Interim UNC-Asheville Chancellor: Let's Build 'Thoughtforce' Just As Much As Workforce

Commencement ceremonies take place this Saturday on the campus of UNC-Asheville. The school's interim chancellor Joe Urgo says this year's graduating class is the largest in recent memory, while the incoming class of freshman this fall is the largest in school history. Urgo sat down with BPR's Matt Bush to discuss news at the school, including the search for a full-time chancellor (expect something by the end of May). Urgo also discussed something he spoke about at a recent appearance in Western North Carolina by Margaret Spellings, the president of the University of North Carolina System - his desire to see higher education build the "thoughtforce" as much as it does the workforce. Urgo says there are a lot of intractable problems in the world right now - specifically noting climate change and racial inequity - and that the thinking that created those problems will not fix them. As the UNC-System's liberal arts university, Urgo believes UNC-Asheville is in a unique spot to do this. Urgo also discussed several initiatives and programs the university is undertaking to build a more diverse student body.