Category: Education

I was traveling out of the country the first part of this month.  When I returned, I expected, or more perhaps accurately hoped that some progress has been made in restoring the governance and oversight responsibilities of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees.  Unfortunately, last week the Board was forced to meet once again for “informational” purposes only.  Alas, as far as I am able to determine, nothing has come out of the Governor’s Office or the newly constituted Governor’s Postsecondary Education Nominating Committee indicating an intention to resolve in a timely manner the deadlock that has placed the Board in limbo.  I can find no required public notice that a meeting of the Nominating Committee has been scheduled.  An email inquiry yesterday morning to the Governor’s office has not been answered, nor was a phone message earlier in the month requesting notice of a date.

Based on what I have observed, I must assume Governor Bevin’s higher priority is to protect an embattled and increasingly desperate-appearing President James Ramsey.  By delaying the appointment of an African-American trustee further, Governor Bevin will have an opportunity to appoint a larger and controlling block of additional trustees as existing terms of office expire thus effecting political capture and control of the University.  Surely such a potential goal must not be perceived as delaying the resolution of a matter of social justice which is in my opinion now being used as an excuse to sideline the current Board of Trustees.  In my 36 years at the University, now is the worst possible time to allow the University to flap ineffectively in the breeze. Continue reading “No Progress in Reconstituting Functioning UofL Board of Trustees.”

The process of replacing a trustee who resigned to allow appointment of an additional racial minority to the Board of Trustees of the University of Louisville and replace a number of trustees whose regular terms in office are expiring is invalid on its face for exactly the same reasons that the UofL Board was neutered.  Governor Bevin has not filled the open position with a minority candidate.  Although my reading of the statute that controls gubernatorial appointments to our state Universities allows a Governor to fill unexpected vacancies without having to wait for nominees from the Governor’s Postsecondary Nominating Committee (Nominating Committee), the Governor has not explored that route but neither has he called for a meeting of the Nominating Committee to present him with names.  A sceptic like myself might wonder if he was stalling to further protect his coreligionist, embattled UofL President James Ramsey.  After all, it was by declaring the Board of Trustees was illegally constituted that Governor Bevin derailed an earlier attempted vote of no-confidence in Dr. Ramsey by the Board.  By failing to appoint a replacement trustee and failing to involve the Nominating Committee, the Governor now finds himself in the happy place of being able to replace or reappoint five of the seven-member Nominating Committee itself, thus shaping it to his own policy and preference. Continue reading “UofL Board of Trustees Deemed Powerless, Left Hanging by Governor.”

Many fewer supporters in undergraduate units.
Re-boot of reputation desired.

I attended the Wednesday meeting of the Faculty Senate of the University of Louisville where the most anticipated topic on the agenda was the upcoming vote of no confidence in the leadership of James Ramsey by the Board of Trustees.  At an earlier meeting, individual senators were asked to discuss with their fellow unit faculty how their representatives – and in particular their faculty appointee to the University Board of Trustees – should cast their official votes.  In summary, only 24% of the faculty whose votes were reported recommended that the faculty trustee oppose a vote of no-confidence.  Reciprocally, 64% overall recommended a vote of no confidence, and 11% abstained from giving an opinion..

The discussion of a vote of no confidence was originally planned for a closed session limited to only senators and from which from which both news media and other faculty were to be excluded.  Apparently because of objections from the American Association of University Professors and number of faculty members (including me), the discussion was held in public in front of at least three or four television cameras and an unknown number of reporters.  Approximately 50 of the 64 Senators were in attendance and about 28 guests also signed in.  In the time available, only senators were recognized to speak.  There is no doubt that the public nature of the discussion altered its conduct and content.  A few senators noted they were uncomfortable speaking before the cameras, and concerns about retaliation were in evidence.  Most senators present remained silent during general discussion.  Those that did speak were polite, respectful, and earnestly honest.  Most of their comments have been rather fully quoted elsewhere, some with video,  and I will not repeat them here. (I recommend the Courier-Journal.  WDRB-Television . Insider Louisville.  WLKY-Television.)  Individuals spoke up both for- and against recommending a vote of no-confidence.  A minority of commenters were supporters of President Ramsey, a handful ardently so.  In my view, the more convincing arguments were made by those who believe that President Ramsey has been unable to reverse the cascade of worse-than-unfortunate events that is dragging the University down, and would be to unable to turn things around and take us into a better future. Continue reading “Only 24% of Reporting UofL Faculty Support President James Ramsey.”