Arkansas Blog

"-Birthday cake for Board member Rush Harding III: $21.19"

If I were old Rush I would want to know why am low man on the totem pole with just twenty one dollars spent on me.

More and more dirty laundry keeps falling out of Gilbert Baker's closet. Hope the folks of Conway realize their smiling idiot is a scoundrel hiding behind his Religious Right Bible.

What the hell. Lu is a generous soul.So long as we don't find china and silver for the Huckabees
no harm done. But it's a family friendly school, especially so if you have the right family.

yup PV... I just hope the people of Conway start to see that. Joe White seems like an honest guy and the Gov. certainly likes him. This race could be the single biggest factor in the worikings of the Senate for the next session. It basically would render the brotherhood helpless if Joe wins, and puts all those dino's back in their box... Good luck Joe

Lu is a generous soul. The problem is that is salary exclusive of non-monetary perks is almost 4x that of the average Arkansan. He can afford to purchase gift baskets and birthday cake like the rest of us that actually have a mortgage, car payment, etc. to pay solely from our salaries.

Lu's a "generous soul" with other people's money.

When it comes to his own, this pillar of the community turns out to be a lying greedy bastard, according the the record.

Holy shit...no wonder the Board/Lu love each other.

Lest anyone forget...UCA raises its tuition just about yearly. UCA is a state school in a poor state. Many of its students struggle to get there, struggle to stay there and wouldn't dream the school would furnish them with a home like it did Gilbert Baker's daughter.

Why is it that a free 'liberal rag'--ha ha--is breaking this news while the state paper and the local paper sit on there assess? When this story first broke, the LCD stopped all commentary on its site...but then the LCD will not tolerate ANY negativity toward Conway's rich/powerful.

Disgusting and elitist...must be Republicans.

Thank god the Republicans haven't managed to eliminate our state FOI laws.

Thank you, Arkansas Times!

Whoops...sit on their asses.

I just heard from some student leaders that the Deans and Chairs met this afternoon and decided that they would suggest to the Board of Trustees that Mr. Hardin resign. They also think that the faculty senate and the student senate will suggest the same thing!

My boss has a birthday coming up soon. Would everyone on this blog please send me a few bucks so that I can get my boss something nice? Please? Thanks in advance.

ucafan02, thanks for the insider update...

Well-placed sources say that the Board of Trustees are split 4-3 in favor of retaining poor Lu Hardin. As a result, I'll publicly request that Rush Harding switch his vote to take a bold stand for ethical leadership and institutional integrity.

Do the right thing, Mr. Harding.

DRD, what makes you thing that Rush isn't in the 3?

Or even think?

If Lu goes down will the senator-music teacher lose his race? Oops that didn't quite come out right.

Ok, if Lu must resign will Gilbert Baker be likely to lose his Senate race?

.

Like was said earlier---It could make for quite a change in the inner circle of the Senate...

ucafan02, if what you say about the deans/chairs is true, it was a very brave move on their part. Tenure should protect their faculty status. For those that don't understand why tenure exists, this is a great example. That being said, their administrative roles and salaries have no such protection.

If Lu goes down over this, there are probably a few more that need to follow.

Chuck Brown at ATU has decided the parts of the Constitution about double jeopardy and the fundamental principle of innocent until proven guilty don't apply if he thinks someone killed a beauty queen (but a jury in a very conservative (and I am from there) county didn't): http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0808/545456.html

Seeing your gubernatorial aspirations go down the tubes, priceless!

Interesting silence from the Lu Hardin kool-aid drinkers. Can even they not muster up enough nerve to defend these ridiculous and corrupt practices? Lu is handed a slush fund to keep his bosses and his bosses' families happy.

"Hey Lu, Junior needs a new jacket."
"No problem. Let me tap into my slush fund!"

So many people at UCA have been talking about this/questioning these practices for so long. But, from the way I understand it no one had the guts to say anything because of fear. Fear of treatment, fear of losing their job, etc. For friends that I have known at UCA (now most all of them are gone-go figure) I am glad these unfair practices are have finally come to light, and on behalf of those people, THANKS Max and Arkansas Times for continuing to look into these issues.

Even if what Lu did is not illegal, I sit here and think- he spends $70,000 per year kissing ass by sending gourmet popcorn and chocolate covered espresso beans...how many kids could have been helped through college. Tuition at $5,000/year 14 kids could have gotten an education....or 28 could have gotten part of their education. Besides, it sounds as though the board of trustees do their job for their love of the school. Why do they need such expensive gifts. Would not a nice card suffice for a birthday? In other words, even if nothing actually illegal has been done.....at an institution of higher ed, this is beyond unethical. And all the while they continue to raise tuition, fees, and skim on raises.

Bottom line (I believe this has already been mentioned) how can Lu ever have respect from his students and employees? How can he ever "discipline" a faculty or staff member? How can you run a successful institution when you have ZERO respect? Of course the way I understand it, there has been zero respect for some time...but now no one will fear standing up for wrongs being committed.

People will always fear a-holes who kiss up and kick down. They are right to do so. It is not that there are not Democrats who follow the pattern or Repbulicans who don't but, generally, it is a pattern that fits paternal, agressive, self centered behavior and is therefore generally Republican.

Anyone at the previous Governor's Mansion or on Huckabee's staff knows the pattern very well. For all of the privledges due to one's betters there are an equal number of consequences for those who do not know their place.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Or, just wise up and move on.

DHO is right. UCA faculty have been hesitant to criticize the administration because of the fear of righteous retribution. The floodgates are about to open, though, and you can expect to hear even more Lu stories that will only embarrass UCA. I think the faculty senate will vote to ask for his resignation. I think they should demand it, without a cushy buy-out. While the blatantly illegal deferred payment and highly unethical "memo" should be reason enough for an honorable person to say "I messed up and I need to leave now," Hardin will not go without being pushed. Those events have served to bring out other faculty concerns heretofore only mentioned in backroom gossip. Faculty have long been unhappy about the above- salary grade, nonspecific- work assignment jobs "gifted" to FOL's, but accepted them as part of the package. The means of achieving the magic 1200 enrollment also raised questions that might be asked publicly now. Let's just say that the definitions of "acceptable ACT score" and "1200" are somewhat fluid. The issue that some faculty want to make public is Lu's direct intervention in student academic matters (grades, degree completion, etc.). Admittedly, such will be hard to prove, given student privacy rules, but faculty believe them to be true, and are unforgiving about such a violation of their professional standards.

It has been obvious to Conway and the UCA community for a long time that Hardin has been buying political supporters with UCA money (even if it is privately-donated). Looks like that was wasted money!

"DRD, what makes you thing that Rush isn't in the 3?"

To his credit, Mr. Harding has been an active participant on relevant threads in this blog, and many regular readers appreciate that very much. In my view, however, Mr. Harding's participation could be characterized as a 'mea culpa apologist' for poor Lu Hardin, and he is unable to recognize that Hardin has a moral blindspot that you could drive a truck through. As a result, I assume that Harding is in the majority.

If Mr. Harding is unable to recognize that Lu's transgressions merit being sacked, one can't help but wonder what it would take.

DRR---as much as I may dislike what Lu has done, given his current condition, the blindspot comment may have been a bit much... ;)

DRR--- As much as I dislike what Lu has done, given his current medical condition, the blindspot comment may have been a little much... ;)

"just a thought," darling, try to grasp that this is a blog and not Billy Graham's "On Christianity" syndicated column. :-)

Current medical conditions are no excuse for venality, greed, extortion, lies and illegalities.

Physicians may treat medical conditions.

There's no treatment for the last five conditions.

When I showed up at the Board meeting and saw that f______ cake, I grabbed a glass and put 40.00 in it to cover the cost and I put it on the mantle above the fireplace. If I got a ham, who the hell do you think paid for it, my unrestricted gift to the Foundation covered it, that is where the money came from. Ya'll are, with a few appreciated exceptions, the meanest bunch of folks I have ever run across. I don't apologize for Lu, he has done a wonderful job for UCA. This was an ill-thought out situation, one monumental ----up, everyone agrees. To claim that many here do not have an agenda is ridiculous, I want what is best for UCA. NormaBates, you mean spirited old/young whatever, I am asking you to lunch or dinner, I have a genuine desire to brighten your day, I want to try and make your unhappy, negative self have a nice day. I will let you call me a crook, and a cheat and any name you want, and I will try and be polite and professional and courteous to you. Beat me up in person, please call me at 907-2018.

With regards to what I realize and don't realize, I yearn to have a decent understanding about ethics and honor. I attended the USMA at West Point, NY. They have the ultimate honor code, "A cadet does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do." Simple enough, self enforced, no involvment from the faculty or administration. I was fortunate as a student at UCA to be given a second chance after a poor choice by James Sylar, Dean of Men. I have been fortunate that my wife and children continually give me opportunities to improve as a husband and a father. I have oftentimes fallen short of the standards I set for myself, yes, including my responsibilities as a board member at UCA. I hope that our President can be extended an opportunity to redeem himself by the stakeholders in UCA. If not, it will be difficult for the President to effectively lead the University. He is as fine a man as I know, he has his shortcomings as we all do. He regrets these circumstances more than anyone. Once this is all over, can we at least have a party and do what ever makes most of you happy. For the meaner ones, I will bring a little bald, chubby doll and you can stick some needles in it or brew up some witch's concoction that can take those of us that enjoy an occassional alcoholic beverage to another level.

That line of thinking is exactly why you and Lu are in this mess. You just don't get it. Everything can't be taken care of with a lunch here and a party there. The cat is out of the bag on how UCA was ran like a country club - and you and your money and your lunches can't do a damn thing about it.

Hang with me here, Phoenix.

Totally agree with you.

Yet I'm intrigued with lunching with the anonymous rfhiii and sticking pins in his voodoo Lu doll.

My god! The power to kill a man by, as rfhiii suggests, sticking needles in his "chubby doll" or brewing up "some witch's concoction" is nigh irresistible!

Personally, that would never have occurred to me. But now that rfhiii has brought it up . . . .

I'm going to sleep on it before making my decision.

Yet, if you've ever heard Richard Pryor's dead-on and hysterical routine, "Mudbone," you will understand why I'm not going anywhere NEAR this.

Norma,

Are you a Mac user? I've heard that on Macs, scrolling over the icon to the right of a poster's alias doesn't do anything. But on a PC, for rfhiii, it shows "rharding." From his comments, address, and phone number, that would appear to be Rush F. Harding III, a long-time member of UCA's BOT. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't think rfhiii is trying to be anonymous.

I am not saying that I agree with Mr. Harding's position, because I am not sure what it is. It does appear to change some as new information becomes available. Sometimes, integrity and rigidity are difficult to distinguish. What an odd character flaw to change your view of the world with new information!

On another note, you made the Billy Graham comment and then said, "Current medical conditions are no excuse for venality, greed, extortion, lies and illegalities." Now, who is the moralistic religious nut here, who dismisses anything that modern science/medicine tells us? Even minor brain injuries can lead to sudden and drastic personality changes, poor judgment, and impulsive behavior.

If Lu's medical condition has contributed to his poor judgment--and I'm not saying that it has-- that information would have little impact on conclusions about his ability to lead UCA. But, I hope it would affect our view of his moral character.

Just to be perfectly clear, (and apparently I need to spell it out for ya'll) Lu is suffering from a melanoma behind his right eye that may in the very least cause him to loose his eye---hence I thought the "blindspot" word may have been a little strong.. duh...

just,

Yeah, we got it, both times that you posted it. The conversation drifted--a surprising development on a blog. As for the moral/medical conversation, let me say three things to you about the details of his medical problem:

Location,
Location,
Location.

And that has little to do with vision.