Jim Ramsey and Shirley Willihnganz make, what, eleventeen million combined dollars per year?
And the University of Louisville continues to raise tuition and spending more while at the same time complaining about budget cuts? All while refusing to find ways for proper employee compensation?
No worries! Aunt Shirl is giving folks some free basketball tickets. Women’s basketball.
To: UofL_Employees
Subject: Message from the Provost re: Invitation to Women’s Basketball Game
Importance: HighColleagues,
As the budget news from Frankfort continues to be disappointing, we continue to look for ways to show our appreciation for your hard work and commitment to the university.
In that spirit, I would like to invite you to take part in an afternoon of fun with your colleagues while supporting one of UofL’s most successful and popular teams – our nationally ranked women’s basketball team.
UofL will host the University of Notre Dame for a basketball game Monday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. at the KFC Yum! Center. Notre Dame currently is ranked fourth in the nation and is considered a strong contender for the Big East and NCAA championships. The game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN.
I have worked with the Athletics Department to secure 700 tickets for faculty and staff on a first-come, first-served basis. Employees can receive up to four free tickets by presenting their UofL employee IDs at either the Athletic Ticket Office in the Swain Student Activities Center on Belknap Campus or at the Office of the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, 3rd floor of the Abell Administration Center at the Health Sciences Center. The first 60 people to sign up at Belknap and the first 40 at the Health Sciences Center will receive free parking vouchers for the Yum! Center parking lot. (If you receive a parking pass, please carpool with others.)
Also, I am authorizing Supervisor Approved Leave for employees who wish to take advantage of this offer.
Because of the nature of our work, not everyone will be able to take this time off. We must be available to provide essential student services, for instance, and I am not encouraging faculty to cancel classes. Please check with your supervisor before making plans to attend the game.
For those attending, remember that parking downtown during the day can be a bear. TARC offers free transportation for students and employees with UofL ID. The #4 route loads at Fourth and Brandeis streets and drops off one block from the arena. The #18 bus loads at the Floyd Street parking garage and drops off about five blocks from the arena. Both pick up about every 15 minutes. For more information, go to http://louisville.edu/parking/tarc-service-to-kfc-yum-center or http://www.ridetarc.org/SearchByRoute.asp.
I also encourage you to attend other women’s games and to take advantage of all UofL athletics events. These student-athletes deserve our support, and I’m sure you and your families will find the games exciting. Many of the games are free or very inexpensive.
Thank you again for all you do for the university. I hope to see you at the game.
Shirley C. Willihnganz
Executive Vice President and University Provost
That’ll certainly make UofL critics happy.
24 responses so far ↓
1 Novena // Feb 15, 2012 at 1:58 pm
“The Advantages of Working at UofL”
Staff Member Fedup: “Aunt Shirl can take that free women’s basketball ticket and stick it where the sun don’t shine!”
Prof. Sheepy: “Come on, gal, it’s against Notre Dame. And Shirl’s giving some employees leave time, to boot.”
Staff Member Fedup: “But not those who do ‘essential work’ around this hellhole.”
Prof. Sheepy: “Guess that means all the honchos will be at the Yum! Center.”
2 Novena // Feb 15, 2012 at 2:03 pm
“Go, Shirl, Go!”
Prof. Amaze: “Shirl is making progress with her new directive on free basketball tickets.”
Prof. Astound: “How do you figure?”
Prof. Amaze: “Her basketball memo is five times longer and much deeper than the boilerplate crap she signs to deny tenure and promotion.”
3 dgb9902 // Feb 15, 2012 at 2:36 pm
No problem, we won’t cancel class- We can send in the grad student assistant to teach class, again.
4 Guuuurlpleasedon'tinsultheworkers // Feb 15, 2012 at 10:32 pm
I think these two are just as boneheaded as Fischy and Sadiqa. Seriously, besides Frankfort, on any given day, is another city that has more inept leadership than Louisville? Louisville may not be the largest city but it sure it is the best at having the worst. This town needs its colon cleaned out.
5 Citizen~Z // Feb 16, 2012 at 10:04 am
I love how the head of a university makes BOOKOO bucks… more money in one year than I’m going to see in my lifetime, and for what? What does he produce? The arena janitor works harder than Ramsey. I think 250K is a more appropriate salary for the actual work this guy performs.
Seriously, he’s not even in trouble for all the embezzlement that goes on at UofL.
This is just another sick example of the rich getting richer and the poor picking up the tab.
I’ve taken classes at UofL and let me tell you… my experience was not reflective of a ship headed by a million dollar captain.
I felt like I was on the SS Minnow.
UofL Leadership – Fail.
6 marie // Feb 16, 2012 at 11:04 am
As far as bears go, I think we have a formidable one in Aunt Shirl.
7 The Tim // Feb 16, 2012 at 11:10 am
And the Clueless shall inherit the earth! That’s you, Auntie and Jimbo.
8 Bill // Feb 16, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Citizen Z. I usually go over to the university probably once a week or maybe every couple of weeks and you’re correct that the janitors do more substantive work than many people in the administrative areas of various disciplines. In fact, I’ve even sat in a few offices and saw more discussion about non work topics and coffee breaks than actual writing up memos or organizational skills. If you behaved the way these people do and worked in a private business, you very likely would have your stuff handed to you and shown the door.
The idea that this university is a economic engine is largely a farce. Its a money pit and when you have people like Jimbo and Shirl running the thing pulling down large salaries of 600,000 dollars and 347,397 dollars respectively for standing in the way of progress it shows its a very screwed up organization. 250K would be a good salary for this bozo and about 75k for the provost position. Its a major league shakedown of the taxpayers and students who pay the bills for U of L. At a time when many of these graduates are coming out of school and end up making not enough money to actually pay their student loans and be able to live as well. That’s why many of them have to move back home with their parents or extended family or take in roommates.
Let’s also ask that since the buck supposedly stops at the top at U of L, why hasn’t James Ramsey, Willihnganz and the rest of them taken a hit regarding the embezzlement of funds that has regularly happened under their watch since 2002. Where is the Board of Trustees and their Executive Committees? Is it just another rubber stamp parliament for U of L much like the METRO Council is a rubber stamp parliament for Jerry Abramson from 2003 to 2010 and Greg Fischer presently. Why isn’t there a state and federal investigation of U of L since they receive funding from both the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and from the Feds in terms of Student Loans being disbursed through Federal programs. There needs to be a major housecleaning at U of L not because I say so but because its the right thing to do in order to make sure the taxpayers and students aren’t being bilked by the higher ups and they receive a degree worthy of their effort, education, and expenditure.
9 Bill // Feb 16, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Just to let our resident poster that doesn’t like our comments regarding U of L and regards our comments as just complaining, I would like him to know that many of us have sent letters to the appropriate people to let them know we are watching and waiting for action. It seems that the President of the United States is taking notice when he gave a speech regarding excesses in public university systems and is looking to make them accountable. At this point, many of us are just waiting for action to be taken.
10 Novena // Feb 16, 2012 at 5:24 pm
“Justifying the Costs of a UofL ‘Education’”
UofL PR Man: “Don’t worry, JR, the high cost of tuition hasn’t affected our popularity.”
JR: “Just what I figured–I’m a budget man. Obama’s eatin’ broccoli on that issue.”
PR Man: “Your salary goes up, people think you deserve it and we’re movin’ on up as a campus.”
JR: “Precisely. Everybody knows you pay for what you get.”
11 The Highlander // Feb 16, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Is it possible for this faux university to become even more ridiculous and irrelevant in the world of universities? What was Aunt Bea planning on doing — get some school buses and cart all their fat asses downtown in the middle of the afternoon to watch a bunch of 80 IQed “athaletees” play a game. Geesus God Almighty.
12 Novena // Feb 17, 2012 at 1:22 pm
“Pass the Weed, Shirl!”
Shirl: “I smell reefers in this Yum! Center!”
JR: “Quiet, Shirl, and be inspirational, befitting what we are doing for the masses that work at our place.”
Prof. Aristotle: “You smell opiate–what basketball is for the masses at UofL.”
13 Bill // Feb 17, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Jimbo says to Shirley, “How much more money can we allocate for more billboards around town. I mean, we don’t have enough exposure of our mantra of “Dare to Be Great” or “It happens here.”
Shirley: “Well, are you sure that we need more exposure, after all Syphergate gave us plenty of exposure”
Jimbo: “Well, that’s not what I was talking about because in the city that produced “The Greatest” we have to “Dare to Be Great” because “It Happens Here” in “Possibility City. After all, how can we get the locals thinking we’re a productivity center of 1.2 billion in Kentucky without using those mottos.”
Shirley: “Now I know how you got that 25 percent raise despite the university always needing to beg for more funds from the state, you’re a natural Jimbo.”
14 Novena // Feb 17, 2012 at 7:06 pm
“Bill Inspires JR & Shirl”
From JR: “Thanks so much, Bill, for giving us the impetus to try out some new slogans to propel us out of Tier 3 or 4. We have been struggling at this for my whole tenure in office, but we try not to publicize it. Here are the possibilities offered by our PR office–you choose which one rings best for Belknap:
(a) “Shoot for the moon, land at UofL.”
(b) “Set yourself on fire at UofL.”
(c) “Make a brand new start at UofL.”
(d) “Bring your sunshine to UofL.”
(e) “Put your future in UofL’s good hands.”
(f) ” Follow your light to UofL.”
(g) “Make bucks here and pay UofL back fast.”
15 Jason Puckett // Feb 18, 2012 at 3:17 pm
So, what you’re saying is, female “athaletees” are stupid?
16 Bill // Feb 19, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Always love it when our resident U of L blogger takes the comments others mentioned and twists them into something that he wants someone else to say. Kind of like his job as a online coordinator at the U of L Department of Medicine at the University of Louisville. I love Facebook, its such a great repository of information as is sites like Linked In.
Online Coordinator University of Louisville 2010 to Present.
Assistant Online Editor Athens GA Banner Herald 2008 to 2010
Marketing Associate U of L 2002-2005
Marketing Associate U of L Athletics 2002 to 2005
B.A. Political Science U of L 1992 TO 1997
Quite informative.
Now we know why that criticism of U of L is always condemned by this online coordinator. Is that kind of like telling other people to shut up when you don’t like what you have to say? Kind of like when Tommy Turtleneck complains to the other local media outlets about people saying denigrating things towards the officially “Dare To Be Great” athletic club that takes priority over the other parts of what is supposedly one of the largest endowed universities in America. That’s why any criticism of said university is verbotten by the powers that be. Instead of cleaning up their act and doing the job they are supposed to do like the so called city government, they would rather sell us all another story of their greatness.
Marketing can be used for good or bad purposes as it can sell us something we really need or be used as Edward Bernays did and sell us a load of BS. Just had to expose that nice piece of information.
17 CampusWitness // Feb 19, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Just logged on after being away for a while…U of L is like watching a soap opera…tune back in aver months away and the same characters are up to the same old antics! What a comedy that there Universofstupidity of Louisville is! Or more specifically how stupid their leadershipomorons is! The campus was in an uproar of outwardly hysterical laughter along with the hidden laughter of some of the higher up who see how rediculous thing are. The place is a joke because the leadership is a joke and they think they’ve got everyone fooled because some of the bigger idiots in our local and state government are allowing it to go on! They look like they need a hospital merger — they prove repeatedly that they are incapable of managing anything but a brainwashed board! Anyone looking for tickets! LMAO each day I pull in!
18 Bill // Feb 19, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Correction: Shutting down criticism when you don’t like what someone else has to say. Seems to be a common problem of the Greg Fischer/Metro Government Clique and the U of L establishment. Instead of dealing with the issues they would rather gloss them over by putting a nice salve on a bad case of gangrene.
19 Bill // Feb 19, 2012 at 9:14 pm
The crapola that these people try to feed the rest of us including the general public, state legislators, and every other stakeholder is disgusting. Especially when you consider most of what they say is nothing more than doublespeak and outright nonsense. It was like reading the comments of Jimbo the other day when he said that “we’ve had 12 years of budget cuts”yet at the same time he just gets a approximately 25 percent raise of 144,000 dollars to take his salary up to 600k. Add in his paid university housing and all kinds of other perks including bennies, etc. No wonder the tuition has had to go up 6 to 8 percent for the last decade. I’m not against people of education making a quality salary but there is too much deadwood at the top of U of L. Add in the problems they have had with needing extra legal counsel and there needs to be an investigation. What they are trying to do is shovel us another load of horsecrap and that we’ll readily accept it.
20 CampusWitness // Feb 19, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Shirl: Jimbo, I got wind that the indians are upset that we’re draining the salary well while they are dying of thirst. I have an idea to shush the crap. Let’s give them free basketball tickets!
Jumbo: You know me, I’m always in favor of whisking the crap -was it anonymous? The only problem is there’s no room for any more free tickets at YUM. With all the cover ups we had to give them away!
Shirl: Well I wasn’t thinking of the men’s games, we can’t fill the arena at the women’s games anyway so it won’t cost us and for those who don’t know any better the will think they are getting something!
Jumbo: Wow Shirl I love the way you think — send the memo today, we need to hush this anonomo
21 CampusWitness // Feb 19, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Jimbo: … Hush this anonymous crap!
22 Bill // Feb 19, 2012 at 9:30 pm
What’s even more amazing is repeated attempts of this so called university management to hide and obfuscate the facts. Like how Robert Felner ran off all kinds of money under their watch while the University Prez said the university has strict financial controls. Then to turn around and see the Equine Project be stripped of something like 450k under their watch. Add in anything else you want because those are just the people who got caught. I’m sure I am missing a few other examples of financial malfeasance and total lack of real financial controls. They must have some top notch finance and accounting people at U of L to lose track of funds on so many occasions. To realize that the books don’t match up. One has to wonder if they are using a finger calculator to actually keep track of finances. Only in the case of what has been going on at U of L for years, its more appropriately called a five finger calculator.
23 Novena // Feb 20, 2012 at 5:28 am
“UofL Employees Are Ingrates”
JR: “Shirl, call the PR Office ASAP. Those Jake bloggers are causing the Indians to come off the reservation again. They’re spreadin’ anonymous crap and stinkin’ up the joint.”
Shirl: “Jeezus, you’d think a free ticket to a women’s basketball game would appease the bastards.”
JR: “We’ve got an ungrateful bunch of losers at Belknap. Without us, the campus would be sinkin’ in sh*t.”
24 Jason Puckett // Feb 20, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Wow Bill, I am SOOOO busted! Congrats on digging up and posting information that I’ve never tried to hide.
Since you’re so interested, I also live in J-town just across the tracks there at Stony Brook & Six Mile, I drive a Buick, my favorite restaurant is Come Back Inn (chicken fettuccine alfredo bowl of death), and I support Everton FC.
Also, I’ve only been in the KFC Yum! Center once in my life, and it wasn’t for an athletic event.
What’s funny is I never said ANYTHING about the content of your (or anyone’s) criticisms, only that I hope/wish those who are so vocal in their disapproval would/are putting their energy into getting tangible results. So if anyone is doing the “twisting,” it’s you.
You seem to be one who is working for change, as I acknowledged in a comment to a previous post (“Oh Snap – Big U of L Tenure Fight Gets Serious” comment #8). You are a “do’er,” and that is to be commended.
As for my comment above, it’s plain as day: He said female athletes are stupid. IMO, while not Imus level, that is a low blow, especially to 18- and 19-year-old college students.
(fyi, I was clocked out when I wrote this)
Leave a Comment