The University of North Carolina System adopted a policy to treat course syllabi as public records as of Jan. 15 and will require instructors to post searchable syllabi online beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. The change follows massive public‑records requests for course materials at several UNC campuses and inconsistent responses across the system. The policy mandates course descriptions, assessment methods and required materials be disclosed — but excludes instructor contact details — and requires a statement that inclusion of readings does not imply endorsement. President Peter Hans framed the policy as delivering consistent transparency after some campuses complied with outside requests while others cited intellectual property concerns. The move will affect faculty workflow, records management and legal compliance across 16 campuses; administrators will need to balance transparency obligations with faculty IP and pedagogical discretion.