RALEIGH — The UNC System Board of Governors’ September meeting included discussion of a possible increase in tuition, artificial intelligence and a remembrance of Charlie Kirk.
The UNC System has not raised tuition for the past nine years, but that may be changing.
Citing the UNC System’s 3.4% increase in total enrollment, UNC Board of Governors chair Wendy Murphy said UNC schools could propose a “modest” tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students of up to 3%.
Murphy cited inflation as the reason for the potential hike.
“Inflation has driven up the cost of operations at our institutions,” Murphy said. “Universities have absorbed those pressures while holding the line on tuition, but we cannot expect them to continue doing so without negative impacts.”
Any increase, if approved, would begin starting with the 2026 fall semester and would not apply to in-state students already enrolled. Proposals for increases will be reviewed by the Board of Governors in February.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has found its way into nearly every aspect of life in recent years, including education at the primary and post-secondary levels.
The UNC System will be hiring an AI officer and establishing an AI Advisory Council, per UNC System President Peter Hans, who delivered a report outlining some of the things he is excited and worried about with AI, along with what the UNC System will be doing regarding the technology.
“The rise of the internet changed human life for the better — and for the worse,” Hans said. “I suspect AI will be a similar phenomenon, good and bad, and part of our job in higher education is to hold the torch for flourishing of the human spirit no matter what takes hold.”
Hans described the transformative impact of AI on higher education, drawing parallels to the internet’s rise 30 years ago and highlighting its ability to enhance certain aspects of both learning and school operations. He also expressed concerns about AI’s challenges, including threats to academic integrity, the risk of “cognitive offloading” undermining critical thinking, and the potential for AI to worsen social isolation among students.
For students, Hans said AI can be “an extraordinary learning tool” but also “a tempting invitation to mediocrity.”
“You don’t write papers in college because the world needs more papers; you write papers in college so that you get better at thinking and understanding,” Hans said. “As one writer put it, using ChatGPT to complete all your assignments is like bringing a forklift to the gym. … You’ve missed the point of the gym.”
Hans outlined the proactive steps the UNC System is taking to integrate AI responsibly, such as securing favorable licensing agreements with major AI providers like Amazon, OpenAI, Google and Microsoft to provide faculty, staff and students access to advanced AI tools, including Google’s career certificates for AI skills.
At the onset of the meeting, Murphy took a personal point of interest to address the assassination of Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk.
“Make no mistake, this is our wake-up call for each of us as leaders, educators and policymakers to start thinking about the impact of our actions and about our interactions with those who disagree with our points of view,” Murphy said.
“We have a responsibility to be leaders for generations to come. A responsibility to set the example of how to act and live, and a responsibility to set the tone to ensure we continue to be a country that truly values freedom of speech. Hatred and vitriolic attacks are not the answer.”
