Postel opened his presentation discussing the long-awaited forensic audit which, at that time, had not yet been released. He has since released a new statement, .��

The audit, he said, was expensive and comprehensive, but “we knew it’s what we had to do to move forward.”

“A lot has changed so we won’t have to worry about recurrences. We have done a lot of preparatory work to prevent this from happening again, that is the good news,” he said. “We will continue to be transparent on what did occur and how we are making sure these do not recur.”

In addition, this week (Thursday), Postel anticipates the board will approve the 2017-18 budget. There is one change to this work and that is an immediate 3-month hiring freeze. The decision on this was abrupt because we fell short of enrollment projections and attrition expectations.

“We projected a 400-student increase for retention and enrollment and it looks like we’ll be closer to 200,” Postel said, adding that we are losing second- and third-year students.

He also received a new letter from SACS noting that the site visit in September will be expanded. SACS wants to fully understand the nature of the relationship between the UofL and UofL Foundation, which is “no surprise,” according to Postel.

“They have a lack of understanding of $67 million in transactions that happened without the board’s approval. That’s the bad news. The good news is that large portions of this have been paid back and we have documents in place to prevent this from happening again,” Postel said. “But they want to see that.”

Another issue brought up in the SACS letter that “concerns Postel the most” is the university’s ability to demonstrate financial stability.

“This is the biggest reason institutions get in trouble with SACS,” he said, noting that UofL had an operating loss of $21 million in 2014-15 and of $46 million in 2015-16.

“SACS made it clear their intent is to study other revenue (in addition to unrestricted cash). But the foundation is tapped out and revenue next year is a fraction of what it was,” he explained. “To continue to take operating losses is not an option for us. There are times we have to do things to protect the university and the best way to deal with this is to hit the brakes and clamp down on hires and show we’re being overly conservative.”

Postel said shared governance will remain a priority through continued budget work.

Postel also said the NCAA ruling about the basketball program is expected this week.

“We have been honest. We have apologized. We have tried not to make excuses,” he said. “We’ll see if they accept our self-imposed penalty or if they add to it.”

Finally, UofL Hospital is transitioning from KentuckyOne Health to UMC, with a July 1 completion date. Postel said the hospital is busy and the nursing shortage is getting better and “people are in very good spirits about this (transition).”

Postel closed by talking about his recent trip to Washington, DC, where he was able to meet with all of Kentucky’s elected officials.

“They showed me uniform support and it was encouraging to establish dialogue with them,” he said. “They all wanted to talk about the sustainability of the university and are interested in the research and other work we’re doing.”

Interim provost Dale Billingsley also spoke to the Faculty Senate. He said there are exceptions to the hiring freeze: the ombudsman role, as it is required in the Redbook; and the Speed and Nursing dean searches. He stated that the Budget Advisory Committee will review additional requests for exceptions.

He also talked briefly about the QEP program that was developed as part of the re-accreditation process to help second-year students find their major.

“The intention is to address that group of students across the board through a range of student services and to keep them in an area where they both have the capacity for and interest in,” he said.  This program is designed to assist these students and address retention issues.

A report was provided by Dr. Bob Staat, interim ombudsman. UofL hopes to have someone permanently hired in that role by July. During his stint, Staat reported 185 interactions – 60 percent faculty; 40 percent staff. The only two units without an interaction with his office were SPHIS and law. Staat’s full report is .��

Cedric Powell, law professor and Faculty Grievance Officer, also provided a report, outlining the dispute resolution process. He noted that from September 16 through June 7, there were 12 faculty grievances, including three “type 1” disputes and one “type 2” dispute. His full report is also .��

Enid Trucios-Haynes provided the Chair’s Report, including the announcement that the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will focus on addressing the issues before the Board of Trustees’ new ad hoc committee on tenure and nepotism. She also introduced a proposed statement of the Faculty Senate, unanimously adopted, to reiterate the importance of shared governance in light of this new committee. It reads:

“The Faculty Senate of the University of Louisville asserts that it is critically important to have broad faculty input, consultation, and advice on all matters related to tenure and promotion. Faculty primacy in this area is long recognized as vital to protect academic freedom.

“On May 18, 2017, the Board of Trustees created an Ad Hoc Committee on Tenure and Nepotism Policy to review current tenure policies and practices. The principles of shared governance require a process for wide faculty involvement, recognizing the summer workload for faculty on ten-month contracts who engage in research, scholarship and related work during June and July, often away from campus. Additional faculty groups should include tenured, tenure-track, term and part-time faculty, representing a wide range of programs from basic sciences to fine arts, as well as the AAUP chapter at UofL. We propose that the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, comprised of elected representatives from nearly all of these groups, provide this essential consultation.”

Trucios-Haynes said the chair of the Board of Trustees has assured her there will be an opportunity for all constituencies’ input for next steps.

Staat also provided an update on the Council of Postsecondary ����ֱ��, as he serves as part of the tuition work group. He gave a PowerPoint presentation on the cost of tuition, which has remained relatively unchanged throughout the years even as state support has decreased. Kentucky is one of only seven states that has decreased its state support for higher education.

The only other report provided at the June 7 meeting was by the executive committee and it is .��

The next meeting is July 5 at 3 p.m. in the Chao Auditorium of the Ekstrom Library.

The meeting opened with a report from the Student Government Association. The SGA was part of the Kentucky Board of Student Body Presidents’ statement concerning lottery funding of state scholastic programs.

The statement reads in part:

“Right now, the diversion of lottery funding from need-based financial aid for higher education is harming the future of our Commonwealth. This must change. The purpose of the Powerball Promise, as (Kentucky’s lottery money) allocation of funds is known, is to use Kentucky lottery revenue to directly aid our Commonwealth’s students by making a postsecondary degree more financial achievable.

“Over the past few years, the need-based grants have been under-funded … In the past legislative session, there was bipartisan support in restoring the funding to grants for students in need. Governor Bevin’s veto of House Bill 10 effectively stopped this funding from being restored, illustrating his lack of commitment to Kentucky’s poorest students.

“… If we want a strong economic future for Kentucky, we must invest in our students today … Governor Bevin, we urge you to … (restore) the Powerball Promise instead of diverting the funding away from students who need it the most.”

In addition to UofL, colleges represented on the statement include Western Kentucky, Murray State, the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities, Eastern Kentucky, KCTCS, Kentucky State, Morehead State, Northern Kentucky and the University of Kentucky.

The SGA is also working on a change to course evaluations where students will not see their grades until they fill out an evaluation. The group is also working on ways to increase awareness of the university’s safety app and is focused on diversity issues and hoping to plan a diversity summit with other ACC schools.

Trucios-Haynes provided a Chair’s report, including an update on standing meetings with Provost Dale Billingsley, and CFO Harlan Sands. One of her priorities is action on creating a committee to review proposed parking changes around the Belknap campus.

The November Board of Trustees meeting doesn’t have an agenda yet, but Trucios-Haynes anticipates a discussion at some point in the near future about the desired attributes of a 21^st Century President. A discussion was held among the senators on what some of those attributes should be. Trucios-Haynes will present these suggestions to the board.

Among the desired attributes is demonstrated leadership experience from a university. Senators discussed whether they’d prefer that experience to be from a large university. Some pointed out that this definition would have disqualified former successful presidents. Many senators, however, agreed that experience at a university with professional and graduate schools would be ideal, as the candidate would then be familiar with the complexities of UofL’s model.

Senators agreed to strike business leadership as a potential qualification.

“The Board of Trustees is made up mostly of business leaders. The president can rely on them for the business side. I’d prefer an emphasis on university knowledge,” said one senator.

Trucios-Haynes noted that a faculty committee should be created as part of the process, as outlined in the Redbook. Senators agreed the Faculty Senate should begin working on this committee to include a faculty member elected from each school.  The committee is expected to be in place by the end of the fall semester.

Dale Billingsley provided the Provost Report, including an update on the salary equity effort expected to be completed at the start of the new year. He also provided an update on the ombudsman search, which he hopes to be completed by July. The administration is determining whether or not to divide this role for faculty and staff. The hiring committee will make a recommendation.

Billingsley also said issues are being resolved for part-time faculty regarding their email access and benefits.

Administrators are seeking more faculty input and participation in the budgeting process, including the Strategic Planning and Implementation initiatives underway at each unit. Each school’s dean has put together how they could use money to better enhance their goals and the university’s goals. President Pinto has identified a $50 million budget for these initiatives, and Faculty Senate input will be solicited on where that money will come from.

“This is a great idea and I hope it works, but it won’t work unless the money is there. That may mean reallocation, which will be difficult,” Billingsley said.

Faculty Senate input is also requested on performance measurement of units and for program review and new program recommendations.

Finally, Billingsley said a draft recommending new general education requirements has been posted on the Provost’s web page. The university is hoping to get through revisions by the end of the spring semester and to implement the recommendations within a year. The biggest change is with the cultural diversity program. Currently, students are required to take one course that develops cultural competency and one course on the varieties of diversity. The new program will also include geographical diversities, both in the U.S. and globally.

Faculty senators were asked to read the draft and make further recommendations.

The President’s Report was provided by Dr. Neville Pinto, who touted many positive news stories from UofL within the past month, including the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Academic Success Building. He said we’ll be able to leverage that building to bring in higher quality students and faculty.

Pinto discussed the UofL Foundation and the changes it is going through. A search has been started to find an interim executive director. RFPs have been issued to identify a firm that will objectively conduct an audit of the foundation and one should be named within weeks. The audit, Pinto said, will “help us figure out what changes are needed moving forward in terms of our responsibility as stewards of endowments.”

Other updates include the NCAA’s investigation into the men’s basketball team. Pinto expects a final decision in the spring, possibly even as late as June.

The administration is working on ways to improve diversity and inclusion initiatives and has a committee charged with making recommendations.

“We have to look at this with a perspective of our responsibility as faculty to make sure every student is in a learning environment where they’re comfortable. It’s not political, it’s an operational responsibility. We have to ensure we’re very personal with every student,” Pinto said. “I believe in local solutions.”

 Finally, Pinto attended the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary ����ֱ�� meeting in Frankfort, where discussions continue about how the state will appropriate higher education funding based on equity and performance. No final decisions have been made on action as of yet. Each school is submitting a report with their recommendations to the governor on Dec. 1.

Committee Reports were provided from the Redbook Committee, with Kurt Metzmeier (law) elected as chair; the Part-Time Faculty Committee, which has a new landing site for the first time to provide these employees with aggregate data; and the Planning and Budget Committee, which is short one member.

The Executive Committee also provided a report and is seeking input on ways to honor deceased faculty members. Finally, the ,���ٳ�� , and the  have all been posted online.

The next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 7 from 3-5 p.m. in Chao Auditorium.