Carolina Alumni Review - November/December 2007

FROM THE HILL

Carolina North: The Trustees Say ‘Go’

The UNC trustees have given the putting it to the world’s use. Trustees and ters for the Renaissance Computing Insti-
go-ahead to the initial phase of administrators continue to express concern tute, designed to put computing innovation
Carolina North, the University’s that, without a dedicated entrepreneurship to work on real-world problems; the law
satellite campus that totals about 1,000 campus, UNC will fall behind other large school, public health school and health care
acres. The question is if and when the town research schools. facilities; residences clustered around the
of Chapel Hill will bless the plans. The development area follows closely campus; and a modest amount of retail and
Site plans have been refined for a the footprint of 79-year-old Horace commercial uses.
mixed-use site bounded by Martin Luther Williams Airport, which the University The estimated cost to lay the infrastruc-
King Jr. Boulevard (the former Airport would close. It calls for perhaps as much as ture for all of this is $220 million; that does
Road) and Estes Drive that will include a 2. 5 million square feet in the first 15 years, not include the first building. The funding
research and innovation campus, corporate including four buildings for research; a has not been worked out in detail, but it’s
partnerships, retail space and housing for research/business incubator; the headquar- understood that UNC will ask the state for
faculty, employees and graduate students. much of it.
The University plans to develop 250 The innovation
acres of the 970-acre site over the next 50 center will require a
years. It has a more detailed 15-year blue- special use permit
print, beginning with an “innovation cen- from the town. Dis-
ter” — a sort of incubator to stimulate part- cussions with town
nerships between UNC research and private and county officials
businesses. The center would front on MLK over land use, trans-
Jr. Boulevard. portation, environ-
Some of the initial development proba- mental concerns and
bly will include “core University activities.” the impact on exist-
At the top of that list at this time is relocat- ing development
ing the law school there, along with a over the past year
large research arm of the School of Public and a half have been
Health and an ambulatory care center run contentious, with
by UNC Health Care. some town officials
University officials say they are close to skeptical that Car-
_a _decision _on _whether _to _relocate _the _lawLately Carolina North planners have put more _olina _will _be _able _to _do _this _without _dis-emphasis on the portion of the tract that won’t
^school.be developed initially, noting the care taken ^rupting ^the ^quality ^of ^life ⁱⁿ ^that ^part ^of

Carolina North still is planned primarily _to _minimize _disruption _to _flora _and _fauna _andtown. as a meeting place for the University’s opportunities for the public to use the land for The targeted 250 acres is all within research and private concerns interested in recreation. Chapel Hill’s jurisdiction.

DAN SEARS ’ 74

Moeser continued from page 3

count in the capital campaign because the Morehead is a private entity.

UNC exceeded its goal of 200 endowed professorships; doubled its endowment to more than $2 billion during Moeser’s years; and saw research grant money steadily rise, especially in health-related areas.

The University made a big push in the physical sciences, in genomics and genetic sciences, and in the arts. A corner of the campus was set aside for hundreds of thousands of square feet in new laboratory and classroom space for the sciences. The same sort of emphasis is under way in the arts, which Moeser identified as being underdeveloped. Memorial Hall was re-shaped into a modern performing arts hall and given a

diverse, aggressive schedule of events, and a new music building is under construction.

Another highlight of his tenure is the Carolina Covenant financial aid program. Unveiled in 2003, the work-study program enables qualified low-income students to attend the University and graduate debt-free, and was the first of its kind among major U.S. public universities. Since its inception, at least 20 other institutions, including the University of Virginia and Harvard, have created similar programs. The first class of Carolina Covenant scholars will graduate next spring.

Moeser outlined four challenges that he believes will face his successor.

Moeser called the enrollment issue the “single most critical issue facing my successor.” The UNC System is expected to

absorb 80,000 additional students by 2017, and Carolina will be expected to accommodate its share, putting pressure on every aspect of the campus. “We cannot freeze-frame this campus or imbed it in amber,” he said.

Government funding for the physical sciences is going up dramatically, he said, and UNC must be ready to capitalize.

Carolina will face competition from its peer institutions in securing research support and new faculty. And Carolina will have to attract a lot of professors: Due largely to retirement, University officials expect to replace about five of every eight faculty members over the next eight years.