The William Edward Moran Records span from 1979 to 1994, the years he served as chancellor of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The records document nearly all aspects of university activities during the 1980s and 1990s, from academic programs, departments, and admissions, to student activities, such as the Student Government Association, the campus radio station and the student newspaper. Administration, budgeting and finance, personnel and salaries, and Moran's interactions with various campus committees are all included, and demonstrate the management style and activities of the chancellor.

Moran's tenure was a time of growth for the university, both in terms of enrollment and physical plant. The growth is documented through records concerning campus buildings, planning, campus design, and capital improvements. Records on intercollegiate athletics document the university's admission into NCAA Division I, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in 1986.

The increasing level of government regulation in education is seen in the documentation of interaction with various federal (Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and state agencies. Of particular interest are the records concerning the 1981 consent decree between the federal government and the University of North Carolina system on the issue of desegregation and minority recruitment of students and faculty. This decree impacted UNCG in particular due to its close proximity to another member institution, North Carolina A&T State University, which was a historically-black campus.

Community involvement by Moran and the university is noted in files on the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews, among others.