CHAPEL HILL (January 29, 2026) – The resignation of John Preyer from the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees1 creates an opening for the university to move away from unnecessary politicization and divisive overreach.
Embracing shared governance and proven best practices would not only strengthen institutional credibility, but reaffirm the university’s commitment to academic excellence and public trust.
Trustees are expected to advise and support the campus administration – not make decisions for administrators.
Preyer, a former chair of the board, resigned on January 9.2 The Board of Trustees has been at the center of recent campus controversies – a case study in overreach:
•The orchestrated announcement in 2023 of the School of Civic Life and Leadership, with a pre-arranged interview with Fox & Friends and an editorial penned by The Wall Street Journal.3
•A warning memo from UNC System President Peter Hans and then-Chair of the UNC System Board of Governors Randy Ramsey that trustees serve only an advisory role: “Board members shall refrain from directing matters of administration or executive action except through the chancellor.”4
•An unwarranted delay last year in awarding tenure to 33 faculty members, which chilled efforts to recruit and retain faculty.5
•A lawsuit from the former provost (how often does that happen?) over closed-session discussions of tenure policy and athletic conference realignment.6
•Intervention – after political pressures were brought to bear – in the hiring of UNC football coach Bill Belichick, rather than leaving negotiations to the athletic director and chancellor.7
ALMOST EXACTLY a year later, though, after at least two trustees involved themselves in efforts to hire Belichick, Hans suspended the Board of Trustees’ authority in athletic hires.
“Instances continue to occur where members of the board appear to act independently of their campus’s administration in matters squarely within the responsibility of the chancellor,” Hans said in a memo to the Board Chair and Chancellor Lee Roberts.
Trustees have no authority to negotiate contracts – that’s the chancellor’s job.
“Neither the board of trustees, nor any of its individual members, shall play any role in negotiation of such actions,” Hans’ memo says.
“Members of the board of trustees are reminded that … no individual member of the board has actual or apparent authority to act in the name of his or her respective campus or to bind or obligate that campus in third party contractual negotiations or advocacy on behalf of current or former campus employees.”8
Some saw dual searches at work.
“Part of the disconnect comes from the impression that Preyer and at least one other member of UNC’s board presented Belichick with a preliminary offer to make him the Tar Heels’ next coach,” The New York Times reported.9
With a new opening to fill, we hope for a more measured Board of Trustees with leadership that knows its limits. State legislators and the UNC Board of Governors need to be much, much more thoughtful about whom they appoint to UNC System boards.
Campus trustees should be loyal to the university, support the administration, know their fiduciary duty and offer advice. And they should be mindful of the limits of their power.
1 https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article314325272.html.
2 https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article314325272.html.
3 https://publicedworks.org/2023/02/case-study-in-unc-board-overreach/.
4 https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24533017/unc-chapel-hill-administrative-memorandum_january-12-2024-1.pdf.
5 https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/article308080130.html.
6 https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article312219538.html; https://publicedworks.org/2025/09/former-provost-sues-board-at-unc-chapel-hill/.
7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRT0kWhMYEM; https://www.wral.com/news/investigates/northcarolina-inside-the-bill-belichick-hiring-process-coaching-carolina-december-2025/.
8 https://www.theassemblync.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/HansJanuary16Memo.pdf.
9 https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5981891/2024/12/09/bill-belichick-unc-football-coaching-search/.
Roger Robison says
I always thought Republicans were all about personal freedom and against overreach.
I guess that’s only true when they are not in power……
Mike Haley says
I totally agree and find it of interest. However, I believe it works both ways between the administration and the supporters / alumna.
The thought of moving the basketball arena and destroying a lot of the basketball history without alumni input is not in my and many alumni opinion in the best interest of the University basketball program.
Follow the money as from a sports reputation image and basketball tradition it does not make sense. It took years to build and minutes to destroy by just a few individuals. It started with Frank McGuire and continued under the leadership of Dean Smith. The Smith facility was created for a reason. It took years to build the basketball tradition at UNC and only minutes to potentially destroy it.