Dive Brief:
- Thomas Ross, president of the University of North Carolina System, will step down Jan. 3, 2016.
- The university system’s board of governors praised Ross for “exemplary” performance, but said it was time for a leadership change, the News & Observer reported.
- Without any concrete reasons given for the board forcing Ross out, the perception is that the ouster was over politics.
Dive Insight:
Ross, one of our higher ed presidents to watch in 2015, has pushed back against the state’s legislature, which became Republican-controlled in 2012, and the Republican majority on the university board may want a president who will be more cooperative. He has also backed progressive causes. Ross, 60, said he wanted to work as president until he was 65. Most of the board members weren’t around when Ross was hired in 2010, so the Ross departure could be about them wanting to put their own stamp on the position. Ross will be paid $600,000 for his final year.
Also of note is the ongoing Chapel Hill "paper classes" scandal Ross has had to contend with during his tenure. It's been making headlines since at least 2012, and a new report issued in October by former Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein revealed that the courses, which gave easy passing grades for essays that required little-to-no effort, extended beyond athletes to an estimated 3,100 students over the course of almost two decades. UNC now faces a new investigation by its accreditor, as well as potential sanctions from the NCAA.