By
Robert Felner’s guilty plea will hopefully bring to close a painful chapter for the University of Louisville. We’re inclined to believe the results of the audits, showing that Felner was a bad apple, a man of poor character, and that no one else at U of L knew what he was up to. But there are plenty of lessons to be learned.
Rather than actively assisting Felner in his maniacal plot, U of L assisted him through sheer complacency. Faculty and staff at U of L lodged 31 complaints against Felner during his five years here, and he failed a no-confidence vote by the Faculty Senate in March of 2006. This should have been enough to rid U of L of his presence, but instead the administration let him stay on, and he continued his fraudulent ways.
The university has taken steps to improve communication between staff, faculty and the administration, including the creation of an ombudsman office. But it’s clear that a dean with 31 grievances filed against him, including sexual harassment and intimidation, should have been scrutinized more closely. The university, however, was too enamored with the grant money he was seemingly bringing in.
It’s been a rough year and a half for U of L. Hopefully, the administration will learn from its errors, and listen to the complaints of its concerned faculty in the future.
