Lee Roberts takes helm of UNC Chapel Hill after making a splash as interim leader
The newly minted chancellor of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is being praised by center-right observers who say he will bring balance, steadiness and courage to the post.
After pro-Palestinian protesters had dragged Old Glory down in anger and put up their own flag during spring semester protests, then-interim Chancellor Lee Roberts had marched across campus and personally restored the American flag to its pole while surrounded by UNC police and protesters.
“This university doesn’t belong to a small group of protesters. It belongs to every citizen of North Carolina,” Roberts told reporters at the time as several protesters shrieked in the background.
“…Take down that flag, and put up another flag, no matter what flag it is – that’s antithetical to who we are, what this university stands for.”
This tough, no-nonsense approach earned him praise from conservatives, including U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, a North Carolina Republican, who said in response: “What happened at UNC is a model for other universities and for other leaders across the nation.”
BREAKING: It’s official! Lee Roberts is the new chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!
He had been serving as the interim chancellor and had achieved national recognition for his no-nonsense leadership during the UNC encampment! He was the college… pic.twitter.com/hJjbxnoYKM
— Stu (@thestustustudio) August 9, 2024
A few months later, in August, Lee took the helm permanently, replacing Kevin Guskiewicz, who had led the state’s flagship public university since 2019 but left in early January to take the top post at Michigan State University.
Roberts is a former state budget director, and his experience will help UNC through his “calm, steady and focused leadership,” UNC System President Peter Hans has said about the choice.
“There is no higher calling than supporting our mission every single day,” Roberts said in taking the helm. “To me, this university stands — above all else — for the ideal of public service, for helping the people of this state and all those who are touched by this place to achieve their greatest potential.”
Robert’s ascension has upset some progressive students.
Samuel Scarborough, an organizer with the Southern Student Action Coalition, told the Daily Tar Heel: “We condemn the selection of Lee Roberts as permanent chancellor, and condemn the entire chancellor search process.”
Roberts is an alumnus of Duke University — UNC’s biggest rival — which has been controversial to some.
Jenna Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, a center-right think tank that has worked for decades for higher education reform in the state, said most concerns are outweighed by optimism.
“I heard people complain (at first) that Chancellor Roberts was a Blue Devil. But I think his performance so far has quelled most complaints,” she told The College Fix via email.
“Chancellor Roberts’s approach to the pro-Hamas demonstrations in the spring shows that he isn’t afraid to confront difficult issues. That’s a valuable quality in a university leader.”
Robinson also praised his open minded approach to leadership.
“Chancellor Robert has made it clear that listening to and engaging with people across differences is a priority for him personally. That philosophy will inform his approach to viewpoint diversity and civil discourse on campus,” she said.
After earning his degree in political science from Duke, Roberts attended Georgetown University, where he received his JD degree. He served as the budget director for former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory from 2014 to 2016.
Given his unique skill set and history, he brings a different outlook to the table despite not having served in a campus leadership position before, according to some observers.
In an op-ed published in August by the Chronicle of Higher Education titled “Why an Outsider Is the Right Choice to Be UNC’s Chancellor,” Hans, president of the University of North Carolina System, defended the choice.
“My experience selecting and working alongside public-university chancellors — I’ve nominated eight since I became president of the University of North Carolina system — suggests there is no traditional, gold-standard résumé for these roles. Higher education is simply too diverse for that,” Hans wrote.
Marty Kotis, a UNC Chapel Hill Board of Trustees member, told The College Fix that Roberts will help allow intellectual diversity to flourish on campus — especially as the university grows its relatively new School of Civic Life and Leadership.
“I believe Chancellor Roberts will protect the rights of all students and foster an environment where true intellectual diversity can thrive on campus,” Kotis said via email.
In an Aug. 30 interview with Axios, Roberts said he’s eager to shepherd UNC Chapel Hill to new heights, with a focus on better partnering with local companies, eyeing new building projects, such as a basketball arena, and helping students find affordable housing solutions.
“We have to make sure that we’re reflecting the state as it grows and as it changes,” Roberts said. “And we can’t just reflect it on paper. We need to make sure that the students get here, no matter where they’re coming from, they feel welcome, as though they belong here.”
Regarding athletics, a priority to many in the region and on campus, he said: “Our job is to make sure that when the dust settles, Carolina is better off.”
MORE: $83,000+ raised for frat bros who defended Old Glory from pro-Palestinian activists
IMAGE: Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill
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