Dive Brief:
- University of Louisville President James Ramsey submitted his letter of resignation, clarifying terms of severance pay and an agreement that he will not sue the school.
- His departure follows scandals related to misuse of federal funds, executive compensation agreements which troubled trustees, and an NCAA investigation of an alleged sex scandal involving the men's basketball team.
- Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin disbanded the school's board last month, a decision that is being challenged in circuit court as a potential violation of the school's independence.
Dive Insight:
States like Kentucky, which have been increasingly conservative on higher education funding, frequently find themselves in gray areas when it comes to potential accreditation violations, litigation, and negative publicity which could impact enrollment and philanthropy.
Kentucky has become a hot bed of national discussion on the intersection of politics and higher education, and for all of the wrong reasons. Bevin's actions, which he maintains were legal, could potentially yield a decision in which the university's original board is reinstated, which could mean another lengthy legal process all surrounding the effort to exert political influence over its flagship institution.