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Regents approve an endowed-chair appointment without national search amid one recorded objection
Summary
The Board approved a waiver to appoint Dr. Jana Sutton to an endowed chair at the University of Louisiana at Monroe without conducting a national search; staff said the candidate met all academic qualifications and the request complied with revised waiver policy, and the motion passed with one recorded nay/objection.
The Board of Regents approved an internal appointment to an endowed chair at the University of Louisiana at Monroe without a national search after staff confirmed the request met the board’s revised waiver conditions.
Deputy commissioner Carrie Robinson presented the request and said ULM supplied the required documentation and that the candidate, Dr. Jana Sutton, meets the academic and research qualifications for the chair. Robinson noted staff review processes for waivers include CV review and external evaluation when qualifications are unclear.
Regent Pryor questioned whether declining to require a national search risks perceptions of nepotism or improper process, referencing a high-profile 2021 state investigation into a different institution’s administrative appointments. Staff replied that the waiver policy requires documentation that the appointee meets the chair-holder qualifications and that staff will solicit external reviews when necessary.
A motion to approve the appointment (with the waiver) passed on the board floor; the transcript records one nay and an objection during the roll call process but the motion carried.
What’s next: staff will note the appointment in board records and ensure the documentation of the waiver and qualifications remain on file.
