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UNC-Chapel Hill has officially named interim chancellor Lee Roberts as the university’s 13th chancellor. Roberts took on the interim role following Kevin Guskiewicz’s departure to Michigan State University in January, stepping into a challenging period for both the university and higher education as a whole.
During this time, UNC faced a range of issues including an act of gun violence, tensions between administrators and faculty, political conflicts, and campus protests related to Israel and Gaza.
The UNC System Board of Governors officially selected Roberts as chancellor on Friday.
We have closely covered UNC in recent years, including an exclusive interview with Roberts on the day he was named interim chancellor.
In that interview, Roberts shared his vision and leadership philosophy:
If you think about what the best chancellors do, the skills that they bring to bear are skills that I’ve brought to bear my entire career.
They’re leading these complex organizations, they’re doing it with decisiveness and empathy and humility. They’re world class listeners, they’re building great teams. They’re making sure that the students and the faculty and the staff have the resources that they need to do their jobs. They’re not telling the experts how to do their jobs, they’re making sure that the place is as welcoming as possible, and everyone feels like they belong there. And they’re representing the organization to the broader world in a complex and challenging political and media environment.
I think everything I’ve done since I graduated from law school 30 years ago has helped train me for that.
While his tenure as interim sparked mixed reactions, with some faculty and students expressing concerns about his lack of academic experience and perceived political motivations, others acknowledge his proactive communication and willingness to listen.
Find more of our UNC coverage below.
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