UNC Isn’t Waiting for Raleigh

“Even as North Carolina lawmakers continue budget negotiations, the UNC System has already implemented many of the cuts proposed by the NC House and Senate. While their total savings fall far short of the Senate’s proposed $180 million in cuts, as well as the House’s suggested $130 million in cuts, UNC’s proactive changes nonetheless showcase the System’s commitment to accountability and fiscal responsibility. The state’s flagship, UNC-Chapel Hill, has led the way in its efforts to streamline administration and identify efficiencies. UNC’s proactive changes showcase the System’s commitment to accountability and fiscal responsibility. --> Among the cuts already made or initiated are: Elimination of vacant positions: In March of this year, UNC-Chapel Hill Chief Financial Officer Nathan Knuffman presented a cost-saving plan to the Board of Trustees, citing $17.5 million in savings. At least some of that money will come from “requiring schools to ‘abolish’ long-term unfilled positions.” The initiative is part of ongoing cost-reduction efforts at the university. Both the House and Senate budget proposals included provisions eliminating funding for vacant state positions, including positions in UNC System institutions. The Senate budget estimated that doing so would generate $12 million in savings. It would also require the UNC System to report on “The total number of positions eliminated by type (faculty/nonfaculty).” Management flexibility cuts : In June 2025, the UNC system implemented a personnel cap. A directive from UNC President Peter Hans “caps employee head count and permanent salary spending at April 2025 levels, and it asks universities to identify meaningful savings in contracted services.” NC State Chancellor Kevin Howell explained in an email to university personnel that, “ through attrition or reallocation of resources,” spending would naturally move to higher-priority activities. These efforts align with Senate budget directives aimed at reducing total university costs, including the Senate’s directive that cuts should not be made using an “across-the-board method.” Program review and elimination/consolidation of low-demand programs : Several UNC institutions have recently begun reviewing low-enrollment and low-performing academic programs as part of broader cost-cutting initiatives. Last year, East Carolina University launched a $25 million budget adjustment over the next three years, which includes “reevaluating degree programs with low enrollment and are actively engaged in reviewing the academic portfolio.” Following that review, ECU announced plans to discontinue 44 undergraduate and graduate programs that were not meeting performance expectations. UNC-Chapel Hill also recently identified $2 million in cuts from “low-performing academic programs.” The cuts at both UNC-Chapel Hill and ECU are in line with NC Senate recommendations that would require universities to scrutinize and consolidate underperforming academic programs. UNC Greensboro and UNC Asheville eliminated low-performing programs in 2024, prior to legislative proposals. The UNC System began requiring universities to “regularly review existing academic degree programs” in May 2024. Both the House and Senate plans include additional cuts to North Carolina’s public universities. Many of these may appear in the budget deal that is expected by the end of this month. Some of these cuts include eliminating graduate tuition waivers, eliminating appropriation for the Future Teachers of North Carolina program, funding cuts to MCNC, PBS North Carolina, and the UNC Campus Scholarship Program. The Senate budget also proposed cuts to Centers and Institutes across the UNC System. So far, only UNC-Chapel Hill has made any changes to its Centers and Institutes. Kudos to the UNC System and its constituent institutions for taking proactive steps towards accountability, fiscal responsibility, and greater value for students and taxpayers. These initiatives—proposed by the legislature and carried out by UNC—should be a model for other state legislatures and university systems looking to balance budgets, improve efficiency, and ensure that resources are allocated to the academic programs that best serve students. Jenna Robinson is president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. The post UNC Isn’t Waiting for Raleigh appeared first on The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal .

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