116-7. General provisions concerning members of the Board of Governors.

(a) All members of the Board of Governors shall be selected for their interest in, and their ability to contribute to the fulfillment of, the purposes of the Board of Governors, and all members shall be deemed members-at-large, charged with the responsibility of serving the best interests of the whole State. In electing members, the objective shall be to obtain the services of the citizens of the State who are qualified by training and experience to administer the affairs of The University of North Carolina. Members shall be selected based upon their ability to further the educational mission of The University through their knowledge and understanding of the educational needs and desires of all the State's citizens, and their economic, geographic, political, racial, gender, and ethnic diversity.

(b) No member of the General Assembly or officer or employee of the State, The University of North Carolina, or any constituent institution may be a member of the Board of Governors. No spouse of a member of the General Assembly, or of an officer or employee of The University of North Carolina, or of any constituent institution may be a member of the Board of Governors. Any member of the Board of Governors who is elected or appointed to the General Assembly or who becomes an officer or employee of the State or of any constituent institution or whose spouse is elected or appointed to the General Assembly or becomes an officer or employee of The University of North Carolina or of any constituent institution shall be deemed thereupon to resign from his membership on the Board of Governors.

(b1) Upon receipt of a referral from the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement in accordance with G.S. 163A-156(m) concerning a member of the Board of Governors, the principal clerk of the house of the General Assembly receiving the referral shall immediately refer the matter to the appropriate education committee of that house. That committee may recommend to that house a resolution providing for the removal of the Board member. If the committee's proposed resolution is adopted by a majority of the members present and voting of that house, the public servant shall be removed and the seat previously held by that Board member becomes vacant.

(c) Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the elected membership of the Board of Governors, it shall be the duty of the Board to inform the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate of the vacancy. The chamber that originally elected the vacating member shall elect a person to fill the vacancy. The vacancy shall remain unfilled until the appropriate chamber of the General Assembly elects a person to fill the vacancy.

The vacancy shall be filled not later than the adjournment sine die of the next regular session of the General Assembly. The election shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term. Whenever a member shall fail, for any reason other than ill health or service in the interest of the State or nation, to be present for four successive regular meetings of the Board, his place as a member shall be deemed vacant.