Policy on the Selection of the President of the

University of North Carolina System

I. Purpose. The Board of Governors desires to establish a framework for the process of identifying and electing the president of the University of North Carolina (UNC) System. The procedures specified herein are intended to lead to the selection, from a diverse candidate pool, of the best qualified person to be president and result in that person's full acceptance by the UNC System community and the state.

II. Nominating Committee

A. A nominating committee shall be established by the Board of Governors for the purpose of filling the various committee positions set forth in this policy. The committee shall consist of the officers of the Board of Governors, the immediate past chair, and five (5) members recommended by them and approved by the Board of Governors.

B. The nominating committee shall nominate a slate of members of the Board of Governors for membership on the search committee, along with a chair and vice chair for the committee.

C. The nominating committee shall nominate a slate of additional individuals to serve on the leadership statement committee and the screening committee, as set forth in this policy. All nominations shall take into consideration the diversity, talent, and experience represented on the Board of Governors and its various constituencies.

D. The student member of the Board of Governors, who is the president of the Association of Student Governments, is eligible for and shall be considered for membership on the search committee, but in any event shall be a member of either the search committee, the leadership statement committee, or the screening committee.

III. Search Committee

A. The Board of Governors shall approve, on recommendation of the nominating committee, a search committee consisting of nine (9) members, each of whom shall, at the time of their appointment, be members currently serving on the Board of Governors. The committee shall include the three (3) officers of the Board of Governors at the time of its establishment, who shall not serve as officers of the committee.

B. The search committee shall serve as the coordinating committee for the entire selection process and its various committees. The search committee may establish guidelines, strategies, plans, and procedures to govern its work. The search committee shall use the leadership statement adopted by the Board of Governors as criteria.

C. The search committee shall confer with the Committee on University Personnel and consult other appropriate sources of information in examining the salary, benefits, housing, memberships, and other perquisites that accompany the position of the president for referral to the Board of Governors.

D. The search committee shall present one or more nominee(s) to the Board of Governors for election as the UNC System’s next president.

E. The chair of the search committee shall give regular status reports to the Board of Governors on the work of the selection process. Members of the Board who are not members of the various committees of the selection process may be asked to undertake specific tasks in connection with the selection process.

F. The search committee shall exist for 90 days following the assumption of duties of the president of the UNC System for the purpose of assisting the president in assuming the roles and duties of the office.

IV. Leadership Statement Committee

A. The leadership statement committee shall consist of all members of the search committee and up to 20 additional members approved by the Board of Governors on recommendation of the nominating committee, composed of four (4) chancellors; three (3) representatives of the faculty, including the chair of the Faculty Assembly at the time the committee is appointed, and two (2) other faculty members selected from a list of persons nominated by the Faculty Assembly; the chair of the Staff Assembly at the time the committee is appointed, and such other staff as may be selected from a list of persons nominated by the Staff Assembly; up to four (4) current members of the Board of Governors who are not serving on the search committee; and representatives of the student body, the boards of trustees, the alumni, and such other constituencies as may be appropriate. The search committee chair shall serve as the chair of the leadership statement committee, but may designate one or more other members of the Board of Governors to chair meetings of the committee and perform other essential leadership committee functions.

B. As soon as practicable, the leadership statement committee shall hold public meetings at times and places to be determined by the committee chair. These hearings will solicit comments from interested citizens on the future of the UNC System and on the characteristics and qualifications needed in the next president. These meetings shall be open to the public. The committee, through its chair, shall extend special invitations to faculty members, staff members, students, alumni, and other interested persons. After receiving public input and relevant information from a variety of sources, the committee shall develop a statement setting forth the leadership characteristics to be used in selecting the next president. This statement of criteria and characteristics shall be presented to the Board of Governors for its approval.

V. Screening Committee

A. The screening committee shall include all members of the search committee and five (5) to seven (7) additional members approved by the Board of Governors on recommendation of the nominating committee. All members of the screening committee shall be members currently serving on the Board of Governors at the time of their appointment. The search committee chair shall serve as the chair of the screening committee.

B. The committee shall review the initial pool of applicants for the position of president of the UNC System. After the committee’s review in relationship to the leadership statement established by the Board of Governors, it will recommend a list of applicants to the search committee for further review.

VI. Confidentiality

A. The search committee and screening committee shall meet in closed session to the extent allowable under the provisions of the North Carolina Open Meetings Law.[1] Whenever the committees are meeting in closed session, no person who is not a member of the committees or of its staff shall be permitted to attend without the express invitation of the chair of the search committee.

B. It is recognized that confidentiality is vital for the success of the selection process, and the members of the Board of Governors, the members of any ancillary committee, and the members of the staff, including any consultants, of the search committee shall be expected to sign appropriate confidentiality agreements and will be reminded of the absolute necessity for confidentiality.

VII. Spokesperson. The chair of the search committee shall be the sole spokesperson for all committees during the selection process. The search committee chair shall work with the Board of Governors chair to ensure that the governor of the state, Speaker of the House, and President Pro Tem of the North Carolina Senate receive appropriate nonconfidential information about the progress of the search.

VIII. Search Plan. The search committee shall develop and submit to the Board of Governors for approval a written search operating plan and budget addressing the following items:

A. Staffing needs that will be met from the UNC System Office;

B. Consultants and other professional support, including an administrative officer if applicable;

C. Expenses for consulting/professional fees, materials, meals, travel, office space, advertising, and other charges;

D. Estimated timetable for the selection process; and

E. Plans for advertising and publicizing the position in order to ensure a diverse pool of qualified candidates.

Any material change in the search operating plan shall be submitted to the Board of Governors for approval.

IX. Changes to the Selection Procedures. The Board of Governors may modify or adjust these procedures at any time by majority vote to address the circumstances of a particular selection process.

X. Other Matters

A. Effective Date. The requirements of this policy shall be effective on the date of adoption by the Board of Governors.

B. Relation to State Laws. The foregoing policies as adopted by the Board of Governors are meant to supplement, and do not purport to supplant or modify, those statutory enactments which may govern the activities of public officials.

C. Regulations and Guidelines. These policies shall be implemented and applied in accordance with such regulations and guidelines as may be adopted from time to time by the president.