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Education

Student-visa pullbacks “federal issues,” Berger says

Senate leader Phil Berger isn’t signaling any intention to go to bat with the state’s Congressional delegation for the international students at North Carolina universities that have lost their visas in recent days. “Those are federal issues,” he said. “We just have to see how things play out.” A database...

By Ray Gronberg

April 11, 2025

Seats for some high-ROI degrees go begging

Some of the UNC System’s academic programs struggle to enroll students even though their graduates likely would see a high return on their investment. According to a report to a Board of Governors committee, these include the undergraduate electrical engineering programs at UNC Charlotte and Western Carolina. Their enrollment dropped...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2025

Bill cabins school libraries by grade level

A parental-rights-in-education bill would bar K-12 school libraries in state and charter schools from carrying books that are beyond the grade levels of the students they serve. House Bill 595 requires school officials to assign library books a “contact access designation” tied to whether a school offers the elementary, middle or...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2025

Provost Clemens stepping down at UNC-CH

UNC Chapel Hill is in the midst of changing provosts. The incumbent, Chris Clemens, is stepping down on May 16. Former Provost Jim Dean, who’s also a former dean of the Kenan-Flagler business school, will take over on an interim basis while a national search for a permanent replacement unfolds....

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2025

NCCU gets a rough audit

State Auditor Dave Boliek says N.C. Central University’s bookkeeping for fiscal 2023-24 was riddled with more than $45 million in errors, a symptom of problems that “have snowballed over the last several years.” But he voiced confidence in the Durham university’s new chancellor, Karrie Dixon, and newly hired vice chancellor...

By Ray Gronberg

March 28, 2025

Continuing ed cuts for the professions?

A trio senators wants to reduces the number of continuing-education courses people in a long list of licensed professions have to undertake. Senate Bill 451 takes aim at requirements embedded in regulation or statute for, among many others, landscape architects, athletic trainers, exterminators, appraisers, general contractors, auctioneers, real estate brokers,...

By Ray Gronberg

March 26, 2025

School calendars: Peace in our time?

For years now, the Senate’s been the place where bills that would give school districts flexibility to start classes in early or mid-August go to die. Now, Senate leader Phil Berger and a few of his key lieutenants are floating a proposal to give local school boards the option of...

By Ray Gronberg

March 26, 2025

Newton stepping down

Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus, is retiring from the Senate as of 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the chamber’s GOP caucus says. Newton is leaving office in the middle of his fifth term. Sources indicated that he’s departing for the general counsel’s job at UNC Chapel Hill, but a caucus news...

By Ray Gronberg

March 26, 2025

Supremes allow student-fee lawsuit to continue

The state Supreme Court has sided with a pair of UNC Chapel Hill and NC State students who are trying to get a refund on the student fees they paid back in the fall of 2020 when classes were online-only because of the pandemic. Via a unanimous ruling from the...

By Ray Gronberg

March 24, 2025

A meeting of the minds on teacher pay scales?

It should almost go without saying that GOP legislators are unlikely to go along with Gov. Josh Stein’s idea of putting a moratorium on new private-school vouchers to help pay for a two-year, 10.6% average pay increase for public school teachers. But it remains to be seen how they react...

By Ray Gronberg

March 20, 2025

State leaders backing Howell

The UNC System’s selection of Kevin Howell as the next chancellor of NC State University is winning support from across the political spectrum. Gov. Josh Stein led the parade of praise on Twitter, said he “think[s] the world of Kevin” and looks forward to working with him in his new...

By Ray Gronberg

March 19, 2025

NCInnovation update

NCInnovation’s handling of the private grants it’s received and the research grants it’s distributed both followed state law, a report from State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office says. As of mid-2024, the nonprofit had $25.7 million in private pledges, with all of them documented in writing and due for delivery by...

By Ray Gronberg

March 17, 2025

NC State’s next chancellor on deck

UNC system sources say the Board of Governors will meet early next week to ratify the selection of NC State University’s next chancellor. A report from Pack Pride editor Cory Smith published on Wednesday indicates that system President Peter Hans is set to hire UNC Health Chief External Affairs Officer...

By Ray Gronberg

March 14, 2025

NCI touts BOG-member support

The folks at NCInnovation want the world to know that despite their battle with UNC System Board of Governors member and former state Rep. Art Pope, their work has strong support from others in the system. The group put out a news release Tuesday quoting among others BOG member and...

By Ray Gronberg

March 12, 2025

Berger and Belichick

Senate leader Phil Berger has confirmed his role in the recruitment of UNC Chapel Hill head football coach Bill Belichick, as first reported by ESPN. “That was one of the most unusual calls that I have received since I’ve been elected to the Senate,” Berger said of the call he...

By Ray Gronberg

March 12, 2025

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