Here is the latest, Thorp's message dated February 12, 2009: http://www.unc.edu/chan/chancellors/thorp_holden/090212-budget.php, and reproduced below. The study is to be conducted by "Bain & Company, a global business consulting firm" and "The UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation is funding the study, which is made possible through a restricted gift from a Carolina alumnus."
Some interesting research questions come up. Can we know how much this study is costing, who really funded it, and its particulars (e.g. can we see a copy of the proposal the firm wrote to get this job, and the contract with them? Is this all a matter of public record, and should people try to see it? One can infer from use of the word "restricted" that we may never know who is behind it. Should we?
