The UNC Board of Governors is taking a closer look at what President Margaret Spellings and her staff do. Its mostly Republican members want to identify inefficiencies. And now they want university stakeholders to weigh in.On Wednesday, members of a new Board of Governors task force discussed a survey meant to collect feedback from stakeholders at the system's 17 campuses. It asks about services the UNC General Administration provides that are helpful, as well as services that are not.
Last year, a Boston Consulting Group interviewed 150 stakeholders about how the General Administration operates. That was part of a study that cost the system $1 million.
There are 265 staffers who report directly to Spellings. They operate with a $65.4 million annual budget. The Board of Governors created the new task force in September to examine what they do, and how they could better serve the UNC system.
The move immediately generated criticism. Some members said it undermines the president's authority. Others defended it as an opportunity to make the administration more effective.
The task force is supposed to examine the duties and budget of Spellings and her staff. But it's unclear what steps the board might take after this review.