CHAPEL HILL – The new Chair of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors pictures big things from the UNC System online, not unlike the massive offerings of Arizona State and Liberty Universities.

“I’m very pro-developing a robust System online platform.  Right now we compete (with each other), and we’ve never harnessed the power of the UNC System,” Board Chair Harry Smith says in the accompanying video.

“How can we … go from being I think 15 years behind to getting ahead?” Smith says.  “We’ve got all the infrastructure – all we have to do is marry the technology. We also have the name.”

Smith says he hopes the UNC System could partner with the NC Community College System in a joint effort.

“How would we take those two enterprises and develop the number-one online platform not in the state of North Carolina, but in the world?  So we would take both of those enterprises working together, and I think the focus you’ll see us on there is how do we do it with quality? You’re hearing more and more in the online space about ‘We’re getting them through, but are they really getting an education?’ …  We want to keep quality in our name.

“So how do we get out there with the quickest, smartest, fastest online platform, the most efficient online platform, harnessing all of our institutions, hopefully partnering with the Community College System in that enterprise, and develop the number-one online platform in the world that would also create significant income streams for both enterprises?

“How do we position to create a multi-billion-dollar online platform? That will be a lot of discussion.”