A chance to course correct in Chapel Hill

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CHAPEL HILL (January 29, 2026) – The resignation of John Preyer from the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees1 creates an opening for the university to move away from unnecessary politicization and divisive overreach. Embracing shared governance and proven best practices would not only strengthen institutional credibility, but reaffirm the university’s commitment to academic excellence and public… READ MORE

UNC should not close its Global Studies Centers

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By Lloyd Kramer CHAPEL HILL (January 22, 2026) – The recent announcement that UNC-Chapel Hill plans to close its six thriving Global Studies Centers is the wrong response to current financial and political challenges. Although I retired from the History Department’s faculty in 2024, this plan for closing the Centers has provoked my Tar Heel… READ MORE

Padilla: The beat goes on

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By Art Padilla WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH (October 23, 2025) – The mess at Carolina’s new School for Civic Life and Leadership goes on. And on. The creation of the new school is an experiment that has proven to be a bad idea. Not least among the school’s problems are its vague and unrealistic goals. This is… READ MORE

Foundations of American Democracy: ‘What we should aspire to’

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RALEIGH (October 1, 2025) – In an era where meddlesome legislators and governing boards try to dictate what professors should teach, 11 history professors at UNC-Chapel Hill took a mandate from the UNC System Board of Governors and made lemonade. After state legislators attempted to require every student to take a course in America’s foundational… READ MORE

Native history, public history

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By Eric Johnson CHAPEL HILL (May 16, 2025) – When the historian Kathleen Duval first started teaching at UNC Chapel Hill back in 2003, she wanted her undergraduates to examine some of the common tropes they might hold about Native Americans.  “I walked into the classroom expecting students to have these images of Indians riding… READ MORE

2024: An onslaught on public education

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RALEIGH (December 26, 2024) – 2024 marked a continuing – and at times audacious – eating away at public schools in North Carolina. Governing boards appointed directly or indirectly by state legislators drove away a chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill, asserted control over athletic conference switches, and did away with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs at… READ MORE

Roberts: I report to one person

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CHAPEL HILL (December 12, 2024) – It seems there’s tension on every college campus these days, from governing boards to student protests. In North Carolina, governance can seem complex: There’s a Board of Governors for the UNC System, which is appointed by state legislators. There’s a System President. There’s a Board of Trustees at each… READ MORE