UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Civic Life and Leadership, or SCiLL, is under review.
In a statement,
UNC’s Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Paul Newton wrote, “Early this summer, Jed Atkins, Dean of the School
of Civic Life and Leadership, asked the university to conduct a thorough
process and policy review. The university agreed that an independent review by
outside counsel was necessary, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Newton and UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts discussed
the review in the Sept. 5 faculty council meeting, responding
to a faculty question about the school.
“There is a review underway by the general
counsel’s office,” Roberts said in the meeting. “The School of Civic Life and
Leadership was a strategic priority when I got here, a priority of the
General Assembly, of the Board of Governors, of the Board of Trustees; it
continues to be a priority. And I’ve said that consistently we want to make it
successful.”
Roberts told the assembled group the university plans to work
to fulfill the original mission and vision of the school.
Newton also
spoke to the faculty, saying “turbulence” is expected.
“We’re going to try to cut through the noise.
We’re going to do a thorough look, and we’re going to we’re going to be guided
by the facts,” Newton said on Sept. 5. “We are not ignoring
it. We are addressing it, and we have high hopes that once this is completed, we’ll
be on our way and we’ll have something you’ll be very proud of.”
UNC Media Relations also provided a statement from
SCiLL’s Atkins about the review: “Our faculty and I
are grateful that the university agreed to undertake a careful review of all
relevant matters.”
He did not say why he requested the review in the first place.
SCiLL has been
mired in controversy since its inception.
In January of
2023, the Board of Trustees voted to accelerate the creation of the school.
In an interview
with Fox News, David Boliek, then chairman of the Board of Trustees, said the school was about allowing “the
freedom of expression and ideas and exchange of ideas.”
Critics argued
the creation of the school was an overreach by the trustees and an effort to
introduce more conservatism to what’s viewed as left-leaning academia.
In February of
2023, UNC-CH faculty signed a resolution pushing back on the creation of the school.
The school
launched in the fall of 2023, and Atkins was selected as dean in March of 2024.
SCiLL began
offering classes and a minor in fall of 2024.
On Sept. 2, UNC Professor David Decosimo posted on X saying he had been fired from his role as associate dean.
Decosimo is still listed on the SCiLL faculty page, but not on the leadership page.
Asked about Decosimo’s claim, a spokesperson for UNC Media Relations wrote, “Under the North Carolina State Human Resources Act, the University of North Carolina does not comment on personnel matters.”