Charlotte Observer: New UNC board has secretive get-together

From the Charlotte Observer (8/18/11): A gathering last week of the UNC Board of Governors was not open to the public, and notice of the event was not provided to the news media ahead of time - raising questions about whether the gathering violated the state's open meetings law.

A majority of the public board met privately at the university system’s Center for School Leadership Development in Chapel Hill from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 10, before adjourning for a reception and dinner together. On the morning of Aug. 11, members gathered privately for breakfast and about two hours of discussion.

Later that day and the next, the board convened again at regularly scheduled meetings that were open to the public and attended by reporters. A three-page agenda for the orientation event called it a “workshop.” Some board members referred to it as a “retreat.”

A university spokeswoman said about 30 of the board’s 32 members attended the event, which was paid for by the university. UNC President Tom Ross also was there. No roll was taken, and no minutes were kept.

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