Former UNC System and Davidson College President Tom Ross – also a former NC Superior Court judge – shared the following thoughts on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on race-conscious admissions at UNC-Chapel Hill. In the majority opinion striking down race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and UNC-Chapel Hill, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. seemed to… READ MORE
Will affirmative action decision fuel HBCU enrollment?
GREENSBORO (June 6, 2023) – The U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection last week of affirmative action in college admissions could also fuel an enrollment boom at the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – putting an already significant enrollment trend on steroids. David Thomas, President of prestigious HBCU Morehouse College in Atlanta, told The New… READ MORE
Peter Hans on diversity and free expression
Editor’s Note: UNC System President Peter Hans delivered these remarks as his President’s Report to the UNC Board of Governors at the board’s meeting at UNC-Pembroke last week. They have been edited for length. PEMBROKE (April 20, 2023) – North Carolina is growing and growing more diverse. And UNC Pembroke, thanks to the rich and… READ MORE
North Carolina joins the DEI Inquisition
RALEIGH (March 23, 2023) – Now we’ve joined some fine company. The General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations asked the UNC System last week for an exhaustive inventory of employee training programs and costs across the system’s 17 campuses “which cover the subject matters of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (‘DEIA’) or other… READ MORE
Art Padilla: Universities and DEI, Part 1
RALEIGH (February 17, 2023) – More than half of North Carolina’s 100 counties have lost population since 2010. Those who live in fast growing metropolitan areas like Raleigh, Charlotte, or Wilmington seldom grasp the poverty and lack of opportunity that exist just a few miles from their homes. Yet, instead of boldly focusing on these and other difficulties… READ MORE
Universities and DEI, Part 2: What’s new?
The exquisite irony in our polarized scenarios is that universities have had DEI-like entities and official statements about university commitments to civil rights laws in place for decades. The stationery in the UNC President’s office has declared institutional support for equal opportunity and affirmative action since the early 1970s. Perhaps the words have changed to… READ MORE
Universities and DEI, Part 3: Draconian options and board duties
The draconian hand of a central university board and the “nuclear option” of legislation or loyalty oaths or policy statements prohibiting what are, or are thought to be, inappropriate questions are not helpful here. We could benefit from less meddling by university boards and much less micro-management by our legislatures. Recruitment of top administrators is… READ MORE
In-state tuition for immigrants: ‘Like anybody else’
RALEIGH (May 18, 2022) – It’s 2022. And even amid an economy that demands educated workers, North Carolina still has a rule that creates a barrier to higher education for an entire class of people. Undocumented students brought here by their parents – even if they grow up in North Carolina and graduate from a… READ MORE
LatinxEd Fellowship: ‘Together, we’re stronger’
CHAPEL HILL (November 4, 2021) – When there aren’t many folks like yourself in your field, it helps to have some support. That’s what the LatinxEd Fellowship builds: A network of Latinx educators across North Carolina who share experiences and strategies through summer retreats, online workshops and webinars. “I feel like I’m seeing things unfold… READ MORE
Dreaming of more teachers of color
CHAPEL HILL (November 4, 2021) – It’s so important to have someone who looks like you at the front of the class. That’s what the DREAM program – Diverse and Resilient Educators Advised through Mentorship – aims to provide in the Durham Public Schools. DREAM is a partnership between the School of Education at UNC-Chapel… READ MORE