Overview of University of North Carolina UNCG M.S. and Ph.D. Nanoscience authorizations
HBU North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) and HWWU University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG) submitted Joint NCAT/UNCG Requests to Establish Masters (date  01.29.09) and Ph.D. (date 12.15.08) interdisciplinary Nanoscience degrees pursuant  a  JSNN Management Agreement  ( March 03, 2008) a formal agreement to offer a program of study required by UNC policy for  interdisciplinary degrees,  Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation which called for joint Nanoscience degrees.  The Erskine Bowles- UNC-General Administration (UNC-GA) referencing a document titled Joint Program Reporting Requirements dated 12/1/08 informed NCA&T and the UNCG the original Memorandum Agreement between the two institutions...is contrary to methods now recommended by General Administration.  As such, the Memorandum (Management Agreement) from March 3, 2008 needs to be revised, updated, and reapproved, tabling without consideration by BOG NCAT/UNCG Request’s to Establish Joint Masters (dated 01.29.09) and PhD (dated 12.15.08) interdisciplinary Nanoscience degrees.  The UNC-BOG  subsequently  authorized  stand alone  Masters ( dated Nov. 2009) and PhD ( dated Jan. 2010) interdisciplinary Nanoscience  degrees at  UNC-G non-compliant with UNC Guidelines for Academic Program Development and Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation pertaining  to  Interdisciplinary Degree programs   which says “ If more than one campus is involved in offering the program it would also be a joint degree.”  based on a UNC-GA  revised, updated, and reapproved  Amended and Restated Management Agreement  ( April 24, 2008) which said UNCG would offer Nanoscience degrees and NCA&T would offer Nanoengineering degrees.  The M.S. and Ph,D. degree authorizations were based on an unsigned  alleged UNCG revised request” to establish a Professional Masters in Nanoscience  created and submitted by Dr. James Ryan, an UNCG & NC A&T employee who may have acted outside the scope of his employment,   to   Dr. James Sadler Associate Vice President for Academic Planning (GA)  that was placed in the discipline file. Summaries from the Rynan document was taken to BOG by the Bowles-UNC-GA. with recommendations to establish at UNCG stand -alone M.S. and Ph.D. in Nanoscience, non-compliant with UNC Policy.  Repeated request to UNCG to responded to whether Dean Ryan was acting with-in the scope of his employment in the creation and submission of document to Dr. Sadler have not been responded to.

UNCG Trustee Chairman Randall Kaplan briefed the board, Nov. 2009, he had a very good meeting with President Erskine Bowles for the purpose of placing urgency on the approval of UNCG’s degrees related to the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, etc. Kaplan commented he also met with Steve Bowden - a member of UNC-BOG & former board member at Greensboro Partnership - regarding our priorities related to the new degrees . The Greensboro Partnership was formed in 2005 from the merger of Greensboro Economic Development Alliance, Action Greensboro, and the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.   Joining Bowden with Greensboro

BOG subsequently authorized stand-alone M.S. and Ph.D. interdisciplinary Nanoscience degrees at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG) described as a historical white women Liberal Arts University based on an unsigned purported UNCG Revised proposal, created by Dr. James Ryan - an UNCG & NCA&T employee who may have acted outside the scope of his employment- that was submitted to the Dr. James Sadler (GA).  Non-compliant with UNC Guidelines for Academic Program Development (B). summaries of the Ryan proposal containing Bowles GA recommendations to establish M.S. and Ph.D. Nanoscience degrees at UNCG were submitted to the BOG.  BOG authorized UNCG M.S. and Ph.D. Nanoscience degrees incorporated provisions Nanoengineering degrees will be awarded by NCA&T and Nanoscience degrees will be awarded by UNCG which doesn’t comply with Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation pertaining to Interdisciplinary Degree programs “ if  more than one campus is involved in offering the program it would also be a joint degree.”  Excluding NCA&T from offering Nanoscience degrees and may deprive it of enrollment growth funding, degree credit, and benefit of prior appropriations for Nanoscience faculty, etc.  While allowing cross town HWU UNCG to use NCA&T’s curriculum, research, faculty,  to establish competitive Nanoscience program at UNCG.

UNC Guidelines for Academic Program Development subsection (B). Academic Program Development Requiring Authorization or Action Beyond the Campus Level, states:

The chancellors of the constituent institutions shall communicate to General Administration of the University their intentions with respect to instructional program development:

1. Notification of intent to plan a new undergraduate or master's program
2.  Request for authorization to plan a new degree program at the doctoral or first   professional level.
3. Request for authorization to establish a new degree program.

UNC Policy Manual 400.1.1,1[G] amended 05/06/09 http://www.northcarolina.edu/aa_planning/degrees/index.htm

Checking UNC-BOG website (northcarolina.edu) Nanoscience Discipline file it lacks  documentation supporting authorizations of MS and PhD at UNCG required by Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation (B) which prompted this investigative report into the authorizations of MS and PhD in Nanoscience at Liberal Arts UNCG.  Examining the Nanoscience discipline files   http://www.northcarolina.edu/dpanels_archive/index.php (CIP 40.9999):

1.      The discipline  file lacked an UNCG Notification to plan a master’s in Nanoscience,

2.      The discipline file contained an unsigned “Revised UNCG Request to Establish a Master’s in Nanoscience,

3.      The discipline file lacked an UNCG Request to plan a PhD in Nanoscience

4.      The discipline file lacked an UNCG Request to Established a PhD in Nanoscience

which prompted this investigation.

Early in the investigation of lack of supporting documentation for UNCG Nanoscience degree authorizations Dr. James Sadler Associate Vice President for Academic Planning University of North Carolina put forth a chronology of authorizations (e-mail (08/04/2010).  In part:

October 7, 2009
Dean Ryan was told that UNCG needed to submit a revised request to establish.  Both the original and the revised requests are available at this site: http://www.northcarolina.edu/dpanels_archive/index.php.  Emphasis added

November 13, 2009
UNC Board of Governors authorizes the UNCG MS in Nanoscience based on the revised request submitted.  The summary that went to the Board can be viewed in the Planning Committee pre-meeting materials at this location: https://www.northcarolina.edu/bog/index.php.  Emphasis added

December 9, 2009
UNC Graduate Council recommends authorization of the joint PhD.   Emphasis added

January 8, 2010
UNC Board of Governors authorizes the UNCG PhD in Nanoscience based on the revised request submitted.  The summary that went to the Board can be viewed in the Planning Committee pre-meeting materials at this location: https://www.northcarolina.edu/bog/index.php.  Emphasis added

Public Record requests to Dr. David H. Perrin and Dr. James Ryan revealed Dr. James Ryan,  an UNCG& NCA&T employee, created a PDF titled Nano_master's_degree_proposal_-_Revised_10-9-09.pdf and submitted it to Dr. James Sadler Associate Vice President for Academic Planning University of North Carolina dated two days after a Videoconference panel discussion of the proposed M.S. in Nanoscience, Oct. 7, 09.   Dr. Ryan’s Nano_master's_degree_proposal_-_Revised_10-9-09.pdf  the same/similar to the UNCG Revised Proposal in the Master of Science in Nanoscience (MS) discipline file at www.northcarolina.edu.

From: James C. Sadler
Date: Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 10:07 AM
Subject: Re: Revised version of the Request to Establish the Professional Master of Science in Nanoscience degree program
To: James Ryan CC dhprrin, JCPETER,  altont, kmurray

Thanks Jim, I’ll confer with Alan about the Ph.D. and whether anything it needed.  Jim Sadler

               James Ryan wrote:

I have attached a revised version of the Request to Establish for the Professional Master of Science in Nanoscience. I have included the most recent update of the JSNN Management Agreement as well as revised figures on enrollment. I have also provided additional explanation to address questions that were asked during the disciplinary committee review on Wednesday. Please review and let me know if additional information or clarification is needed. Also, similar revisions are needed for the Request to Establish the Ph.D. in Nanoscience. Should I send the latest version of that document to you as well?   Thank you.   Jim

Nanoscience degrees are interdisciplinary subject to additional requirements under Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation:  Interdisciplinary Degree program:

 HBCU North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) and HWWU University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG) submitted Joint NCAT/UNCG Requests to Establish Masters, dated 01.29.09, and Ph.D. , dated 2.15.08,  interdisciplinary Nanoscience degrees based in  a  JSNN Management Agreement  ( March 03, 2008) a formal agreement to offer a program of study required by UNC policy for  interdisciplinary degrees,  Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation in which Nanoscience Master’s and PhD degrees would be joint.  The Erskine Bowles- UNC-General Administration (GA) referencing a document titled Joint Program Reporting Requirements dated 12/1/08 informed NCA&T and the UNCG the original Memorandum Agreement between the two institutions...is contrary to methods now recommended by General Administration.  As such, the Memorandum (Management Agreement) from March 3, 2008 needs to be revised, updated, and reapproved, tabling without consideration by BOG NCAT/UNCG Request’s to Establish Joint Masters and PhD interdisciplinary Nanoscience degrees.   Pursuant NC Public records laws the Joint Program Reporting Official Rules and Procedures were requested "To the best of my knowledge, there is no such document." said, Ms. Joni Worthington Vice President for Communications UNC-GA (E-mail 10.08.10)

“Steve has managed the discussion with A&T's and UNCG's provost and the dean of the JSNN so that all issues have been resolved." said Dr. Harold Martin, Sr. (April 9, 2009).   Notwithstanding the dictates of UNC Policy on Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation Interdisciplinary degrees involving two or more campuses being joint degrees the Bowles-UNC-GA managed revised, updated, and re-approved JSNN Management Agreement (April 24, 2009)  excluded HBU NCA&T from joint interdisciplinary Nanoscience degrees with an organization principle Nanoscience degrees will be awarded by UNCG and Nanoengineering degrees will be awarded by NCA&T, an operating principle adopted in the BOG established in the stand -alone M.S. and Ph.D. in Nanoscience at UNCG. 

The BOG authorized Masters ( Nov. 2009) and PhD (Jan. 2010) interdisciplinary Nanoscience degrees at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG)  and in Jan. 2011 authorized a MS interdisciplinary  Nanoengineering at NC A&T at Gateway Research Park which also didn’t follow Guidelines for Academic Program Development subsection (B.)  

UNC Guidelines for Academic Program Development subsection (B). Academic Program Development Requiring Authorization or Action Beyond the Campus Level, says:

The chancellors of the constituent institutions shall communicate to General Administration of the University their intentions with respect to instructional program development:

1. Notification of intent to plan a new undergraduate or master's program
2.  Request for authorization to plan a new degree program at the doctoral or first   professional level.
3. Request for authorization to establish a new degree program.

UNC Policy Manual 400.1.1,1[G] amended 05/06/09

The Chancellor doesn't sign "Requests to Establish" or "Requests to Plan".  Responded NCA&T Counsel Charles Waldrup for a Chancellor signed NC A&T Request to Establish a Masters in Nanoengineering because there wasn’t one in the discipline file.

The Tom Ross UNC-GA carried a request to Plan a MS to the Board of Governors which wasn’t compliant with UNC Guidelines for Academic Program Development subsection (B)  which was authorized.

The BOG authorize a M.S. in Nanoengineering at NCA&T Feb. 2011 subsequent to the UNCG Nanoscience authorizations with the same/similar intended audience (A) and objectives (B) potential creating the constitutional ban dual education program -  HWU UNCG Nanoscience (white) and HVU NCA&T Nanoengineering.  Did BOG Created dual system of Education: Nanoscience at HWWU UNCG and Nanoengineering at HBCU NCA&T  compare A&B:

    UNCG: A. Describe the proposed degree program (i.e., its nature, scope, and intended audience).

The Professional Master of Science in Nanoscience is designed for students with strong backgrounds in either science or engineering who seek additional specialized training to qualify them for positions in Nanoscience or nanotechnology development or manufacturing companies.

NCAT: A. Describe the proposed degree program (i.e., its nature, scope, and intended audience).

Master of Science in Nanoengineering is designed for students with strong backgrounds in either engineering or science who seek additional specialized education and training to qualify them for positions in the field of Nanoengineering or nanotechnology design, research and development, or manufacturing.

UNCG: B. List the educational objectives of the program.

The proposed Professional Master of Science in Nanoscience degree program’s objective is to produce graduates who are prepared to directly enter private enterprise activities in nanoscale commercialization, manufacturing and business.

NCAT: B. List the educational objectives of the program.

The proposed Professional Master of Science in Nanoscience degree program’s objective is to produce graduates who are prepared to directly enter private enterprise activities in nanoscale commercialization, manufacturing and business.

In that NCA&T’s foot print in Nanotechnology is more pronounced than HWU UNCG.  “The degree is in Nanoscience (and does not include nanoengineering), students will be given the opportunity to take relevant courses at the School of Engineering at North Carolina A&T University and will be able to work on collaborative projects with faculty in the School of Engineering.” [4]   How could NCA&T build a creditable distinctive competitive Nanoengineering program supporting UNCG Ph.D. Nanoscience access to its School of Engineering, faculty and research, etc - the foundation of any Nanoengineering program?   When almost all of the occupations affected by nanotechnology will require a B.S. in engineering other than white privilege why is Liberal Arts UNCG in the Nanoscience picture.   

The BOG maybe discriminating by excluding NCA&T from offering Nanoscience degrees  when UNCG Nanoscience degrees are predicated on the “students …  given the opportunity to take relevant courses at the School of Engineering at NCA&T and be able to work on collaborative projects with faculty in the School of Engineering”.[6]  which Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation, interdisciplinary  says if  more than one campus is involved in offering the program it would also be a joint degree,  facilitating  cross town HWU Liberal Arts UNCG use of HBU NCA&T’s faculty, curriculum, research, to establish competitive Nanoscience program at UNCG. The Billion dollars plus figure represent the amount of Federal research in play if the university found to have discriminated.