§ 116-233.  Board of Trustees; appointment; terms of office.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 116-31(d), there shall be a Board of Trustees of the School, which shall consist of the following members:

(1) A number of members equal to the membership of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States apportioned to the State by federal law, who shall be appointed by the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, one from each congressional district.

(2) Four members without regard to residency who shall be appointed by the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina.

(3) Three members, ex officio, who shall be the chief academic officers, respectively, of constituent institutions or the members' designees. The Board of Governors shall in 1985 and quadrennially thereafter designate the three constituent institutions whose chief academic officers or officers' designees shall so serve, such designations to expire on June 30, 1989, and quadrennially thereafter.

(4) The chief academic officer of a college or university in North Carolina other than a constituent institution, ex officio, or the chief academic officer's designee. The Board of Governors shall designate in 1985 and quadrennially thereafter which college or university whose chief academic officer or officer's designee shall so serve, such designation to expire on June 30, 1989, and quadrennially thereafter.

(5) Three members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate in accordance with G.S. 120-121.

(6) Three members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in accordance with G.S. 120-121.

(7) Repealed by Session Laws 2016-126, 4th Ex. Sess., s. 36, effective December 19, 2016. See editor's note for applicability.

(8) The president of the student government, ex officio, who shall be a nonvoting member.

(9) Up to two additional nonvoting members selected at the discretion of the chancellor and the Board of Trustees, with terms expiring June 30 of each year.

(b) Appointed members of the Board of Trustees shall be selected for their interest in and commitment to public education and to the purposes of the School, and they shall be charged with the responsibility of serving the interests of the whole State. In appointing members, the objective shall be to obtain the services of the best qualified persons, taking into consideration the desirability of diversity of membership, including men and women, representatives of different races, and members of different political parties.

(c) No member of the General Assembly or officer or employee of the State, the School, The University of North Carolina, or of any constituent institution of The University of North Carolina, shall be eligible to be appointed to the Board of Trustees except as specified under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section. No spouse of a member of the General Assembly, or of an officer or employee of the school may be a member of the Board of Trustees. Any appointed trustee who is elected or appointed to the General Assembly or who becomes an officer or employee of the State, except as specified under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section, or whose spouse is elected or appointed to the General Assembly or becomes such an officer or employee of the School, shall be deemed thereupon to resign from his or her membership on the Board of Trustees. This subsection does not apply to ex officio members.

(d) Members appointed under subdivisions (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of this section shall serve staggered four-year terms expiring June 30 of odd numbered years. The Board of Governors, in appointing a position created by Congressional reapportionment under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, may provide that appointment an initial term of two years if the Board determines the shorter term is necessary to maintain staggered terms for appointments under that subdivision.

(d1) Only an ex officio member shall be eligible to serve more than two successive terms.

(d2) Any vacancy in the membership of the Board of Trustees appointed under G.S. 116-233(a)(1) or (2) shall be reported promptly by the Secretary of the Board of Trustees to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, which shall fill any such vacancy by appointment of a replacement member to serve for the balance of the unexpired term. Any vacancy in members appointed under G.S. 116-233(a)(5) or (6) shall be filled in accordance with G.S. 120-122. Reapportionment of congressional districts does not affect the right of any member to complete the term for which the member was appointed.

(e) Of the initial members appointed under G.S. 116-233(a)(5) in 1985, one member shall serve a term to expire June 30, 1987, and one member shall serve a term to expire June 30, 1989. Subsequent appointments shall be for four-year terms. The initial members appointed under G.S. 116-233(a)(6) in 1985 shall be appointed for terms to expire June 30, 1987. Subsequent appointments shall be for two-year terms until January 15, 2017, at which point subsequent appointments shall be for four-year terms.

(e1) The initial members appointed under G.S. 116-233(a)(5) and (6) in 2017, and successors of those members, shall serve four-year terms.

(f) Whenever an appointed member of the Board of Trustees shall fail, for any reason other than ill health or service in the interest of the State or nation, to be present at three successive regular meetings of the Board, his or her place as a member of the Board shall be deemed vacant. The office of any member of the Board who serves ex officio under subdivisions (3) and (4) of subsection (a) of this section shall not be declared vacant if the member or the member's designee has complied with the attendance requirements of this subsection. (1985, c. 757, s. 206(b); 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 879, ss. 1, 2; 1995, c. 490, s. 45; c. 509, s. 65; 2003-57, ss. 1, 2; 2006-66, s. 9.11(m); 2007-278, s. 4; 2015-30, s. 1; 2016-126, 4th Ex. Sess., s. 36; 2021-90, s. 18(a), (b); 2022-71, s. 3.5(a), (b).)