N.C. Higher Education News and In-Depth Reporting

The Man Can Dance: N.C. State Team Spotlights First Male Dancer

Ryan Cawley performs with the N.C. State Dance Team. (Photo by Chase Cofield for The Assembly)

Ryan Cawley is one of a handful of male performers on university dance teams.

Kevin Howell Chosen as N.C. State’s New Chancellor

(Photo courtesy of UNC School of Medicine)

The UNC Health executive has deep ties to the university and will be its first Black chancellor. He will take over for the long-serving Randy Woodson.

UNC’s Risky Belichick Math

UNC-Chapel Hill football players participated in spring practice in March. (Tyler Northrup for The Assembly)

UNC-Chapel Hill transferred $21 million to the athletic department last year–and that was before hiring Bill Belichick.

UNC System Approves Interim Chancellor to Lead Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University Chancellor Heather Hulburt Norris. (Courtesy of Appalachian State)

Heather Norris is the third interim leader of a UNC System school in the last two years to secure the top job permanently.

A Law Professor Explains Her Response to New DEI Rules

UNC-Chapel Hill law professor Osamudia James. (Courtesy of UNC-CH School of Law)

Osamudia James argues that most DEI efforts are legal, despite the Trump administration’s claims.

The Fight that Fractured Saint Augustine’s University

Illustration by Nicole Pajor Moore with material from interviews and source documents.

Internal complaints and lawsuits reveal deep disputes about how the board of trustees has managed the institution.

Two Former Students Sue St. Andrews University Over Sex Offender on Campus

A sign on the campus of St. Andrews University in Laurinburg. (Julia Wall for The Assembly)

The two women say the school knowingly admitted a wrestler who was a convicted sex offender, leading to their 2022 assaults.

How an Aggressive Church is Making Waves at N.C. State

Students walk past the Talley Student Union at N.C. State University, where Restored Church Raleigh holds Bible study. (Julia Wall for The Assembly)

Former members of Restored Church Raleigh say they felt pressured to be baptized and to isolate from friends and family.

UNC System Limits UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees’ Authority Over Athletics

South Building at UNC-Chapel Hill. (Photo by Angelica Edwards)

In a memo sent after UNC-CH hired football coach Bill Belichick, system President Peter Hans warned the board that acting on its own could “create substantial legal risk to the University.”

UNC System Lobbyist Urges Calm Amid Trump’s Directives

A map of North Carolina's Congressional representatives for the UNC System's 17 institutions. (Courtesy of the UNC System)

As Trump rolls out policy changes, the UNC System’s federal liaison says public universities are largely taking a wait-and-see approach.