UNC’s Faculty Executive Committee met Monday morning to call for immediate action from the Board of Trustees after it chose to postpone review of acclaimed journalist, Nikole Hannah-Jones’, tenure application.

Hannah-Jones was set to return to her alma mater as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism, a tenured professorship. Now, the board’s decision to “take no action” on her tenure application has led to increasing community outrage.

UNC’s Faculty Executive Committee is made up of 14 faculty members from different disciplines at the university. The meet regularly to provide recommendations to campus leadership while representing the faculty voice.

On Monday, the committee convened for a special meeting to demand immediate action from the Board of Trustees.

“We are not just an executive body, we are a representative body,” said committee member and law professor Eric Muller. “I don’t think any of us – even around all the contentious issues that we’ve been through over the last couple of years – I’m not sure any of us has seen the faculty more galvanized with emotion.”

Following its meeting on Thursday, Chair of the Board of Trustees Richard Stevens said more time was needed to go over Hannah-Jones’ application and answer questions regarding her candidacy – especially as she did not come from a “traditional academic-type background.”

The Faculty Executive Committee said more transparency is needed to understand what went into the board’s decision-making process and what questions have been left unanswered. Now, they are asking for an official response from trustees.

Committee member and anthropology professor Vin Steponaitis said, while the BOT does have the right to make the final decision on tenure applications, it must respect faculty opinions.

“For good reason, we have a longstanding tradition where BOT follows the lead and has respect for recommendations made from the faculty on matters like this,” Steponaitis said. “So, I think we have to reaffirm that principle – because that applies across the board, not just in this tenure case. I think it was because the faculty saw that principle violated that they are now so upset.”

At their meeting, faculty members crafted a resolution to elicit a response from trustees and ask them to review Hannah-Jones’s tenure case immediately – stating that this postponement by the BOT is a “breach of trust.”

Committee members are also asking the BOT to “explain to the fullest extent possible, without violating the law, the reason for its decision.”

Faculty member and journalism professor Deb Aikat said the committee also needs to call on UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Provost Bob Blouin to provide further comment on Hannah-Jones’ tenure case.

“Our chancellor – besides a statement that he respects academic freedom, but he also respects the Board of Trustees – I felt was an inadequate statement,” Aikat said. “So could we, as an executive committee, could we urge our chancellor and our provost to also act and do something about it. I think they have been suspiciously silent if I may say so.”

The Faculty Executive Committee’s resolution passed unanimously. The finalized statement will be sent to the BOT for consideration.

UNC’s failure to offer Hannah-Jones tenure had led to national headlines, a protest at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting and condemnations from various groups — including the UNC student body president, student government, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP chapter and the National Association of Black Journalists among others.

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