UNC leaders reaffirm commitment to School of Civic Life and Leadership after seven-month review

UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Civic Life and Leadership will remain open after a seven-month independent review, the university said Friday.

But UNC won’t make public the entire $1.2-million review into the SCiLL, citing attorney-client privilege and privacy concerns for people who spoke to outside reviewers. The university won’t disclose if it has made any personnel changes as a result of the review.

The school has faced public debates over hiring practices and policies.

"Among the issues under review were a series of allegations that implicate sensitive and confidential personnel information that is protected by state law and university policy," UNC General Counsel Paul Newton said in a statement. "The University understands that SCiLL has undergone both external and internal challenges."

The review was launched in the wake of a leadership shake-up in the school.

Following the review, UNC-Chapel Hill officials underscored their confidence in SCiLL's future. The UNC board of trustees approved its creation in 2023, in part, to allow “the freedom of expression and ideas and exchange of ideas,” David Boliek, then-chairman of the UNC board of trustees, told Fox News at the time.

Critics argued the school’s creation was an overreach by the trustees and an effort to introduce more conservatism to the university, which is viewed by some as left-leaning. University faculty signed a resolution pushing back against the creation of the school.

In September, UNC professor David Decosimo was fired from his role as associate dea of the school. The review started that month. In October, Chris Clemens, a former UNC provost, announced his resignation, then filed a lawsuit alleging that Jed Atkins, the school’s dean, pushed him out. The university called his lawsuit “premature and ill-advised.”

The university says law firm K&L Gates LLP met with dozens of people who wanted to share their perspectives about SCiLL and reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents as part of the review. 

"The review was lengthy, detailed, and exhaustive. The care taken underscores the University’s resolute commitment to taking all campus concerns seriously and to optimally positioning SCiLL for decades of success," Newton said.

Newtown added: "The university is committed to taking all steps appropriate to ensure that any necessary corrective actions are taken."

SCiLL has added more than 20 faculty members and has taught nearly 1,000 students this academic year. 

"Launching a new school at a leading public research university is an ambitious undertaking under any circumstances,” UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts said. “Doing so amid scrutiny and intense public attention requires resilience, focus, and resolve.”

SCiLL has been mired in controversy since its inception. Atkins was selected as dean of the school in March 2024. Months later, the school began offering classes and a minor.

"Institutional change is never easy, but I could not be prouder of SCiLL’s faculty and staff, who have come together in deep commitment to our shared work," SCiLL Dean Jed Atkins said in a statement.

UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law Professor Michael J. Gerhardt, the incoming faculty chair, assisted the review team, Roberts said.