John Charles “Jack” Boger, an alumnus and longtime professor at the University’s School of Law, has been tapped to become the school’s next dean.

On June 7, Chancellor James Moeser announced the choice of Boger, currently Wade Edwards distinguished professor of law and deputy director of the Center for Civil Rights at UNC. His appointment as the School of Law’s ninth dean, effective July 1, has been approved by the UNC Board of Trustees.

“Jack Boger brings the love of an alumnus, as well as the broad experiences of a 16-year faculty member and devoted civil rights champion to the deanship,” Moeser said. “He has demonstrated superb leadership skills and an admirable passion for public service that is such an important value to celebrate at a leading public university’s law school.”

Concurrent with Boger’s appointment as dean, the University has developed a new funding plan to enhance the school’s capacity to sustain and develop future excellence and world-class programs, Moeser said.

UNC’s commitment, totaling nearly $2 million in recurring funds, addresses the school’s need for resources. Details include the following:

 More than $1.3 million to increase the number of tenure-track faculty to 55, up from the current 45 that includes five vacant positions, over the next three to five years.

 $600,000 for staff positions to support faculty scholarship and teaching.

 $150,000 in recurring funding over the next two years to meet the financial aid needs of qualified students as the school prepares to bolster private fund-raising efforts to support this priority.

 Launching a study of future space needs to be completed by December 2006 with a University commitment to support law school expansion as needed.

After joining the school’s faculty in 1990, Boger actively participated in North Carolina’s school finance reform litigation, Leandro v. State, working with a team of lawyers on behalf of at-risk children. In 2002, he became deputy director of the UNC Center for Civil Rights.

A native of Concord, Boger was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Duke University in 1968 and earned a master of divinity degree from Yale University in 1971. Three years later, he received his law degree from UNC.

Boger has taught and lectured on education law since 1994 and has written frequently on school finance and school desegregation issues.

At UNC, he teaches constitutional law, education law, racial discrimination and poverty law.