CHAPEL HILL (May 26, 2022) – The board that oversees the UNC System agreed today to spend $15 million to move the System’s offices to Raleigh – but not without vocal objections from several members.
The budget approved by state legislators last November ordered the UNC System to move its offices from Chapel Hill to Raleigh by December 31, 2022. The budget allocated $15 million for the System to lease space in Raleigh while a $100 million building is constructed.1
But as the UNC Board of Governors considered a lease of property in Raleigh this morning, board member Art Pope noted that the move was never discussed publicly until it emerged in a legislative conference report in November.
When law is made behind closed doors, Pope said, “oftentimes it’s not the best legislation.” The transaction “lacks accountability and transparency,” he said.
Pope also noted that the UNC System office only recently moved from its longtime headquarters to the Center for School Leadership Development in Chapel Hill.
“We have space here. It’s not costing us $15 million to maintain space here,” he said. “I certainly don’t want to hear about a tuition increase when we’re spending $15 million unnecessarily.”
Board member Leo Daughtry said the move to Raleigh was never discussed publicly by the Board of Governors, and he didn’t know about it until he read about it in a newspaper.
Daughtry recalled how longtime UNC System President William Friday once told him the strength of the Board of Governors is that it serves as a political buffer, because many states use their public universities as a “dumping ground” for former politicians.
“IT SEEMS TO ME that politics has seeped under our buffer,” Daughtry said. He added that the UNC System keeps a “political operative” on a retainer.
“It is my opinion that the move from here to Raleigh was done purely on the basis of politics,” he said.
Moving the UNC System office to new space is not a bad idea – former UNC System President Tom Ross wanted to move the offices next to land the System already owns in Research Triangle Park. But moving the offices within sight of the Legislative Building in downtown Raleigh would only further politicize a university system that is already overly politicized.
“The reasons to do this seem to be lacking,” said Board of Governors member John Fraley. “This move is going to cost us a lot of money that we do not have to spend – and could cost us $100 million, ultimately.”
Former Board Chair Lou Bissette, an ex officio member of the board, noted that when the idea of moving the System office surfaced in 2015, a board committee recommended that the office not move.
“Members of this board owe their fiduciary duty to the UNC System, and not to the body that appoints them,” Bissette said.
POPE, DAUGHTRY AND FRALEY were the only members of the board who voted against the lease proposal.
Jim Holmes, Chair of the board’s Budget and Finance Committee, said there was no attempt to withhold information from board members and that they were simply being asked to approve a lease.
“We have a law, we have a timeline, and the motion to comply is before you,” Holmes said. “This is a transactional matter that is before the board today.”
And board member Philip Byers said that the move to Raleigh could lead to consolidation of the state’s K-12 pubic education, community colleges and university system under one roof.
“I think long-term it’s the right thing to do,” Byers said. “Yes, it will be expensive, but it’s important to this state.”
1 https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewNewsFile/59/S105-CCSMLxr-3v5, pp. 536-554; https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2021/53458/2/S105-BD-NBC-9279, p. H12/642.
Mike Floyd says
Seems stupid to me to spend $15 million, or possibly even $100 million when it is not necessary. The current situation has worked for years and years…..don’t see how throwing money at it makes it better. Tuition costs at the UNC system campuses have soared over the last 10 years, and this is only going to lead to more increases…….
Our legislature needs to get a grip on what actual money looks like……this is just an illogical spending boondoggle that doesn’t accomplish anything of significance……how can putting these three education branches under one roof actually be meaningful anyway…..ever heard of Zoom, Teams, Webex, ?
Vince Howe says
Clearly, Art Pope has never politicized anything in his career. As a Chapel Hill alumnus, he is clearly unbiased in these decisions.
Legislative Building in downtown Raleigh would only further politicize a university system that is already overly politicized.
The UNC System, once the envy of other states’ systems, is now declining in reputation.
A move to Raleigh with its growing reputation in technology and the sciences is the right move.
Carol W. Pelosi says
Moving the UNC Board of Governors to Raleigh next to the Legislative Building is a very bad move. As it is now, the BOG has bowed and scraped to the GOP leaders in the GA. They should stay in CH and develop some spine to put the university system as their top priority. And they need to read, discuss and begin attacking that long list of problems identified in the most recent study of the university system.