly and time consuming to renovate on site. When the Carolina North site review wraps in January or February, Boger said, it's likely that law officials will make a decision about moving off campus. He said that with the Van Hecke-Wettach building lower on the list of campus improvement projects and the lengthy timeline for construction, Carolina North looks promising. If officials go with Carolina North, the facility probably would be almost twice the size it is now. The law school would be the first academic unit to move to Carolina North, causing a disconnect from other academic units. That's a concept Boger and law officials aren't ready to commit to just yet. "Several units have an interest," said Jack Evans, executive director of Carolina North. "No one else that I've talked with is thinking of the possibility of moving their entire operation as the law school will be exploring." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
The person who comes into the chancellor position July 1 will face several challenges and projects as the University spirals into a growth spurt. But more than picking up the initiatives that Chancellor James Moeser leaves unfinished when he leaves June 30, the new leader will serve as the face of the University. As UNC struggles with its global role, the next chancellor will represent the University in the town, the state and the world. "He's an ambassador on and off campus," General Alumni Association President Doug Dibbert said. But beyond representation - a big enough task as it is - the chancellor oversees the institution's vision. He appoints top administrators who carry out policy and gives final approval on decisions including tuition increases and academic and development priorities. Although he doesn't have a hand in every aspect of the University, he's shaping it through his vice chancellors and administrators and the decisions he makes. "Sometimes I say to people: The provost is the prime minister; the chancellor is like the queen," said Judith Wegner, a law professor and former faculty chairwoman. Specific to UNC is the effort to maintain a national reputation while balancing a dedication to being public that requires accountability to the state citizens and legislature. Because the University's funding comes from the state and tuition, as well as private donations, the chancellor must cater to UNC students, potential students, parents and alumni. But even the taxpayers of the state have a tie to UNC. "Our mission is different because we are a university owned by the people, and we have a commitment to the people of North Carolina," said Jean Kitchin, a former member of the Board of Trustees. The chancellor also must realize that years after students graduate, their education at UNC will be an asset - but only as long as the reputation sustains. The faculty also must be of top quality, which requires the chancellor's support. "The integrity of your diploma as a Carolina grad in the future would depend on the caliber of people we had teaching you," Kitchin said. Traditionally, a university's reputation was hinged on the prestige of its academics. But as the definition of a great university evolves into a larger business and an international entity, reputation requires more than a commitment to academics. "While that is an honorable goal, today's reality suggests that a chancellor must be more than that," said Ferrel Guillory, director of the Program on Public Life. "Clearly the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a historic strength, a mission that goes back not near decades, but centuries." But these are all agenda items that any UNC chancellor would see. They cover an encompassing mission. Personal interests also factor, as it's those goals that give a chancellorship character. "For example, with Chancellor Moeser we wouldn't have had all this concentration on the arts if he hadn't wanted that to happen," Wegner said. The University's multifaceted mission is that of education and research, as well as supporting the state, and the chancellor must support that dual dedication. "It's a profound responsibility," Wegner said. "And we really need to be attuned to what that means." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Visit Univ. Editor Whitney Kisling's blog for more coverage on the search for a new chancellor. UNC's chancellor search committee received its official charge Friday, with a special note to maintain confidentiality and a unified voice. UNC-system President Erskine Bowles, who's responsible for selecting the next chancellor, told committee members at their first meeting that serving on the search committee will be the most important task they'll undertake for the University.
As UNC celebrated its 207th birthday and the laying of its first cornerstone, a new chancellor began building a foundation for his term. James Moeser stood before the community to deliver his first campuswide speech, laying out how he would address the University's needs in the coming years. "We have before us the potential of a new defining moment for Carolina," Moeser told an audience of University and community members during University Day on Oct. 12, 2000. That was seven years ago Friday for the chancellor, who will step down June 30. Six months earlier, Moeser was named chancellor, and the University Day address presented the opportunity for him to set an agenda for his tenure at UNC. The years ahead would be those of innovation, struggle and reward, but at the time, Moeser was a newcomer to the Carolina way. When he took office, he stepped onto a campus in the midst of its biggest physical transformation and into a university on the verge of its largest fundraising drive. With this speech, the chancellor announced that he wanted to shape the physical campus and work to keep the University competitive with its peers, all the while maintaining a tradition of accessibility. The battle that Moeser would have to come to understand was fighting to savor the word "public," while pushing the word "great." A plan with a purpose The nation's first public university is no stranger to expansion. At one point, the 7.3 million square foot campus was just a few facilities surrounding South Building. But in 2000, campus officials were talking with Chapel Hill leaders about a larger expansion - a 50-year plan for campus buildings - that resembled nothing the town or the University had dealt with before. "Our potential is limited only by inadequate physical spaces," Moeser said in the speech. The expansion project, known as UNC's Master Plan, was set to go to UNC's Board of Trustees for approval when Moeser was entering office. "We decided to hold off on asking the trustees to move forward with approval so that Moeser could see the plan and put whatever marks he wanted on it," said Jonathan Howes, who at the time was director of the Master Plan. After a day's briefing and reviewing his research, Moeser formulated ideas of what the expansion could mean for his new relationship with a town he'd just settled into. He spent his first year working out the kinks in that relationship. In October, Moeser and then-Chapel Hill Mayor Rosemary Waldorf announced a new town-gown committee that would evaluate issues relevant to the two entities. "It's the town council's job to look carefully at physical development that the University wants to do," Waldorf said. "We live together." Initial reaction to the committee was positive, but some in the town and University community alike later expressed concern that the committee wasn't open enough. "Not every member of the council was a member of the working group," Howes said. "Not all members of the Board of Trustees were members of the committee, either." The Master Plan also strained that precarious relationship when trustees approved it in March 2001, ignoring requests from the town to wait for a study to wrap in May. At the time, town leaders said more discussion was needed. "There are a lot of concerns about (the Master Plan)," Mayor Kevin Foy, a council member then, said the day before trustees approved the plans. The town's concerns continued when Waldorf tried to start a negotiation with Moeser about the implementation process. It wasn't until weeks later, in April, that Waldorf sent a letter opening that conversation. Starting with a drive Walking into a room with that game face helped Moeser make strides when it came to talking dollars and cents. In his University Day speech, he noted that a proposed education bond - eventually approved in November 2000 - would provide UNC with $500 million. Then he offered one of his top goals for his tenure. "My pledge to the people of North Carolina is to take that investment and triple it in terms of private support to this campus," Moeser told his audience. That would mean $1.5 billion through a capital fundraising drive, later called the Carolina First Campaign. Through the drive, Moeser promised to increase faculty and classroom space. He focused on those two groups because officials were predicting a 10-year surge in enrollment that would require more physical space and class offerings. But again a goal that started off on the right foot encountered snags. In February, Gov. Mike Easley announced the state budget was facing serious problems. A few months later, in April, UNC was about to see a cut of $25 million, eliminating 80 faculty positions. The news stirred Moeser. He set out to mobilize the community, calling for a voice against the cuts. "That's the resources that you have to get the work of the University done," said Provost Bernadette Gray-Little, referring to faculty. Eventually the state took the budget back to discussion, saying there hadn't been enough evaluation. 'A leading university' Ranking among the top universities - both public and private - UNC has a comfortable spot as the "leading public university." When Moeser came in, he pushed the numbers to the back burner. "We must not allow ourselves to become preoccupied with comparisons to other universities," he said in his speech. Still, with hundreds of faculty eligible for retirement in the following five years, UNC's goals became retaining and recruiting faculty and developing priorities. When then-Provost Robert Shelton took his post in spring 2001, he and Moeser began priority discussions, forming what would become the first academic plan. Researching the list gave Shelton and Moeser access to a community they were still trying to learn about. "His view of the University being a leading university has provided a way for the entire campus to think about our aspirations," Gray-Little said. And as his first year wrapped up, Moeser's preliminary agenda remained the theme of his next six. "It starts with the bonds," Moeser said at the 2000 speech. "It continues with a massive outpouring of support from alumni and friends, and it finds fulfillment in our dedication, our aspiration to lead, to be the best." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
The first steps in the search for UNC's next chancellor began Thursday with the announcement of 19 search committee members and their October meeting schedule. At the UNC Board of Trustees meeting, Chairman Roger Perry revealed that Nelson Schwab will serve as the search committee's chairman and that Perry and fellow trustee Karol Mason will be vice chairmen. "It was a natural decision," Perry said of Schwab, who has served on other types of search committees in recent years. At Wednesday's State of the University address, Chancellor James Moeser announced his decision to step down June 30, along with the goal of having his successor in place by July 1. The search committee responsible for finding his replacement will first meet Oct. 12, when the University celebrates its 214th birthday. At the initial committee meeting, Schwab said UNC-system President Erskine Bowles officially will give the committee its charge, relaying the details of open meetings laws. "Our process will be an open and transparent one," Schwab said. At the search committee's second meeting, set for Oct. 16, members aim to select a search firm to help them recruit applicants. The executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles helped the search committee that selected Moeser about eight years ago. That committee was led by Richard Stevens, a former chairman of the Board of Trustees. Schwab also is a former chairman of the board. The current committee already has three search firms lined up for interviews that day. Schwab said he expects to make a selection at the same meeting. Administrative searches can last anywhere from a few months to more than a year. If all goes according to Moeser's plan, this search would be finished in nine months. When Moeser was interviewing for the chancellorship, that search resulted in 145 candidates, then 15 finalists. And as for the upcoming applicants, the committee will look both nationally and internally for potential candidates. "We don't plan to leave any stone unturned in that quest," Schwab said. The search begins as the University embarks on one of the largest projects in its history: Carolina North, UNC's proposed satellite research campus. The project's conceptual plans were approved Wednesday at the trustees' meeting, and the University will submit those plans to Chapel Hill officials in the coming weeks. While the project is in one if its most crucial stages - going before the town for approval - committee members said they don't expect the chancellor search to cause many hiccups in the town-gown collaborative efforts. "It's a good time to be out looking," Schwab said. "The University's in good shape." Also planned for next month are two open forums, set for Oct. 26 and Oct. 30, in which members of the University and Chapel Hill communities can give their ideas of what qualities the next chancellor should have. "I really want the students to take advantage of the opportunity to weigh in," said Lauren Anderson, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation and a member of the search committee. "It's one of those times where you can have a say in what's important to you." Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
What defines an era at the University is more than a name. It's a man, his accomplishments and his failures that mold a tenure. Chancellor James Moeser now is in his final year. But the eight years he will have spent at the top of the University will be noted with projects that focus on accessibility, funding and physical change. "He's been aggressive and progressive, as well," said Jack Boger, dean of the School of Law. Moeser is the ninth chancellor to set foot in South Building and one of the longest-serving chancellors at UNC.