Category: Education

Is it legal?  If so, where might it take the University?

Over the past few months The University of Louisville Board of Trustees has gone from 20 members to 20 sidelined members, to 3 “temporary” ones, and just last week to 13 possibly permanent members, 10 of whom were newly appointed by the Governor.  Although the sequence from dismissal to replacement was initiated by means of a questionable claim of illegal racial composition, none of the subsequent changes in Board powers or composition are authorized by existing Kentucky law controlling Board composition.  In its setting of a pending vote by the former Board of no confidence in President James Ramsey, the gutting and replacing of the Board can be reasonably interpreted as a way to protect the presidency of Dr. Ramsey, and to assert absolute control of the Board by the Governor.  I will suggest below that the method used for the recent appointment process and the fruits of its labor both reinforce these limited motivations. In my opinion, the outcome of the appointment process was never in doubt, and an attempt to legitimize the process through the Postsecondary Nominating Committee was a sham. Continue reading “New Board of Trustees at UofL.  A done deal?”

The curtain is rising on who the newest University of Louisville Board of Trustee members will be.  In a barely disguised attempt to legitimize the appointment process, the Governor’s office released a notice of the meeting of his Postsecondary Education Nominating Committee 12 hours before it was scheduled to be held this morning (June 28) in Frankfort. at 10:00 am.  That would give the members of the Committee who live at the far ends of the state barely enough time to make it to Frankfort even if they woke up early to drive.  Of course, some may participate by video link only. The public and press are likely not to have that privilege.

The concept of legitimacy stifles this process like a wet blanket. After declaring the UofL Board of last spring illegal, and demanding it take no significant action (except to grant degrees and raise tuition), the governor reconstructed the Postsecondary Nominating Committee in ways vastly different than demanded by existing law. What is supposed to be a multiply-diverse committee was turned into a white, male, and Republican entity.  I suppose the thinking must have been that two wrongs do make a right.  The whole principle of whether the Governor has an absolute right to do what he wants with existing boards and committees regardless of of existing law is currently in the hands of the Kentucky Supreme Court.  Governor Bevin appears to have chosen not to take a chance that the outcome of this judicial review will be against his plans– possibly following the strategy that it is better to act wrongly and ask for forgiveness later than to ask for permission and be refused. Continue reading “Governor Bevin Launches Appointment Process for New UofL Trustees.”

Is the long nightmare over, or has it just begun?  The blockbuster announcement yesterday by Governor Matt Bevin that University of Louisville President James Ramsey had “resigned” shook the Louisville and Kentucky communities. The issues surrounding beleaguered President Ramsey’s tenure had effectively left the University rudderless.  The possibility of change was received with relief by those wanting it, and surprisingly, accepted in concept by a few Ramsey supporters in the name of a clean sweep that included dismissal of the entire Board of Trustees of the University but which kept the UofL Foundation intact. However, as the executive orders that directed the dismissal of the Board and outlined the planned path forward were released for public examination, to some of us, no resignation was apparent and it appears likely that Dr. Ramsey will remain in place for the forceable future.  Illegal as it certainly is but including a Catch-22 paradox, any efforts to challenge Governor Bevin’s fait accompli may prolong indefinitely Dr. Ramsey’s presidencies of both University and Foundation.  Allow me to explain. Continue reading “UofL President Ramsey Steps Down– Or Does He?”