HARTFORD, Conn. — Robert Kennedy, president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education in Connecticut, resigned Friday morning amid controversy related to several actions, including improperly approving more than $262,206 in salary raises.
Kennedy, who served as interim president of the University of Maine from 2004 to 2005 and then was president until he resigned that post in June 2011, took the Connecticut position in September 2011.
Democratic and Republican leaders of the General Assembly’s Higher Education Committee called for Kennedy’s resignation before the announcement by the board in a Friday press release. Democrats Beth Bye and Roberta Willis, co-chairwomen of the higher education committee, joined Republicans Toni Boucher and Timothy B. LeGeyt, ranking members of the committee, at a Thursday afternoon news conference at the Capitol calling for Kennedy to step aside.
Among the controversies surrounding Kennedy’s performance were the raises, the possible dismissal of community college presidents and Kennedy’s employment contract which allowed him to work from a vacation home in Minnesota for much of the summer.
Bye said that she feared the reform under way in higher education would be impeded without Kennedy’s removal. The board is in the midst of reforming and consolidating the state’s community college and state university systems.
“We don’t see how with the damage that’s been done in this case, the reform agenda can be carried through,” Bye said. “We believe right now that it’s damaging for the students if the system doesn’t move forward.”
Gov. Dannel Malloy, who handpicked Kennedy to lead the higher education administration, called for the board to “conduct a review of these matters, and take appropriate steps based on their findings.”
“The credibility of the central office has been damaged, and it needs to be restored as quickly as possible,” Malloy said.
During a meeting of more than an hour Thursday afternoon at the Legislative Office Building, legislators told board chairman Lewis J. Robinson and vice chairwoman Yvette Melendez that they wanted Kennedy out for two key reasons: the improper authorization of $262,206 in raises and the need for reform that they fear won’t go forward with Kennedy in place.
Willis said she was “incredulous” that Kennedy made the salary raise decisions without checking to see how to do it properly. Under Connecticut statute, Kennedy should have referred the recommended raises to the board of regents for a vote.
“If you are in higher education and you are familiar with issues like this,” Willis said, “you would check to see what the process is in your state for increasing someone’s compensation and apparently that wasn’t done.”
Boucher also criticized the approval of such sizable raises at a time when the state is suffering economically, has high unemployment and many of those who are employed are getting no raises.
Willis said the committee leaders would like to see those receiving the raises return the money.
The confusion with college presidents occurred when at least two of them thought that all 12 presidents in the system had been offered a buyout at a Sept. 24 meeting and were pressured to leave. Kennedy said this was a “miscommunication” and not a “buyout” or a “push-out.” He said the board staff sought to give the presidents a chance to leave “amicably” if they did not think they could support the agenda for reform.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Kennedy revealed that he spent six weeks at his summer home in Minnesota. Under his contract, Kennedy, who earns $340,000 annually, said he is allowed a six-week paid leave for “professional development.”
Kennedy conceded at the Wednesday news conference that “professional development” sounds like he should be going to seminars or writing a book, but he said his contract allows him to use the leave to work out of the office.
Willis said earlier Thursday that it was “not the best way to manage” for Kennedy to be thousands of miles away when the higher education system “was undergoing incredible, drastic change.”
Bye said she was very concerned that the controversy enveloping Kennedy is “a big distraction” on college campuses. And, she said, it “hurts morale” for state employees who have had wage freezes to hear of the significant raises — as much as 26 percent — awarded to board of regents executive staff.
Also earlier Thursday, House Republican Leader Larry Cafero demanded that Kennedy resign. He said Kennedy bungled significant issues and outraged legislators with the high raises for board of regents executive staff.
Senate Minority Leader John McKinney also called for the resignation of Michael Meotti, executive vice president of the board, who received a $48,000 increase in salary, which he since has agreed to forgo. Cafero also thinks Meotti’s role in the raises and other issues should be thoroughly reviewed.
“The Board of Regents of Higher Education needs to clean house. The actions of President Robert Kennedy and Executive Vice President Michael Meotti have embarrassed Connecticut’s higher education system and further eroded taxpayer confidence and trust in state institutions,” said McKinney.
The higher education committee leaders did not call for Meotti’s resignation. Bye said she thinks the department needs Meotti’s experience and deep understanding of higher education issues and of the reform under way.
At a news conference Wednesday with Kennedy, Robinson acknowledged Kennedy’s mistakes but appeared to accept his apologies and to be supportive of him.
But by Thursday, as pressure from the governor and legislators grew, Robinson had shifted in tone: “The Board, and I, personally, have been greatly troubled with the actions that have been taken by and the lack of information shared with the Board of Regents by President Kennedy. As I said yesterday, the Board will be reviewing his judgment exercised in these matters, as well as his performance. Based on our findings, we will take the appropriate action.”
Robinson, Kennedy and Melendez could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon after the higher education committee leaders’ news conference.
The Hartford Courant and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Distributed by MCT Information Services.
A liberal from Maine doing damage in conn.
What liberal???? Kennedy’s politics were always the same as Romney’s: Me Me Me.
Well, perhaps, except when he approved a three-year contract extension for a coach who is unquestionably the poorest Division I hockey coach in the country … leaving many people wondering “What IS he thinking??!!”
Plus he had the chance and the money to DUMP TW but would not do it,instead he and the other Loser Blake James made sure that when they left that there buddy(TW)was well taken care of and hand-cuffed the next A.D. coming in……hopefully this time around there’s some Common $ence and they Buy-out TW after this Season and put his concept of .500 hockey out the door and bring in a man with Passion for the game/team/area/fans/etc.: JIM MONTGOMERY.
Connecticut was damaged beyond repair way before Kennedy arrived on scene.
In Orono it took longer to figure things out.
It took just long enough to do damage difficult to undo. Both President Hoff and search committee chair Bruce Wiersma acknowledged that the hiring of Kennedy as Provost was the worst personnel decision either had ever made. Then, as noted, the search committee for president eliminated Kennedy as a candidate, only to have him reinstated to the list of finalists by the Board Chair and other higher-ups. Kennedy’s gift has been his ability to pull wool over the eyes of people who can help his ambitions. Witness the Portland paper’s characterization of him as the “affable Bob Kennedy.” As Shakespeare noted, “a man may smile and smile and be a villain.”
Actually he was quite affable to the powers that be. That is one of his strengths, it must be acknowledged. But a nice exterior hides a very tough interior.
We warned you guys in Connecticut, but you didn’ t listen.
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Sincerely,
UMaine
Just one of the current administration’s catch(y) phrases is about everyone “deserving” a college edumacation. Look deeper. College tuition & R&B costs are rising every year. Far above any normal COLA/inflation increases. He champions the college “experience,” took over the student loan program (a loan in real life meaning that one has to repay,) has “forgiven” millions in debts (on the backs of us fewer & fewer taxpayers,) & constantly demagogues the issue. Yes, look deeper & you will find that the number one cost associated w/the “college experience” is faculty salaries.
On the other hand, not a bad gig if you can get it…
This observation from tax-choked Portland, Connecticut…
In the same vein as RJ, clearly the career-places to be are the hallowed Ivory Towers of higher education, now seen — in these difficult economic times, to be what they’ve always been on the inside: smugly gold-plated with life-tenures and continuing pay raises.
While drum-beating that one must aboslutely have a college education to “succeed,” they then proceed to fill brains with soft, worthless, unmarketable skills. They thumb their noses at the kids who succumb to that mantra, and strap themselves with tremendous debts so the eletes can drive around in their Saabs, Priuses and Volvos.
College is not the only path to “success.” Truth be told, there is a crying need for hands-on vocational skills, technicians of every sort, not the least of which are the ones needed to keep those Saabs, Priuses and Volvos running.
Who warned CT? Gov. Baldacci? The Bangor Daily News? Down East Publishing’s Alan Fernald? Eastern Maine HealthCare’s Miles Theeman? They also claimed that Kennedy walked on water and was doing a great job of making UMaine into a mini-MIT and an athletic power. They cared nothing about most colleges and most departments and about the rewards for friends and the lack of anything for alleged enemies. Don’t be surprised if Kennedy returns to UMaine in a high-paying do-nothing job–like former USM Pres. Selma Botman and others over the years, though they, of course, had not left Maine.
There should be regs on suspending one’s retirement benefits if one takes a full time job, especially in the same field (does not necessarily apply to retired military).
This is not unusual of liberals in power. I bet if you think of any liberal in power anywhere you will find shenanigans going on.
Kennedy’s rise in Maine was made by Reps. and Dems. alike, inc. the right-wing Rep. UME alum who helped the anti-Dukakis pres. campaign in 1988. Hardly a liberal one-sided inside job.
This is NOT a partisan issue. You can’t tell me that this is more indicative of liberals than of conservatives. This happens at that level no matter the political affiliation.
Glad to see an institution of higher learning holding its leadership accountable. It is a rare sight, indeed. Makes one wonder what kind of shenanigans Kennedy pulled while at UMaine that likely got broomed.
It would take pages to list them, and surely many others are permanently hidden. Many of us wonder, for example, about renovations to his campus home for starters. When he became a finalist for the UME Presidency–despite the opposition of the search com.–he arranged to block any visits to his campus home on the part of the three (other) finalists who naively believed that they had a chance at the job. So they couldn’t visit their possible future home! How’s that for starters?
They always look so happy!
Hospital CEOs or University system Presidents….Either would make an excellent Halloween costume….SOME are truly scary in their arrogance…..
Funny that you should lump the two jobs togather, but I think you hit the nail on the head. Both positions seem to be immune from the financial pressures that effect other private AND government jobs. 340,000 seems like a lot for a university administrator, even for a state with the population of Conn.
And I remember a few years ago, the BDN published the salaries of hospital CEOs in the area. The highest was the CEO at EMMC (since left) he was being paid 1.4 million a year (400,000 with a million dollar bonus)–This for managing a relatively small hospital in northern Maine—not like it was Mass General or NIH–. The lowest paid was the administrator of a 10 bed facility in Greenville (who knew?) being paid about 129,000 a year. I guess when you are ill, the medical establishment( every body, not just doctors) is free to soak you for as much as they can—that’s the real crisis in healthcare
Good Post, and very very true.
big raises in a time of austerity…sounds like what happened at USM.
$ 931.51 for EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR !!!!! if you only count working days i.e. minus 104 wknd. days ( let alone holidays and 42 days of vacation) it’s $ 1302.68 per day—- this person must be really, really good !!!! Conn. taxpayers are really getting taken for a rough ride.
Without bringing in personalities- we rarely talk about the Maine Governor’s salary of $70,000.00 per year-the lowest in the nation. The highest is California@ a little over $200,000.00. These governors around the country must throw up in their own mouths over these ridiculous University salaries and pensions.
Beware department of corrections in CT. and whatever board approves salary for convicts…he will raise the .23 cents inmates make for working per hour to 3 bucks an hour… he’s really good at that kinda stuff!
Let’s get the facts straight: when, thanks to then Provost Kennedy, Peter Hoff was forced to resign as UME’s President–while Kennedy was conveniently out of touch back home in Minnesota for weeks–Kennedy got himself appointed to a terminal one-year position as Interim President. He was then supposed to be a candidate for the “permanent” presidency. But, thanks to powerful Dems and Reps alike, plus the endorsement of BDN Publisher Rick Warren, the search committee was overruled and Kennedy became the fourth finalist. Eventually the search. com. was completely ignored, Kennedy was named President, and most search com. members learned this from the media. Gov. Baldacci was instrumental in this farce. At least the lawmakers in CT were a lot smarter than their counterparts in ME in recognizing fairly soon what kind of leader Kennedy really is/was.
“Without bringing in personalities” wasn’t very realistic……
One would find that not to be true as you continually make a big arse of yourself with your comments!
“Kennedy’s employment contract which allowed him to work from a vacation home in Minnesota for much of the summer…” He had the same deal at UMaine. In fact, this story reads like a reprisal of his performance at UM. I’m glad the Board of Regents of Higher Education acted as they did.
I suspect it is too soon to know the back-story behind the events in Connecticut or assess the damages, but it is also worth remembering that many of us at the University of Maine and throughout the state regarded Bob Kennedy as an excellent president who had the required courage to bring change to an institution that often suffocates in its attachment to silos, privileges and self-interest. As so often in Maine, attempts to change the status quo produces rancor and that rancor is palpable in many of the comments. That the University of Maine is a far better University–more respected in Maine and beyond, more attuned to the people of Maine–because of Kennedy’s leadership may than seem beside the point?But it isn’t.
I’m sure most people would disagree with this. I know many people who would not say that UMaine is a far better university because of him.
I think this does depend on whom you talk to?
Dear Prof. Brinkley,
Far from being too early to assess Bob Kennedy’s years as UMaine’s President, it is, for many of us, too late, so to speak, to undo the damage he did in so many years, beginning with the de facto coup that made him President when he wasn’t even a finalist and should never have been a finalist. The financial shenanigans he pulled in such a short time in CT he did as well in his years at Orono, but the press loved him and never said a word. So did Gov. Baldacci, among other powerbrokers who wouldn’t know what a comprehensive public university is supposed to be if it hit him over the head. Delude yourself that Kennedy deserves credit for what he took credit for, such as the Honors Program becoming the Honors College. You may well be the only prof. in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences who thinks that Kennedy was unappreciated. For the rest, he’s quite fully appreciated, alas, for the relentless marginalizing of the liberal arts, etc., etc.
Dear Prof. Bunyan (?),
When I was Chair of the English Department, Bob Kennedy made it possible for us to build a strong poetry and poetics programs and begin to restore our Technical Writing Program. To me that does not suggest an attempt to marginalize the liberal arts.Kennedy was the first president since Libby to understand the significance for the University of the 25% to 30% of of Maine who are Franco-American and whose history and culture had been largely erased at the University. That too involves the liberal arts? Your contempt for the leaders of the state who are trying to find ways to connect the University with state needs suggests are certain arrogance? Nor are we a comprehensive university. UMaine is a land-grant research university. That means it serves the people of the state by providing a practical and liberal education for Maine people. I wonder how how often in your experience that mission–and the needs of the people who fund us with scarce resources–is a focus for strategic planning in the liberal arts? Bob tended to focus on Maine people on a daily basis and to some that may have felt out of step with their discipline. It did, however, gain the respect of many people in Maine who know that the status quo needs to change if we are not to remain one of the poorest states in the country. As for the search process, a certain group of faculty–often on faculty senate–felts marginalized by Kennedy. Many others on the faculty did not. Nor did a very wide range of people in the state.
Dear Prof. Brinkley,
Yes, Bob Kennedy did some good things as Provost and, after ousting the man who hired him, Peter Hoff, like elevating Franc0-American Studies and continuing to fund the National Poetry Foundation. But Kennedy took credit for things that he didn’t originate, like making the modest Honors Program into the much expanded Honors College, and no one had the guts to call him on that and much else. He refused to fill vacancies in so many depts. in your College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and instead focused on those colleges that (allegedly) create jobs for Mainers. Like you, Kennedy misread the land-grant mission as one almost exclusively in science, engineering, and agriculture.
Of course liberal education is precisely about the liberal arts? On the other hand, as you perhaps know, during the years of Kennedy’s presidency the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences had no strategic plan and no defined set of priorities. Other colleges did. That did make us harder to support. In my experience, when Kennedy was presented with coherent visions of what the liberal arts could be and do, he responded positively and often courageously. He didn’t simply continue funding for the National Poetry Foundation. He saw the opportunity that NPF afforded andsupported a significant number of tenure track hires in poetry and poetics in order ti create a nationally recognized center of excellence at the University of Maine in this area of my discipline. He didn’t just elevate Franco-American Studies. He helped create a coherent Franco-American Program that could provide the teaching, research and service the state needs and that the existence of the Franco-American Centre made possible. The Honors Program certainly thrived during his tenure. Certainly you wouldn’t suggest I would hope that as Provost and as President, Kennedy had nothing to do with the achievements of the Honors College. I mention only those liberal arts programs in which I have had a part. And of course science, engineering, agriculture, climate change are part of the land-grant mission as well? In their own way they are also liberal arts? But I suspect you and I are unlikely to agree. On the other hand, given the remarkable rancor in almost all of the comments here, yours and others, it has seemed to me to be worth responding? I also find it curious that so few people who make these comments–you included–are willing to do so in their own name?
As both Provost and President Kennedy allowed vacancies in most other liberal arts depts. to stay that way, refused to assist History in providing temporary hires when two of its (female) faculty died tragically of cancer in 2009 weeks apart, merged Economics and Resource Economics despite the opposition of nearly everyone in Economics, and, two weeks before his Presidency ended, vetoed the appt. of a half-time tenure-track hire in History that had been approved by everyone through the Provost. He took credit for expanding Honors without any thanks to Peter Hoff–whom he got pushed out as President–and the list goes on. No point in pursuing this discussion. After all, the late great historian Eric Hobsbawm had blinders re the Soviet Union throughout his life.
Are you a historian? I’m still not quite sure of who you are, but I suspect that a comparison between the University of Maine and Bolshevism is not historical, that a good historian might understand why such a comparison is grossly inappropriate? Almost like comparing the IRS to the Gestapo?
In any case it is true that the History Department was at one time ineffective in making a case for its programs? Some of us outside of history did argue successfully for two positions, one tenure track, one temporary, in history–so it wasn’t actually an impossible case to make? Often my colleagues in the liberal arts argue from a sense of entitlement rather than a vision?
I’m also not sure there is evidence that the economics program–as one department rather than two–is weaker than it was?
And your version of the conflicts between Hoff and Kennedy certainly lacks much historical nuance. It seems like an odd battle to keep fighting at either of their expense. Both are decent men and both had significant achievements. Neither is a villain. When the Chancellor forced Peter to resign (and it was the Chancellor, not the Provost), most of us did not gloat on an internet blog?
I am not an historian, but I have a friend in History who is invariably reliable. My point re Hobsbawm was your blindness–like his but obviously in a different context–to the ruthlessness of the Kennedy regime from day one. No point in repeating what was painfully obvious to at least 90% of the Orono faculty and staff but is inconceivable to you, pathetically. But then you did well under Kennedy, so why not apologize for him?
Perhaps the analogy was unfortunate? Comparing Kennedy to a Soviet boss reminds me of recent comparisons of Obama to a Hitler or Stalin? I suspect that you will find that about 20% of the Orono faculty agree with you, about 20% with me, and the rest are somewhere in between. But I am not apologizing for Kennedy–I don’t see the need–though I am arguing for someone whose record at the University of Maine I respect. And I wonder at the rancor, yours and many others on this page. And the hyperbole. And the need to remain annonymous. But we’ll stop now? Or at least I will.
BECAUSE, one of the LARGEST pay raises went to his ‘friend’, he hired who worked with him at UMaine, and when she followed him to CT and gave her the LARGEST pay raise when she started?
BUT Mr Page has no back bone to steer UMS ship in the correct direction with his ‘business leadership expertise” and intimate understanding of the State of Maine either.
This is why LePage won the Gov’s office because of things like this, where the front line staff, the peasants can’t get pay increases for years while the elitists gorge themselves at the pay/benefits trough. We never ate the blueberry pie with blueblood dripping from there sliver spooned mouths!
Save for the ties and fancy suits, there really is no difference between this bunch and the ghetto dwellers who, after a hurricane or earthquake, hurl a brick through a storefront window and lug off the groceries, liquor and TVs.
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We all know the treatment customarily reserved for looters.
…
Fire the janitors . Hire Presidents, Regents, CEOs, CFOs, Managers…..