Benson blog live

By Kevin Vaughan, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 20, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
Updated February 20, 2008 at 9:39 p.m.

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More Education

The University of Colorado Regents voted 6-3 Wednesday night to accept Bruce Benson as the university's 22nd president. The meeting took place at St. Cajetan's Church on the Auraria Campus in Denver. After public comments, the regents adjourned into executive session. After reconvening, they voted.

Reporter Kevin Vaughan blogged live from the CU Regents meeting:

9:33 p.m.

Bruce and Marcy Benson pull on their jackets and walk out of St. Cajetan's Center.

9:32 p.m.

Benson poses for a photograph with an Auraria campus police officer. The officer has asked Benson if he could take a picture with him.

9:25 p.m.

Benson and his wife, Marcy, work the room, chatting with supporters, hugging people, laughing.

Benson visits with Peggy Lamm, a Boulder Democrat who supported his bid to be CU's president. The two had earlier worked on the effort to pass refs C and D.

9:20 p.m.

Benson meets with Ken McConnellogue and Leonard Dinegar, two of the top aides to the president at CU, to begin discussing some logistics.

9:14 p.m.

Regents chairwoman Pat Hayes ends the news conference, but Benson gets the last word.

"I just want to say I really look forward to working with Pat and the rest of the regents," he says. "We've got a great team here, and we're going to accomplish a lot for the state of Colorado."

9:04 p.m.

Benson says he does not know what his salary will be and that he plans to quit everything except, perhaps, a position on the board of American Land Lease, in which he has a stake. That board meets four times a year, and three of them are in Denver. But he is stepping down from 10 or 12 other organizations, including the Denver Public Schools Foundation, where he worked Wednesday to make 25 fundraising phone calls in his final official act.

"I'm out of everything," Benson says. "Politics are totally behind us, except for those connections which we can use to help fund higher education."

9:02 p.m.

Benson chuckles when a reporter asks him what he hopes to tout someday when he makes his resignation speech.

"What are you trying to say," he says, chuckling. Then he turns serious.

"I look at this funding as a critical thing," he says. "I look at access. I look at how do we get a more diversified student body on all of our campuses. I look at how do we create better and better programs. I think all these things are important, and we're going to work on them all at once."

9 p.m.

Benson says he will be talking with faculty members, including those who opposed his appointment. And he expects to be able to win them over as they get to know him and work with him.

"I think I can do that by continuing to work with people," Benson says.

8:57 p.m.

As Benson talks, Democrat Peggy Lamm — one of many members of her party who supported his nomination — stands behind reporters and photographers, smiling.

8:55 p.m.

Benson says that he has a busy day planned tomorrow, and that as soon as possible he'll be meeting individually with the regents.

"I want to sit one on one with each of the regents and understand exactly what their agendas are," he says. "It can't be four or five regents or me. We all have to be pulling the same direction."

8:53 p.m.

Benson says that he will be leading the fight for better funding for higher education.

He also says he will have no ill will toward the three regents who voted against his nomination, noting that he was told two decades ago in politics that he would never get every vote.

"When the votes are over, you forget everything in the past, you work together for the common good," he says.

8:52 p.m.

"I just want to tell you all that I'm deeply honored and proud and excited by this opportunity," Benson says. He thanks CU saying, "I would not be where I am today" without the education he got there in the 1960s.

8:50 p.m.

"Good evening you all," Benson says as he takes a seat between Regent Pat Hayes and his wife.

8:46 p.m.

Bruce Benson arrives at St. Cajetan's with his wife and is greeted outside by Michael Carrigan, one of the three regents who voted against him.

8:35 p.m.

Outgoing President Hank Brown, standing outside in the night chill, says plans for the transition will he hashed out in the coming days.

"I would expect it will be a very quick changeover," he says.

Asked what he plans to do next, Brown says, "I hope to get an opportunity to teach up in Boulder."

The bottom line, he says, is that Benson is the right person to lead CU.

"Bruce has the ability to develop support for new funding measures in the state for higher education," Brown says. "That really is the critical need right now."

Chairwoman Pat Hayes: "Now is the time for this university family to come together. We received 1,200 e-mails yesterday and today."

Regent Tillman Bishop: "I'm placing my confidence in the dedication and commitment that Bruce has said he would give."

8:27 p.m.

After the vote is taken, Hayes says, "The vote is 6-3 as you all understand, and Bruce Benson has been voted on and is the next president of the University of Colorado."

CU officials announce plans to bring Benson to St. Cajetan's center on the Auraria Campus for a news conference "as soon as possible."

8:27 p.m.

The board votes to hire Benson on a 6-3 vote. Republicans Pat Hayes, Kyle Hybl, Steve Bosley, Paul Schauer, Tom Lucero and Tillie Bishop support Benson; Democrats Cindy Carlisle, Michael Carrigan and Stephen Ludwig vote against him.

8:24 p.m.

"This has not been an easy decision for me," Regent Pat Hayes says, "and probably for most of my colleagues on this board. I have had many sleepless nights where I go to sleep thinking, what is the best thing for the University of Colorado, and I wake up thinking the same thing."

She says she supports it — making it clear that Benson will be appointed on a 6-3, party-line vote.

8:20 p.m.

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

Michael Carrigan: "It is troubling how much has been spent to defeat the legislators ... who are great friends of the Univeristy of Colorado. Never in CU's history has a presidential nominee received such broad-based opposition,"citing the faculty, student and staff organizations which opposed him.

"If elected, he has two mandates: restore public funding of higher education and dramatically increase private donations to this university."

8:20 p.m.

Regent Tillie Bishop elicits laughter when he says, "I think everything was said that needed to be said, and maybe a little bit more."

8:18 p.m.

Regent Cindy Carlisle takes "exception" to the idea that there can be only one finalist. She says she will not support the nomination, "but I also will work with him."

8:14 p.m.

Regent Michael Carrigan says he will vote "no."

"I respect Mr. Benson's talents, business success," Carrigan said. "And I appreciate his dedication to public education in the state of Colorado. However, he came to this process with two problems, and created a third.

Grants are a huge part of CU's budget, and he believes because Benson does not have an advanced degree he will not be able to help the school win them, or attract top-flight talent. He also says he is troubled by "Mr. Benson's longtime history of partisanship."

"These two divisions have led to great divisions in the CU community, and that is my third and most significant reason to oppose Mr. Benson," Carrigan says.

8:08 p.m.

Regent Steve Bosley notes that all the members of the Board of Regents participated in the process of selecting the search committee. That committee had extensive experience, and was told to "bring up to three finalists forward." However, the realities of the marketplace are that most candidates will not get involved unless a school only has one finalist.

And he makes it clear that he supports Benson.

"I think my job is to not only support but champion a person who I think is the right person for CU," Bosley says.

As the regents are speaking, President Brown is sitting on a chair in the back of the room, listening.

8:03 p.m.

Regent Stephen Ludwig, one of three Democrats on the board, says he will vote against Benson but argued that if the other two Democrats join him it will be unfair to call it a "party-line vote."

"We are not voting as a coordinated bloc, nor to we necessarily agree on the reasons for voting no on this candidate," Ludwig says. "Let me be very clear. I'm not voting against Mr. Benson because he's a Republican. I'm voting my conscience."

7:56 p.m.

Regent Tom Lucero says that even though he would go to a doctor for medical care he would not want a hospital to hire a physician as its president. So it is with Benson, who has no advanced degree.

"We're not hiring Bruce Benson to go into the classroom and teach," Lucero said. "We're looking at somebody with demonstrated ability and leadership, who's proven himself, not only in the oil and gas business, but in the real estate business, in the restaurant business. It takes a unique individual to be successful not only in one industry but in multiple industries."

7:52 p.m.

Regent Paul Schauer says it is time to make a decision and hire Benson.

"This search has been elongated, and it is time to get on with educating students, conducting research and serving the community," he says.

7:50 p.m.

Regent Kyle Hybl proposes hiring Benson, and regent Tillie Bishop seconds it.

7:50 p.m.

Regent Cindy Carlisle moves to reopen the search and find three to five finalists, but it fails on a 7-2 vote.

7:46 p.m.

Hayes apologies for the length of time the board was out. "We're sorry for the delay, but you know this is an important issue," she says.

7:45 p.m.

Chairwoman Pat Hayes reconvenes the meeting.

7:42 p.m.

The regents begin making their way back to the meeting.

7:03 p.m.

The regents had said before they adjourned into executive session that they would not reconvene until at least 7 p.m., and they have kept to their word. As of now, they have yet to return to resume the meeting.

5:30 p.m.

University President Hank Brown tells a group of reporters that he is not surprised by the controversy surrounding Benson's candidacy to succeed him.

"I think this is pretty normal," he says. "It would be somewhat strange for CU not to have controversy. We seem to thrive on it."

When a reporter asks him whether Benson is qualified for the job, he answers swiftly: "Yes."

5:27 p.m.

"I have no other names — no one else is signed up to speak," Regents chair Pat Hayes says.

The board then votes to go into executive session and leaves the meeting. Hayes tells the audience the group will not come back until at least 7 o'clock.

5:22 p.m.

University President Hank Brown arrives at the meeting.

5:19 p.m.

Michael West, a CU student, tells the regents that he is surprised by "the fact that you guys are hiring an oil executive who has made no effort to research renewable fuels — not alternative fuels, but renewable fuels."

5:08 p.m.

Peggy Lamm, another Democrat, tells the regents that she supports Benson, calling him a "fighter" who won her over. Lamm, like other speakers, is cut off by Regent Pat Hayes because she exceeded her two-minute time limit.

5:05 p.m.

Elaine Berman, former member of the Denver school board, tells the regents she is a Democrat, and her husband is a tenured faculty member at CU, and she learned in six years of working with Benson that he was a man of extraordinary abilities.

"He listens," she says. "I've watched him chair board meeting after board meeting. He listens to what people have to say. To know Bruce Benson is to love Bruce Benson. If you don't know Bruce Benson, you have an image of him. I had an image of him six years ago. ... Bruce Benson is a very, very good man."

5:04 p.m.

Rebecca Love Kourlis, former member of the Colorado Supreme Court, tells the regents she supports Benson for two reasons. First, he is a person of vision with the capacity to make things happen. Second, he has a passion for public education.

"It truly elevates that individual into someone who deserves our attention and support," she says.

She encourages the regents to make the decision with one thing in mind: By considering what they want CU to be 10 years from now.

4:55 p.m.

Metropolitan State College President Stephen Jordan tells the regents they should hire Benson, noting that a policy he helped pass at the school led to the hiring of 110 new tenure-track faculty members.

He also tells the regents that Benson led the effort to reach out to minority students through his work at Metro.

"I truly believe he can help bring together all of higher ed, all of our institutions," Jordan says.

4:52 p.m.

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet tells the regents that Benson tried to keep him from getting the job.

"I think he was trying to do me a favor," Bennet joked.

When he got back to his office after being selected, Bennet tells the regents, the first call was from Benson, who told him that while he supported someone else for the job he would continue his commitment to the district.

"Bruce Benson has been somebody who time and time again in my experiences with him was able to reach across all kinds of divides," Bennet says.

4:50 p.m.

Colorado Education Commissioner Dwight Jones speaks in favor of Benson, citing his long record of working on education issues.

4:48 p.m.

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet arrives at the meeting.

4:43 p.m.

Nauenberg notes that the CU Boulder faculty voted 40-4 against Benson's appointment, with four abstentions.

"This definitive vote reflects the will of the full faculty," he says. "It's unfortunate that the CU-Boulder faculty has to make these remarks about a good friend of the CU campus."

4:37 p.m.

Uriel Nauenberg, physics professor and chair of the Boulder campus faculty, says that "Bruce Benson has been an untiring advocate for increased state support of education."

However, he tells the regents faculty members opposed Benson, that they fear that he might not be the right person to talk about concepts like tenure and academic freedom.

Jonas Salk, he said, would not have discovered the polio vaccine if he hadn't had tenure.

4:29 p.m.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper arrives at the meeting, standing in the back and listening to comments.

4:24 p.m.

Jennifer Lahlou, chair of the CU-Boulder staff council, tells the regents a majority of the group voted against Benson's candidacy.

She lists a series of pros and cons.

Pros: Highly successful businessman, fundraising capabilities, good problem solver, role of presidency, proponent of higher education, supported Referendums C and D.

Cons: Poor public speaker, question as to whether he's the right person to spread the word to boost state and federal funding, involvement with the partisan Trailhead Group.

4:17 p.m.

Ryan Biehle, chair of the Intercampus Student Forum, urges the regents to reject Benson, contending that he "does not meet the qualifications" to be CU's next president.

"Mr. Benson is no doubt an accomplished man and an exceptional fundraiser," Biehle says. "But that is not all that our university needs at this time."

As he ends, about a dozen people in the audience clap.

4:11 p.m.

State Sen. Paula Sandoval, D-Denver, said that Benson was the right person for the job, noting that a generation ago he was pushing to raise minority graduation rates and fought to diversify the ranks of college administrators.

"He is without question committed to education," Sandoval says.

As a Democrat, she noted that many others in her party supported Benson's appointment, including Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, Gov. Bill Ritter, former Mayor Wellington Webb and others.

4:08 p.m.

State Sen. Andrew McElhany, R-El Paso County, is the first to speak.

"I have worked with Bruce in instances where we have been on the same side and instances where few have bene on opposing sides," he said. "And I can tell you consistently that I have never found anybody who is more focused and will work harder toward the goal and will do it with more integrity and honesty. ... I don't think you will find anybody who will do it better or be a greater asset to the university of Colorado."

4 p.m.

The meeting is about to start. All of the regents are here.

3:55 p.m.

Three CU students who are working in alternative fuels set up a 55-gallon oil drum in the back of the room and hold up signs.

Your Past Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I Believe In Global Warming ... Do You?

Academic Freedom Means Freedom For All

One of the students, Josh Maynard, said he is concerned about Benson's work in the oil industry.

"That's one of the many issues I have with Benson," Maynard said. "It's the tip of the iceberg, which we won't have any more."

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