The UNC Board of Trustees held its first meetings of the new academic year on Wednesday and Thursday, gathering to swear in several members and discuss key business items at the Rizzo Conference Center in Chapel Hill. Here are some highlights of the meetings, as well as Chancellor Lee Roberts’ press availability afterward.
Roberts Shares More on Proposed Budget Cuts
On Wednesday, UNC administrators shared a plan to reduce its annual spending by nearly $70 million, which is roughly 2% of the school’s operating budget and would not be fully into effect until FY2027. The biggest item to lose funding would be financial aid for out-of-state students at more than $17 million – although UNC administrators said several other avenues for support exist — while the most job cuts or consolidation will be seen among administrative staff and vacant positions in human resources, IT, finance, communications and research.
Roberts told gathered media on Thursday he and other UNC leaders did not take the decisions lightly – and while the changes align with the trustees’ calls for more efficient operations, they are also spurred by a likely loss of funding.
“We’re doing the best we can in trying to manage through an uncertain fiscal environment…[there’s] a lot of uncertainty both at the state level and the federal level,” Roberts said. “And so, we think these are prudent, thoughtful measures to respond. Layoffs are always the last resort; we’ll do everything we can through attrition. We understand how much anxiety an announcement like this creates, and we’re going to do our best to make sure people have as much information as we can provide, as soon as we can provide it.”
To try and address concerns about the budget cuts, Wednesday’s announcement said the university is soon beginning a Chancellor’s Forum series. Plans are in the early stages, with Roberts saying not much else could be shared as of Thursday – but he stressed why he supports the forum setting and opportunity to directly field questions.
“It’s really important – I think at all times, but especially times like this – to make sure you’re gathering as much as feedback as possible, that you’re hearing from as many voices as possible,” the chancellor said. “Name the topic and we’ve got a wide range of views about it on this campus, and that’s by design…that’s healthy, that’s what this university is supposed to be all about.
“So,” Roberts concluded, “let’s make sure we’re hearing as many of those voices as possible – especially when it comes to cuts and difficult decisions. That’s the idea behind the listening sessions and the forums.”
Tenure Discussion Continues
The Board of Trustees came under fire earlier in 2025 for delaying the approval of tenure for some UNC faculty, pushing back its vote for approval for educators in the College of Arts and Sciences and other non-health-science schools. Even after approving 33 tenure cases in June, there was little public reasoning shared for the delays — although emails made public by The Daily Tar Heel unveiled some of the board members’ criticism of the practice.
More of those thoughts were voiced in open session during Wednesday’s University Affairs Committee meeting, as Interim Provost James Dean Jr. presented details on the university’s tenure track options and review approaches to the trustees. Many of the questions shared by trustees centered on whether tenured faculty ought to have their eligibility reviewed in the years after earning initial approval and the financial feasibility of long-term salaries.
On Thursday, Roberts acknowledged the “range of views” the current board has on tenure. But he strongly indicated that the practice will be maintained at UNC.
“Whatever else you want to say for or against tenure,” the chancellor added, “there is one, incontrovertible fact about it, which is that tenure is a competitive imperative for Carolina. All of our peers use it. We can’t be the kind of university that we have been historically, and that we aspire to be in the future, without using tenure. That’s true for the foreseeable for the future, and there’s just no two ways about that.”
Cricket Arena Pitched for Carolina North
During the External Affairs Committee meeting on Wednesday, a significant development project for UNC’s Carolina North property was pitched to the board. At the behest of Trustee Vimal Kolappa, the group heard a presentation envisioning a 25,000 seat cricket coliseum to capitalize on the growing popularity of the sport and provide a new venue before the 2028 Olympics arrive in the U.S.
Vijay Nandakumar, who is a part-owner of the Morrisville Raptors team playing in Minor League Cricket, led the presentation and pitched it as a premiere complex for the Triangle. Beyond elevating the university’s global brand and construction of a stadium providing hundreds of jobs, a UNC-owned venue would take in revenue from the events at the coliseum and be a tourism boost. Nadakumar projected such a project could see more than $500 million per year in total economic output for the area, with nearly $200 million estimated in direct tax revenue.
A slide of the presentation shared by Vijay Nandakumar and Trustee Vimal Kolappa to the UNC Board of Trustees pitching a cricket stadium for the Carolina North property. (Photo via UNC Board of Trustees.)
Some trustees seemed receptive to the idea, although no one fully committed to the project during the meetings.
“I think you have focused this board’s attention on something that we otherwise would not have been thinking about for Carolina North,” said John Preyer. “And you have done it in a way that, I think, everyone here would love to see this happen.”
“I think it’s something to explore and do a review of,” added Marty Kotis, “[and] maybe have some of our new revenue folks take a look at models, look at how it could work and how it could generate [such] revenues.”
Roberts told reporters he found the proposal “intriguing” and his administration will “absolutely consider it” among the other options being weighed for the university property — which is also a potential site for a new UNC men’s basketball and multi-purpose arena.
“We see a range of uses there, as we’ve said consistently, including entertainment and athletic events…so, the proposal that was made is one option that could fit into that [vision],” the chancellor said. “We’re still at the early stages on Carolina North, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some kind of mixed use outdoor facility be part of the of the plan there.”
Roberts Plays Coy on Clemson-FSU v. ACC Settlement
The cricket discussions were not the only sports news to emerge from the meetings.
Inside Carolina reported on July 22 — amid the ACC Kickoff event happening for the conference’s college football programs in Charlotte — that sources claim Roberts played a key role in negotiating the settlement between the Atlantic Coast Conference, Clemson and Florida State. The measure saw the two schools end their lawsuits against the conference over the Grant of Rights in March, with the ACC significantly lowering the exit fee for schools to leave the conference across the next 10 years as part of the deal.
Roberts’ signature was on the document two days prior to the settlement went into effect in May, according to Inside Carolina, and he was asked on Thursday about his role in the discussions.
“Delighted that the settlement was reached, it’s a good thing for the conference,” Roberts responded. “We are a proud member of the ACC, a founding member of [the conference]. As always, we’ll do what’s best for Tar Heel athletics and for the university as a whole.
“Nothing has changed,” he added when asked about whether a handshake agreement existed for Carolina to join the Southeastern Conference.
Preyer Rotates Off as Board Chair; Turner Selected
Part of Thursday morning’s agenda was dedicated to celebrating Preyer, whose two-year stretch as the board’s chair came to an end. Preyer — who has become a controversial figure for his injection into Carolina Athletics’ operations — cited increased applications to Carolina as a point of pride during his tenure, with the total number nearly doubling from the 45,000 in 2019 when Preyer first became a trustee. In addition to praise from his colleagues for his leadership of the board through its chancellor and head football coach searches, the Chapel Hill resident was also rewarded a visiting scholar fund in his honor for the School of Civic Life and Leadership. The school was a project Preyer championed in his time on the board and his wife, Joanie, helped raise the money to bring “distinguished guests” to either present or teach students.
Following Preyer will be Malcolm Turner, who has served as the vice chair for the last two years. Turner, an executive with the sports gambling website DraftKings and a former vice chancellor and athletic director for Vanderbilt University, said he wants the board to focus on three priorities in the next two years: maintaining trust, having transparency and accountability, and facilitating student and faculty success.
“Consider that our standing today — and whatever you deem more important in defining what Carolina means to you — is not a given,” Turner said in his opening remarks. “Tomorrow is a new day with new challenges…so whatever Carolina means to you, be willing to fight for it. Do not declare victory — be willing to thoughtfully challenge our status quo. In fact, demand it if and when there are times, places and spaces where we may be getting a little too comfortable.”
Ramsey White, meanwhile, was named vice chair and Kotis was appointed as the board secretary in the other officer elections. The trio of Turner, White and Kotis were among six trustees sworn into their new four-year terms on Thursday, as well as Rob Bryan III, Perrin Jones and Vinay Patel. Brian Allen was sworn in for his first meeting and is set to serve two years to finish the term of Brad Briner, who left the board after being elected as North Carolina Treasurer in Nov. 2024.
The UNC Board of Trustees is next expected to meet on September 24 and 25. Videos of the July committee meetings and full board meeting can be found on the university’s YouTube channel.
Featured image via Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill.
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