The latest political pillaging of NC’s flagship university

When I read a couple weeks ago the Republicans in the General Assembly were out to ban Critical Race Theory in public schools, I thought it remarkable that studies so pervasive in higher education would be made illegal in preparatory schools. I wondered when our ideologically-obsessed overseers would turn their sights on universities. It didn’t take long to find out.

As the entire American academy learned last week, the UNC Board of Trustees blocked a tenure appointment for Nikole Hannah-Jones. (The Trustees indicated this week that they might be willing to re-visit the issue in the future.) Our leaders have, of course, trashed academic freedom before – censuring controversial intercollegiate sports critics, noted Islamic studies scholars, a civil rights center and the Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity I led.

But this time, they went big. Giving the back of the hand to our famed journalism school, they decided that the Pulitzer Prize winning, MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” receiving, NC Journalism Hall of Fame inducted, African-American director of what is likely the most notable public history project ever launched wasn’t up to snuff.

A trustee named Chuck Duckett – who works for a marketing services firm whose website explains it “provides packaging solutions to innovative craft beer and wine/spirits companies” — had reservations about Hannah-Jones’ scholarly attainment. Welcome to the Carolina wonderland.

The New York Times, Washington Post and London’s Guardian ran damning stories of the triumph of politics over academic integrity at UNC-CH. The Chronicle of Higher Education published a piece, landing in the inbox of academic administrators across the nation, declaring: “The Tenure Denial of Nikole Hannah-Jones is Craven and Dangerous.” We’ve now completed our rebranding exercise of the last decade — going from being perceived as one of the nation’s strongest public universities to a right-wing, racial-equality denying clown car. University of the People indeed.

Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Stevens made a cowardly attempt to shift the blame to journalism dean Susan King. The always-civil chair of the UNC-CH faculty assembly, Mimi Chapman, was forced to explain Stevens’ statement was “de facto false.”

Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz went into his traditional crouch, avoiding comment. Later, with Chapel Hill exploding, he said: “I support the academic freedom of our faculty. I also respect the role our Board of Trustees plays in our model of shared governance.” Now there’s some leadership.

Mum’s the word as the university he leads commits one of the boldest and most notorious denials of racial equality and academic freedom on record. But if police brutality occurs in Minneapolis, the Chancellor will send dozens of statements of outrage and racial sensitivity to the university community “in solidarity.” Bill Aycock weeps. Guskiewicz should have learned from Carol Folt that, with this crew, even agreeing not to do your job doesn’t mean you get to keep your job.

There is not only a racial exclusion to this decision. It is also stunningly dense. The UNC Board of Governors, their benefactors in the General Assembly, and their toadies on the Board of Trustees believe they can run scholars out because they don’t like what they say, replace world class faculty and administrators with utterly unqualified Republicans, and UNC will remain one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions. BOG members might even swap leadership positions among themselves. Or their buddies in the statehouse. Nice salaries, easy work, so the theory goes. But the American academy doesn’t operate that way. Competition is intense and unyielding. We’re much wounded.

Still, like so many North Carolinians, Republican lawmakers are often frantic that their own children be admitted to a great, distinguished public university in Chapel Hill. When they’re finished pillaging, it won’t be there.

Contributing columnist Gene Nichol is the Boyd Tinsley Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina.