Kentucky: The Felner Affair

Courier-Journal (Editorial): The Felner affair

Certainly, the University of Louisville will have to account for its stewardship in what may have been the mishandling of a $694,000 federal grant. However, there’s more to the controversy surrounding former Dean Robert Felner’s time at the College of Education and Human Development.

With federal investigators on the case, President James Ramsey says U of L is reviewing the way it oversees such funds. That’s checking the barn door after the horse has bolted, but better late than never.

What makes this so poignant is that the grant was supposed to help improve student achievement, but neither state nor local school folks knew much of anything about it.

Few goals are as important to Louisville’s future as the continuing development of a public school system that meets the needs of all students, in all parts of town. Squandering any resources that could be used in that effort is really lousy.

The irony is that any mistakes in money management were made on the watch of Dr. Ramsey — an expert in budget matters. The good news is that, if anybody knows how to improve financial oversight, he should.

But problems were not just financial. A striking number of grievances and complaints from faculty and students were filed against Dr. Felner, who lost a faculty confidence vote, 27-24. While saying the university took all of this seriously, Dr. Ramsey interprets it as evidence that Dr. Felner “was bringing about change that needed to be made.” But there’s a difference between changing menus and breaking plates.

Dr. Ramsey’s evidence that Dr. Felner was getting things done includes the college’s rise in national rankings over the last two years. But then U.S. News & World Report’s lists are taken with a grain of salt by academic experts.

He also cites an increase in grants and a stronger relationship with local public schools. But an independent campus group — maybe an American Association of University Professors committee, including tenured faculty who can’t be easily dismissed or marginalized — should take its own look, not only at the rankings issue but at the other complaints that have been lodged, formally and informally, and into the U of L administration’s response.

These are serious issues, and must not be dismissed as the backwash of change.

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