Kicking off a new year Thorp reflects on his first two months as chancellor

Little more than a week ago, the Carolina campus transformed from the relaxed pace of summer to the bustle and vitality that characterizes the beginning of the academic year.

The University welcomed some 3,900 first-year students plus another 24,000 returning students with weeklong move-in, social and learning activities.

It marked a first for Chancellor Holden Thorp. Although he is no newcomer to Carolina by any means, this was the first time he had kicked off back-to-school events at the helm of the University.

Chancellor Holden Thorp speaks to the crowd assembled in the Dean E. Smith Center for the New Student Convocation on Aug. 17.

The Gazette asked the chancellor to describe this experience – and his first couple of months on the job. Following are his comments:

"I love this time of year in Chapel Hill. I remember it as an entering student, then as a new faculty member, and as a new dean. This year, my first as chancellor, I’m sure I will remember most of all. 

What an educational and energizing eight weeks it has been. Since July I have met with leaders of the various Carolina constituencies – students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, our neighbors in Chapel Hill and our legislators in Raleigh. I’ve always thought I knew Carolina but I’ve learned so much more as I’ve listened to others describe the University from their perspective. More than anything, their deep, abiding love for this place comes through.

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Bernadette Gray-Little, executive vice chancellor and provost, leads a Summer Reading Program discussion group on Aug. 18. This year's reading selection was “Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights,” by Kenji Yoshino.

During the Week of Welcome, I helped students move into residence halls, formally welcomed them at Convocation, celebrated with them at Fall Fest, participated in a Summer Reading Program discussion and perhaps best of all, sang with the Clefs on the steps of Wilson Library the evening before classes started.

Provost Gray-Little and I welcomed new faculty to campus and tried to give the North Carolina newcomers some sense of what makes our state and our University so special. These new members of our faculty will define Carolina’s future success so we want them to get started quickly, excel at their scholarship and teaching, and learn to love North Carolina as much as we do.

One thing I can now attest to from my new perspective is how hard our staff and faculty work to get us ready for the new school year. Preparing course materials, making sure textbooks are here, readying our facilities and grounds and our information technology infrastructure, getting the word out about new security measures, making sure that our students know where their dorm room is and how to get to class. 

And I haven’t even mentioned the construction crews (not even Carolina employees!) who scramble to finish up projects and repair walks and roads in time for that influx of new traffic.

Thank you.

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I’ve been taking every opportunity to remind folks to pay attention to campus and neighborhood security. Although recent incidents have made us more aware than ever that Chapel Hill is not immune from crime, we have been working for a number of years to improve our security systems.

We now have new technologies in place to help with that, such as emergency sirens and a text message alert system. I hope everyone on campus will visit the Alert Carolina Web site to find out more and to register their cell phone number so we can contact them quickly in the case of an emergency.

These new tools are helpful, but in the end, our safety will only come from a collective commitment by our entire community to keep each other and ourselves safe.

One sad duty I’ve had was to attend Chancellor Emeritus Christopher Fordham’s funeral. He signed my undergraduate degree diploma, and while I couldn’t appreciate then the challenges he faced as chancellor, I understand a little bit now about the depth of his love for this place and his dedication to the office.

This is truly the best job in higher education. I’m so proud to be your chancellor."