The free speech wars are escalating at North Carolina’s flagship university.
At its January, meeting the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill board of trustees directed the university administration to “accelerate its development of a School of Civic Life and Leadership.” Not surprisingly, the mandate has led to objections from UNC faculty members asserting that it is their province to determine curriculum. The president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges, Belle Wheelan, has weighed in suggesting that the university’s accreditation may be at risk if the trustees don’t rescind their directive.
Before engaging in a battle over the legitimate roles of the UNC board and the faculty, the trustees should be asking themselves whether the creation of a new school to promote freedom of expression will advance that meritorious objective. Or will an independent school create only a safe space for the open exchange of ideas while the rest of the university proceeds as usual?
