Collin Lynch: A bad decision by UNC board

Regarding the Oct. 23 news article “Faculty leery of next UNC boss”: As a taxpayer, I object to the consideration of Margaret Spellings for the position of UNC president.

She has served on the board of the Apollo Group, owners of the University of Phoenix. Their business model is based upon convincing individuals, typically members of our armed services, to take on unsustainable debt for artificial degrees that do not help them succeed. Students have often been left with nothing but debt and, when they default, the costs are passed on to taxpayers who must pay back the loans. Indeed, the Department of Defense recently banned the University of Phoenix from recruiting at military events.

The UNC system is a public resource that benefits the entire state. It requires transparent, inclusive stewardship and open governance. The board’s current habit of making radical decisions behind closed doors and of shutting out the voices of the community is fundamentally undemocratic.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Collin Lynch: A bad decision by UNC board."