Erin Gretzinger

How the UNC System Shaped a Controversial Plan to Revamp College Accreditation Records show North Carolina played a significant role in founding the Commission for Public Higher Education. Some faculty are concerned.

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Great piece from @eringretzinger.bsky.social: While FL Gov. Ron DeSantis was at the dais announcing the plan for a new accrediting agency this summer, the UNC system was really behind the effort from the beginning

The tension between DeSantis’ public posturing and NC officials’ influential roles behind the scenes underscores a crucial question for many faculty and other skeptics: whether CPHE will be a non-ideological auditor or become a tool for conservatives to remake higher ed.

A pros and cons document created for President Peter Hans this spring further reveals the role of UNC System officials.

“Currently, we enjoy some free ridership in that Florida is funding the effort, but the group relies on Kelly and Harrison for subject matter expertise.”

In July 2024, the UNC System and AEI, a conservative think tank, convened reps from other states to talk about alternatives to the current model for accreditation at the behest of the NC legislature.

How the UNC System Shaped a Controversial Plan to Revamp College Accreditation Records show North Carolina played a significant role in founding the Commission for Public Higher Education. Some faculty are concerned.

While FL broke the news about a new six-state accreditor, 800+ pages of public records & other docs show the UNC System was at the center of the project for more than a year.

My last scoop with @theassemblync.bsky.social
(co-published with @chronicle.com)

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Lee Roberts' Long Game The UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor is sticking with his big-picture vision endures despite federal uncertainties and campus clashes.

UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts has his sights set on the big picture—despite federal-level uncertainties and campus clashes over his business-driven vision.

My profile of Roberts' first full year at UNC-CH for @theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

The Summer UNC-Chapel Hill Turned Pretty 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' series filmed its recently released final season at UNC-Chapel Hill, giving the campus new clout online.

The best cross-over episode of my life!

(I promise there is a higher-ed angle)

@theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

UNC-Chapel Hill's Vice Chancellor for Research on JAG's alternative indirect cost model to counter Trump's proposed cuts to reimbursement rates: "We saw an opportunity to step up and create a new approach.”

Read my Q&A with Penny Gordon-Larsen @TheAssemblyNC

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Inside UNC-Chapel Hill’s Scrapped Plan to Open a Michigan Campus UNC-Chapel Hill’s “Prometheus” project explored purchasing Kettering University, an engineering school in Flint.

UNC-Chapel Hill's “Prometheus” project explored purchasing Kettering University, an engineering school in Flint, to speed up development of a new college of applied sciences.

From @themhartman.bsky.social for @theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Clemens told Roberts that was the wrong way to think about tenure.

“With all due respect, this argument is incorrect,” Clemens wrote, explaining that it did not consider the value faculty generated over time.

Read the story at the link above.

Clemens continued: "The Chancellor has agreed to this strategy based on a net present cost evaluation of the faculty who receive permanent tenure."

Net present cost is an accounting method used to analyze the lifetime cost of an investment.

“The trustees have decided that they are going to address a pending financial crisis by holding up votes on awarding tenure to faculty,” wrote Chris Clemens in a May 3 message, a few weeks before the trustees delayed tenure votes for the second time.

Provost: UNC-CH Chancellor Signed Off On Plan To Delay Tenure Chris Clemens wrote in an email obtained by The Assembly that Chancellor Lee Roberts agreed to delay tenure votes for financial reasons.

BREAKING: @theassemblync.bsky.social obtained an email in which UNC-Chapel Hill's ex-provost said Chancellor Lee Roberts agreed to the Board of Trustees’ controversial move to delay tenure votes for financial reasons.

From me & @themhartman.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

What Remains of St. Andrews Following the sudden closure of St. Andrews University, Laurinburg grapples with the fallout and a now-empty campus.

Following the sudden closure of St. Andrews University, Laurinburg grapples with the fallout and the now-empty campus property at the heart of the community.

For @theassemblync.bsky.social and Border Belt Independent

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

St. Andrews’ story offers a cautionary tale for other small towns as more colleges struggle to survive.

Closing a college is not just a heartbreaking process—it’s an exhausting, expensive, & gut-wrenching one that can leave vulnerable people & communities in the lurch.

Our reporting shows that the shock & uncertainty surrounding the school’s quick closure will impact its lasting legacy in Laurinburg.

“There’s even just this mental toll of what it means to just drive by an empty college campus every day,” said Andrew Koricich of App State.

When St. Andrews suddenly closed in May, it left behind a lot of questions.

When would employees get their paychecks? What would become of the university’s land? And what does the closure mean for Laurinburg, a rural town of 15,000?

me & @brappaport.bsky.social tracked down the answers.

What Remains of St. Andrews Following the sudden closure of St. Andrews University, Laurinburg grapples with the fallout and a now-empty campus.

I'm quoted in this great piece diving into the closure of St. Andrews University in North Carolina and what it means for the local community. The Assembly is one of the best local sources for higher ed coverage in the country.

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Below is a breakdown of the targeted areas for cuts

UNC-Chapel Hill Unveils Plan to Cut $70 Million in Response to Funding Pressure UNC-Chapel Hill will cut 2 percent of its operating budget ahead of anticipated federal and state funding reductions.

UNC-Chapel Hill leaders revealed a plan on Wednesday to cut approximately $70 million in costs—or 2 percent of its operating budget.

From me and @themhartman.bsky.social for @theassemblync.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Read the full memo here:

northcarolina.edu/wp-content/u...

The trustee-led committees will receive briefings from their chancellor or other senior administrators, including some closed-session meetings about the performance of “relevant” personnel.

In a memo dated June 17 (which was posted on a system website but not announced publicly), 2 BOG members wrote that while campuses made an "initial effort" to comply, the committees will ensure schools demonstrate "meaningful verification that those realignments succeeded."

UNC Board of Governors Demands New DEI Compliance Committees The campus-level committees will scrutinize whether schools have complied with policies targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

NEW: The UNC System's Board of Governors has directed campuses to form new committees to scrutinize compliance w/ system DEI policies.

Each committee’s work will continue until the BOG "deems its specific oversight no longer needed."

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

Saint Augustine's University Appeals to Alumni for Donations Following Loss of Accreditation Saint Augustine's University leaders appeal to alumni for donations following loss of accreditation, sharing information about SAU's financial standing.

Revealing reporting from @indyweek.bsky.social's @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social about a call hosted by St. Augustine's University officials.

SAU's debts exceed $47 million (not including a $20 million default judgement SAU is contesting). Enrollment is about 53 students.

indyweek.com/news/wake/sa...

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UNC's $97 Million Online Education Gambit Hits Headwinds Project Kitty Hawk, UNC’s ambitious foray into online education, has slashed enrollment projections. Will the investment pay off?

“UNC’s $97 Million Online Education Gambit Hits Headwinds” from @pamkelley.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

The Closure of ‘PCB Hall’ Reflects Problems Across UNC System NC State's move to shutter Poe Hall has raised concerns across the UNC system about exposure to hazardous substances in aging buildings.

“The Closure of ‘PCB Hall’ Reflects Problems Across UNC System” from @emilyvespa.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

A Professor Walks Into a Storm The dean of UNC-CH’s School of Civic Life and Leadership promotes civil discourse. Critics highlight the school’s conservative roots.

“A Professor Walks Into a Storm” from @themhartman.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...

The Fight that Fractured Saint Augustine’s University At the embattled Saint Augustine's University, internal complaints and lawsuits reveal disputes about how the board has managed the school.

“The Fight that Fractured Saint Augustine’s University” from
@ccourtneybohl.bsky.social and I, in collaboration with @indyweek.bsky.social

www.theassemblync.com/education/hi...