The SCiLL I Know

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | August 3, 2026 | Sarah Beth Syfrett

[karpov]

The School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL). At UNC, students hear this name in one of a few ways. One is “eww, that uber-conservative program that’s a waste of money and is trying to indoctrinate everyone.” A rare few respond with, “I haven’t heard of that.” But the vast majority just say, “oh…nice,” and immediately assume you’re a complete nerd.

In all fairness, the last one might not be completely off. Yet none of these opinions completely describe the SCiLL program. SCiLL itself is intended to help students learn how to critically engage in civil discourse with people on different sides of the political aisle. This is a valuable life skill that many students come out of college lacking. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found that at UNC, more than 50% of students self-censor at least several times a month. They also gave the university a failing grade for political tolerance. That’s where SCiLL comes in. Its role isn’t to indoctrinate or serve as a safe space, but to push all of us to engage respectfully with the hard questions and offer critically thought-out answers.

UNC is one of no fewer than 41 institutions across the country that have begun this type of civic education program, but it specifically has faced significant criticism in the process from student voices on campus. Most of the criticism is around the organization of the school itself, but all of it has left a very negative connotation attached to the program and classes. But normally, it just feels like people are complaining for the sake of complaining. After all, I speak from personal experience.

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TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: chapelhill; college; fire; nc; northcarolina; scill; unc