President Gerry Bradley and Provost Katie Cardarelli opened the 2026-27 academic year with an Aug. 26 town hall on the Belknap Campus, addressing university finances, Cardinal Intelligence governance and strategic priorities for the upcoming year.
Accountability and well-being
Bradley discussed his annual evaluation from the Board of Trustees and outlined strategic goals for the fiscal year, citing a commitment to decisiveness, accountability and focus.
“I want to send the message that I am holding myself accountable and my team,” Bradley said.
Board leaders described the process as the most comprehensive presidential evaluation in UofL’s history.
Bradley also responded to recommendations from the President’s Commission on Climate, Culture and Well-Being, breaking progress into immediate, developing and completed actions. Immediate steps include clarifying how sick days may be used to support mental healthcare, while supervisor training for staff and faculty is in development.
Communication and transparency were flagged as continued areas for improvement, and the monthly town halls were introduced as part of the response to give staff and faculty a place to ask questions in real time from university leadership.
Read Bradley’s FY 2025-26 performance evaluation on the Office of the President website.
Cardinal Intelligence
Turning to the university’s technology strategy, Cardarelli provided an update on Cardinal Intelligence, UofL’s overarching vision for integrating AI into the university’s strategic plan and guiding how the campus teaches, researches and works with technology. The leadership council and four committees are now fully staffed with members from across campus and are meeting regularly to advise on usage in curriculum, tools adopted and best practices.
“We are in a world where this is all rapidly changing, what I say today may change tomorrow,” Cardarelli said. “We feel really good about the governance structure we’ve set up. We put a lot of thought and intentionality into how we have set up our governance into these four committees to make sure we are putting into place the right guardrails with the right tools.”
Cardarelli added that universities should take the lead in figuring out how to use new tools responsibly while balancing ethical and environmental concerns.
Budget and retention
Addressing questions about why the university faces budget pressure despite record enrollment, Bradley pointed to rising health premiums and pay increases as major cost drivers.
“We have a razor-thin margin,” he said.
He added that higher education broadly is navigating a difficult financial landscape, and that UofL is balancing the need to retain students and keep the university affordable while continuing to grow. Notably, UofL was recently recognized for being among the most affordable institutions in the ACC.
Cardarelli reiterated the university’s commitment to data-informed student retention. A dedicated Student Success Task Force meets weekly to evaluate enrollment trends and analyze fall numbers that are currently tracking under target. Academic deans are participating in planning sessions to ensure their school or college-level strategic plans align directly with available resources, while the Office of the Provost continues to fund high-impact initiatives, such as Living Learning Communities.
Campus safety
The Department of Public Safety provided an update on campus safety measures, addressing questions about the university’s emergency alert system. SafeZone replaces the RAVE emergency alert system and the Card Armor mobile safety app. The university will cease using RAVE on Sept. 1, and the campus community is reminded to download the free SafeZone mobile safety app in the App Store (for iPhone) and Google Play (for Android). Phone numbers must be registered to receive text message alerts. Learn more on the Department of Public Safety website.
A number of other questions were pre-submitted by the Cardinal community. The following themes emerged and are addressed below:
Compensation, merit pay and salary equity
- A multi-year approach to identify and address compression issues across campus is in development. The HR Compensation team will work in concert with the provost’s office on any faculty related issues. HR continually scans for salary compression issues and plans to begin addressing these concerns in the university’s FY 2028 operating budget.
- Regarding the university’s plan to move toward merit-based salary increases tied to performance evaluations: training is the key. Supervisors will receive training by early 2027 on how to fairly and consistently evaluate employees.
- Another important aspect is implementing a new performance evaluation scale. That will be shared in tandem with supervisor training.
Employee recognition and benefits
- The university will continue to monitor and adjust our recognition and years of service programs. For example, we now hold bi-annual employee recognition luncheons.
Leadership accountability, workplace culture and safety
- Questions were asked about whether 360-degree feedback and climate stewardship metrics will be formally built into performance evaluations for deans, chairs and vice presidents. Work in this space is currently underway with a target date for implementation in fall 2027. It is possible that this could be updated in multiple policies instead of adopting a standalone policy.
- In response to concerns about bullying, the university is currently benchmarking against other institutions and is committed to taking appropriate and corrective action to address the matter.
Changes impacting international students
- International students are being counseled on a new immigration rule based on their individual circumstances. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is moving away from Duration of Status (D/S) beginning Sept. 15. Currently, international students are encouraged to avoid unnecessary international travel. DHS guidance is forthcoming, and subsequent messages will be provided. This information will be incorporated into the upcoming International Center town halls for students and scholars.
- The International Center will publish an FAQ after review by General Counsel and finalization of implementation plans. Learn more through the UofL International Center. Send specific questions to: paul.hofmann@louisville.edu.
Please provide your feedback about the Aug. 26 town hall through this anonymous Microsoft form.
The next President and Provost Town Hall will be held on the Health Sciences Center Campus in the Kornhauser Library, on Sept. 23, 4-5 p.m. Learn more.
See the full recording of the August event:
