A message from the chancellor: On the road again with the Tar Heel Bus Tour ‘22
"We are the university of the people, built and sustained by generations of North Carolinians who may never have set foot in Chapel Hill but take pride in having a world-class university at the heart of our state."
Dear Carolina Community,
To serve our state well, we need to know it well. This week, I’ve been traveling with over 80 faculty and colleagues as part of the Tar Heel Bus Tour, visiting communities from Elizabeth City to Marion to see all the ways our University benefits from its deep roots in North Carolina.
It’s a fascinating and complex place, the ninth-largest state in the country and growing fast. I’ve been a Tar Heel for over 27 years, and I’m still discovering new things about our state. A few days on the road will barely scratch the surface, but it’s still enough to drive home the deep connection between education and progress.
On the West Bus, we toured the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro and heard Franklin McCain Jr. describe how his father Franklin McCain made history during the 1960 Woolworth’s sit-in. In North Wilkesboro, we drove the bus onto a storied NASCAR track while learning about the challenges of economic development in the state’s small towns and rural regions. At Grandfather Mountain, we learned about Tar Heel legend Hugh Morton’s important contributions as a talented photographer, passionate environmentalist and conservationist.
On the East Bus, we visited First Flight High School in Kitty Hawk and learned about the work of the Carolina College Advising Corps, which started at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2007. In Rocky Mount and Princeville, we met with community leaders and volunteers working collaboratively on projects with our dedicated faculty and staff to improve lives within their communities. At Somerset Place in Washington County, we learned about North Carolina’s antebellum plantation economy and the way public historians are telling a more honest and compelling story of enslaved communities in our state.
We are the university of the people, built and sustained by generations of North Carolinians who may never have set foot in Chapel Hill but take pride in having a world-class university at the heart of our state. We’re better at tackling the grand challenges of our time precisely because we have an important focus on public service. We see the real-world impact of our work up close, and we benefit from the diversity of worldview, life experience, and talent that comes from being passionately public.
At every stop this week, we saw the extraordinary work our faculty, staff, and students are doing in partnership with people across North Carolina. That partnership has served the state and shaped the University for more than two centuries, and it remains as vital as ever.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz
Chancellor
