CHAPEL HILL- Local officials say a push from state leaders to reform higher education amounts to an attack on Orange County’s values.
According to Chancellor Holden Thorp, the greatest threat facing UNC these days isn’t just budget cuts.
“We started off with a financial crisis, and now we have a philosophical crisis about the role of government and the role of public universities as part of it,” says Thorp.
Thorp made his comments during the Town and Gown discussion at WCHL’s 2013 Community Forum. You can listen to the full Forum here.
Despite a projected state surplus, Thorp says he’s expecting cuts that will negatively impact research funding and financial aid. He says the pressures from the Republican-controlled state legislature to reform higher education amount to an attack on the liberal arts.
Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton agrees: “They are opposed to critical thinking, because critical thinking is what a liberal arts education is really all about.”
Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt characterizes the latest crop of proposed legislation as “adolescent,” as newly-seated lawmakers rush to push through an agenda that’s been ignored by Democrats for decades.
“Like so many adolescents they’re just running headstrong out in to the wild without considering the challenge or obstacles they might face, or what dangers they might put us in,” says Kleinschmidt.
Governor Pat McCrory’s plan to focus on job training and new technology is shortsighted, says Thorp, and overlooks the importance of educating students for lifelong learning.
“It’s not possible for us to train students for the jobs that are there four years from when they enter, because we’re not able to predict the technological changes that we’re seeing in the world,” says Thorp. “Trying to guess what that will be four years from now for the class that’s coming here this summer- it wouldn’t work.”
Hillsborough Mayor Pro Tem Eric Hallman points to the liberal arts as an important job creator for the town of Hillsborough.
“You can’t throw a book without hitting a writer,” says Hallman. “With the interest in arts and culture and how that drives the economy, if you’re looking at job creators, that’s a job creator. Hillsborough is a specific example of that.”
Because UNC and UNC Health Care are the largest employers in Orange County, Board of Commissioners Chair Barry Jacobs says the university sets the tone for public discourse in our communities.
“Intellectually, I think that the university contributes to an atmosphere of thought and discussion,” says Jacobs. “People criticize Orange County and Orange County government a lot of times because we talk so much before we make decisions, but we have an educated and informed electorate.”
Kleinschmidt says its time to call upon that engaged electorate to lobby for change at the state level, in order to protect the values of Orange County.
“We have to start somewhere, and it has to be college towns. It has to be communities that have that direct appreciation for what a university offers it and how it defines it, to stand up and educate those who are new to the policy making arena,” says Kleinschmidt.
Despite the challenges local leaders say they face from lawmakers in Raleigh, Thorp says his successor, incoming Chancellor Carol Folt, is poised and ready to defend the value of a liberal arts education.
“There are a lot of people around that are willing to fight for it. I think that Chancellor Folt will be the same way. It is something we’ve fought for in Chapel Hill a long time, and we’ll keep fighting.”
Related Stories
‹

UNC Announces Budget Plan, Will Reduce Personnel and Operating FundsUNC released a two-year budget plan and guidelines Friday for its schools to balance their budgets in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, which includes 18 months of reductions to personnel and operations funding, was shared in a message to the campus community by Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, Executive Vice Chancellor Provost Bob Blouin and Interim […]

UNC Shares Updates on Spring Semester, Budget Planning in Trustees MeetingIn its first meeting of the new academic school year, the UNC Board of Trustees convened to share updates on the university’s operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic and classes being conducted remotely. Most of the board members gathered in the Carolina Inn ballroom Thursday, socially distanced and wearing masks, while others participated virtually. The group […]

UNC Officials: Pandemic Could Create $300 Million Budget DeficitThe ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made it challenging for UNC officials to project its revenue for the fiscal year, meaning it’s unclear how funding for faculty, programs and much more may be reached. During Friday’s meeting of the university’s Faculty Council, several university leaders spoke about the uncertain next steps of how to budget with COVID-19 […]

'Everything is Under Consideration': UNC's Cunningham Shares How COVID-19 Changes AthleticsThis article is based on an exclusive conversation between Bubba Cunningham and 97.9 The Hill’s Art Chansky about the UNC Athletic Department’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cunningham spoke about changes made to protect players’ health, athlete eligibility for next year, differing operations for the ACC compared to other athletic conferences and much more. […]

William ‘Brian’ Allen Rounds Out 2025-2027 UNC Board of Trustees with AppointmentConstruction company president William "Brian" Allen will serve the two remaining years of a seat on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees.

'We're Walking a Fine Line': UNC's Erin Matson Talks House Settlement, New AD and Upcoming SeasonUNC field hockey head coach Erin Matson joined 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell for a wide-ranging conversation Monday. Matson discussed the effects of the House settlement on her program, the hiring of Steve Newmark athletic director-in-waiting and preparations for the 2025 season. Read Matson’s comments, which have been lightly edited for clarity, below, or click here […]

2025 MLB Draft Tracker: See Where the Diamond Heels are Headed in the ProsThe 2025 Major League Baseball Draft saw several Diamond Heels get selected. It continues a run of excellence for the UNC baseball program, which has had at least one player selected in every draft since 1978. The first Diamond Heel off the board was catcher Luke Stevenson, who went to the Seattle Mariners with the No. 35 […]

Chansky's Notebook: The SecondBill Chamberlain, who died recently at age 75, was the second African-American scholarship player under UNC head coach Dean Smith.

UNC Outfielder Kane Kepley Selected by Chicago Cubs in 2nd Round of MLB DraftKane Kepley is headed to the Show. The Chicago Cubs selected Kepley with in the second round with the No. 56 overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday evening in Atlanta. About to be 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍 𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐄 in the Windy City! Kep is a Cub 🦁🐻#ProHeels pic.twitter.com/IsjxlBfnaa — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 14, 2025 Kepley […]

UNC's Luke Stevenson Selected by Seattle Mariners in 1st Round of MLB DraftThe Seattle Mariners selected UNC catcher Luke Stevenson with the No. 35 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Sunday. Call him 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 😤 Going to be rainin homers up there soon! #ProHeels | #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/YfpM9r2FjJ — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 14, 2025 Stevenson, a draft-eligible sophomore, […]
›
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines