UNC-Chapel Hill Has Delayed Tenure Votes in Most Departments This Spring

Update: The UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved 33 tenure cases on June 4.

Some UNC-Chapel Hill faculty say they are concerned about a recent Board of Trustees decision—or, rather, non-decision—on faculty tenure and promotion cases.

At the board’s meeting in March, trustees delayed taking up personnel actions until the May meeting. Then during a closed-session meeting on May 22, the trustees approved 18 new tenure cases, promotions, and appointments. But the list only included faculty from the schools of Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, and Nursing—which raised alarm bells for faculty chair Beth Moracco.

In a letter sent to Chancellor Lee Roberts and interim Provost Jim Dean last Friday, Moracco asked for information on the status of the remaining cases. She said she was particularly interested in those from the College of Arts and Sciences, which has only had one personnel action approved by the trustees this calendar year—signing off on the appointment of Jed Atkins as dean and director of the School of Civic Life & Leadership, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences but operates independently in many ways.

“This lack of personnel action has raised concerns and questions among faculty,” Moracco wrote, emphasizing that the delays could impact faculty whose contracts expire June 30 and others expecting appointment or promotion decisions this academic year. “Deferring these actions disrespects the enormous contributions these faculty have made to the university.”

While it is unclear how many cases have been delayed, the College of Arts and Sciences typically makes up a significant portion of tenure and promotion cases as the university’s largest academic unit. For example, the college had 11 out of the 23 total appointments approved by the board in March 2024, and six out of 19 in May 2024. Other smaller schools that typically bring some cases to the board, such as the Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, have also not had any appointments approved this spring. 

Moracco told The Assembly the trustees’ limited action surprised her, since they’d left cases in the queue for the May meeting. When the list of cases approved last week became public, Moracco heard from faculty who were supposed to be on the docket, as well as others who were concerned about what the trustees’ lack of action signaled. 

In response to questions from The Assembly, university officials did not explain why the board took such limited action, including whether administrators chose not to take certain tenure cases to the board or whether the board declined to take action on them. Officials said nothing has changed about UNC-CH’s tenure policies.

“The University remains committed to recruiting and retaining top faculty and consistently reviews salaries and benefits to align offers with both our budget and current, relevant market data,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“Tenure-track faculty across the University, including those in the College of Arts and Sciences, are eligible for tenure,” the statement continued. “The exact timing of tenure awards is subject to a number of variables that our Board of Trustees and administration may consider with any recommended appointments.”

The delays come as UNC-Chapel Hill faces an uncertain financial future, like many universities across the country. 

Federal cuts to research funding at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation could cost UNC-CH more than $100 million, according to Chronicle of Higher Education estimates. And the university will likely see state funding cuts.

The state Senate budget proposal for 2026 and 2027 would cut $67 million for UNC System institutes and centers, plus another $20 million for academic programs. The House proposal directs the UNC System to find $130 million in cuts, starting with the UNC System Office. Which path becomes law won’t be clear until the budget negotiations are complete, which likely won’t be until July or later. 

At its March meeting, the UNC-CH Board of Trustees addressed the funding uncertainty by voting to “sequester” $50 million from the current UNC-CH budget to offset future reductions.

Next Steps

On Friday, interim Provost Dean sent a letter to all UNC-CH deans saying he was “confident that these votes will be taken at the next Board of Trustees’ meeting,” which is scheduled for the end of July.

In the meantime, new faculty positions that were expected to be appointed with tenure have two options, Dean wrote. They can begin on a non-tenured, one-year appointment that can be converted to a tenured appointment at a later date, or they can delay their start date until January 1 or July 1, 2026.

Assistant professors already at UNC-CH who were expecting to receive a decision on tenure will remain in their current appointments, Dean wrote. 

UNC-CH policy requires assistant professors to be notified at least 12 months before their initial probationary terms end. If the board votes at its next scheduled meeting on July 30, it could miss that deadline for some faculty unless it takes additional action before then, like offering one-year contract extensions.

In the meantime, faculty, their departments, and their schools are left in limbo, Moracco said. Fall classes are already planned, and UNC-CH admitted 500 more undergrads this school year than last. It could also affect the university’s ability to recruit and retain top-tier faculty.

“If that’s in jeopardy, that will be a serious, serious hurdle for UNC-Chapel Hill,” Moracco said.

Erin Gretzinger is a higher education reporter at The Assembly. She was previously a reporting fellow at The Chronicle of Higher Education and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. You can reach her at erin@theassemblync.com.