A bill by Rep. Justin Fawson, R-North Ogden, would strip the regents of their ability to hire college and university presidents, instead giving that authority to the members of campus boards of trustees.
Fawson said he and other lawmakers believe some campus presidents have looked out for the interests of the state’s higher education system as a whole. A president’s priority, he said, should be the campuses he or she oversee, independent of sister schools within the Utah System of Higher Education.
The hiring process can take up to a year, and includes meetings with campus groups and the review of candidates by a search committee composed of regents, trustees and community representatives.