University of North Carolina Board of Governors Record Group [Formerly Board of Higher Education], SR.103

The first step towards a unified administration of state-supported institutions of higher education came in 1931 with the consolidation of the University of North Carolina (chartered in 1789), North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (1887), and the North Carolina College for Women (1891). Under the Consolidation Act, the trustees of the three institutions would operate as a consolidated board until the legislature elected a new board of one hundred members, at least ten of whom were to be women. The governor was instructed to appoint twelve commissioners to assist him in drafting a plan for consolidation which would provide unified executive control, a coordinated education program, and the most functional location of schools and departments. The report of the commission would constitute the rules by which the consolidated university operated until amended by the new board of trustees. This board governed the Consolidated University of North Carolina from 1931 until 1971.

Centralized governmental oversight of all institutions of higher education supported by state appropriations, including the consolidated university and a number of colleges, began in 1955 with the creation of the North Carolina Board of Higher Education. The board consisted of nine members appointed by the governor, one of whom was to be a member of the State Board of Education. Its principle functions were to develop a unified system of higher education, eliminating unnecessary duplication of functions and activities among the institutions; to determine the types of degrees each school may grant; to prescribe uniform administrative practices and policies; and to recommend to the director of the budget and the Advisory Budget Commission biennial expenditures for each institution. The several boards of trustees retained control over the internal affairs of their schools. In 1959, institutions were granted the right to appeal to the legislature any directive by the Board of Higher Education discontinuing an educational function or activity.

In 1963, the functions of the Consolidated University were defined by statute. It was designated the primary state agency for research in liberal arts and sciences and was granted sole authority within the state university system to award doctorate degrees. The act renamed the three constituent institutions and provided the apparatus for establishment of additional campuses, subject to approval of the Board of Higher Education and the General Assembly. The first school to be incorporated into the university system was Charlotte College, which became the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1965. Four years later, Wilmington College (UNC at Wilmington) and Asheville-Biltmore College (UNC at Asheville) were established as campuses of the university system. (In 1965, "Consolidated" was deleted from the official title of the University of North Carolina; its member institutions were differentiated as campuses of the university.)

In 1965, membership of the Board of Higher Education was increased to fifteen, two of whom were to be selected by the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina. The statute redefined the duties of the higher education board, its primary purpose being "to plan and coordinate the major educational functions and activities of higher education in the State and to allot the functions and activities of the institutions." The board retained the right of review over institutional budgets, but was reminded to concentrate on broad fiscal policy rather than itemized investigation of budgetary requests.

In response to the clamor of several senior colleges for university status, the legislature in 1967 initiated an experiment in the concept of regional universities specializing in the preparation of teachers and school administrators. Four universities were so designated: East Carolina University, Appalachian State University, Western Carolina University, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Other colleges having had authorization to award masters degrees for at least ten years could apply to the Board of Higher Education for regional university status. The board was directed to study the effectiveness of the system for five years and report its recommendation to either continue the program, establish a unified board of trustees for the regional universities, or incorporate one or more as campuses of the University of North Carolina. In 1969, five more colleges were granted regional university status: Pembroke State University, North Carolina Central University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, and Winston-Salem State University.

The organization and administration of the entire system of state- supported institutions of higher learning was completely restructured in 1971. The Board of Higher Education, the regional university system, and the existing boards of trustees of sixteen institutions were all swept away by a single statute. The six consolidated campuses, the nine regional universities, and the North Carolina School of the Arts were united as constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina. Effective 1 July 1972, the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina as a corporate entity was redesignated the Board of Governors of the university system, succeeding to all the powers and duties of its predecessor and the Board of Higher Education. It was authorized to plan and implement a coordinated system of higher education; to govern the constituent institutions; to administer federal and state financial aid programs; to determine the proper functions and academic programs of each constituent; to designate the types of degrees to be awarded by each; to elect the university president and select the president's staff, and also select the chancellor, vice-chancellor, and senior academic and administrative officers for each institution; to set tuition, fees, and enrollment levels; to develop a unified budget and uniform reporting practices; to acquire and dispose of real and personal property (except that held by the trustees of endowment funds); to approve the establishment of new state-supported institutions above the community college level; to issue or revoke licenses allowing non-public colleges established since 1923 to be degree-granting institutions; and to assess the needs and contributions of private colleges, advising the legislature how best to utilize their resources.

The initial Board of Governors consisted of thirty-two members selected by formula from the existing boards of trustees of the constituent institutions, two elected by the Board of Higher Education from its members at large, and the governor, who served as chairman. For six months prior to the effective date of the transfer of powers and duties to the board, it was to serve as a planning committee to effect the merger of the ten additional campuses and the merger of staffs and budgets of the Board of Higher Education with those of the general administration of the university system; to assign staff members; and to elect a university president.

The terms of the initial appointees would expire at various times between 1973 and 1979. Their successors would be elected by the legislature, eight every other year, four by each house. At least one of every eight appointees was to be a woman, one of a minority race, and one from the principle minority party in the legislature. The board was empowered to elect a chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary for two-year terms. It was required to meet at least six times a year with a majority of members necessary to constitute a quorum.

Coincident with the date of effectiveness of the Board of Governors, boards of trustees were created for each of the six campuses that had previously been governed by the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina. By 1 July 1973 each of the ten merging institutions would have reconstituted boards. In both cases, thirteen trustees would constitute the board: eight elected by the Board of Governors, four appointed by the governor, and the president of the student body. Their functions were largely advisory, apart from responsibility for their school's endowment fund and whatever powers the Board of Governors might delegate.

Over the next two decades, the responsibilities of the Board of Governors expanded into a wide arena of activities. In 1975 the board was authorized to establish an Institute for Transportation Research and Education and a council to govern the institute. Also that year, the board was empowered to provide all health care practitioners employed by the university (including North Carolina Memorial Hospital employees) with insurance coverage against personal tort liability. It was authorized to create a Liability Insurance Trust Fund Council to administer the program. In 1979 the legislature directed the Board of Governors to establish the UNC Center for Public Television, to provide research, development, and production of noncommercial educational programming for distribution through the broadcast facilities which had previously been licensed to the university. The board was to establish a board of trustees for the center, elect a director, delegate the necessary powers and duties, and establish and maintain an endowment fund. In 1985, the board was instructed to establish the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Western Carolina University to provide career teachers with opportunities for advanced study. The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics was reestablished that year as an "affiliated school" of the university; two-thirds of the membership of its board of trustees was appointed by the Board of Governors. The federally funded Veterans and Military Education Program was transferred to the university from the Department of Community Colleges in 1990.

The membership of the Board of Governors has evolved somewhat since 1971. The chairman of the board was empowered in 1977 to appoint interim members when vacancies occurred, but five years later the privilege was revoked when the legislature declared that vacant seats would remain unfilled until the next session. In 1987, terms of board members were reduced to four years, necessitating the election of sixteen each regular session. At the same time, the minimum representation requirements by gender, race and political party were doubled. In 1991, the president of the UNC Association of Student Governments or his designee was named an ex officio member of the board, permitted a seat at the meetings but not a vote.

REFERENCES:
P.L., 1931, c. 202.
P.L., 1939, c. 255.
P.L., 1941, c. 136.
S.L., 1955, c. 1186.
S.L., 1959, c. 326.
S.L., 1963, c. 448.
S.L., 1965, cc. 31, 213, 1096.
S.L., 1967, c. 1038.
S.L., 1969, cc. 297, 388, 608, 801.
S.L., 1971, cc. 762, 1244.
S.L., 1975, cc. 976; 983, s.57.
S.L., 1977, cc. 506, 875.
S.L., 1979, c. 649.
S.L., 1981 (First Extra sess. 1982), c. 1.
S.L., 1983, c. 1006.
S.L., 1985, c. 479, s. 74; c. 757, ss. 202, 206.
S.L., 1987, c. 228.
S.L., 1989, c. 997.
S.L., 1991, c. 220.
G.S. 116 [1992].
Battle, Kemp P. HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA. Raleigh:
Edwards & Broughton Printing Co., 1907.
Connor, R. D. W., comp. A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1953.
King, Arnold K. THE MULTICAMPUS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA COMES OF
AGE, 1956-1986. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987.

1. Colleges File, 1955-1969

2. Governor's Commission for Education Beyond the High School File, 1962

3. Community Colleges File, 1956-1968

4. General Correspondence File, 1955-1969

5. Board Members File, 1955-1965

6. Special Studies File, 1962

7. Program Proposals File, 1964-1969

8. Long-Range Planning File, 1965-1968

9. Minutes File, 1955-1981