The UNC System board of governors (BOG) held their bi-monthly meeting earlier this week and discussed COVID-19 aid, a new project with PBS North Carolina, and approving a new board of trustees across the system. 

COVID-19

Chair Randall Ramsey noted in his report that the Association of Student Governments (ASG) will donate an additional $77,000 across the UNC system to help students who are financially struggling due to the COVID-19 virus. This is in addition to the $65,000 they donated last spring. 

This money is currently being transferred to universities and will be available in the coming days, according to Ramsey. 

Peter Hans, the president of the UNC system, started the meeting off by touting the numbers of vaccinations to students, faculty and beyond, as well as laying out the return to a “normal” fall 2021 semester.

“We are optimistic about the start of the fall semester looking much closer to normal,” said Hans. “I’m eager to see students back in the classrooms, back in face-to-face conversations, back to socializing, making real world connections. It’s not just because that’s a happier way to live. But because it makes a real difference in the health and well-being of our students.”

Diversity

During the report from the committee on HMSI, it was announced that a marketing project between the systems six historically minority-serving institutions (HMSI) and PBS NC, formally titled Access to Excellence Marketing Project, was in the works.

“It will include a televised program produced by PBS NC, featuring a collection of unique and impactful stories of people and programs at each of these universities,” said Reginald Holley, the committee chair. “The project is being supported by the integrated marketing and communications plan for digital platforms. 

“Of note, and importance. This project is being totally underwritten by our six HMSI universities, and will showcase how remarkable each institution is individually, and how extraordinary The University of North Carolina’s system is collectively.”

Board of Trustees

Additionally, new members of the board of trustees (BOT) across all of the UNC System universities were appointed to two-year terms by way of approving them in large slates, unless individual discussion on a trustee was needed. 

UNC Wilmington’s trustees were included in the slate voting, as a single vote approved all governors. 

The approval of UNC-Wilmington’s trustees sees the reappointment of H. Carlton Fisher, as well as the addition of new BOT members Jeffrey Clark, Malcomb Decarlo Coley and James “Chip” Mahan.

Only trustees for East Carolina University and UNC Chapel Hill warranted further discussions of their appointments by the BOG.

The next BOG meeting will be May 26-27.