UNC Asheville’s Toby King Named Chair of UNC System Faculty Assembly

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — September 17, 2026 — The University of North Carolina Asheville Associate Professor of Music Toby King was named as the new Chair of the UNC System Faculty Assembly. In his new role, King spoke at his first Board of Governors meeting today. A prestigious honor, King is one of only two members of the UNC Asheville faculty appointed to the leadership position. His tenure as Chair runs from 2026-2028.

“I’m proud to represent UNC Asheville and Western North Carolina as Chair of this important statewide body, as we work together to serve our students, our institutions, our community, and our state,” said King.  “We’ve had terrific leadership over the past few years, and I look forward to continuing that momentum.”

King succeeds Wade Maki, Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives at UNC Greensboro (UNCG) who has been in the role since 2022. A former lecturer of philosophy at UNCG, Maki advanced policy efforts such as updates to faculty workload and post-tenure review, the Foundation of American Democracy requirement, and a consensus definition of academic freedom.

Established in 1972 by UNC System President William Friday, the UNC Faculty Assembly is an advisory body on systemwide issues, serving the President, the UNC System Office, the Board of Governors, the North Carolina General Assembly, and UNC institutional faculty and administrative bodies.

In addition to formulating advice and counsel on issues impacting the UNC System, Faculty Assembly members frequently serve on working groups, policy committees, and personnel committees in partnership with the UNC System Office. The Faculty Assembly also nominates members of the general faculty to support UNC System initiatives.

Each of the 17 campuses of the University of North Carolina elects delegates to the Faculty Assembly according to guidelines on delegation size and composition given in the Charter. The Bylaws of the Faculty Assembly of the University of North Carolina (PDF) establish the procedures by which the Faculty Assembly operates and conducts its business.

About UNC Asheville

UNC Asheville is North Carolina’s public liberal arts and sciences university of the future, marked by technology-driven solutions, hands-on learning, a  student-centered focus and career and professional readiness. With award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and 60+ academic programs, including  a dual degree in Engineering/Mechatronics with NC State, the University provides free tuition and fees to eligible students through its Access Asheville program as well as merit scholarships to all first-year students. In the US News & World Report 2026  edition of Best Colleges, UNC Asheville is ranked No. #10 in Top Public Schools, and No. #12 in Princeton Review’s 2026 Top 50 Guide to Green Colleges. Known as the Bulldogs, UNC Asheville student-athletes compete in 16  NCAA Division I Teams in the Big South Conference. For more information, please  visit: unca.edu.