Hoffman resigns as CU President

[coloradodem2005]

Betsy Hoffman resigned today as President of the University of Colorado. She will stay on until June 30, 2005, or until the Regents appoint a successor.
I first met President Hoffman when she came to the Senate along with the Coleman family as we honored the Colemans for donating over $200,000,000 to the University, a gift which Betsy arranged.

In my view the problems with the football team and Ward Churchill were not caused by Betsy and I am sorry to see her taking the blame. Her resignation at this time seems to be an act that puts the University's welfare above her own. I wish her well in her future.

The University of Colorado is a fine institution and one of the major assets that we have in the state. Every day thousands of professors are providing excellent education to tens of thousands of students. This everyday excellence never makes the papers, but it is the true story of the institution.

Sincerely,


Ken Gordon

Senate Majority Leader

[madhat]

1. Why I'm not sorry ("Can't spell cu-t without CU")

Does anyone else recall this Hoffman horror (which besmirched women and atheletes and academics everywhere)?

DENVER -- The University of Colorado president was criticized Tuesday for refusing to condemn a vulgar anatomical reference allegedly used to describe a female football player who says she was raped by a teammate.

University President Betsy Hoffman's comments in a federal court case sparked a fresh storm of protest surrounding Colorado's flagship school. Women's groups and a member of the Board of Regents said they were appalled by what they called Hoffman's lack of insensitivity.
...

One of the women's attorneys told Hoffman the vulgar term had been used by a football player against teammate Katie Hnida. The attorney asked Hoffman whether she thought the term was "a filthy and vile word."

Hoffman replied it was a "swear word" and that its meaning depended on the circumstances in which it was used, according to a copy of the deposition released by the school.

Asked if it could ever be used in a polite context, Hoffman replied: "Yes, I've actually heard it used as a term of endearment."

University spokeswoman Michele Ames said Hoffman knows the word has "negative connotations" but it did not in its original use centuries ago.

"Because she is a medieval scholar, she is also aware of the long history of the word dating back to at least Chaucer," Ames said. English writer Geoffrey Chaucer lived in the late 1300s and used the word in "The Canterbury Tales."

...

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/3419466/detail.html

[Damien]

3. i agree that her comment was bad,

But I think she was pressured VERY hard not to attack athletics too much. She spoke out against problems they had often.

I think she was just in a very tight situation and tried to play both sides: poorly.

I will still miss her as a relatively sane voice in higher ed. Here at UNC, I would trade Kay Norton in for Betsy any day of the week.

[Democrats_win]

2. Vast Reight Wing Conspiracy involving Owens-appoint college presidents

It happened at CSU, but the regents wouldn't allow it so Owen's prefect went to DU instead. He succeeded at Fort Lewis but a student journalist deserves a Purlitzer for uncovering the illegal rubber stamp closed-door meeting that led to the appointment. They succeeded at UNC where former Republican Senator Hank Brown was recently the president.

The dirty republicans also tried to have their "academic bill of rights" a misnomer worthy of the "clear skies initiative."

BO is the beginning of this attack, and I'm sure that other republican guvernators will try it too.

Her c-word remarks were certainly inappropriate, but unlike bush, she backed it up. We have to take the remarks of stupid republicans at face value--worthless.