UNC President Search

By carolinianweb on October 21, 2015 • ( 0 )

Ted/flickr

This past Friday, the UNC Board of Governors held an extended, four-hour private session in Cary.

Multiple reports suggest that the Board of Governors used the closed-door session to interview former Bush Administration Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Spellings was instrumental in the controversial No Child Left Behind Act passed by the Bush Administration, which placed an emphasis on standardized testing.

The BOG is looking for a replacement for Tom Ross, who is leaving the position at the end of 2015. Many critics inside of the BOG and outside believe that the process has been overly political, WRAL reports. The selection of a former Bush Administration cabinet member fits the narrative, and board members told WRAL that they have issues with the process that led to selecting Spellings.

The Presidential Search Committee will likely pick a candidate before October 30, writes John Newsom in his blog, The Syllabus. This is because legislation is currently being considered that would put the control over the new President back under the BOG, as opposed to keeping it under the Search Committee.

Tom Ross is currently scheduled to stay in the position through January 3, 2016, or until the Board of Governors can find a replacement.