NC Board Chair John C. Fennebresque [L] with President Ross [R] discuss termination. Video
 
 
Did Union Square Downtown Campus Take Down UNC President Ross Johnson  Joint Statement of the UNC Board of Governors and President Tom Ross- Jan. 16, 2015
The University of North Carolina board of Governors has decided to begin the process of leadership transition.  The board and President Ross have agreed that he will continue to serve with the Board's full support until his
resignation becomes effective January 3, 2016 or when his successor is in place, whichever is later.
   
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Nursing Program Review Report to University of  North Carolina President Tom Ross , which was received and considered by THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONAL PLANNING, POLICIES AND PROGRAMS  December  2014 was included in the Jan. 2015 Board pre-meeting material.
UNC Board of Governors April 2014 considered two agenda items which impact a proposed downtown Greensboro Campus name Union Square built by and owned by private developer Opportunity Greensboro, Inc. to house nursing expansion  programs at NC A&T and UNC at Greensboro.  The University of North Carolina Nursing Enrollment, Degrees Conferred, & Examination Results report [Nursing Report] for 2012, for informational purpose was considered by the COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONAL PLANNING, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS.   Acquisition of Space by Lease - NCA&TSU and UNC-G lease was before Committee on Budget and Finance seeking approval to recommend lease to the Board of Governors. which was approved by the Board of Governors  April 2014.

Bleeding Out Students & Taxpayers

   
Program Enrollment Leased Space Fixed Space Shared Space

Lease #

lease/enrollment
NC A & T 105 25,000 3,000 SF 22,000 Sq. Ft. $587,500 $6,000 each
UNCG 282 33,000 12,000 SF 21,000 Sq. Ft. $775,500 $2,800/$9,500*
GTCC 140 25,000 6,000 SF 19,000 Sq. Ft. $587,500 $4,200 each
Cone Health 2,800 20,000 500 SF 19,500 Sq. Ft. $470,000 $168 each
Total

103, 000 Sq. Ft.

21,000 SF

81,500 Sq. Ft.
*UNC-G DNP enrollment 232 overstates enrollment figure of 32 in Request to Establish DNP by 200 students.
# Lease Maximum Cost
Combining Union square public record information and figures in the public domain, based on maximum lease costs, lease will cost NC A&T $6000 , GTCC $$4, 200 and UNCG $ 9,500 per enrollee but will only cost Cone Health 168 per enrollee. Cone Health 2,800 enrollees is seven times the Public University enrollment whose lease fee of $470,000 is the least lease fee for a token 500 sq. ft. of fixed space. A&T will receive only 3000 sq. ft. while
GTCC will receive 6,000 sq. ft. of fixed space for the same Lease fee. UNC-G enrollment of 232 is two hundred enrollee greater than the 32 students projected in their request to establish DNP degree which also said the university could house the program for three years using existing facilities. Furthermore UNC Board of Governors 2015-16 & 2016-17 Strategic Capital Priorities call for spending 124,765,400 for UNCG Nursing and Instructional Building.
The 2012 Nursing Report indicated North Carolina A&T’s nursing program had failed to meet the minimum passing rates on the NCLEX-RN set by the BOG . Passing rate for first time NCLEX-RN test takers was 61% and 74 % in years 2010 and 2011 under  current Chancellor Harold Martin which trigger pursuant Board of Governors Policy pertaining to Nursing programs whose first time pass rate for NCLEX-RN was below 75% for consecutive years required review of the Program for corrective action which  may include program elimination. In 2012, North Carolina A&T submitted plans to improve NCLEX-RN pass rates, with the commitment to meet BOG , 85% pass rate, and Board of Nursing standards by 2013, with the possibility of new student admissions  being suspended and program elimination if goals are not met. In 2013 NC A&T pass rate was 81% failing to meet the BOG minimum standard which pursuant 2012 commitment should have triggered new admissions being suspended and review with possible program elimination.  Alleging "the campus has shown steady improvement", when records indicated NCLEX-RN results had drop from 82 % in 2012 to 81% in 2013, the Ross Administration did not implement or recommend NC A&T Nursing program review based on public  record documents receive. Nevertheless, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONAL PLANNING, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS initiated corrective action calling for review consistent with NC A&T's 2012 commitment which was approved by the Board of Governors April 2014.
 

"The proposed campus is designed to drive economic and workforce development for a knowledge based, global economy" [9]

"University facilities downtown were proposed in Cooper Carry’s 2002 Center City Plan and the 2008 High Point Road and West Lee St Plan, and have been discussed in forums including the Higher Education Working Group and the EPA University Roundtable. Selection of programs for downtown location should be based on capacity to generate economic growth. Programs should be prioritized for downtown locations based on their potential to attract outside funding, generate spin off companies, and/or support related businesses. Programs should also have a critical mass of students that spend most of their academic time in the building. Potential subject areas that meet these criteria include pharmacy and health, design and architecture, business and entrepreneurship, and teaching."
 
Although a Downtown University Campus is not a part of  NC A&T nor UNC-G University's Master
 
Plans their  administrations sort and received from their Boards of Trustees a blank check authorizing the administration to lease space in the Downtown Campus "as appropriate".
Are Chancellors UNC-G Brady and A&T Martin Recruiters/ Agents/ spokesperson's for Opportunity Greensboro - Are they getting paid - does the Board of Governors Know?
"Harold Martin and Linda Brady are huge proponents of this and they are not here tonight, because there is a reason, that is they are in Wilmington, NC actually talking to public and private college through out the state of North Carolina about Opportunity Greensboro the cooperation between business and higher education institution here and this very project, that's what they are doing tonight and that's why they couldn't be here" Ed Kitchen Video: 340 720
Opportunity Greensboro is a working group comprised of top executives from local businesses along with the leaders of Greensboro’s seven colleges and universities and the Center for Creative Leadership. Formed in November of 2009, "Some within higher education complain that the region's universities and colleges at times seem to just another arm of the Chamber of Commerce. " [4]
 
 Opportunity Greensboro is working to more fully leverage the intellectual capital at Greensboro’s higher education institutions as a resource to drive business growth and economic development. [4] "Per the request of the Business and Community leaders of Greensboro and Guilford County, we have been asked to contribute more significantly to helping to strengthen the economic competitiveness of the Triad Region" said Martin allege A&T documents. [2]

See Union Square

HBI: Historical Black Institution 

Images: (A&T) 03 BOT February 2013 Meeting_Academic Affairs Committee_DOWNTOWN UNIVERSITY CENTER.pdf
[1] Universities to sigh Research Agreement Tim Thornton Greensboro News & Record Wednesday May 19, 1999
[2] North Carolina A&T State University Homecoming 2009 Affirmation Service Keynote Address November 1, 2009
[3] Downtown Area Consolidated Plan [ December 2010 DRAFT] p.68
[4] The Pursuit of Knowledge-2022: A vision of Technology and education, Taft Wireback, Greensboro News & Record Saturday, June 8, 2002
[5] [BOG] 10 Acquisition of Space by Lease_NCAT_UNCG.pdf, April 2014
[7]
Public Record Image (s)
[8]
Public Recorf Office of Facilities NC A&T Space Committee Support Staffer 12.03.14
[9]UNC-G Board of Trustees December 6, 2013 Action Item: Authorization for Lease of Space in the Downtown University Campus
updated 03.18.15