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Welcome to 2025, a year that will surely bring no major challenges for your college! (…right?)
We’re kicking things off with a numbers-heavy analysis of where North Carolina’s legislators went to college. This Quad issue also has some updates on what you can expect from us this year and your feedback on Erin’s story last month about UNC-Chapel Hill trustees communicating with staff about admissions.
While we’re here, you should know The Assembly is running a flash sale on premium subscriptions for the rest of the day. Not only is that the best way to support our work, but one day the full version of this newsletter will be for premium subscribers only. So you might as well secure access now, right? Subscribe today to get the deal.
There’s the bell. (I’m going to try out punny school-related catchphrases until I either find a good one or hear your groans through the internet, whichever comes first.)
–Matt Hartman
The Jones St. Diploma Divide
Unsurprisingly, the General Assembly is much more likely to have gone to college than the population as a whole: 79 percent of North Carolina’s legislators have a bachelor’s degree compared to 37 percent of North Carolina’s over-25 population. But behind that 79 percent lies a wealth of partisan differences.
About a third of Democrats went to law school, while the same proportion of Republicans have less than a bachelor’s. A quarter of Democrats went to an HBCU. Only one Republican did, but more than 80 percent of North Carolina community college alumni in the legislature are Republicans.
Those are just a few of the takeaways from our analysis of the General Assembly’s alma maters. The resulting maps, charts, and numbers disclose the different experiences Democrats and Republicans have with higher ed—differences that might shape their approach to the major questions facing the industry this year. Plus, you can find out just how many legislators went to school in Chapel Hill.
Where Did the General Assembly Go to College?
–Matt Hartman
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What You Said About Our UNC-CH Admissions Story
Last month, while you may have (deservedly) logged off for the holidays, we reported that at least six UNC-Chapel Hill trustees prodded senior staff members for information on applicants or the admissions process, according to more than 100 pages of text messages we obtained through a public records request.
We saw a lot of chatter online about the story and heard some thoughts directly from readers. Here are a couple of the responses we received.
“UNC System policy calls on trustees to act ‘free from… favoritism,’ avoid any ‘personal… interest’ that could conflict with their institutional responsibilities, and steer clear of ‘even the appearance of impropriety’ in their decisions. Given that, it’s difficult to understand how the Board Chair’s comment to UNC’s Chief Strategic Officer and Secretary—saying he’d ‘like to see [redacted] in’—aligns with these ethical standards. Eighteen months ago, the Board resolved that an applicant’s race should play no role in the university’s review of their application. The applicant’s connections, though, seem to be a different story.” — Eric Muller, UNC-Chapel Hill faculty member
“As a former alumni of Carolina and a parent of an out of state applicant, I am very disappointed in this behavior. Carolina is a public institution and applicants are supposed to be reviewed on their individual merits. My son was in the pool of applicants last year and as an out of state student, he was not granted admission. When I read your article, it makes me more disenchanted with Carolina. I used to say that I would bleed Carolina blue, but if it is all rigged and there are favorites, then we are no better than Dook. It gets harder and harder to hold our heads high and stand proud when there is funny business going on with trustees abusing their power.” — Amy Conoscenti, Class of 1994
We followed up with UNC-Chapel Hill about some of the reactions we’ve received to our reporting.
Kevin Best, the senior director of media relations for UNC-Chapel Hill, shared the statement he gave when the story ran: “In practice, it is common for board members to seek guidance from designees of the chancellor about admissions or other questions.”
–Erin Gretzinger
What do you think about the trustees’ interactions with the admissions process, and what other admissions topics are on your mind this cycle? Let us know at highered@theassemblync.com.
New Year, Newish Quad
In celebration of this month’s important milestones—like the four-month anniversary of The Quad—we’re taking a minute to re-introduce ourselves and explain what we’re planning for 2025. You might call them new year’s resolutions.
Each week, The Quad strives to bring you news and insights on higher ed in our state, with both in-depth stories and quick-read analyses to help you make sense of what’s happening in North Carolina’s vast landscape of public and private colleges. To tackle higher ed full-time and pen this newsletter, The Assembly hired two dedicated reporters (that’s us!). Our goal is not just to tell you what’s happening, but why—and what it tells us about how higher ed intersects with other big themes of power and place.
I’ll be watching to see how colleges and universities distinguish themselves from each other and appeal to prospective students. We keep hearing about an enrollment cliff on the horizon. Meanwhile, some schools are struggling to stay afloat and others are regrouping after a devastating hurricane. I’m curious how the state’s many institutions plan to navigate those headwinds and make the case for themselves to young people.
–Emily Stephenson, deputy managing editor, and, like much of the General Assembly, a UNC-CH graduate
After pulling back the curtain on UNC-Greensboro’s academic portfolio review last year, I’m really interested to see what’s on the horizon for academic programs. Whether changes are mandated through cuts, pursued to appease intensifying partisan views on curriculum, or made to reinvent approaches to the liberal arts, I think it’s indicative of how people think about higher ed and where the sector is heading. Another big question is how federal policy changes (and rhetoric) may trickle down to the state level. We’ll be keeping a close eye on what a second Trump presidency means for issues like international education, accreditation, and DEI in North Carolina.
–Erin Gretzinger, reporter, a Wisconsin Badger born-and-raised who is relieved that protects her from having to pick a North Carolina sports allegiance
I’m tired of big, sweeping and vague allusions to “administration” or “the legislature.” Whether in praise or lament, I think we should know who, exactly, is making the decisions about our colleges—and why. I also want to know what all these questions about funding models and policy mean for the people having to navigate all the bureaucracy to, you know, educate students and do research.
–Matt Hartman, reporter, recovering higher ed communicator, and yet another Tar Heel
Reach our team with tips or ideas at highered@theassemblync.com.
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Judicial Candidates Made Numerous Prohibited Donations
At least 15 candidates in the 2024 election cycle made political donations while campaigning or serving as a judge.
‘The Best Job In Politics’
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