Tagged: Chancellor Holden Thorp

It’s commencement weekend across North Carolina. Thousands of college students will get their degrees and begin their professional lives. This year, they’re not the only ones who will get a fresh start. After five years as the chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill, Holden Thorp is leaving to become the provost at Washington University in Saint Louis.

It will be a busy week for the UNC Board of Governors. In addition to hiring a new chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill this Friday, the Board is trying to make its case to the legislature and avoid tens of millions of dollars in cuts. 

Including budget cuts and reversions, the Legislature has cut the UNC system’s budget by more than $1 billion in recent years.  If they take Governor Pat McCrory’s suggestion, another $140 million or so will get cut next year.   

The UNC Board of Governors voted today to allow member schools to raise in-state student tuition by an average of 8.8 percent next year. They did so as around 100 protestors disrupted the meeting, banged on walls, and shouted their disapproval. One protestor was arrested.

Today's scene was the culmination of the stress caused by dwindling resources for public higher education. And as Dave DeWitt reports, the vote to increase tuition was a compromise no one is happy about.