This is another power move by Bevin to be relevant and force his cronies into places they are not wanted. So here is the story. Yesterday before this event, UofL's President Ramsey sent an email to all faculty and staff at the University of Louisville his plan on how he would handle the yearly 4.5% budget cuts in state funding. The plan proposed had three options, a 5% tuition increase no loss of staff or faculty and a 5% tuition rebate to students that maintained passing grades and full time status. A 4% tuition increase with some cuts to staff, or a 2.5% increase with 100's laid off. He was going to recommend to the Trustees the 5% increase because it would incentivize students to achieve without damage to the faculty and staff that make the University great. In that letter, he said he would be meeting with the Board of Trustee's NEXT WEEK!
So based on that, I don't think Dr. Ramsey knew anything until just hours before all of this.
The provost also was out of the loop on this and was attending his daughters wedding. None of the trustee's knew anything. In fact no one even suspected this. So, based on that letter and all of the event's, it sounds like our Ky Gov did this in secret, with political ill intent and Dr. Ramsey was cornered while traveling over-seas, and offered to render his resignation to the new "Legal" board of trustees.
Two things very wrong with this are; 1) by state statute the board must consist of 17 people not 10. (To Bevin it's easier to control 10 than 17 I suspect). 2) From InsiderLouisville; "The state law on the structure of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees states that 'Board members may be removed by the Governor for cause, which shall include neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, after being afforded a hearing with counsel before the Council on Postsecondary Education and a finding of fact by the council.'"
Of course that hasn't happened. Also of concern is the fact that Bevin has replaced several members on the Council on Postsecondary Education so even that group may have biases.
Dr. Ramsey who served under the Gov Paul Patton(D) as Budget Director in the Governor’s Office of Policy and Management went to University of North Carolina as finance and business officer before coming to UofL in 2002.
He has done incredible things at UofL and as managed it's many controversies well while growing the University into one of the nations best. I've never seen a republican touch anything that worked out well, so I don't think it looks good for UofL's future.
= new reply since forum marked as read
