Presidential Finalist Mark Kennedy Pens Open Letter To CU

BOULDER, CO -- University of Colorado presidential finalist Mark Kennedy penned an open letter to the CU community Friday afternoon, stating that he is "committed to being a leader for all." Both students and faculty have protested against the possible hiring, citing Kennedy's voting record while a Minnesota representative in Congress from 2001 to 2007 when he cast votes to ban gay marriage and restrict abortion access.

Kennedy was revealed to be the sole finalist in the presidential search last Thursday, an announcement that some CU regents have said was rushed after an article in the Grand Forks Herald noted his rumored departure from the University of North Dakota for "a higher education position in Colorado."

In an interview with the Daily Camera, CU system spokesman Ken McConnellogue was unconcerned by Kennedy's voting record. "The president of the University of Colorado is the face of the university and sets the tone for the university, but I think you have to separate that role from some things that may have happened a dozen or more years in somebody's past," he said. "... I think it's important, too, to listen to his position on things today."

Still, several student groups have planned a protest against Kennedy's hiring on Monday, and an open letter detailing concerns written by a CU professor had accumulated more than 1600 signatures by Saturday, according to the Daily Camera.

"Some of you have voiced concern about my voting record when I served in Congress more than a decade ago," Kennedy wrote in his letter to the community, noting that his position on gay marriage has since changed. "I am happy to address votes as to how they would impact my actions and decisions as president. On some, the societal consensus has changed over the past decade-plus, as has my own thinking."

Kennedy is scheduled to make a series of five visits to CU's campuses the week of March 22. He will be in Boulder from 10:15–11:15 a.m. at Mackey Auditorium on April 26.

Read more about reaction's to Kennedy's finalist status from the Daily Camera here.