Gateway Research Park/ JSNN
 
n 2006-2007, with self declared" Greensboro Boy" Erskine Bowles, who held his inauguration at UNCG, as President of University of North Carolina, Greensboro Attorney Jim W. Phillips, Jr. Chairman of the Board of Governors, and Bowles appointed Interim Chancellor Hacker at the helm at A&T, the NC A&T/UNC-G Joint Millennium Campus Greensboro Center for Innovative Development was Jacked by the Board of Governors and renamed Gateway Research Park Inc.. "Gateway University Research Park, a joint millennial campus created by the Board of Governors (SB 1925).  Then BOG Chairman Jim Phillips, a political donor  to Bowles unsuccessful 2004 US Senate campaign and current UNC-BOG Chairwomen Hannah Gage are former and current Board members cited in Controversy Surrounds UNC Board of Governors Selections, Violations of state law occur in House, Senate nomination process ,  “The system of legislative selection we now have seems likely to fill the BOG with political supporters of the legislative leaders”. [12]  
Gateway Fact Sheet describes itself as an entity created to manage and operate a joint collaboration between NC A&T and UNC-G. The question is what collaboration? UNCG contributed no campus land or facilities to the Joint Millennial Campus (Gateway). NC A&T contributed 75 acres of former A&T farmland to the joint Millennial campus which became Gateway Research Park’s South Campus. Gateway ‘s North Campus was land and facilities that were formerly the Central School of the Deaf. Furthermore, In UNCG Requested For Authorization to Plan a Ph.D. in Pharmacy which university claimed would boost research in the region call for a building either on campus or downtown Greensboro and not the “Joint Millennial Campus – Gateway”. When the BOG authorized M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at UNCG what does it benefit NC A&T relegated to teaching the Nanoscience while UNC-G hands out the Nanoscience M.S. and Ph.D. degrees?

The NCAT/UNCG Joint Millennium Campus, Gateway Research Park, and Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology portrayed as a one of the most stimulating opportunities in the history of the area, a national model for collaboration between two institutions, one a Historically Black (NC A&T) institution with strong programs in basic sciences and engineering.  UNCG, white women's College of the UNC system, with a strong tradition in the liberal arts and considerable strength in bases sciences.   The UNC-System managed collaboration could pass for a former now constitutionally banned national model called slavery - "North Carolina like other southern states relied on slavery to build its economy … All for no pay"[1].  Consider the following:

·         Gateway Research Park the "Joint" Millennium Campus, a 75-acre parcel of land from the NCA&T State University Farm and 75-arce and nine buildings that was formerly the Central School for the Deaf in Greensboro, NC., is now part of UNCG main campus (http://ire.uncg.edu/pages/factbook/2009-10/PDFs/history/2009Profile.PDF)  non- compliant with the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) (3.1) “Universities agree to encourage and maintain the independence of Gateway” which is current in effect based on Public Records requests [2].

·     The "joint" Masters and PhD. Nanoscience degrees proposed at the “Joint” School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering became standalone Masters (Nov. 2009)  and PhD (Jan. 2010) Nanoscience degrees at UNCG which NC A&T is compel to supports.  The Masters and PhD in Nanoscience degrees authorized at UNCG didn’t comply with the UNC policy and procedures pertaining to Interdisciplinary degrees involving more than one campus and other key UNC Policy Manual 400.1.1,1[G]  provisions.  UNCG didn’t submitted stand alone Request to Established Masters and PhD degrees in Nanoscience instead the Bowles-UNC-GA created stand alone requests and may have acquired authorization for the degrees to UNCG by placing them on the consent agenda.

·     Gateway Research Park highlight as a Technology Focus “cutting-edge, scientific study--driven by the ongoing and continually changing research at NCA&T and UNCG financing.

Gateway acquired access to NC A&T research and intellectual property byway of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and JSNN Management agreement both of which the Bowles-UNC-GA had a visible or behind the scene hand in. (As directed by UNC General Administration, all University affiliated organizations meeting the appropriate defining criteria must have a signed MOU in place with the Universities –Gateway is listed as an Associated Entry of UNCG ) [3]

·      Gateway Research Park is listed as an Associated Entity of  UNC-Greensboro
 

Joint School of  Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
In May 2007 the University of North Carolina Board of Governors (BOG) approved a NCAT/UNCG Request to Establish the Joint School of Nanoscience and  Nanoengineering (JSNN) in-which North Carolina A&T (NC A&T) and University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNC-G) would offer joint degrees in M.S.  and PhD degrees in Nanoscience. The expressed JSNN mission statement was: 

·         The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering will be a unique, interdisciplinary school, located at the South Campus of the Gateway University Research Park.

·         To offer joint MS and PhD degrees in three academic areas of concentration, Nanobioscience, Nanobiotechnology and Environmental Nanoscience.

·         Each of the universities would be given credit for the number of graduate degrees awarded.

·         The joint Ph.D. program in Nanoscience would be submitted for approval following UNC System established procedures.

The University of North Carolina tabled Joint NCAT/UNCG  M.S. (dated  Nov. 21, 2008)  and PhD (dated Oct. 10th, 2008)  Nanoscience degree requests authorizing instead  alone  M.S. (11/12/09) and PhD (1/8/10) degrees in Nanoscience at UNC- Greensboro.  Degree less HBCU NC A&T  is  required to  supported the UNC-G degree  awards with classes in Nanostructure Materials  and Engineering applications, Microelectronics  Fabrication Technology,  and Thin  Film Technology for Device Fabrication, etc  which the  university is compel to offer through a  Management and Development Agreement signed with Gateway Research Park at the direction of the UNC General Administration when the degree programs were proposed  as a “joint” endeavor. The UNCG stand  alone M.S. and Ph.D. degree  authorizations are a 180 degree turn around from the joint M.S. and PhD degree concept  expressed in the BOG approved March  2007 "Request to Established Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN)" - a concept which has received funding approaching 85 million dollars  though the General assembly since its inception.
Dr. Priscilla P. Taylor said  “The request for master’s and doctoral degree programs will follow the ordinary approval process and will be separately considered by the committee.” - Chairwoman UNC-BOG COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONAL PLANNING, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS.  It didn't happen.  Un-ambitious is the fact that the UNCG PhD Nanoscience authorization “based on the revised request submitted” wasn’t pursuant  UNC Guidelines for Academic Program Development subsection (B) and Regulations for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation Interdisciplinary degrees. Nor following the ordinary approval process and separately considered by the committee as suggested by Dr. Priscilla P. Taylor. 
 
[12] Shannon Blosser, July 21, 2005 The Pope Center for Higher Education http://www.popecenter.org/clarion_call/article.html?id=1602  P63                                                           
 

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