LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville said Tuesday it has been placed on probation by its regional accrediting agency, stemming from turmoil involving Gov. Matt Bevin over the makeup of the school’s governing board and the turbulent departure of its former president.
In the school’s latest setback in a difficult year, UofL acting President Neville Pinto stressed the university remains accredited and is determined to correct problems that led to the one-year probation, which could be extended another year.
“It’s something that’s very disappointing to us,” Pinto told reporters on campus a few hours after learning of the sanction. “It’s not a good place to be, absolutely. But we are where we are now, and we need to get it resolved.”
Pinto said he’s confident the problems will be resolved by next fall.
The probation is based on issues with the accrediting agency’s requirements related to the school’s board of trustees, UofL officials said.
Those requirements insist the school’s governing board be free from “undue” political influence, and the board have a policy stating members can be dismissed only for “appropriate reasons and by a fair process.”
The sanction intensified a feud between the state’s Republican governor and Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear over Bevin’s attempts to appoint a new board of trustees to govern UofL. Beshear said Tuesday that Bevin’s “reckless actions” had harmed the university. Bevin’s spokeswoman countered that the school’s accreditation is not at risk due to any action by the governor.
