Political interference a concern as UNC chancellor takes new job

Kevin Guskiewicz is leaving his position as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to become the 22nd president at Michigan State University.
Posted 12/8/2023, 11:22:54 PM Updated 12/9/2023, 1:58:49 PM

POLICE STILL INVESTIGATING ALL.

THIS IS AN ACTIVE

INVESTIGATION. THANK YOU, MATT.

UNC CHANCELLOR IS LEAVING FOR

THE SAME JOB AT MICHIGAN STATE

AND IS LIKELY TO SEE A

SIGNIFICANT PAY RAISE.

>> WRAL INVESTIGATES SARAH

KRUEGER TELLS US MONEY ASIDE,

SOME BELIEVE HE IS TIRED OF THE

MEDDLING FROM THE UNC BOARD

>> EVEN THE GOVERNOR IS AMONG

THOSE PILING ON THE CRITICISM.

CHANCELLOR GUSKIEWICZ IS A

LONGTIME TARHEEL CLEARLY LOVES

CAROLINA, BUT SOME ARE

SPECULATING INTERFERENCE FROM

THE BOARDS WAS JUST TOO MUCH.

>> FOR ROUGHLY 30 YEARS, NEARLY

5 OF THEM AS CHANCELLOR KEVIN

GUSKIEWICZ HAS CALLED UNC

CHAPEL HILL HOME. SOME BELIEVE

MEDDLING FROM GOVERNING BOARDS

WHOSE MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY

THE REPUBLICAN LED LEGISLATURE

DROVE HIM TO THE EXIT. I WOULD

CLASSIFY AS NOT JUST MEDDLING

BUT UNDERMINING.

>> HOLDEN THORP IS A FORMER UNC

CHAPEL HILL CHANCELLOR AND

LONGTIME FRIEND OF JESSICA

WICKS. AND CERTAINLY AS WE SEE

ACROSS THE COUNTRY,

CONSERVATIVE BOARDS OF PUBLIC

UNIVERSITIES ARE.

>> TRYING TO DO THIS KIND OF

THING DURING GUSKIEWICS HIS

TENURE. HE'S BUTTED HEADS WITH

SOME BOARD MEMBERS OVER A

CONFEDERATE STATUE AND PAYOUTS

TO A CONFEDERATE GROUP. AND

MOST RECENTLY OFFERING FREE

TUITION TO LOWER-INCOME NORTH

CAROLINA. FAMILIES. TOM ROSS,

A FORMER UNC SYSTEM. PRESIDENT

WEIGHED IN. DO YOU THINK HE'S

LEAVING BECAUSE OF POLITICAL

INTERFERENCE? CERTAINLY THAT

SOME AND, YOU KNOW, PERCEPTIONS

SOMETIMES IS AS DAMAGING AS

REALITY. GOVERNOR COOPER PUT

OUT A STATEMENT ACCUSING THE

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF TAKING OVER

UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE.

>> ROSS LEADS COOPER'S

COMMISSION ON THE GOVERNANCE

OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES. ITS

REPORT EARLIER THIS YEAR

OFFERED RECOMMENDATIONS THAT

WOULD AMONG OTHER 2 D

POLITICIZE THE BOARD OF

GOVERNORS AND TRUSTEES AND

IMPROVE DIVERSITY ON THEM.

WE HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATURE

WILL.

>> SO SERIOUS ATTENTION TO

>> GUS CUTS WILL KEEP COMING TO

WORK HERE AT THE SOUTH BUILDING

UNTIL JANUARY 12. THEN HE'LL

TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME OFF

AND START HIS NEW ROLE AT

MICHIGAN STATE IN EARLY MARCH.

SARAH KRUEGER WRAL NEWS CHAPEL

HILL.

>> WE SPOKE WITH UNC TRUSTEE

MARTY KOTIS, WHO DISPUTES THE

IDEA THAT POLITICAL

INTERFERENCE PLAYED A ROLE AND

A SCHOOL. IT'S LEAVING THE UNC

© WRAL