Chancellor James Moeser failed to understand his role as a leader in a public university, and this failure ultimately resulted in the arrest of five UNC students May 2.

A university is, above all, an arena for the discussion of ideas. Yet Moeser obstructed dialogue about a program that would enforce the university's own codes of conduct regarding workers' rights. He even instructed his own advisory committee not to focus on the Designated Supplier Program in the past academic year and to work instead on other matters. When students requested meetings on the issue, he refused to engage them.

This issue is urgent because most university apparel is produced in sweatshops, a fact acknowledged by the Fair Labor Association and the Workers Rights Consortium. Forced overtime and other labor violations are routine. Even if the DSP program adopted by 44 other universities --were as "idealistic" as the chancellor claims, why does he refuse to engage in conversation and debate?

Altha Cravey

Carrboro

(The writer, who teaches at UNC-Chapel Hill, is a member of the Chancellor's Licensing Labor Code Advisory Committee.)

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