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Top UNC fundraiser resigns amid questions
By Dan Kane - dkane@newsobserver.com
Published in: Local/State
2010
News & Observer file photo
UNC player Tyler Hansbrough's
brother Greg Hansbrough(standing) and his mother Tami Wheat (right) cheer on the
team during UNC's 79-67 victory over Virginia in the quarterfinals of the ACC
Tournament in March 2010 in Greensboro.
CHAPEL HILL Matt Kupec,
a star quarterback for UNC-Chapel Hill who later returned to become its chief
fundraiser, resigned Sunday after an internal investigation showed he and
university fundraiser Tami Hansbrough appear to have
taken personal trips at the university’s expense, Chancellor Holden Thorp said
Monday.
Thorp said Kupec,
the vice chancellor for university advancement, offered his resignation Sunday
night after Thorp told Kupec a review of his travel
with Tami Hansbrough, the divorced mother of former
UNC star basketball player Tyler Hansbrough, showed
trips that did not appear to be university related. Thorp said those trips
appear to have included destinations where her other son, Ben Hansbrough, then a star basketball player at Notre Dame,
was playing, but Thorp did not say how many.
“Last night I told Matt what I had
been finding and I was going to have to do a thorough investigation of his
travel, and he offered his resignation,” Thorp said, adding he accepted it.
“It was difficult because Matt has
been such a great person for the university and has raised billions of dollars
for us,” Thorp added, “but I had to share with him what we had been finding and
it didn’t look good and that it’s likely that this sort of personally driven
travel was unacceptable, and we are going to need to do a pretty thorough
investigation of it.”
The personnel changes and internal
investigation involving the mother of one of UNC’s most popular basketball
players come amid a yearlong academic fraud investigation that also has ties to
athletics. But Thorp said he did not see the fundraising controversy as being
an athletics concern.
Hansbrough on leave
Thorp said Tami Hansbrough,
a major gifts officer who earns $95,000 annually, has been placed on
administrative leave as that investigation continues. Kupec
declined to be interviewed Monday night but released a statement confirming the
resignation. He did not provide details but thanked the university for his time
there. Hansbrough could not be reached.
The personnel changes give another
twist to Hansbrough’s unusual work history at
UNC-Chapel Hill. She was originally hired on Dec. 8, 2008, as a fundraiser for
the foundation that serves UNC-CH’s dental school.
At the time, her son Tyler, a
senior, was beginning his final season on the basketball team, a season that
would bring the university a national championship. Tyler Hansbrough
was named an All-America and now plays in the NBA.
Thorp confirmed that a dental
foundation audit later found that during that championship run, Tami Hansbrough had been traveling to cities in which Tyler Hansbrough was playing basketball. But Thorp said those
foundation-paid trips were legitimate because she was raising money for the
university, and UNC fans traveling to those games would have been good
candidates to make donations.
Compliance office reviews
Thorp said the university’s
compliance office reviewed information about the travel for compliance with
NCAA regulations.
The audit led to the exit of Hansbrough’s boss at the foundation, Brad Bodager, Thorp confirmed. Attempts to reach Bodager over the past few weeks have been unsuccessful.
In mid-2010, Kupec
sought to hire a fundraiser. By then, Kupec was in a
relationship with Hansbrough, Thorp said, and Thorp
had heard that she might be interested in the job. When Thorp learned that she
would be reporting to Kupec in the new job, Thorp
told Kupec he could not hire her because it would
violate the university’s nepotism policy since they were in a relationship.
The position disappeared and was
never filled. A short time later, another fundraising position surfaced, only
this time it reported to Winston Crisp, who is the vice chancellor for student
affairs. Thorp said he had supported the position being created.
After what Thorp said was a proper
job search with multiple candidates, Crisp hired Hansbrough
for the job. But Hansbrough traveled regularly with Kupec, who separated from his wife in October 2009. The
marriage ended two years later, Orange County records show.
The divorce papers indicate that Kupec had committed “marital misconduct” according to North
Carolina law. Kupec first joined the university as a
fundraiser in 1992 and became the vice chancellor for university advancement in
1995. He made a $349,800 annual salary.
Tami Hansbrough
is divorced from Tyler and Ben Hansbrough’s father.
Concerns about travel
Thorp said he began hearing concerns
regarding Kupec’s and Hansbrough’s
travel weeks ago and initiated an investigation.
The News & Observer sought to
obtain a copy of the dental foundation audit and related expense records four
weeks ago, but the foundation’s new director, Paul Gardner, said they were not
public record because the foundation is a nonprofit and not a public agency. He
forwarded The N&O’s request to UNC-CH’s legal department, which so far has
not provided information.
Past and current members of the
dental foundation either said they knew nothing about the audit or declined to
comment. But one board member, Dr. Bettie McKaig, a
Raleigh dentist, said Hansbrough had been a good
fundraiser for the foundation.
Last week, The N&O contacted
Thorp and asked him about the audit, Kupec’s
relationship with Hansbrough and how she got hired.
Thorp said he could not talk about the matter then, but called The N&O
early Monday evening and confirmed several details.
Kupec’s statement
Kupec said in his statement that “I have been privileged to have
worked with incredibly talented faculty, students, administrators and staff. I
have worked with gifted Chancellors. But most of all, I have been fortunate to
work with a score of passionate alumni and friends who love this University and
who have paved the way through their generosity to make Carolina a true gem.
“I will miss you all but in my heart
I will always be a part of the Carolina family.”
Kupec said he was proud to have led two major fundraising
campaigns – the $440 million Bicentennial Campaign for Carolina and the $2.38
billion raised during the Carolina First Campaign. Overall, he said, he raised
$4 billion for the university.
Kupec played quarterback for Carolina from 1976 through 1979 and
set or broke 19 passing records, according to his university biography.
Staff writer Amanda James
contributed to this report.
Kane:
919-829-4861
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UNC player Tyler Hansbrough's brother Greg Hansbrough(standing)
and his mother Tami Wheat (right) cheer on the team during UNC's 79-67 victory
over Virginia in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament Friday 3/10 in
Greensboro.
A fundraising position at UNC-Chapel Hill filled by Tami Hansbrough was the result of direct efforts by Matt Kupec, the university’s chief fundraiser who was also in a relationship with her, a top university administrator acknowledged in an interview Tuesday.
The $95,000-a-year job for Hansbrough was also funded by Kupec’s office, said Winston Crisp, the university’s vice chancellor for student affairs.
The job for Hansbrough, who is the mother of former UNC basketball star Tyler Hansbrough, is listed on organizational charts as being part of Crisp’s office – an arrangement approved by Crisp and UNC-CH Chancellor Holden Thorp that allowed the university to bypass concerns about the relationship and move Hansbrough into the job.
Tami Hansbrough is now on administrative leave, and Kupec abruptly resigned Sunday night. Thorp said Monday that university officials had found “personally driven travel” involving Kupec and Hansbrough that was “unacceptable.”
Four weeks ago, The News & Observer began seeking records related to the travel, but the university has not yet provided the records.
Kupec’s resignation has added to the string of embarrassing revelations at UNC-CH, which include a yearlong investigation into academic fraud involving athletes in the school’s Department of African and Afro-American Studies. Thorp recently turned to former Gov. Jim Martin to lead an independent probe, and the State Bureau of Investigation is also on the case.
Kupec’s relationship with Hansbrough raises questions about the mother of a basketball star getting two jobs at the university, and it has brought to light Tami Hansbrough’s past activities in Mississippi, where another of her sons was playing basketball in 2007.
A new gift officer
Kupec had initially established a new fundraising position in his own office, and Hansbrough expressed interest in it, Thorp said Monday. Thorp said he intervened when he learned of the possible hiring, citing his knowledge of the relationship and nepotism rules that would prevent Kupec from having Hansbrough work in his office.
In an interview, Thorp said he supported the ultimate arrangement of having Hansbrough work in the student affairs fundraising job – one that he said was the result of a wide search for a “gifts officer” who would raise money from parents.
Crisp said Tuesday that he did not immediately know how much money Hansbrough had raised for his office, but he said that she had performed well in the position.
Asked whether he had initiated the creation of the position, Crisp said: “It was a position that Vice Chancellor Matt Kupec and I talked about putting together jointly. Ultimately, the final hiring decision was mine.”
Asked to clarify, he said: “Matt came to me to propose that we work together on a major gift officer for parents. That was a position that I had been interested in for quite some time but had not had the ability to fund. But it was Matt who approached me with the initial conversation of having a major gift officer for parents of children.”
Crisp said that Hansbrough’s name never came up in the conversations about the new position. He said he did not believe that he had previously requested such a position in writing.
Hansbrough began the job on Valentine’s Day in 2011.
Lawsuit in Mississippi
Crisp said in the interview that Hansbrough’s hiring was the result of a search committee’s unanimous recommendation. He said he was unaware of any concerns about Hansbrough’s travel with Kupec until the chancellor spoke with Crisp late last week.
Kupec declined to comment Tuesday. Hansbrough could not be reached.
Thorp has said he learned from Kupec sometime in the fall of 2009 that Kupec and Hansbrough, a former Miss Missouri, were in a relationship.
Around that time, records show, both Kupec and Hansbrough were also in the midst of court actions involving allegations of affairs.
In September 2009, Hansbrough was sued in Mississippi by a woman who alleged that Hansbrough broke up her marriage.
In October 2009, Kupec separated from his wife with the intent to divorce, records show. His wife alleged “marital misconduct” in court papers, but the documents do not detail further allegations.
Two UNC jobs
Tami Hansbrough, who was divorced, had moved from Missouri to live near Mississippi State University, where her son Ben played basketball in 2007.
Lisa Fritz alleged in court documents that beginning in 2007, Hansbrough had seduced Fritz’s husband, leading to his separation from her in early 2008 and then divorce. Fritz, who could not be reached Tuesday, alleged emotional distress and sought damages.
By the middle of 2008, Ben Hansbrough transferred to Notre Dame, and Tami Hansbrough has said she started looking to be closer to Tyler in Chapel Hill as he began his senior season with the Tar Heels.
She was first hired for a fundraising job in the UNC-CH dentistry school’s foundation in December 2008, records show.
The university’s announcement at the time said Tami Hansbrough “has led marketing efforts related to medical organizations and outreach – including her leadership of a woman’s health fair in her former state of Missouri.”
The news release did not mention that she lived more recently in Mississippi or detail any work history there.
Tami Hansbrough said at the time that the athletics department was not involved in her hiring.
The bankruptcy case
As the court action brought by Fritz against her was pending, Hansbrough filed for bankruptcy in December 2009, at first listing assets of $28,126 and liabilities of $47,161. Her salary was about $82,000 per year.
She later amended court records to reflect a possible liability to Fritz of $1 million because of Fritz’s claim.
The dispute between Fritz and Hansbrough was dismissed by both as Hansbrough’s bankruptcy process wrapped up.
“Well, Ms. Hansbrough filed for bankruptcy, and that claim got pulled into bankruptcy, and that was pretty much the end of it,” said Fritz’s lawyer, R.H. “Bo” Burress III of Booneville, Miss.
Notre Dame games
Thorp said an initial review of records suggested that Hansbrough and Kupec were traveling to places where Ben Hansbrough was playing for Notre Dame, trips that would not be related to UNC business.
He has not disclosed more.
Crisp said Tuesday that he was also aware of Hansbrough’s relationship with Kupec and that he knew they had traveled together. But he viewed her as a great fit for a job that would require interaction with parents.
He said he could not say whether Kupec had Hansbrough in mind for the position all along.
“You know, I can’t begin to tell you that I know what Vice Chancellor Kupec’s motivations were or were not at this stage,” Crisp said. “What I can tell you is that there were absolutely legitimate reasons for us to create the position, and I can tell you that, without regard for what his motivations may or may not have been, it was a standard, independent, wide-open, full search that I have every confidence in how it operated.
“Without regard to what Matt may or may not have been doing, Tami emerged as the appropriate candidate outright.”
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Tami Hansbrough, Student Affairs, at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tami Hansbrough, the mother of former basketball star Tyler Hansbrough, resigned her position as a fundraiser at UNC-Chapel Hill on Wednesday as officials studied a range of trips she took with chief fundraiser Matt Kupec.
Kupec, who resigned Sunday amid questions about the travel, was in a relationship with Tami Hansbrough. Hansbrough had been on administrative leave.
“Tamara Hansbrough has resigned her position as a major gifts officer, effective immediately, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” according to a short news release from the university late Wednesday.
The News & Observer has confirmed that university officials are studying at least six trips taken by Kupec and Hansbrough that coincided with basketball games for Hansbrough’s son, Ben, while he was a star player at Notre Dame.
UNC officials have not provided any further details about travel at university expense that Chancellor Holden Thorp has said in an interview was unacceptable. UNC has not provided any records about the trips, including costs to the university, whether Kupec and Hansbrough reimbursed the university, and other details.
“We are in the preliminary stages of our review,” said Regina Stabile, a university lawyer.
In response to questions from The N&O, Karen Moon, director of news services at UNC, confirmed that Kupec and Hansbrough traveled together to:
• Louisville, Ky., in December 2010, when Notre Dame played Kentucky in a nationally televised game at Louisville’s Freedom Hall.
• New York City in January 2011, when Notre Dame played St. John’s in Madison Square Garden.
• Tampa, Fla., in February 2011, when Notre Dame played at the University of South Florida in Tampa’s Sun Dome.
• Morgantown, W.Va., in February 2011, when Notre Dame played at West Virginia.
• Hartford, Conn., in March 2011, when Notre Dame played at Connecticut.
• New York City in March 2011, when Notre Dame played in the Big East Conference basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Ben Hansbrough’s final college season was 2010-2011. He was named the Big East player of the year in March 2011 and was Notre Dame’s leading scorer.
It would not be unusual for university fundraisers to travel where the school’s sports teams are playing as part of meeting with alumni and cultivating donors. UNC’s basketball team was not playing in those locations at the times Kupec and Hansbrough were there.
It is possible that Kupec or Hansbrough also met with UNC donors while attending the Notre Dame basketball games. But Thorp has said the information he has reviewed shows “personally driven” travel.
Kupec has declined comment. Hansbrough could not be reached Wednesday.
Twenty-five trips together
The resignations of Kupec and Hansbrough have added to a string of embarrassments at the university, including NCAA sanctions against the football team and an ongoing investigation into academic fraud involving student athletes in UNC’s Department of African and Afro-American Studies.
Thorp has said he stopped Kupec from hiring Hansbrough in 2010 as a fundraiser in Kupec’s office because he knew the two were in a relationship. By the next year, however, Kupec had funded a position in the university’s division of student affairs. Hansbrough was hired for that job after what Winston Crisp, the vice chancellor for student affairs, has described as an “independent, wide-open, full search.”
Crisp has said he was also aware of the relationship between Hansbrough and Kupec and knew that the two would travel together to events. He said he was unaware until recently of questions about the validity of their travel.
The N&O confirmed that Hansbrough and Kupec traveled together at least 25 times since May 2010. Those trips included two nights on the Outer Banks over the July Fourth weekend in 2010, a fall trip to Asheville that year, several nights in Montana in 2011, and a trip to Naples, Fla., in 2012.
Moon confirmed that Kupec and Tami Hansbrough were in Charlotte in 2011 and Memphis, Tenn., in 2012. Those trips coincided with NBA games for Tyler Hansbrough, who now plays for the Indiana Pacers.
She said it’s not clear whether all of the travel was inappropriate.
“It’s important to point out that we are conducting an audit to determine the legitimacy of the travel,” Moon said Wednesday in an email message before Tami Hansbrough’s resignation was announced.
Editor's note: Reader comments have been disabled on this story because of numerous violations of our comment policy.
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Matt Kupec was a golden boy when he played football, quarterback no less, for UNC-Chapel Hill in the
late 1970s. And he was having a stellar career post-football as a vice
chancellor for his alma mater, serving as chief fund-raiser.
So how could he lose his judgment so spectacularly? According to interviews with Chancellor Holden Thorp, Kupec and Tami Hansbrough, who is the mother of former UNC basketball star Tyler Hansbrough, took trips at the university’s expense that included talking with donors but also appear to have included destinations where another of Tami Hansbrough’s sons, Ben, was playing basketball for Notre Dame.
Tami Hansbrough was employed in 2008 as a fund-raiser by a foundation that serves UNC-CH’s dental school, as her son Tyler, who might have gone pro, was starting his senior season in Chapel Hill. Later on, in 2010, Kupec wanted to hire her as a fundraiser working for him, but was properly discouraged from that by Thorp, who had heard the two were involved.
Another job
Lo and behold, Tami Hansbrough did land a job in 2010 working under another vice chancellor, Winston Crisp, who offered her a brand new job, funded with money Kupec got from his budget. (Hansbrough makes $95,000 a year.) Amazingly, Thorp went along.
But after the chancellor recently told Kupec that an investigation of his travels with Hansbrough on the university’s tab warranted investigation, Kupec resigned. On Wednesday, Hansbrough also resigned.
In confronting Kupec about his travel arrangements, Thorp did the right thing. But there are so many instances of bad judgment here that one almost needs ... as they might say at a football game ... a program.
First, Kupec never should have been involved in either trying to hire Tami Hansbrough himself or helping her land another job, if he did. How could he think this behavior would be acceptable?
Did he really think that the university ought to pay for him and his companion to take trips that were at least partially personal? His salary of nearly $350,000 should have covered it.
Just oblivious
Going back to 2008, did other university officials think it was perfectly OK to move to hire the mother of a star basketball player at a time when the player was starting his senior season after presumably considering turning pro? Even if Tyler Hansbrough’s decision was made before the hiring or was entirely unaffected by it, the appearance of it might well be interpreted by cynics as UNC-CH taking care of someone in a player’s family. Bad judgment is putting it mildly.
Including the judgment of Thorp. The chancellor says he told Kupec that Hansbrough couldn’t work directly for him. Fine. But then, Thorp said he thought it was OK if Tami Hansbrough went to work for another vice chancellor in a new position that Kupec helped engineer. (Thorp says there was a proper job search.)
And another thing: One factor that brought all this to The N&O’s attention was an audit of the foundation helping the dental school, an audit that led to the resignation of the head of that foundation, who had been Tami Hansbrough’s boss.
The N&O has been trying to obtain a copy of the dental foundation audit and related expense records, but has been told by foundation officials that those things are not public records.
If they’re connected to a public university’s dental school and its fundraising, then they are public records and university and foundation officials only deepen suspicions when they try to claim otherwise. Thorp should support the release of the records immediately.
With a scandal in the football program that resulted in a coach’s dismissal and fraud investigations involving the African studies curriculum, Thorp should now understand the necessity of public disclosure and candor.
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UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp flew multiple times on private
planes with former UNC fundraisers Matt Kupec and
Tami Hansbrough, trips that university records show
took place after Thorp stopped Kupec from hiring Hansbrough because the two were dating.
Thorp said Monday he didn’t question their travel at the time, even though Kupec, the chief fundraiser as vice chancellor for advancement, rarely flew with any of many other fundraisers at the university who had higher-ranking jobs than Hansbrough. Thorp said vice chancellors such as Kupec are in charge of their own travel.
The flights Thorp took with the couple weren’t the only red flag he missed in a controversy that led to resignations by Kupec and Hansbrough last week and contributed to Thorp’s resignation on Monday, effective at the end of the academic year.
Thorp has said he knew that Kupec and Hansbrough, the mother of former star player Tyler Hansbrough, were in a relationship since at least the fall of 2009. That knowledge, Thorp said, prompted him to quash efforts by Kupec in 2010 to create a fundraising position in Kupec’s office that seemed to be lined up for Hansbrough, who was then working for the dental school’s foundation.
Hansbrough eventually began work as a fundraiser in the university’s division of student affairs at a salary of $95,000. The News & Observer reported last week that the position’s creation was initiated by Kupec and that Kupec’s office also funded it. Hansbrough began that new job in February 2011 after working for the dental foundation from December 2008 to January 2011.
Thorp has said he was OK with the arrangement. It doesn’t appear that, until recently, he gave the matter any other oversight.
Flights on private planes
Records examined by The N&O show that Kupec and Hansbrough began traveling together aboard commercial and private planes in May 2010, while Hansbrough was still working for the dental foundation.
Their destinations would total at least 20 cities over two years.
Most of the flights taken by Kupec and Hansbrough together were on private planes operated by a university-affiliated entity called Medical Air Inc., now based at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Before last year, the planes were based in Chapel Hill.
The primary mission of Medical Air is to ferry university doctors to rural parts of North Carolina to treat residents who cannot otherwise get high-quality medical care or to train doctors in those areas.
The planes are available on a limited basis for other state uses, including fundraising, athletics and for chancellors, according to Medical Air officials. They said medical flights take priority over others.
A review of Medical Air flight records indicates that Kupec traveled with Hansbrough more than anyone else, including Thorp or any of several fundraising officials who work with Kupec in the university’s advancement office.
The records also show that Kupec and Hansbrough flew on Medical Air planes at least three times to places where Hansbrough’s son, Ben, was playing basketball for Notre Dame. The university’s development office paid $5,220 to Medical Air Inc. for the use of the private planes for those trips, which were to Louisville, Ky.; New York; and Morgantown, W.Va.
The flight times correlated to the Notre Dame game schedule. For example, the two flew on a Medical Air plane to New York on Jan. 16, 2011, arriving at 10:22 a.m. Notre Dame played St. John’s University at Madison Square Garden that day at noon. The plane took off for Chapel Hill at 3:38 p.m., according to the flight manifest.
At least three other times, Kupec and Hansbrough took commercial flights that coincided with Notre Dame games, according to records and university officials.
Help getting home
Basketball flights weren’t the only ones the two took.
The records show that Kupec flew with Hansbrough to Kill Devil Hills; Charlotte; Greenville; Charlottesville, Va.; Asheville; Nashville, Tenn.; Wilmington; and Montana, among other places.
It is not clear why – other than their relationship – Kupec traveled with Hansbrough on all those trips instead of with other major gifts officers who work on the university’s advancement efforts.
According to the flight manifests, Kupec flew on Medical Air planes only one time each with the university’s director of major gifts or the director of corporate and foundation gifts. He flew with four other gifts staffers once each, according to the manifests. In all, the university lists about 40 staffers whose job is to help raise money.
The purpose of the trips Kupec took with Hansbrough isn’t clear, though some correlate to university gatherings that would be fundraising opportunities or appear to be related to a meeting with a possible donor.
The Montana trip is an example.
Kupec and Hansbrough flew to Montana on a roundtrip commercial flight on July 21 last year, a Thursday, with a return scheduled for July 25, a Monday. But something happened, and they wanted to change plans, according to an email message at the time. Kupec’s assistant wrote to Medical Air officials that week to request a private plane for part of the return trip home.
“Matt and Tami will be returning from a donor visit from Montana,” the assistant wrote. “There are some issues going on in the office so need to be back on Sunday. Flights are limited from Chicago to RDU.”
It was not clear whether it was Kupec’s office or Hansbrough’s office that had issues.
Based on that email message, a Medical Air plane went to Chicago on July 24 and brought the two back, arriving in Chapel Hill at 10 p.m. The university’s development office paid $4,059 for that trip, according to invoices and Medical Air Inc.
University officials have not provided detailed records or other information about any of the flights and billings, including reimbursement information or supporting material related to the purpose of the trip. They have cited an ongoing internal audit that is trying to determine whether any flights were inappropriate.
Kupec has declined to comment. The N&O has been unable to reach Hansbrough.
NYC with the chancellor
The Medical Air flight manifests show that Thorp was aboard planes with Kupec and Hansbrough in April, June and December of 2011 and then again in March 2012, which was the last time Kupec and Hansbrough were together on a Medical Air plane.
All their flights with Thorp were going to or coming from New York. On two flights, Thorp’s wife, Patti, joined them as the only other passenger on board the six-seat, propeller-driven planes.
Thorp said Monday in an interview that at the time, he had no reason to question the travel by Kupec with Hansbrough.
“The trips we went on were university business,” Thorp said.
Still, Thorp has acknowledged in several recent interviews that questions did crop up – two months after that last flight together.
In May, during a regular personnel review of Kupec, a review committee raised questions about Kupec’s relationship with Hansbrough and their travel, Thorp said.
“Matt had his five-year review this spring,” Thorp said, “and at the end of that, there were concerns raised about Matt’s travel and about whether it was appropriate and whether it was sort of personally driven or professionally driven.”
Thorp said he asked Kupec about it at the time of the review and Kupec told him the travel was for university business. Thorp said he did not take any other action at that time.
The N&O began seeking travel information related to Hansbrough in mid-August, but had been denied before appealing directly to Thorp.
Thorp said he asked a university lawyer “in recent weeks” to gather information about Kupec’s travel.
After he looked at it, Thorp said he concluded that some travel was personally driven and ordered the deeper review by an auditor. Kupec, a former Tar Heel quarterback whose university work had helped raise $4 billion, resigned.
Thorp was questioned about all this behind closed doors by the UNC system Board of Governors and by his boss, system president Tom Ross, late last week. The content of those discussions has not been publicly disclosed and officials issued statements with varying degrees of support.
Ross told reporters on Friday that Thorp acted decisively on the travel issue. Board of Governors chairman Peter Hans said that while Thorp has done well on some measures, he “needs to be successful in clearing up some lingering issues on campus.”
Staff writers Jane Stancill and Dan Kane contributed to this report.