UNC faculty members will elect a new chair of the faculty in April to succeed Jan Boxill, who has served in the position during some of the most challenging times in the University’s history.

Considering the current climate at Carolina, with ongoing investigations and reviews into past scandals, faculty governance has become increasingly important.

Two veteran faculty members, Bruce Cairns and Andrew Perrin, are running for the leadership post.

The two candidates shared their platforms during the March 28 Faculty Council meeting and were introduced by Boxill, who was elected to the position in July of 2011 and will hold it through June 30 of this year.

Cairns is the John Stackhouse Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Director of the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center, with a joint appointment in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Dr. Bruce Carins, photo courtesy University Gazette

Dr. Bruce Carins, photo courtesy University Gazette

If elected, he said he would work to keep faculty better informed about developments impacting the University.

“I think that the goal of the Faculty Chair is to create a supportive environment and to use the faculty governance structure that has been developed here—it is one of the strongest in the nation—to make sure that when a problem arises, we can respond to it quickly, get the information out. Then [we] create an inclusive environment, that, no matter what your status is, what your appointment, your unit, we can all work together to move forward in the 21st Century,” Cairns said.

Andrew Perrin is the Associate Chair of the Department of Sociology and Director of Carolina Seminars. His research and teaching focuses on the sociology of democracy and relationships between culture and health.

Andrew Perrin, photo courtesy University Gazette

Andrew Perrin, photo courtesy University Gazette

Perrin has served on numerous faculty committees dealing with issues ranging from athletics to student conduct.

“I have a style of leadership that I hope colleagues from all of these activities will recognize. My style is to try to listen fully to everyone involved, and particularly to try to seek feedback from people who might not otherwise have feedback into a process, to weigh the concerns and ideas of things that come up against really core principles of what we believe in at this university, and to make really and substantive progress toward implementing those principles in meaningful reform,” Perrin said.

A candidate forum will be held April 2 at the Campus Y’s Anne Queen Faculty Commons from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The faculty elections will be held April 14 through April 21 by electronic ballot emailed to all eligible faculty members.