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After a week of zigzagging
announcements by the Iowa state Board of Regents, we hope that re-examining
the role of regents hopefully will be one of the tasks that falls to the
Government Oversight Committee during the next legislative session. The
regents had a closed meeting Monday presumably to discuss the status of
the four finalists for University of Iowa president ("Search for leader
still up in the air," Dec. 5). Regent Bob Downer said Wednesday that the
finalists were back on the table, only to have the regents announce Thursday
that the search was to be scrapped because the favorite finalist was no
longer interested in the job ("Regents' preferred candidate rejects offer,"
Dec. 8). To us -- and to the leaders of the UI faculty, staff and student
senate -- the most recent implosion of the search process further confirms
that the board leaders have failed in their responsibilities to the people
of Iowa. We urge UI groups to more forward with their no confidence votes.