The selection of U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove as dean of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law has drawn objections from faculty, trustees, and Gov. Andy Beshear — who suggested partisan or outside influence may have played a role.
UK President Eli Capilouto again defended the choice at Friday's board meeting. But trustee Jim Gray moved to form a collaborative group, including faculty, staff, and administration, to reconsider changes that stripped the board of its ability to oversee high-level appointments.
Gray said the motion is about "the board regaining authority to review and approve the appointments to really essential roles, very important roles at the university like the deans."
Gray's motion was okayed through a voice vote, but the trustee did not specify a timeline or whether he might lead the group.
Campus workers on hand at the meeting to protest an outsourcing contract said they share the concerns about faculty, staff, and community input in major decisions. Facilities superviser Joshua Borgemenke suggested the law school dispute, controversy over a now-abandoned high-paying job for retiring athletics director Mitch Barnhart, and their own worries about job security have a common theme.
"It just shows, with the Barnhart overturning and the potential for the dean being advanced without approval seemingly, that (the administration is) making decisions where they're not asking for feedback. They're just making it for the benefit of the university, whatever they gauge that benefit to be," he told WUKY.
Administration leaders, however, say the decision to onboard Van Tatenhove followed a "solid" and lengthy process that offered multiple opportunities for faculty input along the way. With lingering questions and disagreements over whether Van Tatenhove meets the required academic credentials, the university has pointed to budget constraints, emerging AI technology that could rattle the legal field, and other "extraordinary circumstances" that warrant an out-of-the-box appointee.
UK spokesman Jay Blanton said the board is being responsive to criticism.
"We believe very much in the process that was run, but, as Chair (Britt) Brockman said, we always look at ourselves when we're asked tough questions, when we're critiqued, and say where can we do better," Blanton said.
The president-led appointment process was part of reforms the administration advanced in the hopes of improving efficiency. Now, Blanton says, it could be time to review that framework.
"Now what we've seen is there's a question about 'hey, let's take a look at that and how narrow or how broad does that rule and that set of regulations need to be," he said. "And that's that's a good conversation to have."