by , @adwolfson –

Grawemeyer Hall

(Photo: University of Louisville)

The Louisville chapter of the American Association of University Professors says the University of Louisville’s Faculty Senate should meet in a public session Wednesday when it discusses a proposed no-confidence vote on President James Ramsey by the Board of Trustees.

The association, whose mission includes upholding principles of academic freedom and shared governance, said in a letter to the Faculty Senate Tuesday night that if it “operates behind closed doors, it becomes impossible for the faculty in general to know what information is being considered and how its diverse perspectives are represented. Hence there is a strong presumption in favor of openness.”

In the letter, which was emailed to Senate Chair Pamela Feldhoff and the other 65 senators, the AAUP’s local president Avery Kolers, and officers Susan Jarosi and Michael Cunningham, say the university has suffered a series of administrative missteps that include secrecy and violations of open meetings rules.

“We believe that the faculty as a whole, and as embodied in its Senate, should be working to prevent such missteps and instead set an example of democratic and open shared governance,” the letter says.

Feldhoff has said a motion will be filed to discuss in executive session what position she should take as faculty trustee when the Board of Trustees votes on Ramsey, which is scheduled for April 20 but could be delayed pending appointments of two new minority members to the board.

Feldhoff has cited the need for frank discussion and an exemption to the Kentucky Meetings Act for the discussion of personnel matters.

Previous coverage of U of L President James Ramsey

U of L Senate to talk about Ramsey in private

68% of Law School faculty oppose Ramsey

U of L’s Ramsey lampooned in LEO cartoon

Ramsey escapes no-confidence vote

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But The Courier-Journal, in a formal objection to closing the session, cited several opinions in which the Kentucky Attorney General has said public bodies can go into closed session only to discuss hiring or dismissals by “that particular agency.” The newspaper notes that the Faculty Senate has no power to fire Ramsey.

The American Association of University Professor’s chapter also makes that point in its letter.

Feldhoff hasn’t responded to the newspaper’s objection, which was submitted Monday.

The Faculty Senate would have to vote to go into executive session.

The association says that motion should not be made and should it come to the floor, “We urge all senators to vote against it.

“We recognize that the stakes are high, and senators might believe that openness would be risky,” the chapter’s letter says. “And we appreciate that there are cases when recessing into a closed session would be appropriate. But we would emphasize that there are real risks on both sides, and typically, secrecy carries a substantially larger risk. For even when justice is done, if it is not seen to be done, suspicions and accusations will remain.”