In a February 1, 2012 discussion with the UNC Economic Transformation Council, UNC President Tom Ross noted the value of the University in addressing the state's economic challenges: "People want help from anywhere they can find it to help them find a way out of the crisis. UNC is perhaps the best institution to figure that out. We have people thinking about economic development. People doing research that can develop new technologies and new ways around old problems. People advising communities and companies in how to be more competitive. A key part of our job is get more connected to the state in all those ways."
When the UNC Tomorrow Commission (on which President Ross served prior to coming to UNC) issued its report in 2008, it recommended that, "UNC should be more actively engaged in enhancing the economic transformation and community development of North Carolina's regions and the state as a whole."
Charged with making this vision a reality, the UNC Economic Transformation Council consists of members appointed by each UNC chancellor to carry out the campus response to the economic transformation priority. This group meets quarterly in order to share ideas, launch initiatives, quantify accountability metrics, and evaluate progress toward long-term capacity building throughout our state.
For an overview of the work UNC campuses are doing in their communities, check in here. For a look at how UNC's regional and statewide agencies work on regional economic development, please review this document.
Upcoming meetings:
May 16, 2013, July 23, 2013 and October 17, 2013 from 1-5 pm at UNC GA in Chapel Hill and via videoconference