The second round of voting for faculty trustee will open on Wednesday, April 19.

The initial round of voting occurred last week, and three candidates were voted into the second round: Professor Robert B. Grossman of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Patrick C. McGrath of the College of Medicine and Professor Margaret Mohr-Schroeder of the College of Education.

This seat is one of two Board of Trustees seats for faculty representatives. Dr. Lee X. Blonder of the College of Medicine currently holds the seat that is not up for reelection. Grossman is the incumbent in the open seat.

“I feel that I’ve been an effective trustee the last few years, earning the trust and respect of the appointed trustees, and striving to keep the academic mission of the university at the forefront of our discussions,” Grossman said.

Mohr-Schroeder has been a university senator for six years and now wants to represent her fellow faculty on the board.

“I want to positively represent, advocate and promote the efforts of the faculty and represent their needs to continue their important work which has a direct impact on our students and the Commonwealth,” Mohr-Schroeder said.

Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues Director and journalism Professor Al Cross reached out to the candidates regarding the case between the university and the Kentucky Kernel that stemmed from a professor’s sexual assault situation covered by the Kernel.

In a subsequent email to members of the UK faculty through a listserv, Cross said he asked the candidates questions regarding their support of “the Kentucky Kernel and the Office of the Attorney General in their efforts for transparency and accountability.”

Grossman told both Cross and the Kernel that he agreed with President Eli Capilouto’s policy decision but not with his explanation or treatment of the student reporters.

“I believe that the student journalists were doing what journalists do, which is to act on the side of transparency, even if that puts parties at risk of being identified,” Grossman said to Cross.

Mohr-Schroeder told both Cross and the Kernel that she has thought extensively about this situation because she was a victim of physical and verbal sexual harassment during her graduate studies.

“I am a big advocate for transparency and accountability,” Mohr-Schroeder said. Therefore, she said that if the university does not have anything to hide, it should provide the requested confidential documents to the Office of the Attorney General.

McGrath did not respond to the inquiries of Cross or the Kernel.

The final round of voting opens at noon on April 19 and closes at noon on April 26. All faculty are eligible to vote and should have received the candidates’ mission statements through a UK Trustee Election listserv.