Comprehensive Standards: Institutional Mission, Governance, and Effectiveness 3.2.4 (influence on governing board)
The governing board is free from undue influence from political, religious, or other external bodies, and protects the institution from such influence. 

Compliance
North Carolina State University is in compliance with this standard. 

Explanation
NC State University is under the authority of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina (BOG).  State laws pertaining to eligibility for election to the BOG mandate a diversity of backgrounds, thereby restricting the influence of particular constituencies on the entire board.  State law also requires open meetings, which helps restrict undue influence on the BOG through public oversight, thereby protecting the university from influence.  Further, the BOG promulgates and enforces policy to protect the university from undue political, religious or other external influences.  

Members of the BOG are elected by the North Carolina General Assembly to represent the citizens of the state.  Under NC General Statute 116-7, “All members of the Board of Governors shall be…charged with the responsibility of serving the best interests of the whole State.”  Specifically, the same statute orders members of the BOG to “further the educational mission of The University through their knowledge and understanding of the educational needs and desires of all the State's citizens, and their economic, geographic, political, racial, gender, and ethnic diversity.”

External influence on the BOG is also restricted by the North Carolina Open Meetings Act, NC General Statute 143, Article 33C, which governs meetings of public bodies.  Under this law, the BOG is required to meet in open session—except for certain carefully defined circumstances—and keep “full and accurate minutes of all official meetings.”  The accounts of each meeting are considered public records.  Even when the BOG meets in closed session, the same state law requires that minutes be kept and that these also become public records, except when the purpose of the closed session would be prevented.   

The provisions of the Open Meetings Act also apply to the Board of Trustees of NC State University (BOT). 

As ordered by NC General Statute 116-31(d) and (e), the composition of the BOT is designed to resist external influence.  Of the thirteen members of the BOT, eight are elected by the BOG; four are appointed by the governor of the state of North Carolina; one is the NC State University student body president, who is elected by the students and who serves ex officio.  The mixture of appointees and elected members protects the BOT from undue external influence.

Supplementary Information
The BOG helps shield NC State University from undue external pressure through its policies on academic freedom.  According to the BOG’s Code, Section 600, academic freedom is essential to the achievement of the university’s mission.  For more information on NC State University’s academic freedom policy, see Comprehensive Standards: Educational Programs #23 .

References

• NC General Statute 116-7 (http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Statutes/GeneralStatutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_116/GS_116-7.html) requires the members of the BOG to serve the people of the state and not external interests.

• NC General Statute 116-31(d) and (e)  (http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Statutes/GeneralStatutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_116/GS_116-31.html) indicate how the BOT is to be composed.

• Along with the other requirements contained therein, NC General Statute 143, Article 33C (http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Statutes/GeneralStatutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_143/Article_33C.html) requires the BOG and BOT to hold open meetings and to keep accurate records.

• Section 600 of the UNC Board of Governors Code (http://www.northcarolina.edu/content.php/policies/CHAPTER_VI_only_web.htm#Section600) expresses the board’s commitment to maintaining an environment in which academic freedom flourishes.

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