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.”