LEXINGTON, Ky. — The appointment of federal judge Greg Van Tatenhove as dean of the University of Kentucky's J. David Rosenberg College of Law is facing significant pushback from students, faculty and Gov. Andy Beshear, according to reporting by LEX 18 News.

Provost Robert DiPaola announced Van Tatenhove's appointment last month. The 1989 law school alumnus has served as a district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky for more than two decades.

Beshear publicly questioned the appointment this week, suggesting outside donor influence may be driving decisions at Kentucky's flagship university. "I worry that these actions are related to certain donors pushing partisan and undue outside influence onto the university," Beshear said Tuesday. On Wednesday, he called on the university to reconsider the selection.

Law school students expressed concern that Van Tatenhove lacks academic administration experience compared to other finalists. "There were three other really qualified academic administrators, and I think they would have come in and righted our ship," one anonymous student told LEX 18. "I just don't think a sitting federal judge without real academic administration experience is the one to do the job." Other candidates reportedly served as associate deans at law schools nationwide and had scholarship credentials.

However, Buzz English, chair of the law school's visiting committee who met with candidates, defended the selection. "Judge Van Tatenhove has been a U.S. district court judge, and in that position he's required to draft and come up with decisions on complicated legal issues across the gamut," English said, adding that accusations of partisanship played no role in his perspective.

University spokesperson Jay Blanton said Provost DiPaola followed standard selection procedures, including empaneling an advisory group with faculty input and gathering feedback. The university claimed faculty were "almost uniformly positive" about the selection, though reporting by the Courier Journal indicated a "substantial majority" of law faculty told officials Van Tatenhove was "unacceptable" for the role.

"The process we follow does not imply unanimity. It does imply feedback, dialogue, consideration and transparency," Blanton said. The Board of Trustees was scheduled to meet Thursday.