A RESOLUTION URGING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO FUND ENROLLMENT INCREASES AS PART OF THE CONTINUATION BUDGET.

Whereas the General Statutes of North Carolina declare it to be the mission of The University of North Carolina to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society through instruction, research, and public service[1] and

Whereas the Constitution of North Carolina directs the General Assembly to extend the benefits of The University of North Carolina, as far as practicable, to the people of the State free of expense;[2] and

Whereas Governor Michael F. Easley, in his inaugural address, affirmed the fundamental policy that North Carolina must keep open the doors of educational opportunity for all North Carolina??s citizens throughout their lives;[3] and

Whereas sound enrollment planning for The University of North Carolina requires that enrollment growth be supported by adequate financial resources; and

Whereas the major revenues available to The University of North Carolina for the support of its basic mission are State appropriations, tuition, and student fees; and

Whereas the ability of The University to generate revenues to support enrollment growth from sources other than tuition and fees is extremely limited and inadequate; and

Whereas repeated reductions in State appropriations over the past decade have severely limited the ability of The University to accommodate increased enrollments through further economies in expenditures; and

Whereas it would be contrary to the public policy of North Carolina to convert The University of North Carolina from a State-supported institution, funded as far as practicable by appropriations of public funds, to an institution under the patronage of the State but largely funded by tuition and fees; now therefore

Be it Resolved:

The Faculty Assembly of The University of North Carolina calls on the General Assembly to provide for projected enrollment increases in The University of North Carolina as part of the continuation budget for the 2002-03 and future fiscal years.