Chancellor Dubois op-ed on Medical School

University News and Notes
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send it in, worst thing they can say is no.

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Yes, send it in. A couple of typos though. First paragraph, 3rd line should read “…will be teaming up to start Charlotte’s first AND subsequently only…” Also, first paragraph you spelled Dubois’ name wrong (second reference).

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It appears that atrium health is teaming up with Wake Forest for a medical school.

Bummer

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Members of the Board of Governors, Members of the Board of Trustees of UNC Charlotte,

Today was a dark day for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. One month after Chancellor Dubois publicly claimed the time was not right for a dedicated medical school in the Charlotte metropolitan area, Wake Forest University announced its plan to construct the very same kind of institution in the city. This is the latest in a long line of abdications of leadership on the part of Chancellor Dubois.

When East Carolina University was told it did not need a medical school, its leader stood up and fought for his school. Leo Jenkins thumbed his nose at the UNC System and created what is now called the most important institution in North Carolina east of Interstate 95.

When the Board of Governors sought to rename North Carolina State College “the University of North Carolina at Raleigh,” another great leader fought for his institution. John Tyler Caldwell fought the System, reaching first a compromise name of “North Carolina State of the University of North Carolina” before reaching victory with that institution’s modern name, North Carolina State University.

Chancellor Philip Dubois is no John Caldwell, and he is certainly no Leo Jenkins.

What have been Chancellor Dubois’ great achievements? An expansion of the Student Union? A student-led initiative. Expansion of the University? Inevitable with Charlotte’s demographic growth. Establishment of a light rail connection with Center City Charlotte? Planned by city leadership, not proposed by the University. Creation of Charlotte 49er Football? A student and alumni-led initiative.

Philip Dubois has shown no leadership ability, and has shown no willingness to embrace and be embraced by the city of Charlotte. His public op-ed in the Charlotte Observer being followed by this announcement by Wake Forest is proof positive of Dubois’ failure to lead. This is a failure that will resonate throughout the remainder of the lifetime of the University, and can be laid directly at the feet of Chancellor Dubois.

It is due to this failure that I am calling for his immediate removal as Chancellor. He has failed this University at the best of times and has actively retarded its growth at the worst of times. Our founder, Miss Bonnie Cone once said that “we are not here to elevate ourselves, but the institution.” If that is true, that Dubois’s great failure has failed Bonnie Cone’s legacy, he has failed her University, and he has failed the City of Charlotte.

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Welcome to the board.

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It’s funny that we questioned Dubois’ timing on his op-ed. It now seems obvious that it wasn’t completely out of the blue. It seems he was trying to get out, in-front of the Atrium announcement.

However, I think the plan backfired and makes him look even more out of touch.

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Surely he wouldn’t execute a failed PR move :joy:

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Looks like Atrium is merging with Wake Forest Health too.

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Cucktastic News!

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Well done JMT

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Was the time right for Phil to express this opinion? I think not.
Certainly looks the fool today.

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Complete and utter failure of strategic leadership that will hamstring the school for the remainder of its existence.

GREAT JOB CHAPEL HILL PHIL!

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Worth noting, I think, that UNC Health spent most of two years trying to merge with Atrium. Deal died late last year in large part because of opposition from the state treasurer, former Winston-Salem state Rep. Dale Folwell. Have to wonder if the fix was in from way above Dubois’ pay grade.

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I don’t disagree. With that said, Phil’s lack of action on this issue is as damning as anything he did, or was done above his head. He should have been screaming on the mountaintop that this city and this university deserved a med school from Day 1 as chancellor.

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Umbach is surprised this hasn’t happened sooner. Four years ago, Umbach concluded the city needed a medical school and the most likely way to achieve one would be through the University of North Carolina system. In the last month, an editorial, the chancellor of UNCC and dean of the UNC School of Medicine cited financial challenges as a barrier to building a medical school. A spokesperson for UNCC did not respond to a request for comment.

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somehow our chancellor was out of the loop. apparently no idea what was going on. setting his opinion aside…his ignorance on this is abysmal and THAT is what should be called out!

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Disgusted at CHPs lack of leadership, his failure to be steward of UNCCs future and well-being. Embarrassed that WFU, who by the way was named in Hollywood admissions scandal, snagged the jewel of the crown, a medical school in Charlotte, NC, never to be had by UNCC. What’s next? Lose a law school to Duke? Fuck this.

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This entire situation shows a lack of leadership not just by the chancellor but also by the entire leadership structure of the University of North Carolina. The need for a school in Charlotte has been well known and obvious for a long time and yet they failed to act. They failed to take the lead in meeting the needs of our state and therefore failed in their mission. So instead of a state supported school that will offer more reasonable cost of attendance they ceded their leadership position to a small private university.

This is a bigger issue than just UNC CHARLOTTE. If UNC has wanted to meet the needs of our city and state without enriching the future of UNC Charlotte they could have simply started a new independent sole focus medical school in downtown Charlotte/on the CMC main campus. See UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco for the model of how that works. But instead of fulfilling their charter and meeting the needs of the citizens of this state they simply could not bring themselves to do anything that could possibly help the future of the city of Charlotte.

The ECU situation was ridiculous in the 70s and this situation is just as ridiculous.

At least the city’s need for a medical school will be met.

Let’s see if the powers that be in Raleigh try to nuke the project somehow. There is more to come on this I’m sure.

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http://businessnc.com/atrium-health-wake-forest-baptist-in-merger-talks-to-create-13-billion-institution/?utm_source=Business+North+Carolina+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=47c1cfa8c9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_4_10_2019_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7ae5defd0d-47c1cfa8c9-122549317

“Atrium operates 42 hospitals and more than 900 medical locations in the Carolinas and Georgia. Its effort to reach a partnership with Chapel Hill-based UNC Healthcare were dashed last year after protests by state lawmakers and officials who said state-controlled UNC was not likely to benefit from the transaction.”

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