UNC – Chapel Hill regularly touts its status as the oldest public university in the country. Part of being the oldest university is that there are a lot of old buildings across the campus.

Now the university is looking to implement a new student fee with a goal of repairing some of those buildings most in need.

The new fee is proposed at $65.39. That is the amount that was available after adjusting other student fees to keep the university under a 3 percent cap on fee increases recently passed by state lawmakers.

“You hit a point where old buildings are pretty old,” UNC Chancellor Carol Folt said at the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday. The responsibility to fund these infrastructure projects has typically fallen to the state.

“We can’t rely fully on the state,” Folt said, “they have a lot of old buildings themselves.”

The chancellor predicted other universities across North Carolina would be looking at similar fees in the future.

“We’re an old university,” Folt said. “We have hundreds of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance.”

She said this fee was just one piece of a portfolio approach to eating into the backlog of repair needs.

Officials said in a presentation to the Board of Trustees Finance, Infrastructure and Audit Committee on Wednesday that the university had roughly $850 million in deferred maintenance needs. Trustee Chuck Duckett chairs that committee and said this investment was necessary.

“We have certain spaces and places that are in need of drastic repair,” Duckett said after Wednesday’s committee meeting. “And I’m not talking about paint or changing some windows; these are ceilings and things like that.

“We don’t have the money from the state to do it, and I don’t foresee that we’re going to get any amount of money any time soon.”

Duckett added that the repairs were necessary for safety for students, faculty and staff.

The proposed fee was approved by the full Board of Trustees on Thursday. It will now go before the UNC System Board of Governors for approval next spring.

The university is currently in the planning process for several new buildings on campus. Those projects are expected to be funded through several avenues, including large financial gifts. A new medical education building at UNC is being funded through the Connect NC bond, which was approved by North Carolina voters in 2016.

Related Stories
‹
'Together is The Only Path Forward': Orange County's Habitat for Humanity Hosts Affordable Housing Summit
Amid a shortage of affordable housing – both locally and nationally – the Orange County chapter of Habitat for Humanity recently held a summit to discuss how leaders can collectively aim to better address the issue.
Chapel Hill Alerts Residents To Upcoming S. Columbia Road Closure
The Town of Chapel Hill announced that a section of S. Columbia St. will be closed as UNC conducts maintenance on its steam tunnel system.
Multiple UNC Football Players Facing Reckless Driving Charges
Several UNC football players are facing charges of reckless driving, speeding and other violations. An investigation by WRAL, originally published Monday afternoon, reported that “nearly 20 percent” of UNC’s 101-man roster has been cited for speeding since October of 2024. The investigation named three specific players: linebacker Khmori House, safety Gavin Gibson and cornerback Thaddeus […]
Parking, Parties and Team History: What to Know Ahead of Mexico vs. Türkiye Soccer in Chapel Hill
The men's national soccer teams of Mexico and Türkiye will meet in Chapel Hill Tuesday for a friendly. Here's what to know before you go.
Police: UNC Student Victim of Carjacking in W. Franklin Street Parking Deck
Chapel Hill Police are investigating the carjacking of a UNC student that took place early Saturday morning. No injuries are reported.
Honoring Chapel Hill's Black Builders: UNC Landmarks and the Local Faces Who Built Them
Maps are storytellers, but they can exclude certain narratives. Fowota Mortoo said that’s the case for Chapel Hill’s Black builders.
No More Coal? Chapel Hill Prepares for Hearing on UNC's Co-Gen Plant and Potential New Fuel Source
Chapel Hill Town Hall will host a hearing on Thursday to take comments on a potential alternative fuel source for UNC's cogeneration plant.
Photo Gallery: Chapel Hill Sees First Snow in Years
For a few hours over the weekend, the greater Chapel Hill community was in a winter wonderland. A winter storm blanketed Orange County and the surrounding area with a thin layer of snow on Friday. Overnight on Saturday, it was later packed down or rinse away by freezing rain, which its own layer of ice […]
UNC: Ridge Road Open to One Lane After Month-Long Closure, Still 2 Weeks From Normal Traffic
Ridge Road on UNC campus is allowing vehicles and pedestrians through once again. But normal traffic patterns are likely still weeks away.
Chapel Hill Police Investigate Pair of Overnight Armed Robberies Reported 8 Minutes Apart
A pair of armed robberies reportedly took place less than ten minutes from each other during the early morning hours of Saturday, according to Chapel Hill Police.
›