From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeighMore than half of the faculty members at a community college in southeastern Kentucky say they have no confidence in the state board of regents.Last month, the board of regents that oversees community and technical colleges in Kentucky abolished tenure for new faculty, beginning July 1.Proponents say it will save money and offer more flexibility in hiring. But sociology professor Roy Silver of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College sees it differently."What this will do is likely to reduce the pool of highly qualified faculty that want to come to places like Southeast," he said.Silver says the faculty’s no-confidence vote against the board of regents was 68-30.That disappoints regents chairman Richard Bean, who said "the board will go on doing what it thinks is best for the students and the people of the commonwealth."It remains to be seen what, if any, effect the no-confidence vote will have on the faculty of other community colleges. There are 16 colleges in the system.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.