RALEIGH (June 9, 2022) – They want to spend $115 million on what?
State legislators ordered the UNC System to move its offices from Chapel Hill to Raleigh by the end of this year and spend $15 million to rent space as a $100 million building is constructed in the state government complex.
They aim to consolidate the University and Community College Systems, Department of (K-12) Public Instruction and Department of Commerce offices in one location in Raleigh.
Those requirements – including $11 million to plan the new building – were part of the budget to which legislators and Gov. Roy Cooper agreed last November.1
That would be $115 million – not for classrooms or lab space – but an administrative building.
Office space in downtown Raleigh is very expensive. By comparison, how much would it cost to build new offices in, say, Research Triangle Park, where the University System already owns land and parking and employee access would be easier?
Do officials really want more state workers to navigate traffic and limited parking in downtown Raleigh? If state officials use up a downtown parking lot for the new building, what does that mean for citizens who visit the legislature?
And given the nation’s current struggles with inflation, who’s to say $115 million is the limit? University leaders already complain that inflation is raising the price of construction projects substantially – in many cases by 15-20% more than a year ago.2
AS THE UNC BOARD OF GOVERNORS discussed the four-year lease to rent office space in Raleigh last month, board member Art Pope noted that the System Office completed a move from the 1971 C.D. Spangler Building3 to the Center for School Leadership Development in Chapel Hill just last year.
“We have space here. It’s not costing us $15 million to maintain space here,” Pope said. “I certainly don’t want to hear about a tuition increase when we’re spending $15 million unnecessarily.”
Board member Leo Daughtry said the move to Raleigh was never discussed publicly by the Board of Governors.
“It is my opinion that the move from here to Raleigh was done purely on the basis of politics,” Daughtry said.
Moving the UNC System Office is not a new – or bad – idea. But moving it within sight of the Legislative Building would only further politicize the UNC System and place it more firmly under the thumb of state legislators.
“The reasons to do this seem to be lacking,” said Board of Governors member John Fraley, like Daughtry and Pope a former member of the NC House, and all of them Republicans.
“This move is going to cost us a lot of money that we do not have to spend,” Fraley said.4
University officials aren’t the only ones who question the move. Officials at the state’s community colleges also have doubts about merging the system offices.
“What is the problem that they’re trying to fix with organizational change?” wrote Paul Wiles, Chair of the Board at Forsyth Technical Community College and former President and CEO of Novant Health.
“By all accounts, our university system is among the most highly respected in the country, and our community colleges are doing a phenomenal job of adapting rapidly to the workforce needs,” Wiles wrote.5
Consider some other ways the legislature could use that $115 million that could pay off for generations:
- How many scholarships?
- How many more children enrolled in pre-K?
- Tuition-free community college for how many students?
- How much more access to broadband service?
- How many postponed maintenance projects?
- How many improvements to school security?
UNIVERSITIES NEED INDEPENDENCE – freedom from political interference – to operate properly. But moving the UNC System’s offices to a block from the General Assembly is the wrong way to go.
In Higher Ed Works’ series on governance in 2020 and again at the Board of Governors’ meeting last month, former BOG Chair Lou Bissette said the university must operate independently of the legislature.
“A perfect Board of Governors is one that is independent, or as close to independent as a public body can be. Our universities should be held accountable, but governing boards do not exist to serve as oversight committees for the legislature,” Bissette wrote.
“The University System’s Board of Governors owes its fiduciary duty to the System. Its duty of loyalty is to the institution it represents, not the institution that appoints its members, the General Assembly.”6
1 https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewNewsFile/59/S105-CCSMLxr-3v5, pp. 536-554; https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2021/53458/2/S105-BD-NBC-9279, p. H12/642.
2 https://hew.aveltsagency.com/2022/04/bog-inflation-bites-unc-campuses/.
3 https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2539550/.
4 https://hew.aveltsagency.com/2022/05/some-unc-bog-members-object-to-raleigh-move/.
5 https://hew.aveltsagency.com/2021/12/wiles-merger-will-not-improve-community-colleges/.
6 https://hew.aveltsagency.com/2020/02/bissette-perfect-board-of-governors/.
Phillip L Owens says
It seems to me that consolidating University and Community College Systems, Department of (K-12) Public Instruction, and Department of Commerce offices in one location in Raleigh is another case of spending massive amounts to fix something that’s not broken. This in a time when our educational systems—in fact our entire economy—are struggling to meet the challenges of inflation, supply shortages, a pandemic, and whatever else lurks just over the horizon. Certainly we can find better ways to use our precious time and money.
Alice Bordsen says
I am of the opinion that the decision is based purely on partisan politics. The goal is two-fold. First, as the current majority envisions itself as a permanent legislative majority, it must seem only ‘reasonable’ to bring all public education under their partisan umbrella, to shape public education as their political ideology dictates. Second, as I stand nearby and watch the shifts in oversight and accountability throughout UNC-CH, it becomes clearer each month that the legislative goal is to transform the UNC system into a high-level vocational training system serving the interests/goals of the NC Dept. of Commerce. Further blurring the lines between our community system and our public university system will leave North Carolina diminished.
LN UNC ‘79 says
You assert political interference as if the Republicans in the legislature deny it but those in charge do not claim “we are not interfering”. Rather, their INTENT is to turn the entire education system into a reflection of Republican “principles”, policies, and “values”. Comfortable in their long term, guaranteed political control due to gerrymandering, they intend to reshape education in their vision, which primarily consists, short term, of getting as much of the “public” out of public education as possible. The ultimate mission is eliminating public funding of all education entirely, while re-establishing full segregation by race and class. Politicization of the BOG and the various BOTs, as well as placing all public education administrators literally in the shadow of the Legislative building, are simply means towards this end. This is a nine inning ball game and the Republican legislature is still in the first inning.
Terrie Burris says
Can anything be done about this now though?
Charlotte Miller says
In-depth investigation of whose idea it was to move the offices? Raleigh N-O and Charlotte O, where are you?
Nancy Smith Marks says
This move is ridiculous — and an immoral waste of taxpayer’s money !! the last thing any of our educational institutions need is more political influence !!
Marylu Flowers-Schoen says
poor judgement in money spending especially now.
Steve Bartholomew says
Art Pope will never support ANYTHING that would benefit the public school system!