Interview with Lewis W. Cochran, July 2, 1985

Partial Transcript: As we were saying before I, I turned that on, right at this mid-point of the seventies, in, uh, in terms of, uh, UK, and, uh, I’ve gone back and looked at some of the, the articles that were appearing about this time...

Segment Synopsis: Cochran talks about how in the 1960s and 1970s, UK struggled with salary increases because of inflation.

Keywords: Funding; Funds; Inflation; Limited resources; Money; Raises; Salary increases; State system; U of L; University of Louisville

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And, uh, uh, you made a point that, uh--before we turned this on too...

Segment Synopsis: Cochran talks about how when Dr. Otis Singletary became president of the University of Kentucky, a more orderly longer term approach to the management of the university began. New office towers were built and there was a great reshuffling of classes and offices, however, there were still limited resources to work with. Cochran discusses how criticism of Singletary was beginning to dwindle but some faculty were concerned he didn’t have much direction for the university. Cochran explains that President Singletary’s style of relying on faculty to take initiative on changes could upset some people. He also describes how other universities have used this model and dealt with making institutional changes.

Keywords: Authority; Changes; Criticism; Dr. Otis Singletary; Leadership; Leadership styles; Management; New office towers; Rebuilding; Reshuffling; Restructuring; Singletary administration; University presidents

Subjects: College administrators; College administrators--Rating of; College administrators--Selection and appointment.; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And, uh, our Senate, uh, became, uh, after the, uh, flurry there in the early sixties...

Segment Synopsis: Cochran says that teachers will inevitably stop getting involved in university leadership so they leave the main business to the university, but it’s very hard to get the faculty to accept a proposal for change if it comes from the dean or vice president of the college.

Keywords: College deans; Deans; Internal academic leadership; University Senate; University deans; efforts

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: But now, in, in--okay, in the case here at UK, you know, you’re in a good position to comment on this because you were the Vice President of Academic Affairs and, and, uh, from just what I’ve seen at the campus and what you’ve said of how your office was operating at that time...

Segment Synopsis: Cochran describes some of the academic steps the university was trying to take during his tenure as Vice President of Academic Affairs. He explains how many new academic programs were being put into place and higher standards for degree requirements were set. He also explains the lack of faculty ideas to improve programs, as faculty believed what the university had was satisfactory.

Keywords: Academic programs; Degree requirements; Departments; Improvements; Progress; Vice President of Academic Affairs

Subjects: College administrators; College administrators--Rating of; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: It wasn’t flashy. That's, uh, that's part of the problem, I suppose...

Segment Synopsis: Cochran explains how, in the late 1960s, the University of Kentucky was one of the best schools in the country for a new young professor to gain experience and develop.

Keywords: Inflation; Job opportunities; Low salary; Recruiting; Recruitment; Young people

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Don't you think too that, that during this period, even when things were starting to get a little rocky financially...

Segment Synopsis: Since Cochran’s retirement, people have missed the way he organized things. He was very involved; he would go to professors' laboratories to discuss their books. Professors on campus at the time enjoyed feeling important because of Cochran’s interest in their work. He says that his optimism contributed to false hope about the future. Salaries were suffering but people could live with them. For a long time during Cochran’s term as Vice President of Academic Affairs, the university didn’t lose any of their top people. He talks about what it was like to have an experienced worker on campus looking for another job. Cochran and the dean would always discuss when they knew this was getting ready to happen, however, very good, experienced people didn’t leave often according to Cochran.

Keywords: Authority; Discuss with the dean; Expectations; Experienced professors; Expressing hope; Future; Job opportunities; Leadership styles; Mixed evaluations; Optimism; Optimists; Providing funds; Raising expectations; Salary adjustments; Showing interest; Style of administration; Vice President of Academic Affairs; Who's in charge

Subjects: College administrators; College administrators--Rating of; College environment; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: To change the subject for just a few minutes here, uh, one of the interesting things...

Segment Synopsis: Cochran believed there should have already been a school of veterinary medicine on campus, probably in the 1930s, but there was never a president of the university that had an interest in building one or felt it was a good thing to do. Cochran tells the interviewer that during the time of this debate of building a veterinary school, the university was already suffering a shortage of money. The state was never concerned about having a veterinary school here.

Keywords: Agricultural leadership; Auburn University; Costs; Expenses; Faculty salaries; Financial crisis; Financial shortages; Livestock; Partnerships; Salary advances; Verge of financial crisis; Veterinary schools; mid-1970s

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Murray State University; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Um, let's shift gears here again a little bit.

Segment Synopsis: Cochran explains how the University of Kentucky had some very good years in building their development program and receiving private gifts. He discusses how a new director laid the groundwork for very good programs. He also acknowledges that while the gifts were good, they were for specific non-major academic needs like a faculty center and equine research. Cochran puts forward his thoughts on what he believes to be the major problems with the University of Kentucky and private money. He explains that when the university would get money, they would often not inform the donors about what the money was being used for. He explains that the university also had trouble getting money in the first place as it was rare for wealthy Kentuckians to give to a public cause. One of the most important grants they received was totally by accident. Cochran describes how the university did a poor job in making the few donors they had feel appreciated. He explains that, at most, all they would receive was an annual thank you note, and some faculty felt that was not even necessary.

Keywords: Academic programs; Accidental giving; Development Office; Development and education; Development programs; Donors; Funding; Funds; Gifts; Grants and funding; Kentucky; Money; Obligations; Private donations; Private donors; Private giving; Private money; Public university; Thank you notes

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Um, I want to, if we have time today, get back to, uh, some of the changes that were going on statewide with the Council on Higher Education during this period.

Segment Synopsis: Cochran describes what he says to be a “disastrous” period in which the University of Kentucky School of Communications lost its accreditation. He describes the background on how the program was formed. He also comments on how the self-study report was poorly written on the day that the accreditation check was happening. Violations were found and after a battle with the school, the program lost its accreditation. Cochran explains the immediate reaction and following actions that were taken after the loss of accreditation. He describes how the university sent resources and writers over to help get the program back on track. There were a few issues with the staff and facilities but the accreditation was eventually restored. Cochran talks about how he made a mistake in allowing the formation of the Department of Communications, instead of continuing it as an interdisciplinary program.

Keywords: Behavioral science communications; Classes; Committees; Consensus; Corrections; Emphasis; Equipment; Headlines; Journalism schools; Public relations; Reaccredited; Resources; Technicality; Technology; Telecoms

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Accreditation.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. College of Communications and Information Studies; University of Kentucky. School of Journalism

Partial Transcript: Let's, let's talk for a minute about BKY.

Segment Synopsis: Cochran says that no one could figure out what category the radio station fell under, so it was passed around many times. Cochran believed that it should be an educational resource for the students, but it was unsuccessful in that way. It eventually became just a standard public radio station. Eastern Kentucky University had built a station at the same time, so both UK and EKU had to share the same tower with their own antennae. They began airing the same program at the same time.

Keywords: Antennae; Eastern Kentucky University; Educational; Informational; Public radio; Radio antenna; Radio stations; Radio towers; Shared; Unsuccessful; WBKY (Radio station)

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College radio stations; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Now of course you’ve had sort of a, a similar dilemma with, uh, UK Television in a sense.

Segment Synopsis: Cochran says that the university struggled to find a place to house the TV studio. The faculty was never really too interested in helping them keep up with the equipment either. They improved equipment with the new satellite grant, but the faculty and education professors never used the studio as much as they could have.

Keywords: College television stations; Educational television; Grant; Satellite; Struggled; Television; UKTV

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Television; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Do you see, uh, do you see the problems in, for example, the Telecommunications Department as, as contributing to the problems or BKY and, and UK Television in a sense?

Segment Synopsis: Cochran believes it is his fault that the Department of Communications was created and blames himself for the aftermath. He says that the situation has somewhat improved. Enrollment has grown in interior design, and in early childhood programs and nutrition.

Keywords: Communications; Enrollment; Interior design; Journalism; Lack of interest; Nutrition; Problems

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College teachers--Social conditions; Education, Higher--Kentucky; Educators; Universities and colleges--Accreditation.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky. College of Communications and Information Studies