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UI Faculty Senate: No Confidence In Regents

The University of Iowa’s Faculty Senate has approved a motion expressing ‘no confidence’ in the Iowa Board of Regents.

Tuesday afternoon’s action that followed a two-hour frustration-laced debate is the latest expression from the Iowa City campus, following the Regents’ hiring of business executive Bruce Harreld as the University’s new president.

Senate President and Law Professor, Christina Bohannan, told the faculty she’s heartbroken.

“The idea that our input was given apparently no weight in the decision of who should lead this institution is nothing short of shocking,” she said.

Bohannan emphasized the no-confidence is directed to the Board of Regents, not Harreld, who Regents selected to be the UI’s President beginning in November.

“It’s different to say we have no confidence in the Board of Regents and how they have treated us in this process,” she said.  “That is not the same thing as saying we have no confidence in the new President. That is a question that we need to work on, and it’s something that as a faculty, as a Senate, and as an entire campus of students, and staff and faculty, that we need to work on in the coming weeks and months.”

Bohannan was a member of the search committee that selected the four finalists.  She admits the ‘no-confidence’ message to the Regents' governing body is largely symbolic.

Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter said in a statement Tuesday evening:

"The Board of Regents brought four highly qualified candidates to campus during the search process and discussed their abilities to help lead the University of Iowa through the changes in higher education. Throughout this process, Board members heard from stakeholders all across Iowa about the type of qualities and leadership needed at the University of Iowa. We are disappointed that some of those stakeholders have decided to embrace the status quo of the past over opportunities for the future and focus their efforts on resistance to change instead of working together to make the University of Iowa even greater."

              

Michael Leland is IPR's News Director