There has been a lot of talk of late about the system-wide tuition increases at the University of North Carolina. The plan to increase tuition by 15.6 percent over four years at UNC-Chapel Hill and by an average of 8.8 percent at other UNC schools is seen by some as crucial to maintaining the academic standing of the university, and that plan passed in November. The University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments (UNCASG), a system-wide advocacy organization, has been on the front lines of this debate.
After the budget cuts and the shrinking endowments of the last few years, it seemed inevitable that the Board of Governors would increase tuition across the university system. There have been arguments both for and against the tuition increases, but despite opposition, it appears that tuition will continue to increase.
The University of North Carolina Association of Student Government Records, recently processed, provide some insight for those who are interested in advocacy related to university tuition and fees as well as insight into the history of student government’s work across the UNC System. There are other University Archives collections that focus on tuition increases (listed below), but this new collection is unique because it comprises records created by students themselves.
Another issue at hand in this collection is the push by many students at UNC-Chapel Hill to leave the Association of Student Governments due to their support of tuition increases and what many students see as ineffective leadership and excessive spending.
What makes this collection unique is that, like records from the offices of the presidents and the vice presidents of the UNC System, the Association of Student Governments Records provides information on the entire university system, not just on UNC–Chapel Hill. Records of student organizations provide a unique and important dimension to the history of the UNC System.
Whatever the fate of the UNCASG, the University Archives is committed to collecting records of its history and making that history available to future researchers.
Here are a few more collections that provide information on tuition changes within the entire system:
#40007, Records of the University of North Carolina President, Frank Porter Graham
#40008, Records of the University of North Carolina President, Gordon Gray
#40009, Records of the University of North Carolina President, William C. Friday