We’re not about to assume anything about Robert Felner, the former Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville. Felner, of course, is currently under federal investigation. Since we’re not making assumptions, we figure it’s best to make some (some, not all, because not everything is relevant) records and information obtained during open records requests available to our readers.
The easiest way to dig into this information is to share with you exactly what we’ve received from the University of Louisville’s Open Records Officer. In some instances we received summaries of documents and in others we received the actual documents.
Hopefully this information provides a glimpse into life at the CEHD leading up to the infamous vote of no-confidence. It may also give you a loose idea of the dark cloud that is still hanging over the University of Louisville.
Here we go. Grievances summarized:
1. U of L is in possession of records of a sexual harassment grievance filed by a CEHD graduate student against CEHD Dean Robert Felner in 2005. The U of L affirmative action/employee relations office in the human resources department “found insufficient evidence to conclude the university*s policy on sexual harassment was violated.”
2. U of L is in possession of records of a faculty grievance filed by a CEHD faculty member against Karen Karp, chair, CEHD department of teaching & learning, and Dean Felner. On 6/6/05 the U of L faculty grievance committee recommended the provost “affirm the 2003 Merit Review” of the grievant. It found that “the unsatisfactory ratings in service and research in the 2003 Merit Review of [the grievant] were not a result of improper bias which influenced the decision-maker’s judgment.”
Read the other 30 juicy pieces of information after the jump…
3. U of L is in possession of records of an administrator grievance filed by a CEHD department chair against Dean Felner. On 5/31/06 Provost Shirley Willihnganz found Dean Felner’s 9/1/05 letter of annual review of the grievant “to be unbiased despite the fact that Dean Felner raised some issues regarding [the grievant’s] administrative performance as acting chair that he believed to be problematic. However, in an attempt to have this grievance resolved informally, Dean Felner has said that he will re-issue a revised letter with the problematic sentences removed by June 6.” She also found that the grievant’s salary history over the last three years was appropriate and that he had been appropriately reimbursed for travel expenses. The provost wrote to the grievant that when Dean Felner issued the revised letter, “please let me know and we shall assume then that this grievance is settled via informal resolution.”
4. U of L is in possession of records of a faculty grievance filed by a CEHD faculty member against Dean Felner and Karen Karp. On 7/17/07 Provost Willihnganz concurred with the faculty grievance panel’s action “in finding no grievable action regarding [the grievant’s] 2006 Work Plan; and … affirmed “the action of Dr. Karp and Dean Felner in assigning [the grievant] a rating of Not Satisfactory in [the grievant’s] 2005 Annual Review.”
Other complaints summarized:
5. A 5/13/04 letter from a CEHD faculty member to associate provost David Howarth complaining, first, that “Felner has been reprimanding and patronizing me or my work and copying it to many others…. This has been embarrassing and hurtful to my reputation and career…. Second … Felner has recently thwarted a proposed project of mine without having read the proposal…. I think it is morally wrong for a dean to thwart the projects of faculty members, to pick on faculty he doesn’t like, to embarrass faculty through public reprimands, and to talk about faculty in negative ways behind closed doors.”
6. A 5/27/04 email to Provost Willihnganz from a CEHD faculty member complaining her sabbatical request filed in September 2003 had not been acted on by Dean Felner.
7. A 6/9/04 letter to Provost Willihnganz from a CEHD faculty member who wrote, “I have felt disrespected, devalued, and, at times, demeaned in front of others by Dean Felner, and I am beginning to wonder if I will stay here.” The provost’s reply is attached (PDF Link).
8. A 6/30/04 email to Provost Willihnganz from a term faculty member applying for a tenure-track position in CEHD complaining about emails from Dean Felner “that contained unreasonable demands and a threat,” and the provost’s response in part asking the faculty member to send the emails to her; and a “grievance submission form” dated 6/30/04 by the faculty member complaining Dean Felner failed to consider her application for a tenure-track position despite a positive recommendation from the search committee and asked for six months’ severance pay.
9. A 9/5/04 letter to U of L’s harassment/sexual harassment office from a CEHD faculty member summarizing the faculty member’s “interactions” with Dean Felner. “In my opinion, no one of these issues alone would have bothered me much. It’s the accumulation of all of them that has caused me to write this letter.” Among other things, this person complained that “he came into my office uninvited and immediately shut the door and began gossiping to me about a colleague …. I ran into him in the corridor and he stood really close to me and said in a baby talk, ‘How come you never come and see me?’ I was so taken aback that I literally stepped backwards and stammered, ‘Well, I’ve been working.’ And then he proceeded to explain that when he has criticized the faculty for not working hard enough, he wasn’t referring to me…. My experiences add up to his being too familiar, and from the beginning his uninvited interactions made me uncomfortable. When I retreated, he gradually got more and more hostile with me (as I with him)…. In my… years [at U of L] I have witnessed problems, embarrassing situations, and a few hostile people, but none as bad as [Dean Felner].”
10. A 3/8/05 email to Provost Willihnganz from a student in CEHD asking “about my options if I am devastated by the lack of professionalism displayed toward me by Dr. Felner.” In a follow-up email this student wrote, “Dr. Felner will continue to cross boundaries and attack those not in his favor…. My hope is that the CEHD’s image, as a representative of the University, does not decline as a result of Dr. Felner’s temperament.” The provost suggested the student should begin by meeting with the student grievance officer.
11. A 5/3/05 email to Dean Felner from a CEHD faculty member, copied to Provost Willihnganz, complaining of Dean Felner’s “harassment” of the faculty member and his “attempts to interfere with my retirement and force me to resign instead and on a date of your choosing have become so extreme and irrational that I felt the need to pull it off the table for my own protection.”
12. A 6/26/05 email to Provost Willihnganz from a former CEHD faculty member describing “many unprofessional incidents by Dean Felner during my last year at the University of Louisville.” The provost’s 7/15/05 response is attached (PDF Link).
13. An unsigned letter received in 2005 by Provost Willihnganz alleging Dean Felner’s inaccurate listing of a grant in his resume and a relationship with a student, attached (PDF Link).
14. An 11/9/05 email from Dean Felner to Provost Willihnganz describing Felner’s meeting with an employee who “moved to threats about legal action and … clearly feels like he does not need to deal with this a[t] the College level but has Provost office ear so if he comes there I hope that it will be sent back here.”
15. An 11/10/05 email to Provost Willihnganz from a CEHD administrator who complained of a “hostile work environment” and “prejudicial and unfounded comments” made by Dean Felner. There is a follow-up email from Felner to Willihnganz disputing the administrator’s account. The provost advised the administrator to work with the dean to resolve issues of concern.
16. A 12/6/05 email from the faculty grievance officer to an associate provost, forwarded to Provost Willihnganz, asking if there had been any follow-up from a November conversation concerning the FGO’s belief that “there may be significant infringement of academic freedom, in addition to a major erosion of collegial academic governance in CEHD (in clear violation of the spirit of the position paper endorsed by our Board of Trustees in July 2001)… [and] systematic efforts to suppress dissent of all kinds in even the smallest matters, through reprimand, intimidation, and punishment. I believe that administrative tolerance of these conditions jeopardizes not only the faculty at CEHD, but also the integrity of our institution as a whole. Something needs to be done.”
17. A 2/20/06 email to Dean Felner from a CEHD faculty member “deeply disappointed in the way things have been done since you came. I see a irreconcilable discrepancy between what you say and what you do. Everywhere I look, I see suffering and deep depression in the faculty and staff. Colleagues are fearful of speaking up even when they disapprove of what you have done. You have created a work environment where people cannot breathe, and you have missed your opportunity to correct it. I think that you should leave.” The faculty member then described “the only nonviolent choice I can think of,” to commence immediately. Felner forwarded the email to Provost Willihnganz, along with his response to the faculty member asking to meet with the faculty member.
18. The Minutes of a 3/8/06 CEHD faculty meeting describing/containing a vote of no confidence in Dean Felner, attached (PDF Link).
19. A 3/27/06 email from a CEHD faculty member to U of L’s harassment/sexual harassment office complaining of being “targeted-among others–because of my role, responsibilities/authority, and salary” after “several faculty members distributed two pages of faculty/administrative salaries among most of the faculty (these were left in mailboxes and under office doors). . . . [T]he spurious tactics currently being used against the dean lead me to believe that I may be further targeted. My personal and professional conduct has been completely blameless, and any accusations made against me would be sheer calumny. But I have reason to suspect that one or more of these persons may attempt to defame, slander, or libel me.” The faculty member asked, “How would I go about filing a complaint on the grounds of discriminatory harassment and creating a hostile work environment against those faculty members who are making these threats and accusations against the dean, myself, and others ….”
20. Letter dated 8/31/2006 from “Just Solutions” to “Faculty, Staff, and Students of the CEHD,” attached. Also email dated 10/10/06 from a CEHD staff member to CEHD faculty transmitting Provost Willihnganz’s 9/25/06 letter to “Faculty, Staff, and Students of the CEHD,” attached (PDF Link).
21. A 10/25/06 email from Provost Willihnganz to Dean Felner about a note the president’s office received from a CEHD student, attached (PDF Link).
22. An undated unsigned letter received in the provost’s office c. 2007 noting “environmental work factors that make CEHD a miserable place to work,” attached (PDF Link).
23. A 5/18/07 letter from an administrator at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois, to Provost Willihnganz “concerning very troubling and unprofessional behavior by Dean Robert Felner . . . at the recent annual meeting of the American Education al Research Association in Chicago” and referring to “Mr. Felner’s departure from the University of Illinois in 1997″ and “a substantial dispute regarding ownership and copyright status of a system of assessments for evaluating school improvement and school reform.” The writer expressed “hope that you will work with Bob Felner to insure that this public harassment of our staff will not occur in the future.” The provost replied she had shared the writer’s letter with Dr. Felner “to make him aware of your concerns.”
24. A 7/12/07 email from a CEHD staff member to Provost Willihnganz describing an incident in which he witnessed what he saw as Dean Felner’s acting “in a temperamental, abusive, and aggressive manner in front of other faculty, staff, and students…. [H]is actions resulted in the faculty member being embarrassed, subsequent tears and others in the center looking on in disbelief at his unprofessional display of interaction.”
25. A 7/26/07 note forwarded to Provost Willihnganz from the provost’s office’s student advocate describing her concerns about two students’ losing their assistantships in CEHD. She referred the students to the student grievance officer.
26. An 8/8/07 email from Provost Willihnganz to Dean Felner about a 7/12/07 complaint sent to the president by the students in a CEHD class who objected to “being moved.” The letter signed by the students claimed Dean Felner “very, very rudely spoke to [their professor] about the room. He was loud and brazen as he yelled at [the professor] in public over her use of the room. [The professor] asked him to please calm down and speak in a quieter manner…. [W]e feel … Dr. Felner “was very disrespectful to [the professor] and others around her and behaved very unprofessionally as an employee of the university. We
feel that measures should be taken to address the Dean*s public display of unprofessionalism toward [the professor] as it reflects negatively toward the College of Education and the University of Louisville.”
27. An 11/28/07 letter from a former CEHD doctoral student expressing regret at the departure of three of the writer’s former professors in her department. “It seems both odd and suspicious to me that all three would depart within one semester.”
28. A 3/13/08 unsigned letter to President Ramsey from a self-described “long time financial supporter of the University of Louisville as well as an alumnus” who noted, “I have been invited to the President’s box area for UofL ball games. I have never ceased to be amazed by the rude and arrogant behavior of Robert Felner. He is always lacking in manners and exhibits unfriendly behavior. Is this something you want to portray to your donors and alumni? I request that he not be invited to the President’s box until he can exhibit socially acceptable behavior…. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why this scourge of humanity would be allowed to continue . . . his reign of terror …. Therefore, I can no longer support a University that doesn’t support its faculty and staff…. [P]lease remove this man from any position where he comes in contact with the public.”
29. A 5/12/08 unsigned letter to President Ramsey from the mother of a graduate complaining about “the College of Education graduation ceremony last Saturday…. The person in charge, Dean Felner, acted as though it was his chance to perform. He didn’t seem to take the ceremony seriously-he told jokes and also seemed to enjoy interacting with and almost flirting with some of the young female graduates…. We looked forward to a day of celebration, and instead, got chaos and disrespect…. How many families had their celebrations ruined by the College of Education’s disregard for its students? What a disgrace to the University of Louisville and what a disappointment to my child and all our family members who attended. I hope you will take some action that will prevent this from happening to other families in the future. Certainly students who have worked hard to earn their degrees deserve better than this.”
30. A 5/28/08 unsigned letter to Provost Willihnganz from “a friend of the Planetarium” referring to the termination of planetarium employees and complaining of “another negative legacy Robert Felner will leave. His hiring practices again come into play. He is notorious for hiring attractive women for positions for which they are not qualified.”
31. A 6/3/08 unsigned letter to Provost Willihnganz referring to Dean Felner and complaining about hiring practices in the planetarium.
32. A 7/10/08 unsigned letter to Provost Willihnganz and John Ralston, director of human resources, complaining about personnel matters in the planetarium. “You let Felner wreak havoc on the University and the University is suffering the consequences. And you are continuing to allow his empire to wreak havoc…. Please at least investigate things at the planetarium with the support staff and see things for yourself.”
58 responses so far ↓
1 Tirnstile // Jul 14, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Whatever happend to the “30 strikes and your your out” rule?
DISTURBING!
2 Oh My // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Have there been any sexual harassment suits filed against UL or Dean Felner?
As a UL alum, I am disappointed in the University’s handling of this matter.
3 jake // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:01 pm
As mentioned above, there have been grievances. No suits to our knowledge.
4 PWK // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:27 pm
UMMMM - no suits? Did deeper.
5 PWK // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Sorry - dig - not did
6 jake // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:35 pm
There are no pending sexual harassment suits against Felner/UofL. And I haven’t found anything via the state’s court records system.
7 Anthony // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Ya know, it almost sounds like to me that someone needs to take a look at the Provost in this matter. It sounds like she needs to have some serious disciplinary action taken against her for blatantly disregarding this mountain of evidence of Felner’s inappropriate conduct. Any other private sector job, he would have already been fired and its doubtful he’d have another job.
8 ed // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Knowing him as I do, not one bit of any of this surprises me in the least. Not one bit.
He has done the same thing in every port he’s stopped in…including accumulating wives. His behavior is so much the same, and so predictable, it could almost be called serial.
The only thing that amazes me is that, in each place, higher ups have done nothing at all about it. They all simply put more value on the dollars he was bringing in than on the people he hurt.
9 WC // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Wow, who knew? Well, sure I knew. But I didn’t know that this many complaints had been made. How did this guy live with himself?
10 Tirnstile // Jul 14, 2008 at 5:50 pm
He still IS living with himself, or do you know something we don’t? :)
11 SC // Jul 14, 2008 at 5:51 pm
It is difficult to understand how the Provost can ignore this mountain of complaints, concerns, etc. even if they are “unsigned”. But more importantly, what did the President know about Dr. Felner. He seems to think Felner was doing a good job — based on what?
12 Always Amazed // Jul 14, 2008 at 6:51 pm
More importantly, how is Blake Hazelton handling this? Are the aggrieved feeling like they are being heard by him? Or is he acting like Ramsey, provost, and Northup?
13 Duped // Jul 14, 2008 at 6:52 pm
This mountain of evidence says a lot about the faculty, the college, the provost, and of course RF. It says something about the faculty, and it isn’t positive. There were several unsigned letters which indicate cowardly acts. Why should a faculty member be afraid to sign her letter? Letters are disregarded when they are not signed. They may have been written by the same person over and over, escalating the number of complaints, when in reality those letters may have only represented one disgruntled employee. Academe is one of the few places a person can and should be able to express opinions and facts publically. It is a shame that some people took the less public and therefore less effective way to lodge a complaint.
Further, I sent one of those letters and signed it, and I have no evidence that the provost shared my letter with RF. As I read over these data, it looks like she attempted to respond in the best way she could at the time. She did not entirely ignore the situation. She tried to allow the internal grievance processes take care of the problem. RF was the first dean she hired, and it was done almost immediately after she became provost. She wanted him to succeed, and in her mind, he did in some ways.
Now, I am not defending the provost. I am still angry because there was a moment when her actions became dishonest. After many complaints, she hired Just Solutions to interview faculty members. Many of us were relieved–something was going to be done! The company interviewed many of us, for over an hour each. I see that the open records officer provided the contract of services with this company. In that document, it says that the results will be shared with the faculty. Instead, what we recieved was a stunning, insulting letter,written both by the provost and the dean together, saying all was well in the college and things will carry on.
After that, many of us lost faith altogether. We quietly did our own work and attempted to avoid problems. It did not work, though, as we continued to witness cruelty to new victims.
As you might see, I am just not sure what to think about all this.
14 wc // Jul 14, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Tirnstile, yes, he is still living, as far as I know. I am feeling pity toward him right now. I imagine it is hard for him to live with himself right now.
But how did he live with himself back then? He must have gotten enough positive strokes (from all the wives and girlfriends, I guess) to talk himself into believing he was OK.
I am also baffled by the wives and girlfriends. What did they see?
15 PWK // Jul 14, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Jake - check RI - Board of Governors
16 ed // Jul 14, 2008 at 9:12 pm
WC,
I just can’t believe he is having trouble living with himself. Not Felner. Shaking in his boots? I would hope so. But, he doesn’t have…and never had…any remorse for his actions. He’s just not wired like the rest of us. And…I’ve felt since I first met him…he suffers from that Napoleonic complex…and I think that explains a lot about how he could act as he does toward people.
I can totally understand you scratching your head over so much of this, but I can’t even come close to feeling pity for him. As much as I would like to see charges brought soon (if that’s what happens), I would almost prefer this investigation take months, just so he can sweat it out daily….hourly. Jake reminded me…and rightly so…that we are innocent until proven guilty. No question about it. But, let’s be real here….the feds don’t do something like this unless they’re pretty sure they have something. A close friend is a retired Federal DEA agent, and has worked with the agencies conducting the investigation. A decent source, I would say. As soon as I told him what happened he said, “He’s done. They got him.” Innocent until proven guilty….I know. Just relaying a conversation.
And…as far as the wives and girlfriends….they saw a fat wallet.
17 SC // Jul 14, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Duped
I can see your frustration toward those who sent anonymous and/or unsigned complaints, especially if you included your name etc. — and that is courageous and professional on your part — but i do wonder how much you had to lose if your complaints were revealed to Dr. Felner? I sensed from many of these posts that many people felt their careers would be in jeopardy, resources denied, and they would be given poor performance evaluations. I would also think any staff person or non-tenured faculty would be jeopardizing their livelihood altogther to include a name. So while I agree it is difficult for the Provost to respons to an anonymous complaint, I have to think that some of these complaints were not anonymous in the beginning; and that trend began once the abuse/retaliation began. This fear had to have been intensified once the Provost assured people they would not be retaliated against; and she did not live up to that promise.
It seems impossible that academic freedom and open discourse could be silenced so effectively by a single person — and he did not act alone — he had his supporters who sat silent in faculty meetings and committee meetings when he would unleash his attacks on faculty/staff or distort the truth. Those who repeated the lies and distortions are just as culpable as Dr. Felner.
18 BBC // Jul 14, 2008 at 9:49 pm
SC is absolutely correct. His supporters had great time and fat salaries. In some instances, they were more cruel than Felner. Just look at their salaries and glowing evaluations, you will find the answer. Sad news is that Felner was just one person, but all his group is still in power and will continue to what they have been doing all the time. Blake will not be able to stop.
19 T'aint Simple // Jul 15, 2008 at 7:08 am
Duped,
Thanks for posting. I think there have been many in your situation, frustrated that the process was not working, yet still trying to get your work done. It’s always so disappointing to realize yet again that, all too often, Dilbert is not a cartoon, but the essence of reality.
Jake, I do have to ask if the “unsigned” documents are apparently truly unsigned or have had names whited out before release?
20 jake // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:52 am
They’re truly unsigned.
21 Just Wondering // Jul 15, 2008 at 9:37 am
As a current faculty member at U of L, my question would be this: What is going to happen to Felner’s cronies who are left in the department?
There is talk (and yes, it might just be talk but I know many who will confirm this) that one of his girlfriends, hired during his stay and decidedly unqualified for her position, is climbing her way to the top of the department.
And carrying out the same “Felner-like” tactics with anyone who stands in her way - intimidation, threats, bullying - you name it.
I say, it’s just starting - and the root runs deep.
22 Tirnstile // Jul 15, 2008 at 9:53 am
Sounds like the creeping charlie in my backyard. So why not just “Round-up” all of his cronies and leave out on the curb with the rest of the landscape waste?
And, is it just me, or would Felner have been better served practicing his craft in Utah? He could still rip people off, but with much less scrutiny of his polygamist ways. That was probably his next move once the final checks had cleared….
23 wc // Jul 15, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Ok, ok, I get it (I think). The guy just has no moral compass. He is like no one I have ever met. Even in literature, the antagonist usually has some redeeming qualities.
On the girlfriends. Yes, he had a fat wallet, but that just can’t be it. The two blonds I know of are decent Kentucky women who do not appear to be money or power hungry (although I do not know them well). And Just Wondering, are you referring to Natalie? Climbing to the top of what?! The top of her department is taken by the most power hungry woman of all and my guess is she isn’t budging. I bet word of Natalie is just rumor. My guess is that she and Jennifer are both suffering over their mistake. I do not see either one as power hungry.
24 wc // Jul 15, 2008 at 12:46 pm
One more question I am too afraid to ask in public so will ask on a blog. How will people feel if Blake is appointed permanent dean by the provost?
25 PWK // Jul 15, 2008 at 12:49 pm
A former colleague of mine once told me that she thought Felner was “God”. Those of you who worked with him know that when you first meet him, he portrays himself as a charming, commanding, sort of renegade - and that appeals to certain women.
26 Fedup // Jul 15, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Both Natalie and Jennifer are nice ladies. My guess is that they became victims of the Felner’s abusive power. I have never heard that these ladies done wrong to anyone.
27 Sickofit // Jul 15, 2008 at 1:03 pm
PWK,
Tell your friend that this guy is not God, but a Devil in the human body
28 Sickofit // Jul 15, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Blake might not be a bad choice, if he does not become a part of the Felner’s cronies. However, he might not bring millions dollars what the provost and president like.
They really need to start all over. Remove all the people from so called, “Leadership Team,” Let tenured faculty elect from each department.
29 ed // Jul 15, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Even though I know Felner….or, Bobby, as he hates to be called…to be amoral, abusive and without conscience, I still can’t help shaking my head as I read these posts. The consistency with which this guy is hated, even though I’m way at the top of that list, simply amazes me!!! And, the stories are exactly the same from everyplace he’s been. Exactly.
I’m wondering, as someone else asked, how the heck he got away with this for so long? If this were the old West, posters of him would have been hung around town and a posse sent out to find him!!!
Pretty incredible, when you think about it.
But….I’m thinking…..it ends here.
30 jake // Jul 15, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I’m not trying to stifle conversation, but I feel like we should probably leave Robert Felner’s personal life alone. At least a little but. Unless we’re discussing the fact that he potentially gave jobs to girlfriends or significant others.
I have a feeling any women he’s been with have suffered enough as it is.
31 HowardWCampbelljr // Jul 15, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I question the alumnus that did not sign the letter. The author seems to know more than an alum would in this case. A true donor would of course put their signature to it.
I do disagree with the Duped regarding the signing of one’s name. Many of the faculty were and are concerned about their situation and longevity. It is evident that RF retaliated against those who opposed or just disagreed with him. In this day of annual and five year post-tenure reviews and the idea of wanting to be promoted, evaluations make a difference. One or two low evaluations could stop all of that. We know that he over-ruled chair evaluation and he encouraged evaluations by chairs to be negative for people he did not like.
I know that there are some present and former leadership that became disillusioned and changed. However, their and RF’s legacy continue because they aloud the inaccurate evaluations and inappropriate behavior to continue. Some folks never were tenured or some will never be promoted because of RF and the complicity of the leadership. I would hope that the leadership would “step up to the plate” and resign.
As for the provost, there is no excuse. She was aware of the problems. She could have just looked into much of this, had individual meetings with folks (not just the leadership or “near leadership” folks) to ferrite out the reality. But what she did was pass it on to other people and entities to deal with. She had the broad view of things and she didn’t take it seriously. The Just Solutions debacle was just the most evident thing she did not follow up on. She, at the very least, needs to come to the faculty and apologize and ask for and really commit to suggestions to change what has happened. However, I don’t think that will ever happen and I do not believe that she should remain provost. The excuse that this was a first hire early in her tenure as provost still does not remove her responsibility to act accordingly with just good administrative judgment.
As for Blake, nice man! I don’t know how he will do. But, we had no national search for our president or provost. We had no national search for any of the other associate deans and several of the chairs. While we did have a national search for RF (and we were fools for not really researching or believing some on the committee that did do further checking), I think the good “ole-boy” network should stop. We need a national search that is thoroughly researched with good background checks.
32 Just Wondering // Jul 15, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I’m not really all that interested in Felner’s personal life, but let’s get real - for those of us who are left behind to pick up his proverbial mess of a department, his personal life IS his professional life. That was part of the problem. Not to mention the irony in the term “professional” life.
My point isn’t to make the women he was with suffer more than apparently they already have. I guess they can lay claim to being yet another victim in Felner’s “march to the sea” BUT…
If they were promoted or treated better at work because of their relationship with Felner then it does impact all of the U of L community - especially those still watching to see what happens with his remaining supporters.
What a mess.
33 SC // Jul 15, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Response to HWCampbell
You are so right — that the remaining leadership team (those who have been around since the beginning, profited financially, stood silent in the face of abuse of power and personal abuse, and maybe even abused power) should all tender their resignations; and the Interim Dean should accept them. I would venture a guess, that their admin. assistants could probably do their jobs for several months without missing a beat. There have been so many horribe posts related to Karen Karp and Bob Roneau that they have to go — there is just no way these people can remain in positions of authority and the college have any hope of advancing.
Once they are gone — I suspect people will be more than willing to fill the tiny void left by their absence.
It does raise and interesting point though — where do they go — if they are hated in their departments — how can they return to that department?
34 BBC // Jul 15, 2008 at 4:30 pm
SC,
Don’t leave out Sam Stringfield. He has been Felner’s strongest supporter. Just look at his salary and phony assignments all over the place to justify his big fat salary.
35 SC // Jul 15, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Yes, BBC — you are right — his name has come up many times as well.
Perhaps Dr. Felner should be nominated for the worst boss in america.
http://www.workingamerica.org/badboss/
Check out this website . He is definitely a contender.
36 Veryinteresting // Jul 15, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I hope that someone is reading all this stuff. Will the provost, president, or board of trustees listen to the crying voices? Or did they close their ears and shut their eyes. Could this information be shared with them, in some way to get their attention.
37 jake // Jul 15, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Trust me. They’re reading.
As are several agencies working to improve UofL’s public image through this whole ordeal.
The school totally has professional help putting on its showing of public denial. Time for a records request to find out what that’s all costing.
38 T'aint Simple // Jul 15, 2008 at 6:30 pm
SC and BBC
Frankly, it’s hard to imagine CEHD advancing at all if the University is going to rely on folks who seem to spend time making scurrilous posts on blogs rather than, for example:
a) attending to the business of the CEHD and students who could use some true professorship such as that provided by many of the new professors who have joined the joint over the last four years and who have worked hard to provide educational resources that simply were not there; or
b) thinking about and sharing ways to bring about the necessary college-wide healing and support the new Acting Dean and your (presumed) colleagues in making sure the students are getting the education for which they have paid lots of money; or
c) lots of alternatives that could be suggested by the creative talents being exercised herein.
I thought this was about Felner and his bosses’ failures, at multiple institutions, to act responsibly. You seem to forget he was the boss of, along with yourselves (I presume) everyone else in the college, including those on the “leadership team” - which was never used for leadership or as a team and can hardly be truly classified as such. His harassment and abuse of power excluded no one in CEHD. Though my personal experience that I deem relevant to this has been outside of the collegiate administrative arena, it includes the fact that “upper management” folks are often trying their damnedest to keep the business of the organization going while still trying to get the word to someone who can do something to mitigate the bad stuff, apparently a particularly difficult and impossible task in this instance. It seems to me all the remaining folks need an opportunity to live up to the best expectations of a new Dean and the potential of CEHD.
Best wishes for your coming year without Robert Felner. Enjoy it! There are a lot of bad bosses out there!
39 wc // Jul 15, 2008 at 6:45 pm
It matters not one lick who RF was sleeping with. The problem was that he found a cutie from the state department, invented a job for her, and paid her $80+K, more than some very experienced full professors are paid. How can he get away with this? It is against the sexual harassment regulations. It baffles me to this day. This is not allowed anywhere anymore–think Paul Wolfowitz–so why can it happen at UofL?
40 wc // Jul 15, 2008 at 6:46 pm
And I too vote for a national search for dean.
And for the resignations of at least some of the current “leadership” team.
41 SC // Jul 15, 2008 at 7:36 pm
T’aint Simple
I am not suggesting this is simple — I am just observing that certain names of members of the “leadership team” keep coming up over and over; while others do not. So it may be just as you say, that even members of leadership were doing the best they could in a bad situation — my point was with this level of distrust and lack of confidence in some of the leadership that is still in place — it would be prudent to make some changes. And it would be incredibly refreshing if some of leadership would recognize that they simple can not longer be effective in that role (whether rightly or wrongly); and step aside.
42 SheWho // Jul 16, 2008 at 12:25 am
Rumor has it that the other candidate for dean when RF interviewed told the president that it would take 5 years to turn the CEHD around (more grants & research) and that Karen Karp and Bob Roneau had to go in order for the college to move ahead……
Too bad the president didn’t listen…we’d probably be ahead of where we are now with research and grants and have individuals working together….imagine!!!
43 Auburn Alum // Jul 16, 2008 at 7:57 am
The Faculty and Staff of the College of Education
University of Louisville
Is Cordially Invited to the Hotel Bar
At The Psychology or Education Convention
of Your Choice
To Sing “DingDong The Witch is Dead”
With colleagues and fellow PTSD Survivors
From the University of Rhode Island
University of Illinois-Champaign
Auburn University
Yale University
And to Light Candles in Reverent Prayer/Reflection
For the Faculty, Staff and Students
Of Dr. Felner’s Next Stop
And to Dance Because You Finally Got Rid of Him,
Though Unfortunately at Their Expense.
Enabling Administration Officials Not Invited
Until Certificate of De-programming and
Extensive Psychotherapy is Presented
44 ed // Jul 16, 2008 at 8:12 am
I sure hope it’s a big bar. Maybe we should all meet on a Caribbean island….drink cocktails with umbrellas in them…and tell our Bobby Felner stories. Maybe we can hire a Felner look-alike to pop in and berate us. We could make it an annual thing. It’d be a hoot.
And, I don’t think Felner has a “next stop” in him…unless, or course, you mean the one where everyone is in stripes.
45 James R. // Jul 16, 2008 at 9:30 am
I would like to thank Jake for all of his work on this issue. Posting all of the compaints and correspondence is very crucial to hopefully cleaning up the mess and embarrassment at UL.
It seems to me that there are a ton more questions to be answered than Bobby Felner. Questions need to be ask of people all the way to the top. UL had better get its ship straightened.
Good reporting Jake!
46 Just saying // Jul 16, 2008 at 10:00 am
No one but the leadership team can be entirely sure what they went thru or what they tried in terms of Felner. As someone associated with the U of L School of Education, I can assure you they did not ignore the situation. Felner came in with glowing reports and did do some very good things while he was there.
Yes, those things are overshadowed by everything else that is coming out and no, it doesn’t make it okay, but to drag Sam and Bob specifically into this is ridiculous.
Ridiculous.
47 HowardWCampbelljr // Jul 16, 2008 at 11:18 am
Just saying,
To some degree you are correct with Sam and maybe Bob, however, their active and in some cases tacit participation in the undermining of faculty, knowingly allowing people to be blamed for things that were caused by others, actively promoting RF’s agenda of retaliation is a clear indication of their lack of integrity. The chairs and associate deans really do have to take their share of blame. It was they that did the enforcing. I understand that in the last year many of the leadership changed their attitude, however, that took four years. Obviously, it was OK when RF carried out his wrath on others but when differences occurred between the leadership and RF that then becomes a problem for leadership. Why couldn’t this biased negative aggressive attitude and behavior have been noticed earlier when it was carried out on other faculty? Why couldn’t they have come to the faculty and supported them? I seem to recall several in that 2006 vote of “no confidence” saying “you just don’t do this!” It was obvious then to majority of faculty and should have been to the rest that RF was vindictive, retaliatory, and a person without scruples. There was ample time and with multiple examples to see this. While I do not blame the leadership as much as I do RF or the provost, I think the length and breadth of their support provides ample indication of their lack of administrative judgment and ability to lead. The lack of experience shows especially given the fact that all they had to loose was their position of power and not their job.
48 ed // Jul 16, 2008 at 11:47 am
Sadly, I’m convinced that wherever Felner was, the power of the money he was able to bring in simply made administrators look the other way at his behavior.
49 Sadly // Jul 16, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I don’t think it was the money Ed, I think it was the power that they were given. If you look at the actions by leadership….especially Karen Karp’s micromanagement that effected everything that was done in the CEHD ….she was Felner’s hip…and it was very difficult for those who were not in her “group”. The fact that she had folks report to her what was said by certain people, so she could retailate against them and then get Felner to support her… is mind blogging. It is apparent that she knows very little about being a CHAIR…..which should be to support all faculty in their department.
Please remember that the current leadership was developed by Felner….they were his enforcers….
So why are they allowed to continue??????
50 ed // Jul 16, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Maybe they won’t be allowed to continue. I don’t know the people at U of L…I’m nowhere near Kentucky. I’d like to believe that once the investigation is over and the truth comes out, U of L will clean house of Felner cronies. In a postion of authority there, I might do the same…stay somewhat quiet now, and wait to see everything uncovered by the Feds before taking any internal action. It’s just a thought.
Again….don’t know the players. Just Felner. He’s like a cancer wherever he goes.
51 Deeplyhurt // Jul 16, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Just Saying,
It seems that you were never treated by Bob, Karen, and Sam. Without their support, Felner would have gone a long time ago. They were the leaders to go to the Provost and plead to raise his salaries and keep him. They were the one who enabled him. They were the one who had infamous shirt with a logo, Who Got Felner, We Do? They even had social parties on the week-ends to enjoy the pain of others.
Many times, they were more cruel, than Felner himself. Be honest, you could trust Felner, but these people could never be trusted.
They never fought for the faculty, but just sang Felner’s praises. Now some of them are claiming, they were also mistreated by Felner. Well, why did they not resign from their positions of power while some others did? They are not that innocent what they are telling the others now.
52 sallymae443 // Jul 16, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Thanks for bringing all this information to the public eye. I believe that the University needs to step up and finally agree that RF pulled the wool over their eyes, that Provost Willihnganz was remiss in her handling of the complaints and grievances filed by individuals, and that those individuals who are currently in positions of power in the CEHD(Chairs:Ronau, Karp, Stringfield, Kolander)- as assigned by RF should be required to step down or be dismissed. I have read your page and this information with great interest and thank you for bringing it to the public’s attention. I know many individuals who work in the CEHD and many fellow students in the CEHD programs and can state with certainty that the anonymity that has been questioned by others in these comment sections, was necessary due to the vindictive nature of RH, Karen Karp, Robert Ronau, and others in the department. Their retaliatory behaviors would not stop with staff, but continued with students, thus no wonder individuals did not want to include their real names!
53 jake // Jul 16, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Readers of this post and comment thread may be interested in reading our latest Felner-UofL story
54 Whatashame // Jul 16, 2008 at 2:58 pm
What a shame!!! Who would appreciate a degree from this college anymore?
55 sallymae443 // Jul 16, 2008 at 3:40 pm
You know the old saying One Bad Apple- well that is “bunk.” Yes Felner was a jerk and the University was remiss in not handling the situation in an efficient and professional manner, but I am proud to be a student at U of L and will be proud to have a degree from there. The majority of the professors and instructors there are excellent, caring individuals who provide the highest level of instruction. The individuals in question whom RF put into power rarely even teach classes according to the schedule of classes.
I appreciate those who are teaching and doing their job and I’ll be proud of a degree from there as well!
56 emily // Jul 17, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I saved the email I sent to Wilinghantz (grievance item #12 above) in June 2005. Perhaps now I can finally delete it. I did discard her response to me shortly after receiving it when I learned that he had been given a nice raise! It’s even more discouraging now that I know my email was only one of many - and it still didn’t make a difference. What distresses me even after all this time is the human cost - that so many fine people were hurt by this one individual. It is sad for the university and most especially for CEHD.
57 ex-admin // Jul 21, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Thank you for helping to get this information out. You are correct in assuming that there is more. As the saying goes, this is just the “tip…”
58 Another Bobby Felner Survivor // Aug 1, 2008 at 11:07 am
Posts 3-6 mention sexual harassment lawsuits. There was at least one filed against RF by an ex-employee of the University of Rhode Island, which apparently was settled out of court. I know because an attorney representing RF & URI contacted me about it several years ago.
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