UNC System Board of Governors Highlights February 2026
The UNC System Board of Governors (BOG) convened Feb. 25 and 26. Below is a summary of the reports shared with the board and actions taken by the board. Nothing discussed or approved in closed session is included.
Committee on Budget and Finance
- Tuition resolution: Members reviewed final 2026-27 tuition proposals and voted to recommend the proposed tuition resolution.
- UNC Charlotte’s tuition and fees update is available for review.
- UNC Charlotte’s tuition and fees update is available for review.
- Fee resolution: The committee approved the 2026-27 Fee Resolution, accompanied by expenditure plans detailing how additional revenues would support fee-based activities.
- Housing master plans: The committee heard redevelopment presentations from NC State and UNC Chapel Hill outlining plans to renovate, replace and expand student housing and dining facilities to support enrollment growth.
- Capital and bond authorizations: The committee approved authorization for the sale of special obligation bonds for UNC Asheville and approved 10 new capital projects at five institutions, along with four increased project authorizations at four institutions.
- State budget report: Members received the Report on State Budget Allocations and Policies.
Committee on Audit, Risk Management and Compliance
- Financial statement audits: Chief Audit Officer Jennifer Myers reported that 15 FY 2025 financial statement audit reports have been issued with no findings, with three reports pending. Twelve UNC System institutions, including UNC Charlotte, were recognized by the State Auditor for exceptional discipline, accuracy and transparency.
- Internal audit update: Myers reported that Internal Audit activities are on schedule for FY 2026 and outlined plans to evolve the function into a strategic partner model incorporating enterprise data analytics and a business process compliance program.
- Business process compliance: Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Jennifer Haygood presented an overview of the compliance program.
Joint Meeting: Committee on Budget and Finance and Committee on External Affairs
- Short Session budget priorities: Jennifer Haygood previewed systemwide operating and capital priorities for the 2026 Short Session, including enrollment funding, building reserves, repairs and renovations, and previously authorized State Capital and Infrastructure Fund projects. Enrollment funding is the System’s top priority.
- Self-liquidating capital projects: Vice President Katherine Lynn outlined six proposed self-liquidating capital improvement projects at five institutions requiring approximately $637 million in total debt authority. This includes UNC Charlotte’s $50 million Witherspoon Residence Hall Renovation.
- State legislative policy considerations: Senior Vice President Bart Goodson discussed non-budget legislative considerations, including adjustments to capital project thresholds and construction management flexibility.
- Federal priorities: Vice President Elizabeth Morra reviewed federal priorities for the 119th Congress, including safeguarding Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, federal research funding and support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.
Committee on University Personnel
- Employee turnover trends: The committee reviewed data showing voluntary turnover rates have returned to pre-COVID levels, with rates at 3.3 percent for faculty and 8.9 percent for staff, trending more favorably than national benchmarks.
- Shared services expansion: Members received updates on expanded shared services in advancement, human resources and information technology aimed at improving efficiency and consistency while allowing institutions to focus more directly on mission-driven work.
Committee on Strategic Initiatives
- Project Kitty Hawk update: Leaders reported that as of Spring 2026, Project Kitty Hawk has launched 18 bachelor’s degree programs and one master’s degree program across four university partners, with new partnerships underway at Winston-Salem State University and UNC Wilmington.
- Student profile and outcomes: Eighty-one percent of enrolled students are North Carolina residents, with an average age of 32 and 75 percent employed full time.
- Operational and financial progress: Leaders highlighted the FASTER initiative to streamline enrollment processes and reported that Project Kitty Hawk is on track to fully expend its original General Assembly grant by April, accelerating its breakeven timeline from FY31 to FY29.
- Student profile and outcomes: Eighty-one percent of enrolled students are North Carolina residents, with an average age of 32 and 75 percent employed full time.
Committee on Educational Planning, Policies and Programs
- Academic Affairs update: Senior Vice President David English provided an update including the Comprehensive Transition Postsecondary Programs Report.
- Degree program actions: The committee advanced two new program establishments and one program discontinuation, approved by the full Board through the consent agenda.
- Civil discourse initiatives: Members participated in a panel discussion on systemwide civil discourse efforts, including student training in constructive dialogue, faculty learning communities and mini-grants supporting free expression and viewpoint diversity.
- Charlotte inclusion: Among the Charlotte programs that were featured in the discussion were the Charlotte Conversationalists student program, a faculty learning community integrating dialogue into coursework, mini-grants supporting viewpoint diversity and co-hosting the first NC Campus Discourse Leaders Conference with participants from 19 campuses.