The institution now known as The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was chartered in 1789 and opened its doors to students in 1795, the first state university in the United States to do so. Throughout most of its history, the university has been governed by a board of trustees chosen by the legislature and presided over by the governor. During the period 1917-1972, the board consisted of one hundred elected members and a varying number of ex officio members.

By act of the General Assembly of 1931, without change of name, it was merged with the North Carolina College for Women at Greensboro and The North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering at Raleigh to form a multicampus institution designated The University of North Carolina.

In 1963 the General Assembly changed the name of the campus at Chapel Hill to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and that at Greensboro to The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and, in 1965, the name of the campus at Raleigh was changed to North Carolina State University at Raleigh.

Charlotte College was added as The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1965, and, in 1969, Asheville-Biltmore College and Wilmington College became The University of North Carolina at Asheville and The University of North Carolina at Wilmington respectively.

On October 30, 1971, the General Assembly in special session merged, without changing their names, the remaining ten state-supported senior institutions into the University as follows: Appalachian State University (Boone), East Carolina University (Greenville), Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City), Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (Greensboro), North Carolina Central University (Durham), North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston-Salem), Pembroke State University (now the University of North Carolina at Pembroke), Western Carolina University (Cullowhee), and Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem). This merger, which resulted in a state wide multicampus university system of sixteen constituent institutions, became effective on July 1, 1972.

In 1985, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics became an affiliated institution, and in 2007 became a constituent institution of the UNC System. The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics opened in 1980 as the first school of its kind in the nation—a public, residential high school where students study a specialized curriculum built around science and mathematics

The constitutionally authorized board of trustees, composed of 100 members, was designated the board of governors. The number was reduced to thirty-two members elected by the General Assembly, with authority to choose their own chairman and other officers.   In 1991, the legislature added several special members to the board, including the president of the UNC Association of of Student Governments, former board chairs, and former governors.

The board of governors is assigned five major categories of powers and duties:

• Control, supervise, manage and govern all affairs of the member institutions of the university system.  This includes approving the establishment of any new public senior institution.
  
• Maintain liaison with the N.C. Board of Education and the Department of Community Colleges in order to develop a coordinated, long-range plan for higher education in the state.
  
• Administer all state and federal aid programs for post-secondary education, except for those related exclusively to the community colleges.  The board must administer these programs in accordance with state or federal statutes to ensure that they meet the goals of the system's long-range plan.
  
• Determine the functions, educational activities and academic programs of the member institutions.  In particular, the board has the authority to determine the types of degrees awarded through every institution in the system.  The Board of Governors can withdraw approval of existing degree programs it deems unproductive, excessively costly or redundant.  Before doing so, however, it must provide notice of intent to the member institution's board of trustees.
  
• Collect and disseminate data and prescribe uniform reporting practices and policies for member institutions.  The Board of Governors gives advice and recommendations concerning higher education to the governor, the General Assembly, the Advisory Budget Commission and the boards of trustees at each constituent institution.  The board has the power to delegate some of its authority to boards of trustees at member institutions.

University-wide administration and execution of board policy is the responsibility of the president of the university. The president, the officers of the university, and their supporting staffs constitute the General Administration of the university.  The president also prepares the system's annual budget, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors, for the General Assembly

The Administrative Council, consisting of the president, the 16 chancellors, and the principal members of the president's staff meets monthly as a forum for the exchange of information and advice on matters of multicampus concern. Advice to the president from the faculty perspective is provided by the Faculty Assembly, whose members are drawn from the faculties of the sixteen constituent institutions. Advice to the president from the student perspective is provided by the Student Advisory Council, which consists, ex officio, of the student body president of each of the 16 institutions.

In 1976, by agreement among the president of the university, the state president of the community college system, and the chairman of the board of directors of the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, a new three-part liaison committee was formed to provide a forum where matters of mutual concern to the three sectors may be discussed and advice thereon formulated. The committee consists of four members chosen by the president of the university, four chosen by the state president of the community college system, and four chosen by the president of the association. A similar liaison committee composed of four representatives designated by the president of the university and four designated by the state president of the community college system meets periodically to discuss and develop advice to the two presidents on matters of mutual concern to the community college system and the university.

The 1993 General Assembly created an Education Cabinet consisting of the governor, the president of the university system, the N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction and the president of the N.C. Community College System.  The cabinet also allows representatives from the state's private colleges and universities to participate in its deliberations.  The cabinet resolves any issues that may affect the various parts of the state's post-secondary education infrastructure.  The State Education Commission, consisting of governing boards for the university system, community colleges and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, provides a forum for board-to-board dialogue on issues addressed by the Education Cabinet.

The university television network, The North Carolina Center for Public Television, is a public service activity which provides television programs throughout the state for educational purposes, information dissemination, and cultural enrichment. The broadcasting facilities owned by the university are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate in the public's interest. To achieve that goal, the staff is involved in ascertaining community problems and needs followed by the acquisition and/or development and production of programs, scheduling for maximum viewing, providing information to potential audiences, assisting in reception of programs, and evaluating the effectiveness of the process.

The 1979 General Assembly authorized and directed the board of governors to establish The University of North Carolina Center for Public Television to enhance the uses of television for public purposes. The board of governors was authorized and directed to establish the board of trustees for the center and to delegate to the board of trustees such powers and duties as the board of governors deemed necessary or appropriate. Members of the board of trustees, whose terms are for four years, are selected as follows: eleven persons appointed by the board of governors; four persons appointed by the governor; one senator appointed by the president of the senate; one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; and ex officio, the secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state president of the community college system, and the president of the University of North Carolina.

The creation of the UNC Health Care System was made possible by a special provision in the 1998 state budget adopted by the NC General Assembly.    The health care system created greater management flexibility and changed the former governance structure of UNC Hospitals.  The UNC Health Care System maintains its accountability to the UNC Board of Governors, yet also ensures adequate representation from the UNC-Chapel Hill medical school and the Chapel Hill campus, UNC Hospitals, and the lay public.  Seven university officials server as voting ex-officio members, while between nine and 21 members-at-large are drawn from the fields of business, management, and health care delivery, along with others who have demonstrated dedication to improving health care in the state.

Each constituent institution has its own board of trustees of thirteen members, eight of whom are appointed by the board of governors and four appointed by the governor. The elected president of the student body serves as an ex officio member. The principal powers of each institutional board are exercised under a delegation from the board of governors. The North Carolina School of the Arts has two additional ex officio members. The duties and responsibilities of these boards fall into three broad categories:

• Promoting the sound execution of the institution's mission.
• Advising the Board of Governors on matters pertaining to the institution.
• Advising the chancellor on the management and development of the institution.

Each institution has its own faculty and student body and each is headed by a chancellor as its chief administrative officer. Unified general policy and appropriate allocation of function are effected by the board of governors and by the president with the assistance of other administrative officers of the university. The General Administration office is located in Chapel Hill.

The chancellors of the constituent institutions are responsible to the president, who serves as the chief administrative and executive officer of The University of North Carolina.

Sources:

The preceding information was excerpted and adapted from the North Carolina Manual 2001-2002, published by the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State.