UNC Chancellor defends equality policy, says 'Carolina is for everybody'
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts said that the university has made significant progress implementing the Equality Policy adopted in 2024, replacing diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives across campus.
In an interview with ABC11, Roberts said the university remains committed to recruiting and supporting a broad range of students despite criticism from some that the policy changes signal a retreat from diversity efforts.
"We want all kinds of students here at Carolina," Roberts said. "Carolina is for everybody. We work hard to recruit students from every corner of this state."
We're doing our best to welcome students across North Carolina and across the country. Carolina is for everybody. The 'For All' message is something we take seriously here.- Lee Roberts, UNC chancellor
Roberts spoke as the UNC Board of Trustees Governance Committee received an update on the university's compliance with the Equality Policy. The policy, adopted in May 2024, replaced UNC's DEI policy.
University officials say all DEI offices have been closed and DEI programs and committees eliminated.
According to UNC, 61 positions have been eliminated, and 27 others realigned as part of the changes. The university says those moves have generated approximately $5.3 million in savings, which are being redirected to student success initiatives.
Roberts said the university's focus is on ensuring all students feel welcome on campus.
"The bigger question in my mind is: Are we making sure the university feels as welcoming as possible to as many different students as possible?" he said.
When asked whether the policy changes have affected enrollment among Black, Latino, first-generation and LGBTQ students, Roberts pointed to declines in Black student enrollment that followed the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions.
"What became clear after the Supreme Court decision, in which we were a defendant, was that here at Carolina and at universities across the country, the number of Black students went down," Roberts said. "I don't yet know the numbers for this incoming class."
Roberts said he does not expect those numbers to decline further.
"I think it dropped right after the Supreme Court decision and has remained relatively flat in subsequent years," he said.
Asked whether students still feel welcome after DEI initiatives were rolled back, Roberts said the university is committed to serving students from across North Carolina and beyond.
"We're doing our best to welcome students across North Carolina and across the country," Roberts said. "Carolina is for everybody. The 'For All' message is something we take seriously here."
Classes at UNC-Chapel Hill begin Monday. Roberts said the university is welcoming its largest incoming class ever, with approximately 5,300 students.
