Carolina BEST PLACE TO TEACH, LEARN, AND DISCOVER REPORT Trustees John Ellison and J.J. Raynor OLD WELL PHOTO  SAM KITTNER

THE CONTEXT : 30,000 additional high school graduates UNC System enrollment growth UNC-Chapel Hill’s share: an additional 4,000 to 5,000 students Creation of a trustee study team of John Ellison and J.J. Raynor

THE GOAL Develop a strategic plan to improve quality in the face of enrollment growth and fiscal constraints Recommend ways for Carolina to become the best place to teach, learn, and discover

THE NEW REALITY Economic downturn Increased focus on positioning Carolina for even greater strength in the future

CAROLINA COMMUNITY INPUT Students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni. Consensus on mission: UNC-Chapel Hill’s mission is to be the best place to teach, learn, and discover for the citizens of North Carolina and of the world. Therefore, improving Carolina’s quality means improving all of the factors that go in to an environment that empowers our community to teach, learn, and discover.

AREAS OF RECOMMENDATION 1.Recruitment of the best undergraduate and graduate students 2.Recruitment, support, and retention of our faculty 3.Improving the academic experience

UNDERGRADUATE RECRUITMENT Inquirers to UNC-Chapel Hill are driven by perception of quality – good students, academics, faculty, majors, reputation and value. Most important is inquirers’ perception of the academic quality of their potential classmates. In-state inquirers – concerned that UNC-Chapel Hill is too large and their college experience could be affected by class size, lack of personal attention and less faculty access. Growth that does not maintain quality will result in dramatic drops in applications that may equal 20% for in-state and out-of-state students. Applications would drop, and so would yield of those who did apply.

UNDERGRADUATE RECRUITMENT

Market share of North Carolinians in top 5% of high school graduating class Goals: Increase the % of entering class represented by NC Top 5% by 12 points (from 37% to 49%), yielding 756 additional students. Increase applied market share by 5 points (from 63% to 68%). Improve Yield by 5 points (from 67% to 72%)

UNDERGRADUATE RECRUITMENT Emphasize recruitment of students who will improve the quality of the incoming classes: Increase merit scholarships Train Board of Visitors to recruit students Take advantage of Chancellor Holden Thorp’s willingness to recruit top students Use current students to recruit from their former high schools Use distinguished faculty to recruit Use highly qualified students who have committed to Carolina to recruit others

UNDERGRADUATE RECRUITMENT Expand academic opportunities not currently available for students Emphasize the Carolina experience at a school with only 18,000 undergraduates: Counter misconceptions of size and multiple campuses Emphasize advantages of a major research university Highlight offerings that make UNC feel smaller and more personal Create smaller communities of learning

GRADUATE RECRUITMENT One year, no-service obligation fellowships for first-year Ph.D.s Expanded tuition remission program and in-state tuition awards Cover graduate student fees Summer research stipends Best practices collaborative effort to improve recruiting and applicant pool quality First year support for master’s students in areas of need in North Carolina

FACULTY RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT Increase faculty salaries through legislative increases Raise endowment for new distinguished professorships Increase tuition, apply a portion to faculty salaries Increase research grants, apply some of the overhead receipts to salaries Supplement/replace state benefits package with one that is competitive

FACULTY RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT Enhance the academic and research development opportunities at the UNC Center for Faculty Excellence Expand the personal and leadership development opportunities at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities Academic Leadership Program Leadership Fellows Chairs Leadership Program

IMPROVE THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE Small class sizes: more honors classes, first year seminars Academic advising: implement recommendations of Report of the Academic Advising Implementation Committee Undergraduate research: expand opportunities regardless of major or year First year seminars: increase program for all first-year students Honors Program: expand range of class offerings it provides. 3+1 master’s programs Minor in Solving the World’s Problems Departmental curriculum evaluations

DISCUSSION Maintain quality in face of enrollment growth, competition, fiscal constraints Next steps