Lee Harriss Roberts

American manager (born 1968)

Lee Harriss Roberts

Roberts in 2024

13th Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Incumbent

Assumed office
January 12, 2024
Interim: January 12, 2024 – August 9, 2024
Preceded by| Kevin Guskiewicz
Personal details
Born|

Lee Harriss Roberts

1968 (age 55-56)
Education| Duke University (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)

Lee Harriss Roberts[1] (born 1968) is currently the 13th chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since January 2024. Before the chancellorship, he spent 30 years working in finance and real estate investment. He is the first chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill in modern history to serve without a PhD or any career experience in higher education. His appointment faced significant criticism and opposition from the student body.

## Early life and education

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Roberts was born to journalists Steven and Cokie Roberts. His mother was the daughter of Hale and Lindy Boggs. He grew up in Washington, D.C.[citation needed]

Roberts received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in political science from Duke University in 1990 and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University in 1994.[2]

## Career

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### Financial industry

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Roberts spent 30 years working in finance and real estate investment. He was a partner at Cherokee Investment Partners and spent nine years with Morgan Stanley. He then became managing director of Piedmont Community Bank Holdings.[3] From 2014 to 2016, he was the budget director for North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.[2] He then[when?] founded SharpVue Capital, a private investment firm in Raleigh.[2] For the five years before 2024,[clarification needed] he taught budgeting at Duke University.[4]

Since 2019, Roberts has served on the corporate board of Variety Wholesalers, a retail-store company owned by Art Pope, a prominent conservative donor.[5]

From 2021 to 2024,[6] Roberts served as a member of the UNC System Board of Governors and chair of its budget committee.[7][8]

### University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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#### Chancellorship appointment

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On December 15, 2023, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that Roberts would succeed then chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz (who left to serve as the president of Michigan State University) as the interim chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill.[2] Roberts described his motivation as stemming from a "family tradition of public service" and his deep commitment to North Carolina, which he first moved to at age 17.[2]

On August 9, 2024, the UNC System Board of Governors appointed Roberts as the 13th chancellor and 31st leader of UNC-Chapel Hill after serving 7 months as interim chancellor. He is the first chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill in modern history to serve without a PhD or any career experience in higher education.[9] The selection process for Roberts' appointment faced significant criticism from the student body.[10][11]

#### Opposition against his appointment

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Lee Roberts (right) makes an impromptu appearance at the TransparUNCy Teach-in: Part 2 on April 4th, 2024.

On January 12, 2024, a coalition of student groups published an op-ed titled "UNC deserves better, Lee Roberts ain't it" on the university's student newspaper The Daily Tar Heel. The article highlighted Roberts' lack of experience in educational administration and actions during his tenure as state budget director that were perceived as contrary to the interests of higher education and inclusivity.[10]

A month later, in February 2024, another op-ed was published by five UNC students titled "'Nonpartisan' Lee Roberts receives income from far-right megadonor’s company" highlighting a conflict between his claimed commitment nonpartisanship and his financial ties to conservative donor Art Pope.[12] Following this publication, Roberts stated in an interview that he would not be taking income from his board position on Art Pope's company Variety Wholesalers during his time as interim chancellor, and that serving on a corporate board has no bearing on his nonpartisanship.[5]

In early April 2024, a student group was formed in opposition to Roberts' chancellorship, TransparUNCy.[13] Alexander Denza, a UNC student activist and TransparUNCy organizer, questioned the motivations behind accelerated timeline of the search, which was initially expected to conclude by the end of the year.[14] Denza characterized the rapid narrowing of candidates from a broad pool to a final selection within a few weeks as "rigged".[15] At a TransparUNCy meeting session in April 2024, Roberts made an appearance where he reaffirmed his commitment to nonpartisanship to the crowd.[16][17] Roberts expressed a broad support for diversity, while refraining from taking a definitive stance on the university trustees' anti-DEI comments and similar legislative efforts in Florida and Alabama. The student organizers criticized Roberts' stated lack of knowledge about Florida and Alabama DEI legislation, and believe that lack knowledge of national higher education debates makes Roberts unsuitable for the chancellorship.[17]

Faculty also expressed similar concerns with the integrity of the process. Sue Estroff, a member of the UNC Faculty Executive Committee, stated weeks before Roberts chancellorship appointment, "I fear that the chancellor search is already over, and I don’t have a lot of confidence in the process."[14]

## References

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1. ^ "Miss McDonald And Mr. Roberts". The New York Times. June 29, 1997. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
2. ^ a b c d e Hudson, Susan (December 15, 2023). "Former state budget director named interim chancellor | UNC-Chapel Hill". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
3. ^ "Lee Roberts". North Carolina Leadership Forum. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
4. ^ "Lee Roberts Named Interim Chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill – UNC System". www.northcarolina.edu. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
5. ^ a b "Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts assures connection to conservative donor's company is nonpartisan". Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
6. ^ "Duke alumnus Lee Roberts elected chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill following controversial interim term". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
7. ^ "UNC names Duke grad Lee Roberts interim chancellor". WRAL. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
8. ^ Hudson, Susan (December 15, 2023). "Former state budget director named interim chancellor | UNC-Chapel Hill". The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
9. ^ https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article290888149.html
10. ^ a b "Op-ed: UNC deserves better, Lee Roberts ain't it". Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
11. ^ "Editorial: The Editorial Board does not approve of Lee Roberts' chancellorship". Editorial: The Editorial Board does not approve of Lee Roberts' chancellorship -. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
12. ^ "Op-ed: "Nonpartisan" Lee Roberts receives income from far-right megadonor's company". Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
13. ^ Killian, Joe (April 2, 2024). "At UNC-Chapel Hill, interim chancellor selection attracts growing student opposition • NC Newsline". NC Newsline. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
14. ^ a b Martin, Emmy (July 24, 2024). "Forums nixed for UNC chancellor search, reversing plans to get feedback in fall". The News & Observer.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
15. ^ "Lee Roberts elected as next UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor". Lee Roberts elected as next UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor -. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
16. ^ "Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts speaks at TransparUNCy teach-in". Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
17. ^ a b Killian, Joe (April 11, 2024). "UNC-Chapel Hill Trustees could begin to defund DEI efforts • NC Newsline". NC Newsline. Retrieved April 12, 2024.