Under the Dome podcast: Parallels with Florida seen in political influence on NC higher ed

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan
·1 min read

Start your week in #ncpol #ncga with our latest Under the Dome politics podcast. Dawn Vaughan here, your News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and podcast host.

In the latest episode, for the week of Dec. 11, 2023, I talk with reporters Korie Dean and Makiya Seminera about political interference in higher education in North Carolina, and how that compares to Florida, another state that has had partisan influence on universities.

Dean and Seminera recently published a series of stories about how the General Assembly has impacted the UNC System, which is quite timely given the departure of UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz for Michigan State University. Listen to what they found and what it means for faculty, reputation, recruitment and students.

Headliner of the Week

After the break, we talk about what the next UNC chancellor is likely to face, and why she or he might want the job. Plus, the latest in candidate filing, which leads to my pick for Headliner of the Week: U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry leaving Congress. That opens the primary up in the Republican-leaning district.

Stayed tuned for Dean and Seminera’s picks for Headliner, from a McDonald’s spin-off to another thing that gets UNC in the news: sports.

Listen to our latest episode below and catch up on previous episodes. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon Music and Stitcher.

Now you can also watch video of our Under the Dome podcast on our N&O YouTube page.