Former UNC Chancellor Carol Folt Will Be USC President

The UNC chancellor who recently left the school after championing the removal of a Confederate monument on campus has a new job.

The University of Southern California has selected Carol Folt to lead the school. Folt will become the first female president in USC's 139-year history.

According to a news release on USC's website, she will assume leadership of the university from interim President Wanda Austin, who also served on the Presidential Search Advisory Committee.

“Dr. Folt is a seasoned leader who has an excellent track record of listening to others,” Austin said. “She clearly understands the value of reaching out across campus, and for standing strong for the character and principles of a university's community. Her experience gives me great confidence that she will uphold a culture of integrity at USC.”

Folt became chancellor at UNC Chapel Hill in 2013 and led the school through high-profile controversies, including an athletic scandal and the removal of a Confederate monument known as “Silent Sam' on campus.

Her appointment at USC will also bring some challenges. The university is one of several schools implicated in a high-profile college admissions scandal.

Folt will take office as USC's new president on July 1.

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