A high-profile job that draws scrutiny from 28,000 students, along with parents, professors, politicians, sports fans and more than 250,000 living alumni, not to mention millions of state taxpayers. The leader of the university must have the ability to run a sprawling public university with a medical complex and an annual budget of $2.4 billion. The chancellor raises money from donors and acts as the public face of a treasured state asset.

UNC-CHAPEL HILL BY THE NUMBERS

1793

The cornerstone is laid for Old East, the nation's first state university building.

1795

The first student, Hinton James, arrives from Wilmington.

28,000

Students in 2007

3,200

Faculty members

256

Degree programs

$2.38 billion

Raised in the Carolina First campaign

$610 million

Received last year in research grants and contracts

$2.1 billion

Being spent on a construction program that began in 2000