A critical UK trustee is leaving. How does she feel about the university on her way out?

A staunch advocate for the University of Kentucky’s faculty members left the institution with major questions on her last day as a top UK policy-maker Tuesday. 

Hollie Swanson, a professor and member of the UK Board of Trustees, has been one of the few members to question and publicly push back against many decisions before a vote since she was picked for the board in 2020 and again in 2023. Her term expired Tuesday.

Swanson gave a seven-minute speech Tuesday criticizing the “top-down” decisions that she believes marginalize university members and undermine UK’s purpose, part of which is to disseminate and apply knowledge, according to its strategic plan.

“I have seen the top-down style of our university impacted before itself,” Swanson said. “What I have been seeing, especially this past year, is attempts to marginalize and isolate the trustees that represent the campus community, the faculty, staff and students. As a member of the faculty who has witnessed the erosion of shared governance and silencing of the faculty, I find all of these actions very concerning.”

UK President Eli Capilouto, Provost Robert DiPaola, other administrators, faculty, staff and community members attended the board meeting. Everyone except the board and administration gave Swanson a standing ovation.

She said the board and administration’s decline in consideration of faculty and staff makes it difficult for the university to achieve its mission.

“A further marginalization of the faculty and staff committed to our mission promises to increase the tension between management and labor and accelerate adversarial relationships,” she said. “I ask you … to ensure that these threats do not impede our influence of the vocal ambition of improving people’s lives.”

She also condemned the university’s growing number of private companies and partnerships. UK is moving athletics under Champions Blue; and dining and facilities under Compass Group. Swanson said privatizing sectors of the university gives the board of trustees less authority over their operations.

“As the corporate structure gains more branches, fulfilling the fiduciary responsibility of the board becomes more challenging,” she said. “In addition, the corporate model focuses on efficiency and revenue, whereas the nonprofit focuses on its mission of service. In our corporate model, we have seen top-down decision making replace true shared governance.”

She urged the board to “embrace dissent” and ensure trustees are “treated equally” regardless of how they are appointed or who they represent. Most trustees are appointed by the governor, and a few were elected by faculty, alumni and students.

The university’s governing regulations delegate most policy decisions to the board of trustees. But the board’s ability to achieve UK’s mission as well as assert authority over the administration has diminished, according to Swanson.

“We are facing significant threats to our fundamental mission and our ability to undertake the right action,” she said, referring to the private corporations as threats.

She told the Herald-Leader she hopes at least one trustee in the future will serve on the boards of each private company owned by or in partnership with UK, to be able to report back to the board with first-hand updates about the companies. Trustees have heard updates on Champions Blue and Compass Group through UK administrators and company executives.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear previously called out UK’s administration, including Capilouto, for not properly representing faculty since the university senate dissolved.

“You should be able to work with the faculty that’s there,” Beshear said of UK on April 28. “These are the folks that are providing that education, and that’s your job. You’re an institution of higher education.”

He is expected to appoint new trustees to fill two open board of trustees seats in the coming weeks.

Swanson has earned a reputation for her critical eye on university decisions, according to Karen Petrone, the other faculty trustee who still serves on the board because her term expires July 1, 2028.

“I greatly admire her keen scientific mind, asking probing questions across all aspects of board business, and most of all, I admire Hollie’s supreme integrity and fierce courage in standing up sometimes alone for the interests of faculty, staff and students,” Petrone told the board.

She described Swanson as a friend and mentor.

Swanson and other trustees whose terms expired were presented with resolutions on behalf of the board. Petrone recognized Swanson for her academic contributions to UK since she began teaching there in 1995.

“‘The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees does hereby adopt this resolution on June 30, 2026, and expresses its sincere appreciation to Hollie Swanson for her distinguished leadership, her dedication to advancing education and scientific research, and her lasting contributions to the University of Kentucky and the Commonwealth,’” Petrone said, reciting the resolution.

Faculty have ‘avenues for communication,’ provost says

The board and administrations did not publicly respond to Swanson’s speech, but DiPaola told the Herald-Leader minutes later that he wants faculty to feel supported.

“We will always be focused on taking care of our people,” DiPaola said. “We’ll continue to find avenues to make sure that we’re communicating and getting input to do that.”

He said there are opportunities such as faculty senate and board of trustees meetings for faculty to share their opinions with him and other administrators. The faculty senate replaced the university senate and can only give advice to administrators, rather than decide policies.

“We’ll do everything possible to show that faculty are able to be communicated with in terms of anything that’s changing and get input through those avenues that have been set up, and we are committed to doing that,” he said.

DiPaola added that UK will “ensure that no matter how the system is, or grows, or changes, faculty can continue to be successful and do what they’re passionate about.”