The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.
Issue link: https://louisville.epubxp.com/i/643329
W I N T E R / S P R I N G U O F L M A G A Z I N E | 5 Dear friends and alumni of UofL, We have talked about the challenges faced by the University of Louisville as a result of continued state budget cuts. In FY 2016, UofL will receive $7,477 from the state per full-time employee, compared to $10,289 per full-time employee in 2002. Today, only 12 percent of all dollars in the UofL budget comes from the state. What used to be our No. 1 revenue source is now only our fifth-largest revenue source. We're working hard to change that. We are spending much of our time this spring semester in Frankfort, lobbying members of the Kentucky General Assembly about all of the tremendous achievements accomplished daily at UofL in the hopes that they will restore funding to higher education and allow us to hasten our progress toward becoming a premier, nationally recognized metropolitan research university. We are aware of all the obstacles facing Gov. Matt Bevin and legislative leaders — including Medicaid, pension and debt service obligations — as they work to craft a responsible and balanced budget for the coming biennium. But we want to assure all of you that each day we are working to make sure we get the funding needed to strengthen our ability to deliver a quality higher education. We also have other challenges in 2016. I know many of you are concerned about media reports of investigations into our men's basketball program and also into allegations against a former employee and two current employees. I want you to know we are cooperating with authorities in both cases. We are determined to find the truth. If wrongdoing is uncovered, those responsible will be punished. I want to stress to you that these challenges in no way detract from the outstanding accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students. And I want to emphasize that the University of Louisville remains deserving of your pride, support and investment. Today, we are attracting a stronger and more diverse student body than at any time in the university's history. Our graduates are better prepared than ever to reach their goals in a changing world. And our alumni are engaged, both with their alma mater and in their communities. In addition, UofL has never been so involved in bettering the lives of people in our community. Recently, we settled our lawsuit with Norton Healthcare in regard to the operation of Kosair Children's Hospital. Our new, eight-year agreement ensures that children from our state and beyond can continue to receive the highest level of pediatric care available anywhere. I would be remiss if I didn't say that we can't do what we do without your help. Investing in the University of Louisville generates an impressive return. I know that you believe that. I hope you'll join me in passing that message on to our state legislators. I'm confident that, together, we will reach our lofty goals and fulfill our daunting mission. By coming together as one university, we will overcome any obstacles in our path. F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T President James Ramsey spoke to students at Central High School in Louisville. Inside the Oval James R. Ramsey, President