Mark, Wrong again. Governor Fletcher has to much class to hold grudges against a University President trying to support his institution. Also your source doesn't understand how trustees are chosen and how their terms function. Each of us is on a staggering 6 year term. Only by the middle of a second term would a Governor have his appointees as the majority. Then you would have to assume those remaining appointees were without ethics or principle.
I can assure you that the Fletcher appointees, all of whom are very involved and serious about their work, would never accept the request of the Governor to fire a President who is doing a great job for U of L. Ernie Fletcher has appointed the kind of quality people who he knows are intellectual free agents. This is the real reform he has brought to Government agencies that you in the media have completly ignored. Bill Stone

Mark,

Someone sent me your blog--interesting. I know your statements are provocative to create the political interest. Just a couple of personal observations.

1. If Governor Fletcher gets reelected and decides he wants to change out the Board to find a replacement, it's his prerogative. People who take these jobs must have a strong intent to do what they think is right and let the chips will fall where they may. Further, I think the Governor's appointments to the UofL Board have been truly outstanding people who are supportive of the direction we're trying to take the university.

2. Your arguments that a parking garage, residence hall, etc. are not academic projects couldn't be further from the truth. UofL's #1 goal is to build a world-class cancer center--the only NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Kentucky. This is important because Kentucky has a higher incidence of cancer than the national average.

In the past two years we have renovated our clinical space at UofL's James Graham Brown Cancer Center (JGBCC) with private funds--funding from the University of Louisville Foundation. The second, third and fourth floors of the JGBCC will be renovated. The model we used creates a multi-disciplinary clinical space patterned after MD Anderson. The first floor is going through the renovation process now. On the opposite corner of the street we have broken ground on our new research building--to house cancer research. So, within one block we will have our cancer research facility and our cancer clinical space. The new cancer research building will be built on a surface parking lot where we will lose 200 parking spots for cancer patients and cancer faculty--researchers and staff. If having parking for cancer patients, researchers and staff is not academic, then we need to educate the public better. Those who have fallen into the trap of saying a parking garage is not academic simply do not understand.--cancer patients need to park near their radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

3. The Council on Postsecondary Education has set graduation and retention rates for each of the universities.

I have publicly stated and will continue to publicly say that I cannot defend the low graduation and retention rates that have existed at UofL in the past. We're doing everything we can to improve graduation and retention rates, including: 1) changing our student advising; 2) improving our academic support programs; 3) changing our career counseling; 4) enhancing student life; 5) improving the appearance of the campus; 6) etc.

We know retention and graduation rates for students who live on campus are higher than for students who commute. Having first-class residence halls is part of a longer term strategy. In my tenure we have already added over 800 beds to campus housing. We are now in the process of renovating our older facilities to offer students the amenities they expect and are willing to pay for. We'll never totally shake the notion that we are a commuter college but we are trying to provide a campus environment that is the livable, energetic, and exciting to our students. If this isn't part of our academic mission, then I don't know what is.

Jim Ramsey