Kentucky Students Fight Back

A few days ago, I discussed the case at the University of Kentucky, where the dean actually had the chutzpah to admit directly that his proposed tuition hike would go towards compensating professors.

Now, some blessed UK law students have decided to put up their own Facebook page to protest.

Law student Derek Hall and two others started a Facebook page entitled "UK Law Students Against Dean Brennen's Tuition Hike."

Hall, who met with the dean for about an hour on Monday, came away believing the proposed 1.8 percent tuition hike is just the beginning. "My fear is that he is going to continue doing this year after year," said Hall.

Hall, who's from Flemingsburg, believes the law school's money problems are being placed on the backs of its students. "Many of us are about to graduate into the worst law job market we've seen in decades. Many will have near $100,000 debt. It costs that much to go to law school. You close off a law degree to people like me who are fully paying for it themselves and who are from less fortunate urban or rural areas."

I already like this kid, and pledge to buy him an adult beverage of his choice if I'm ever in Lexington. He points out (as I did) that comparing UK's salary structure to the U. of Georgia's is absurd. He further points out the dean's timing couldn't have been worse for an honest discussion of the tuition hike, as it came within finals week, immediately before the Board's vote, and only a few weeks after a school forum where the issue was not discussed. Talk about a true lesson in governance.

Apparently, the Facebook page is already rife with some good content regarding the situation, to wit:

[O]ne contributor took a pot shot at the drop in the UK College of Law ranking. "So the salary increases are intended to keep the faculty we currently have from jumping ship? The same faculty that contributed to our 15-plus spot rankings plummet in the last two years?"

Unfortunately, I cannot find the Facebook group, but I definitely encourage and approve of what they're doing. At some point, students have to put up a brick wall and say "no more" to thriftless administrators who want hike after hike to line their own pockets under some ridiculous rationale, like competing with unreachable schools in a rigged ranking system. Here's an idea: how about you focus on training the next generation of Kentucky lawyers, people like Derek Hall, and stop this crazy and shameless resource grab.