Arkansas Blog

If true, it would be a shame for UCA. I'm sure the UA establishment is jumping with glee if so.

Guess he listened to Kane Webb and maybe even Webb's copycat, Johnny (come lately) Brummett. What a sad ending for Lu's career in higher education (and politics) if, indeed, he does go out on this note.

I almost hate to comment, since this affair seems petty compared with the unfolding of the political process now.

Still. I tend to doubt the assertion that Hardin has the votes on UCA's board to remain if he wishes. That is, I tend to suspect this is double-speak.

This is the way presidents are edged out by boards that don't want to take responsibility--when they should take responsibility.

For Hardin's sake, I'm glad he's able to move on and attend to his health. I don't doubt he'll have something to fall back on.

I only wish the UCA board would be more forthright, courageous, and honest through this whole process. In the long run, they're leaving themselves with a bigger black eye than Hardin will have, from their milquetoast handling of this situation.

If the part about the million bucks is correct, I guess crime does pay.

I second Tireseus. Lu's malfeasance and misfeasance in office would net him $1 million! That says something pretty awful about our society.

One more thing- if he accepts such a payoff, that says more about his character than any other aspect of this whole sordid affair.

If he decides to resign, so be it. If I faced a serious illness as he does, I'd probably resign too.

But there is no reason for his resignation to take effect immediately. It would be better to announce the intention, and form a search committee to find a new president. When that person is found and ready to start, they can make a smooth transition. That would be the best way to handle it.

The next guy will have a tough act to follow.

AB: There is one VP at UCA who has managed to stay above this mess, and who has had experience handling interim appointments in situations that were larger and more difficult. There is no reason for UCA to be led for another day by someone who has caused it this much trouble.

Oh, and "act" was just the right word. P.T. Barnum couldn't have put on a greater show!

Well, the $1M comes from the fact that he still has 4 years left on his contract, so they have to have a buyout.

You know, for a State that has a hard time funding schools and colleges; we sure do throw a lot of money away to pay college officials and coaches to leave. I realize it was probably in his contract when he was hired for the job. Still, does not sit well when his departure is over shady ethics. And what about the board underneath him? Are they going to go as well?

What is it with these government agencies entering into these contract where they have to "buy someone out" when they underperform. I haven't seen his contract of course but I would hope it would have some type of a clause where the can be fired "for cause" and that cause could be mismanagement, acts of moral turpitude, and the like. Do we really need to promise these university presidents multi year contracts with a buyout clause to induce them to come aboard? I think not - people are begging for these level jobs.

Thinking back to Roy Brooks - if the LRSB ( at least the majority of the board who didn't listen to their own lawyer" had not been so inept - they never would have had to pay off Brooks -

If Hardin is going to resign - why should he get any pay off whatsoever? I'm just not following this story angle.

If true, it would be a shame for UCA. I'm sure the UA establishment is jumping with glee if so.<<
by Theo

I don't think you understand how it works. There's few if any new rooms to fill at UA. The campus is near capacity. And the UA has higher grade pt/entrance exam minimums requirements. India and Japan's bright and best students keep the Colleges of Engineering, Arts and Science,Agri and DPQA, full. Plus many of them pay out of state tuition.

Agree that if he has the votes from the Board to stay, then the Board just never really got it. Still doesn't. And I have to shake my head. Sorry to say, but only in Arkansas and a handful of other places would the outcome here even be debated and have gone on like this. I'm shaking my head.I'm a little saddened actually, that Hardin staying was even an option here.

The Board, with their handling of this just sent a terrible--really a horrible lesson and message to anyone paying attention to this. Shame on them all. They never got out in front of this. Not once. Even know. I'm sorry, I just have absolutely no respect for their handling of this.

He tries to steal $400,000 of public funds, then gets $1 mil because he had to return it? White collar crime obviously pays well. Maybe they can recoup that money by reducing administrative staff hired by Lu. I am sad that the taxpayers once again have to pay the price of keeping the "good ole' boys' club" in business. Shame on the board and shame on the governor for not putting pressure on the board to do the right thing for taxpayers. Lu is incapable of shame. Mr. Harding, thank you for listening to faculty andfor bringing this situation to an end.

They cannot pay $1,000,000 for him to leave. He should be fired! Wasn't his contract up for renewal in September? So, how can he have four more years? How can they justify a cool million for this?

If Hardin needs to resign then surely a majority of the board does too.

"The case of former Little Rock superintendent Roy Brooks established that it is legal to buy out contracts of public officials."

it didn't establish it, merely upheld what was already common interpretation of arkansas statute regarding severance pay.

"Do we really need to promise these university presidents multi year contracts with a buyout clause to induce them to come aboard? I think not - people are begging for these level jobs. "

I think so. It's standard for university presidents, school superintendents etc. No top level talent will move half way across the country without the assurance of a buyout/severance in their contract. Take a peak at some higher education journals and there are tips in there for top level adminstrators on how to negotiate such provisions in contracts.

This $1Million buy-out desn't seem kosher to me.

If Lu resigns on his own, the Board would owe him nothing.

If, as Rush Harding says, Lu has the votes to remain, why pay him to resign?

If the Board should find that his little sleight of hand (with the fake signatures on the memo) was enough to fire him over, they ought to do so and make him walk away with nothing.

All of this should be so, that is, unless Rush or some other millionaire with less brains than assets wants to give the $1Million out their own pockets.

I say not another damn dime to Hardin. His about-face from Democrat to Republican just to get a job under Huckabee still pisses me off. Then, of course, he started acting like all Republicans act - get the money, get the money, get the money.
Because, ladies and gents, that's their objective and purpose in life: Get the money.

More of that free money. Spends so easy.

Education? Anyone??

Pitiful.

Insolent Flunky: Count da money.
Count de Monet: de Monet! Mo - nay! Say it with me, Mo - nay!

Click on the name!

Now we know where all the departmental budgets went this year. This sounds like another ome of Lu's pre-made plans. Why work four more years when you can get paid to leave. I say he shouldn't get a dime! Put the money where it belongs---back into the departments to support their faculty, staff and students.

And, this is Governor Beebe's friend? If he resigns and takes a cool million - he's just robbed us taxpayers. This board should be expelled and so should Lu Hardin without another dime wasted!

As I said recently, I have come to expect the worst from Lu and am seldom disappointed. He should walk in shame and the board too if they let him essentially STEAL a million that could be used for scholarships for students. All you Lu lovers how do you explain this. Tell me more about how Lu's only focus was students. Rush Harding 3 if you vote to hand Lu this ill gotten gain, then I take back and more anything I said good about you. Oh the shame of it all . Lu turn this silly payoff down Do the right thing and get you head out of your greed bank.

Sad as this is to say, the reality is that what is right and fair is irrelevant. Only the politics of the possible. It is really disturbing to think that the board will pay him the full buyout when he could have, should have been removed for cause. If his contract does allow for his removal for the professional misconduct that he has admitted, then the board will take a lot of heat for giving him such a going away gift. I can assure you that someone will FOI his job contract on this point. I plead with Rush et al to consider this prior to tomorrow. Hardin's removal is the first step in solving the campus's credibility, but the board needs to work on its own credibility. $1,000,000 is the annual tuition of nearly 200 students! I say pay him the $180,000 of deferred compensation that he has earned plus the other $120k he attempted to swipe this summer as a going away gift. I think that is more than fair.

It's only tax money! Always more where that came from. Don't expect our good governor to take a stand on the Lu issue. Beebe is where he is because he has survived by not taking stands on anything. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. I may be charging a windmill, but I will be campaigning for anyone who will run against the gov. next term if he doesn't rein in this UCA BOT.

I just sent the governor an e-mail asking him to exercise some control over the BOT. If you are unhappy with the thought of $1,000,000 of your tax money going to buy off a white collar criminal, give Gov. Beebe's office a call or e-mail early tomorrow morning. Don't expect him to do anything, but at least you will have registered your opinion.

Dearest Rush and other UCA Board Members,
You, Rush, were brave and earned this writer's respect by personally seeking out faculty with whom to discuss current affairs and doing it on the faculty's own turf. You apparently listened and acted. Thank you for that.

The $1,000,000, though, is another matter. It adds insult to injury to the process. Lu's contract expires in September. Why is there a need for buy out -- even if it is legal. Granted, I'm not business-minded, but common sense tells me that if a contract has expired, it has expired. If he won't resign without a bribe (and what else can you call it), then let him be hung by the faculty. And students. Clearly, by the tone of editorial in the UCA Echo today, the students are ready for him to leave as well. They are embarrassed by his behavior and greed. Enron? WorldCom? UCA? Surely not.

You have been charged with the stewardship of the University of Central Arkansas. For goodness sake, when will you realize the meaning of that responsibility. If you have not learned from this whole sordid experience, how can you face the faculty, staff, and students of UCA? How can you remain a board member? How can you accept Lu Hardin's resignation and not tender your own?

These questions are not rhetorical. They should be answered.

Where is the Prosecuting Attorney on this matter?

Since there could be Forgery, Fraud, Possibly Mail Fraud if the documents were mailed, all to receive Tax Payer Funds you were not entitled at the time, and Now a resignation with two comma buyout?

Try similar behavior with someone you know or dont knows checkbook.

Well-placed sources tell me that Hardin's contract is written in such a way that if the Board of Trustees does nothing, then Hardin's contract rolls over for another 5 years. But if the Board decides not to renew, they would not be held responsible for future salary commitments.

endcorruption's question is a good one that deserves public explanation by Rush Harding.

You know these posts about Lu Hardin are way out of line. So many of you like R4L are like an angry lynch mob.

WOW....where was your anger when John Edwards ridiculed the Clintons and talked about morality and then was caught doing worse than Bill Clinton did. And he STILL has yet to claim his child!

Where was your anger as Bush & Cheney have destroyed our basic civil liberties.

Want to know whats criminal? What about the fact members of the GLBT Community are Second Class Citizens. What about the crimes against humanity made by this administration after Hurricane Katrina.

Oh but lets attack poor Lu Hardin!

Like it or not, Mr. Hardin has a roll-over contract which lasts for four more years after this September (give or take a month or so). $1 mil sounds like a lot of money, and it is, but you can bet that if he were fired "for cause," the university and BOT would have a lawsuit on their hands before today's board meeting was over. As these employment lawsuits do, this one would drag on and on, not even getting started in the courts for a year or two, then getting appealed, etc. The continuing distraction to UCA and the community would end up costing much more (plus intangibles, like missed opportunities to hire good people at this level and below) before it was over. Sometimes you've just got to cut your losses and move on. It will hurt, no question about it, but, like a kid who has to get a splinter removed from his finger, it can't be allowed to fester and cause more damage as time goes on. If our speculation is right ("It ain't over until the fat lady sings."), the BOT is doing the right thing. Let's get back to the mission of educating the UCA students, which is what we came here for, and, IMHO, we do a great job of (faculty, staff, and administration alike).

Good grief, drew, talk about comparing apples to oranges. This is NOT a witch-hunt. Lu is responsible for his own actions, not us. And, if he was just an average citizen who'd been caught lying his way into the tax cookie jar, he would have been fired. If he was a student (an unconnected one, of course) who had been caught cheating, he would have been held accountable. If he was a faculty member who had forged a document to get money, it would be a different story.

Lu's actions are not negated or justified because there are greater wrongs occurring in the world. I can be angry at Cheney/Monkeyboy/discrimination/hunger/etc. and still want a university president to be held accountable.

Zelda, you say,"I can be angry at Cheney/Monkeyboy/discrimination/hunger/etc. and still want a university president to be held accountable."

I'm with you in that assessment.

I know Lu Hardin and I refuse to believe he's a crook. I have ridden in cars with him, ate with him and his wife and kids. This is a normal man who really cares about doing good. It makes me angry to read this reporting like he's some sort of petty thief.

Zelda, I am tired of believing everyone in the world is out to screw the other. I would like to believe some good people just get caught in bad situations. I would like to believe this is the case with Lu.

But drew...this is not about whether lu is a good or bad person. It's about rule/law breaking, accountability and equal treatment regardless of wealth/position. The police/IRS/etc. don't give a damn about how loved/wonderful the average citizen is if they're also a law breaker. Years of good works do not give anyone a pass on lies/thievery. Lu is either guilty of corruption and/or incompetence...as evidenced by the memo, his words and the housing for 'special' students...among other things.

That you know him/his family well, drew, just means you're not objective and shouldn't be prosecuting or reporting about the situation. There is no way in hell I would or could be impartial if one of my loved ones was in lu's situation. But my love/respect for them wouldn't change the FACTS of their situation; and if I really loved them, I'd want them to learn from their errors, be humble and move on.

Lets just hope we never see this happen again in this state with someone with as much promise as Lu Hardin!