In December 2014, with a background of increasing concerns expressed publicly by several University of Louisville Trustees that they were not given the information needed, nor the opportunity to discuss issues central to the Board’s legislatively mandated oversight responsibilities, a draft proposal was put before the full Board by several of the newly appointed Trustees to reevaluate the how the Board was performing its obligations. The proposal had the following overall goals:
- Ensure that the board is acting under current national best governance practices in exercising its powers under KRS 164.830.
- Demonstrate a deep commitment to improving the academic experience and outcome for our students.
- Foster greater openness, dialogue, discussion, education and accountability with the board to allow us to better assist in exercising our duties.
The remainder of the two-page document offered concerns and suggestions to be considered. These seemed pretty reasonable to me. Indeed, one could reasonably ask why such issues should have to be raised in the first place! Nonetheless, this modest proposal was immediately attacked by old-guard members of the Board who seem to act as President Ramsey’s “best-friends-forever” rather than as trustees with a fiduciary responsibility to the University of Louisville and its public. The questioners were in my opinion essentially told they were insufficiently informed, and had no business meddling with the operations of the University. Continue reading “Report of UofL Board of Trustee Committee on Governance Released Amidst Confusion.”