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CU faculty votes 'no' on Benson

40-4 vote is not binding, but could influence whether oilman will become next president

Rocky Mountain News

Published February 14, 2008 at 4:46 p.m.
Updated February 14, 2008 at 8:40 p.m.

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BOULDER — Boulder faculty representatives Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a resolution supporting Bruce Benson to be the next president of the University of Colorado.

The vote was 4 in favor and 40 against, with three abstentions.

Physics professor Urial Nauenberg, who chairs the CU Boulder Faculty Assembly, said the group "would prefer a presidential finalist with substantial executive managerial experience at a peer academic institution and a distinguished record of accomplishment in that arena."

Benson, an oil company executive, has extensive managerial experience in the private sector. He has never headed a university, but has chaired both the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and the trustees of Metropolitan State College.

The assembly vote is advisory only. CU's Board of Regents is scheduled to decide whether to appoint Benson at a meeting Wednesday.

Nauenberg said he will explain the assembly's position to the regents at that meeting.

The assembly also passed a resolution asking the regents to reopen the search.

The university has faculty assemblies at each of its four campuses. Only the Boulder assembly has addressed the Benson appointment, said RL Widmann, an English professor who chairs the university-wide Faculty Council. The council does not have a motion pending on the nomination, either, Widmann said.

The regents Jan. 30 named Benson as the sole finalist to succeed President Hank Brown, who is retiring.

Benson, 69, who holds a bachelors degree from CU, has been active in fundraising for the school. He contributed $8 million himself. The geology building is named for him.

The faculty assembly vote was conducted in executive session.

Nauenberg said members were appreciative of Benson's contributions. But he noted that Benson does not hold an advanced degree.

Some faculty members have been suspicious of Benson because of his ties to the Republican Party. He is a former GOP state chairman. He also funded the Trailhead Group which ran attack ads against Democrats in the 2006 election.

He said during campus visits that he would put politics aside, not interfere in the curriculum or research and would not oppose tenure.

Nauenberg said the assembly members were satisfied with that answer, but still had concerns about his lack of experience.

During his campus sessions, Benson distanced himself from Trailhead Group.

Appearing before CU's Staff Council on Wednesday, Benson said, "I had nothing to do with the ads that were run."

Benson said he helped organize Trailhead and donated money, but added, "I want to be clear. I didn't run the place."

He said Democratic groups were funding similar organizations to attack Republicans.

Comments

  • February 14, 2008

    6:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    gs writes:

    Knee jerk morons

  • February 14, 2008

    7:01 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Oh_Wise_One writes:

    Benson's first job should be to fire these employees and get some real diversity at the campus with some Conservative professors. That, would be real diversity in that sea of shame.

  • February 14, 2008

    7:28 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    aeb1barfo writes:

    "I want to be clear. I didn't run the place."

    -King George the Bush

  • February 14, 2008

    7:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Remus writes:

    Diversity??? Tolerance???? Honesty??? Come on now people. This is CU we're talking about.

  • February 14, 2008

    8:07 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    somebunnyluvsme writes:

    I can't figure out why they didn't avoid all of the hoopla, and just appoint Ward Tonto Churchill to be president of CU! The truth is, these people can't handle anything resembling truth. Diversity is only acceptable in Boulder, if it fits into the socialist liberal mind set. Can you say HIPPACRITE?!

  • February 14, 2008

    8:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    FOP writes:

    Viva academic freedom! Viva Pigasus!

    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pi...

  • February 14, 2008

    8:41 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    IKnowIt writes:

    I can’t say HIPPACRITE but I can say hypocrite… I find it rather amusing that libs throw a fit when Benson is put forth as the CU president but no one had a problem with Al Yates as the president at CSU. Well, guess what people, Yates is now the “spokesman” for one of the four Colorado Democrat billionaires, Pat “Let’s All Speak Spanish” Stryker, and he constantly fires off partisan banter when he's let off his leash. But I think he did just fine as the CSU prez. I also think it’s comical that Alice “Trailhead!?!(faint)Trailhead!?!(faint)” Madden can actually keep a straight face while calling someone else a partisan. Come on Alice, you need to respect your own kind… and put on a bra while you’re at it.

  • February 14, 2008

    9:23 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    somebunnyluvsme writes:

    lknowlt, thank you for the spelling correction!!I am having a bad day at that today!

  • February 14, 2008

    10:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    EDIT writes:

    One of the problems with education, from pre- to grad school, in this state and almost every other is the liberal mindset of the faculty, who regularly spew their doctrines on fairly defenseless students, who must regurgitate it to pass. I say get Benson in there and let him kick some A, which of course is what the faculty is so afraid of.

  • February 14, 2008

    10:38 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    kathyM writes:

    Well, CU faculty, you want diversity...here it comes!

  • February 14, 2008

    10:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jacka writes:

    Colorado University might be a better name. The state can take CU private, arrange an annuity to fund tuition for those (CO citizens) admitted to CU, and use the extra money to fund mandatory pre-k at public and charters!

  • February 15, 2008

    6:53 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    raysmom writes:

    OK- we know what to expect from liberal academia and their impressionable students, but how about the people who largely are PAYING for this CU education- the parents and taxpayers? Have THEY been heard? And since when does a university that accepts public $$ let the hirelings run the show? Alice (I'm SO superior)Madden should be ashamed of her lack of objectivity and professionalism. My son wants to attend CU in the fall of 2009- he could go anywhere, as he is an excellent student, and if CU Regents have any backbone AT ALL they will stick to their guns and let the extremists leave the campus, making it a better environment, rather than caving to political intolerance, as one regent has already done. A shameful display of people who are "Berkeley Wannabe's"! Yuck!

  • February 15, 2008

    1:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    hawkeye writes:

    Mr. Benson's career in the public sector far outshines the lofty impractical clouds of idealism. People who spend their lives under the protective shield of academia need to wake up. A big dose of realism will have its day. The regents need to hold the line on this one. Tough choices need to be made and a feel-good liberal cannot make them.