CHAPEL HILL — UNC-Chapel Hill has reached a federal settlement resolving 18 civil-rights investigations while retaining eligibility for federal funding and accepting university-wide compliance obligations through 2028.
The voluntary agreement with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education also closes a Justice Department compliance review of the university’s admissions practices. UNC does not admit wrongdoing or liability and will not make a monetary settlement payment.
The agreement applies across UNC’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools and other programs. It requires the university to maintain nondiscrimination rules for admissions, scholarships, financial aid and programs, and to expand training and procedures addressing antisemitism and other discrimination covered by federal civil-rights law.
UNC must maintain a Merit & Civil Rights Administrator and a Title VI coordinator, provide required training, investigate covered complaints and submit quarterly reports to federal agencies. The agreement remains in effect through Dec. 31, 2028.
Elizabeth Hall, UNC’s associate vice chancellor for university compliance, has been appointed to both oversight roles. Reuters reported that Hall will serve as the university’s Justice Department contact and oversee the reporting obligations.
The agreement preserves UNC’s eligibility for federal funding. The available sources do not quantify the federal funding covered or the university’s implementation costs, so this report does not assign a dollar value to either.
For UNC, the immediate operating consequence is continued eligibility for federal funding, paired with binding university-wide compliance, training and reporting duties through 2028.
Image: The Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill. Martin Kraft/Wikimedia Commons/NC Business Desk.