Update from History Task Force

Dear Campus Community,

In August, Chancellor Folt asked us to co-chair the Task Force on UNC-Chapel Hill’s History. We have worked very hard to develop a plan to best carry out the directive of the Board of Trustees:  to share an accurate, accessible, and complete history of the University. Chancellor Folt tasked us to create an open process that will allow for broad participation and include frequent and clear communication with our campus community as the work moves forward. We now need your help and participation. If you are interested in being a part of one of our advisory groups or participating in some other way, please let us know by writing to us at historytaskforce@unc.edu.

Here is where we currently are and what lies ahead for this work:

Our first efforts have focused on Carolina Hall. As approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2015, a dedication plaque will be installed later this month on the outside of the building. We also have developed a concept for an exhibit inside the building that shares the full history of William Saunders, the naming of the building in 1922, and the recent changing of the name. As our next step, we will organize an advisory group of students, faculty, and staff who will help further conceptualize and develop the exhibit.

The Trustees also tasked Carolina to create a curation plan for McCorkle Place. Any exploration of this space will include a focus on the Confederate Monument (aka Silent Sam) and the Unsung Founders Memorial, as well as other landmarks and spaces there. While we must take into account the state’s restrictions regarding alteration or removal of historical monuments in public spaces, we still have many other options to explore, including a mix of physical and virtual interpretations and, possibly, new temporary and permanent art projects. As with Carolina Hall, our next step is to appoint an advisory group to develop concepts along these lines. A progress report is expected to be made to the Board in March 2016.

The remaining three tasks – an audit that will be ongoing of existing historical interpretations of buildings, monuments, memorials, and landscapes; programmatic and curricular options for orienting all new community members to UNC’s full history; and a feasibility study for a public space to house a permanent collection of UNC’s history – will continue or get underway in spring 2016. The process for completing each of these tasks will also include an advisory group and multiple community discussions and opportunities to engage. Again, if you are interested in working on any of these projects, please write to us at historytaskforce@unc.edu.

You can soon expect to see a published series on North Carolina and our campus history that will help us set the foundation for informed conversation. We plan to create a web site and a public schedule of task force and advisory group meetings. In addition, we plan to hold general presentations on our work in specific student, faculty, and staff forums and focus groups, and listening sessions related to specific projects. Please let us know if you would like someone from our task force to meet with your group to talk about our activities.

We welcome your feedback on these important issues. Please contact us at historytaskforce@unc.edu.

Sincerely,

Winston Crisp

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Co-Chair, History Task Force

Amy Locklear Hertel

Director, American Indian Center

Co-Chair, History Task Force

James Leloudis

Professor of History

Co-Chair, History Task Force