Kentucky Health Policy Institute

Although the the proposed vote of no confidence in UofL President James Ramsey was the major item coming out of last week’s tumultuous UofL Board meeting, several other important things were revealed at the meeting itself, in subsequent interviews, and in supplemental handouts.  One such was the statement that a settlement may be near in last summer’s lawsuit initiated by the Justice Resource Center over to the racial minority makeup of the board itself – specifically that the statutorily required number of African-American Board members was no longer present. It was felt that a Trustee of Hispanic descent who displaced an African-American Trustee from being reappointed was not an appropriate substitution. Since then, a Trustee whose heritage is unknown to me, and the Trustee of Hispanic heritage resigned from the Board thus allowing themselves to be replaced.  So far one new well-respected African-American was appointed to the Board. I do not know at what stage of the appointment process the remaining open slot is.

At last week’s meeting, we were told that two additional African-American Trustees would soon be appointed – one to fill the open slot, and a second to replace an unnamed Board member who would resign.  [Trustee Robert Rounsavall, whose term ends soon, did indeed announce his resignation shortly after the meeting.] Filling this opening would give us 3 minority slots on the Board in addition to any minorities elected by their internal UofL constituencies. Assuming Governor Bevin fills these slots with African-Americans, this would bring the number of racial minority members among the 17 citizen members of the Board up to three, and on the 20-member Board as a whole to four. I am very supportive of the intent of all of this.  I have stated several times that I believe the Board of Trustees should look like and think like our greater Louisville Community.   I believe most of those involved are trying to do the right thing, but in my opinion we are using flawed, illogical, and perhaps even unconstitutional methods.  I believe too that the process is being manipulated for personal and political gain. Continue reading “Settlement Near for Lawsuit Over Racial Composition of UofL Board of Trustees?”

Actual vote thwarted but result essentially the same:
Overall a win for more open and shared governance.

If you are reading this, the chances are that the fact that the University of Louisville Board of Trustees discussed a vote of no confidence in the presidency of Dr. James Ramsey two days ago will not be news.  That something dramatic might happen was no surprise to the army of media people who came prepared to cover anything.  I was there too.  Although longstanding allies of President Ramsey used procedural means to block an actual hands-up vote, those Trustees seeking a more open and shared governance role for the Board succeeded for the first time in presenting their arguments directly to the public, and by their accounts, to the Board itself!   A majority of the Board, including its Chairman and Treasurer, were prepared to vote in favor of such a measure.  At this juncture a vote would have been superfluous, but one is scheduled for the next meeting on April 20.   A lot can happen before then.  I do not see how Dr. Ramsey’s presidency can survive, with or without an actual vote.

Excellent accounts of the meeting have been reported by Andrew Wolfson of the Courier-Journal, Chris Otts of WDRB, Joe Sonka of Insider Louisville, Baylee Pulliam of Business First, and a team of reporters from the Louisville Cardinal.  Because a number of post-meeting interviews were going on simultaneously, each of the above had a little something extra to add.  I will not try to compete with their good work.  I have however been following this emerging story for some time, have a long and intimate association with the University, and wish to lend a few additional insights into what is happening.  At the end of this article, I placed an audio recording of the Trustee meeting beginning a few seconds after they returned from executive session. I plan add as much of the interviews that followed the formal meeting as I was able to capture.  I also post materials that were handed out by the University and a Trustee.  These materials may allow individuals who were not present to make their own judgments about who conducted themselves in a respectful and professional way, and who did not. Continue reading “UofL Board of Trustees Prepare For a Vote of No Confidence in President James Ramsey.”