News & Messages

Chancellor Search Committee to hold forums Nov. 7-8 for campus, public

The search committee seeking a successor for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp will hold four separate forums on Nov. 7 and 8 for people to share opinions about what they hope to see in the next chancellor.

The forums will provide an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to share ideas about the qualities the University’s next chancellor should have in person with the search committee.

The search committee has designated the following dates and times for staff, community members (including area residents, alumni, parents of students, and friends of the University), faculty and students, respectively:

Wednesday, Nov. 7

Thursday, Nov. 8

  • Faculty, 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Lecture Hall G202, Murray Hall. This room is located next to the brick archway where Murray Hall and Venable Hall meet. Both are part of the Carolina Physical Science Complex, bordering South Road and South Columbia Street.
  • Students, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.., Lecture Hall G202, Murray Hall. This room is located next to the brick archway where Murray Hall and Venable Hall meet. Both are part of the Carolina Physical Science Complex, bordering South Road and South Columbia Street.

Weekdays before 5 p.m. parking spaces are available first-come, first-served for $1.50 per hour in the Rams Head Parking Deck off Ridge Road. Chapel Hill Transit serves the Friday Center via the FCX, HU and V routes. Chapel Hill Transit serves the Stone Center and Murray Hall forum locations on main campus via the U and RU routes.

Anyone unable to attend the forums may send opinions, as well as nominate candidates, by sending an email to chancellorsearch@unc.edu or writing to Chancellor Search Committee, Campus Box #1794, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1794.

Input from students, faculty, staff and the community will help the search committee shape a leadership statement to use in the search. A search subcommittee focused on the leadership statement plans to combine the charge that the full committee received from UNC President Tom Ross at its initial Oct. 8 meeting, feedback from the public forums and the views of subcommittee members about the qualities of the next chancellor. The leadership statement also will reflect the priorities of the University regarding teaching, research and public service. The leadership statement will be used when recruiting candidates and will be a cornerstone document in selecting the next chancellor.

The search committee’s objective is to identify and recommend the best candidates to the full Board of Trustees, which, in turn, will submit at least two candidates to UNC President Tom Ross for consideration by the UNC Board of Governors.

Thorp, Carolina’s 10th chancellor, notified UNC President Tom Ross on Sept. 16 that he planned to step down, effective June 30, 2013. Thorp, a Kenan Professor, will take a research leave to prepare to resume his research and teaching in the chemistry department faculty.

The committee hopes to have a new chancellor in place by July 1, 2013.

Contacts:  Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu, or Karen Moon, (919) 962-8595, karen_moon@unc.edu