Education

Many law schools across the country have experienced a drop in applications over the past two years.  Officials say rising tuition and a shaky job market are contributing to the decline. 

“Applications this year, reflecting kind of a national trend are down to about 1,510 from 2,300 last year, that's about a 35 percent drop,” says Jack Boger, dean of the UNC School of Law. “A lot of law schools experienced that kind of drop a year ago; we didn't at that point, but the national trend has caught up with us.”

Carol Folt couldn’t’ stop smiling as she waited her turn to address the UNC Board of Governors. Color coordinated with her husband in Carolina Blue, the current interim President at Dartmouth College nearly jumped out of her seat after the Board unanimously voted to make her the new chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“Oh I just have to say I am deeply honored to lead the oldest and finest public university in America,” Folt said.

Duke University celebrates 50 years of black students on Saturday, with an address by U.S. Senator William "Mo" Cowan.  The Massachusetts Democrat is a 1991 Duke graduate and one of two African-Americans currently in the U.S. Senate.

WUNC has confirmed that the current interim president at Dartmouth College is the choice to become the new chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Carol Folt has been at Dartmouth for 30 years. After graduating with degrees from U.C. Santa Barbara and U.C. Davis, she climbed the ranks from environmental science professor at Dartmouth to Dean to Provost. Last summer, she was named interim president.

On Friday, Folt is expected to be named the new Chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill. She would become the first woman ever to hold the job.

It will be a busy week for the UNC Board of Governors. In addition to hiring a new chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill this Friday, the Board is trying to make its case to the legislature and avoid tens of millions of dollars in cuts. 

Including budget cuts and reversions, the Legislature has cut the UNC system’s budget by more than $1 billion in recent years.  If they take Governor Pat McCrory’s suggestion, another $140 million or so will get cut next year.