University Governance 101

One of the overarching themes of scholar and alumni questions lately has been governance at Carolina.

So we invited Mark Merritt ’79, former vice chancellor and general counsel at UNC–Chapel Hill, to provide a brief introduction to the University’s governance structure. Joining Mark for the Q&A portion of the event was Barbara Rosser Hyde ’83, former member of the UNC Board of Trustees, and Ray Palma ’23, president of the UNC Association of Student Governments and the student member of the UNC Board of Governors.

This event took place on March 9, 2022, as part of The Road Back to Chapel Hill, a six-part online series.

About the speakers

Mark Merritt ’79
Shareholder, Robinson Bradshaw; Former Vice Chancellor and General Counsel at UNC

Mark is a shareholder in the law firm Robinson Bradshaw, where he specializes in complex business disputes, including issues related to corporate governance. From mid-2016 until the end of 2018, Mark served as vice chancellor and general counsel at UNC-Chapel Hill and became intimately familiar with the University’s governance structure. Since returning to private practice in 2019, Mark has continued to work with public and private universities on a host of matters, including governance.

Mark graduated from UNC–Chapel Hill in 1979 before attending Law School at the University of Virginia, where he was editor-in-chief of the Virginia Law Review. He joined Robinson Bradshaw in 1983 after a clerkship with Judge John Minor Wisdom on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been active in professional and community affairs, and he served as president of the North Carolina State Bar in 2016–2017.

Mark’s family is full of Tar Heels. His wife, Lindsay, and three children, Alex, Elizabeth, and Jay, are all graduates of UNC–Chapel Hill.

Barbara Rosser Hyde ’83
Chairman and CEO, Hyde Family Foundation, and former member of the UNC Board of Trustees

From the time she received the Morehead-Cain Scholarship, Barbara Rosser Hyde ’83 has had many doors opened for her and, in turn, is committed to opening doors for others.

As chair and CEO of the Hyde Family Foundation, she has worked to lead systemic education reform, community empowerment, and creative place-making in Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 25 years, she has championed transformative civic initiatives and chaired numerous boards, ranging from New Leaders for New Schools and KIPP Memphis to the Women’s Foundation and Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. Her work at Carolina has expanded from her early years as a development officer and executive director of the Arts and Sciences Foundation to her service on the advisory board of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, co-founding the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council, and serving two terms on the University’s Board of Trustees.

Barbara and her husband, Pitt, have three children, including Claire Hyde ’22.

Ray Palma ’23
Current student member of the UNC Board of Governors

Ray is a third-year scholar studying public policy and business administration with a Spanish for the Professions minor. Originally from Durham, North Carolina, he attended Riverside High School.

In April 2021, Ray was elected President of the UNC Association of Student Governments (UNC ASG), the student-led governance body for the UNC System. He serves as the sole student member of the UNC Board of Governors (BOG), representing the voices, challenges, and needs of 245,000+ students across 17 institutions.

Ray works with the BOG, UNC System President Peter Hans, and the UNC System Office to ensure affordability, access, and student success across the System. On the board, he is a member of the Educational Planning, Policies, and Programs committee; Strategic Initiatives Committee; Public and Military Affairs Committee; and the Task Force on Pricing, Flexibility, and Affordability.

Beyond student advocacy efforts, Ray serves as the treasurer for the Daily Tar Heel’s board of directors, works on the UNC Asian American Center Campaign, and is a certified mental health first aid instructor. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in fall 2021.

Ray loves photography, trying new foods, and going for walks throughout campus. After graduation, he plans to take a gap year to travel before pursuing a joint JD/MBA degree.

Видео University Governance 101 канала Morehead-Cain