Saturday, August 21, 1999
UK president kicks off capital campaign
He'll retire, then stay 2 years as fund-raiser
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON — Before he leaves office in two years, University of Kentucky President Charles Wethington wants to see the successful completion of its first-ever capital campaign for academics.
The university is in the preliminary phase of the $400 million fund-raising effort, and Mr. Wethington gave it top priority on his to-do list of things that must be completed by 2001.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you are not looking at a lame duck,” Mr. Wethington said Thursday during the kickoff dinner of what is being touted as the first university-wide leadership retreat.
The two-day event ended Friday with faculty, staff and student leaders discussing what UK must do to reach top 20 public research university status.
“I don't envision ever again a time where the University of Kentucky won't be involved in a capital campaign,” Mr. Wethington said Thursday. “So it is critical that this first one must be successful.”
Mr. Wethington said it would also be critical to fill the 38 new endowed faculty chairs and 81 endowed professorships that have been created in the past year. The faculty positions have been created by $67 million in private gifts.
“Imagine the positive impact that will be made when we bring that many of the very best and brightest academics and researchers into the fold,” he said.
The university was embroiled in controversy following the trustees' May 4 decision to extend Mr. Wethington's contract for two additional years beyond his expected retirement in 2001. That brought criticism from faculty and others, claiming that the decision was secretly and hastily made.
In the two months that followed, the state's two largest newspapers sued the university board, charging that it violated the state's open meetings law, and the University Senate asked the board to vote again. The usually united 20-member board of trustees then deadlocked over whether to rescind the contract extension.
The board voted June 29 to rescind the original contract extension but still keep Mr. Wethington on for two years as a special fund-raiser after he steps down as president.
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