N.C. alone in college hiring secrecy

It should be noted that former Vice-President for Academic Affairs Arnold Cooper accepted an administrative position at the University of North Carolina in early 2006, and former Community and Technical College President Ervin V. Griffin became president at Halifax Community College in Weldon, N.C. in December 2006. Also, Valentine James, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Studies at Fayetteville State University, and Aaron Horne, a retired dean of students at Winston-Salem State University, are candidates for State's academic affairs VP, which has been vacant since Cooper's departure.

By Corey G. Johnson, staff writer

Fayetteville, N.C.- North Carolina is the only state in the nation that selects the top leaders of all its public universities in secret.

In 49 other states, the names of the finalists for university president or chancellor positions are made public, a Fayetteville Observer study shows. Six states release the names of all applicants.

A few states have no single governing policy, according to the survey of 118 university systems or individual schools. Some universities in those states close the process, but at least one school or university system in every state, except North Carolina, selects leaders in public.

For more on this article, go to the Fayetteville Observer.