Bruce Benson Elected CU President On Party Line Vote

For the first time since the early 1970s, a CU president is elected without a unanimous vote:

Bruce Benson was named the 22nd president of the University of Colorado tonight, despite criticism from some faculty, students and staff that the millionaire oilman doesn't have the academic credentials and is too tied to Republican politics.

The CU Board of Regents voted 6 to 3, on a party-line vote, to hire Benson to replace Hank Brown.

It marks the first time since 1974 that a CU president has been hired without a unanimous vote.

Regents Tillie Bishop, Steve Bosley, Pat Hayes, Kyle Hybl, Tom Lucero and Paul Schauer — all Republicans — voted yes, saying Benson's qualifications are unmatched.

"No one in Colorado today has a higher understanding of higher education in Colorado as Mr. Benson," Bosley said.

And the sticks in the mud:

The three no votes came from the board's three Democrats — Cindy Carlisle, Michael Carrigan and Steve Ludwig.

Ludwig insisted the vote was not a true party-line vote, saying politics had nothing to do with his decision.

"We need great relations with Colorado state lawmakers," he said. "Another controversy or controversial figure sucks all the oxygen out of the room."

Carrigan said Benson had been too polarizing a choice, while Carlisle took exception with the board bringing forward only one finalist.

The Drunkablog was following earlier faculty and student reactions to Benson's nomination.

Bruce Benson's election as CU president illustrates the immense importance of down ticket elections; in this case, the 6-3 GOP advantage in CU Regents. Benson's party line election, following a nomination process full of partisan rancor couched in questions over his qualifications, demonstrated the seething intolerance emitted by the moonbats in the faculty and the students themselves throughout the CU system. Democrats Sen. Ken Salazar and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper were among a handful of Dems who saw through the partisanship and believed that Benson was eminently qualified to lead CU as an institution, and not some GOP hack.

CSU College Republicans Create Petition Requesting Editor's Resignation

"As reprehensible, as childish and as cryptic as the editorial was, we really hope McSwane stays on at the helm of the Collegian - for comic value, if nothing else."

J. David McSwane, Editor-in-Chief of the Rocky Mountain Collegian, will receive an earful at CSU's Board of Student Communications meeting, as the CSU CRs present their petition (over 300 signatures). They will be joined by the CU CRs for Wednesday's hearing.

Previous CSU editorial flap blogging here.

Ward Churchill Decision July 24, Vote By CU Regents

Step #34518297 in the interminable saga of Ward Churchill's firing--CU Regents to decide the professor's fate July 24:

The University of Colorado regents have scheduled a July 24 hearing to decide whether embattled professor Ward Churchill will be fired — ending a chapter in a 2½-year saga that has sparked a nationwide debate over tenure, academic freedom and scholarly misconduct.

The Board of Regents is scheduled to hear Churchill's case behind closed doors, but the elected leaders will vote in public on whether to fire the tenured professor, said Michele McKinney, university system spokeswoman.

Churchill's attorney, David Lane, has said the hearing should be public. But confidentiality rules governing dismissal-for-cause cases — which were drawn up by faculty members and adopted by the regents — call for the hearing to be held in private, McKinney said. The regents will meet in public in the University Memorial Center at 8 a.m. on the day of the hearing so they can vote to go into executive session.

While behind closed doors, the regents will hear from attorneys representing Churchill, the university and a faculty panel that reviewed the academic-misconduct case. All three parties will have about one hour to arguetheir cases, according to the university.

"The regents can ask questions, but no new evidence will be presented," McKinney said.

The board is expected to meet again in public session at about 4 p.m., or later, to vote on Churchill's employment.

Even this last step in the initial firing has its own multi-stage process (courtesy of PirateBallerina).

One thing is for certain, there will be loud shouts of relief and anger depending upon which route the CU Regents finally vote in favor of regarding the academic misadventures of Churchill.

So, whaddya think are the odds? I say 3/2 for Churchill's firing, but who knows.