§ 116-14.  President and staff.

(a) The Board shall elect a President of the University of North Carolina. The President shall be the chief administrative officer of the University.

(a1) The Board shall use the following process whenever the Board conducts a search for a President of The University of North Carolina:

(1) At least three final candidates shall be submitted to the full Board from which the full Board shall make its selection for the President.

(2) The Board shall conduct a vote on the selection of the President and the candidate shall receive a majority of votes of the entire Board in order to be elected President of The University of North Carolina.

(a2) The Board may appoint an interim President. Subsection (a1) of this section shall not apply to the appointment of an interim President under this subsection. The Interim President shall serve until the Board appoints a President of The University of North Carolina using the procedures specified in subsection (a1) of this section.

(b) The President shall be assisted by such professional staff members as may be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this Article, who shall be elected by the Board on nomination of the President. The Board shall fix the compensation of the staff members it elects. These staff members shall include a senior vice-president and such other vice-presidents and officers as may be deemed desirable. Provision shall be made for persons of high competence and strong professional experience in such areas as academic affairs, public service programs, business and financial affairs, institutional studies and long-range planning, student affairs, research, legal affairs, health affairs and institutional development, and for State and federal programs administered by the Board. In addition, the President shall be assisted by such other employees as may be needed to carry out the provisions of this Article, who shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 126 of the General Statutes. The staff complement shall be established by the Board on recommendation of the President to insure that there are persons on the staff who have the professional competence and experience to carry out the duties assigned and to insure that there are persons on the staff who are familiar with the problems and capabilities of all of the principal types of institutions represented in the system. Subject to approval by the Board, the President may establish and abolish employment positions within the staff complement authorized by this subsection in the manner of and under the conditions prescribed by G.S. 116-30.4 for special responsibility constituent institutions.

(b1) The President shall receive General Fund appropriations made by the General Assembly for continuing operations of The University of North Carolina that are administered by the President and the President's staff complement established pursuant to G.S. 116-14(b) in the form of a single sum to Budget Code 16010 of The University of North Carolina in the manner and under the conditions prescribed by G.S. 116-30.2. The President, with respect to the foregoing appropriations, shall have the same duties and responsibilities that are prescribed by G.S. 116-30.2 for the Chancellor of a special responsibility constituent institution. The President may establish procedures for transferring funds from Budget Code 16010 to the constituent institutions for nonrecurring expenditures. The President may identify funds for capital improvement projects from Budget Code 16010, and the capital improvement projects may be established following the procedures set out in G.S. 143C-8-8 and G.S. 143C-8-9.

(b2) The President, in consultation with the State Auditor and the Director of the Office of State Human Resources, shall ascertain that the management staff and internal financial controls are in place and continue in place to successfully administer the additional authority authorized under G.S. 116-14(b1) and G.S. 116-30.3. All actions taken by the President pursuant to G.S. 116-14(b1) and G.S. 116-30.3 are subject to audit by the State Auditor.

(b3) The President shall have the authority to approve a reduction in force for positions subject to the North Carolina Human Resources Act in accordance with the reduction in force policies of the Office of State Human Resources without further approval by any other State agency. The President may delegate this authority to approve a reduction in force to a chancellor of a constituent institution. The authority to approve a reduction in force may include reorganization and payment of severance with non-State funds. The President and any chancellor of a constituent institution who approves a reduction in force pursuant to this section shall comply with the following:

(1) Submit an annual informational report to the Office of State Human Resources on all approved reductions in force, reorganizations, and severance payments for employees who are subject to the North Carolina Human Resources Act under this section.

(2) If State funds are used for payment of severance in connection with a reduction in force under this section, the payment of the severance shall be subject to any required preapproval by the Office of State Budget and Management.

(c) The President, with the approval of the Board, shall appoint an advisory committee composed of representative presidents of the private colleges and universities and may appoint such additional advisory committees as are deemed necessary or desirable. (1971, c. 1244, s. 1; 1999-237, s. 10.14(b); 2000-140, s. 26; 2006-203, s. 41; 2007-117, s. 1; 2013-382, s. 9.1(c); 2014-100, s. 11.17(b); 2015-300, s. 1.5; 2021-80, s. 6.)