Maydha Devarajan

Articles

Screenshot from the virtually-held Asian American Center kickoff event, "I'm Not Racist...Am I"?: A Discussion on Antiracism presented by the Asian American Center and Carolina Asia Center on Thursday, Sept. 10.

'Making history': UNC's Asian American Center officially opens after 25 years of work

Almost 25 years in the making, the Asian American Center marked its official reopening with a kickoff event and looks ahead to future fundraising and planning.

Gov. Roy Cooper stands before members of the media following a press conference introducing Well Dot Inc. to the Chapel Hill area on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019.

UNC System employees carry on lawsuit following campus closures

By Maydha Devarajan

In early August, employees and campus workers filed a lawsuit against the UNC System and Gov. Roy Cooper for workplace safety. And as campuses go remote, workers are continuing this fight.

Peter Hans gives his election speech at the May 14 BOG meeting.

Newly-elected UNC System president attempted to defund LGBTQ+ group as a UNC undergrad

By Maydha Devarajan and Sasha Schroeder

Peter Hans tried to defund the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association as an undergraduate at UNC. On Aug. 1, Hans began his term serving as the UNC System president.

Items from a student's dorm sits in a pile outside Hinton James Residence Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Students began to move out of various residence halls on campus after the announcement that all undergraduate classes would be moving online for the Fall 2020 semester.

Checking in with the UNC System's reopening plans

By Maydha Devarajan

Here's how other schools in the UNC System are handling reopening.

Signs promoting social distancing and safety at the Die-In Protest on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 as Jennifer Standish, a UNC graduate student in the Department of History, speaks outside of South Building on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. The protest called for UNC to transition to fully remote classes for the Fall 2020 semester after a letter of caution sent to Chancellor Guskiewicz by the Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart.

UNC employees sue the University system over workplace safety

By Maydha Devarajan

Gary Shipman, a Wilmington-based lawyer, is representing UNC System faculty and staff in the midst of preparing a class-action lawsuit to delay in-person classes. In a response to Shipman, NCDOL General Counsel Jill F. Cramer and Deputy Commissioner of Labor Kevin Beauregard acknowledged the concerns of faculty and staff members. However, they stated it is the responsibility of the UNC System to develop policies and plans that reduce the risk of exposure of contracting COVID-19 — not the department.

Screenshot from the virtually Faculty Committee Meeting on Friday, June 19, 2020 to discuss the Carolina Roadmap.

'This road leads to a disaster': Faculty express reopening concerns in letters

By Maydha Devarajan and Preston Fore

UNC faculty have expressed concerns about the University's reopening, along with student leaders and campus workers. Through a public letter published in The Charlotte Observer and a letter from Chairperson of the Faculty Mimi Chapman, faculty have expressed their fears of returning to campus and of community spread of COVID-19. “We are willing to do our part,” Chapman wrote. “But at this point, I believe that our University and perhaps the entire UNC System is being asked to turn straw into gold.”

CORRECTION: A former version of this photo caption incorrectly identified the university that most recently changed a name of a campus building. The university was UNC-Greensboro.
In February, UNC-Greensboro became the third university in the state to remove Charles Brantley Aycock’s name from a campus building.

These four names need to be removed from campus buildings, Commission resolves

By Maydha Devarajan

The Commission on History, Race and a Way Forward unanimously approved a recommendation to Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz for the removal of names with ties to white supremacy of four on-campus buildings at their meeting Friday.

Members of the Brazilian Student Association (BRASA) at UNC pose at a meeting. Photo courtesy of Francesca Del Posso.

'A really cruel move': International students express concern over ICE visa restrictions

By Maydha Devarajan

On July 6, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced changes to temporary exemptions for students on F-1 and M-1 visas taking online classes in the fall because of the pandemic. Under the exemptions, students who are taking an entirely remote course load are not allowed to remain in the country, and if they do not leave or take measures like transferring to another school with in-person classes, they face potential deportation.

Chairperson Harry Smith discussed the status of higher education in North Carolina on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019 in a meeting of the UNC Board of Governors at the Friday Center.

A former ECU chancellor is suing the UNC System. Here's what you need to know.

By Maydha Devarajan

Earlier in June, former ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton filed a lawsuit against the UNC System over his resignation in March 2019. Here’s what you need to know.

View of South Building from Polk Place, or the quad, on Sunday, June 7, 2020.

University delays releasing sexual assault records despite N.C. Supreme Court ruling

By Maydha Devarajan

The N.C. Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision in May that UNC would be required to release the disciplinary records for individuals found responsible of committing rape, sexual assault or other acts of sexual misconduct. Two months later, the University has yet to release 11 sexual assault records.