By Phillip Lentsch–

After a bombshell comment at their last meeting, U of L’s faculty senate discussed what would happen if President James Ramsey were to resign.

Multiple faculty members brought up the possibility of Ramsey’s resignation, and finding new leadership if he were to step down. Some members disagreed on whether an external search should be conducted, as well as if an interim president could become permanent.

At the last faculty senate meeting, things became tense when Ramsey professed he did not know how much longer he would be at U of L. “I’ll be blunt – I don’t know how much longer I will be here,” Ramsey said at the Feb. 3 meeting.

On Feb. 18, Ramsey said he doesn’t plan on leaving his position until his contract expires in 2020.

Amidst an academic year full of scandals and bad press, Ramsey’s actions have been called into question multiple times. On Feb. 29, conflict of interest officer Robin Wilcox filed a lawsuit alleging Ramsey of “official misconduct” by not reporting misuse of university money by two U of L vice presidents until the summer of 2014. Wilcox claims Ramsey knew of the misuse in December 2012.

On March 1, trustee Jody Prather called for a vote of no-confidence in Ramsey at a special board of trustees meeting. Trustee Marie Abrams called for the vote’s immediate dismissal. Members of the board agreed to push the motion to the April 20 meeting.

Faculty called for all senate members to poll their departments on Ramsey. Feedback will be used to advise their faculty board of trustees representative, Pamela Feldhoff.

The faculty senate will not be making any sort of votes in favor or against Ramsey. Feldhoff made it clear she plans on voting on April 20, but she wants represent the majority of the senate’s concerns.

Several members of the faculty senate expressed their support of Ramsey, and said that they shouldn’t rush into any decision.

“I think it is important that we consider just how much Ramsey has done for this university when we address this issue,” one member said.

“The faculty senate has confidence in Ramsey. We have not stated otherwise,” faculty member Scott LaJoie said.

Other members of the faculty senate have pointed out problems with this process. In response to the backlash that Ramsey and his administration received in conducting an internal search for the next provost, several professors seem to be fed up with U of L’s lack of transparency.

“I feel as though the faculty senate doesn’t really have a say in this issue at all,” said one professor who wished to remain anonymous. “We’re constantly being left in the dark when it comes to Ramsey’s actions, and it seems as though there’s already some sort of bias in support of him. Not all of us want him to stay.”