Gov. Matt Bevin has selected 10 people to serve on the newly reconstructed University of Louisville Board of Trustees after the legislature abolished the previous board and created a new one earlier this year.
The move comes after the school’s accreditation was put on probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a result of Bevin’s unilateral overhaul of the board last summer.
Bevin announced by video Friday evening that he had chosen 10 trustees to serve on the new board.
“There is going to be the ability to transition as properly as possible in the days and weeks ahead,” Bevin said.
Bevin said names of the new possible trustees would be announced Tuesday. Trustees would have to be confirmed by the state Senate.
U of L’s accreditation agency took issue with Bevin’s overhaul of the trustee board last summer, deeming it “undue political influence.” They also said the governor’s apparent involvement in negotiating former U of L President James Ramsey’s resignation was a violation of the accrediting agency’s standards.
The legislature stepped in earlier this month, approving a bill that overhauled the board once again in an attempt to resolve the issue.
Faculty and student advocates have argued that the latest reorganization does nothing to resolve the school’s accreditation issues.
The Postsecondary Nominating Committee met Friday to come up with a short list of 30 people for the board. Bevin whittled the list down to finalists later in the day.
“I thank those who have worked so quickly, the nominating committee that worked so diligently to expedite this process,” Bevin said.
