David Rudd, the president of the University of Memphis, spoke to the faculty senate Tuesday, to address the concerns faculty members had about the Focus Act. This act would separate the U of M from the Tennessee Board of Regents and form an independant board.
University of Memphis president David Rudd announced in a faculty senate meeting Tuesday the U of M will be separating from the Tennessee Board of Regents and creating its own independent governing board.Â
“This will happen,†he said. “There has not been opposition to it, this clearly will move forward, and it will move forward in relatively rapid pace.â€Â
The separation, which U of M officials have been working towards for decades, will give the University an opportunity to lobby independently and improve as not only a college but also as a research facility comparable to the University of Tennessee.Â
Despite the possible financial boost, some members of the faculty senate were concerned about the repercussions an independent board could have.Â
One professor said he was uneasy about the new board’s loyalty to the school, implying they could put personal interests above the school.Â
But Rudd assured the professor and others that measures would be taken to prevent this, and the new board would be selected by faculty, with both a faculty member and student being included on the board.Â
The University of Memphis is different from other schools within the Tennessee Board of Regents, which is made up primarily of community colleges, Rudd said. In the past year, TBR has taken funds the U of M has earned and distributed it to other schools, Rudd said.Â
With its own governing board, the U of M could lobby for funds independently from TBR, without the possibility of that money going to another university, Rudd said.Â
The school could save money in the split as well. The U of M currently pays $2.5 million to TBR, but under its own board that number could go down to $1 million.Â
An independent governing board would allow U of M to focus on its own needs without getting bogged down in the problems of the 45 other TBR universities.Â
“It would allow us to re-direct the quality and expansion of what we do that is critical to higher education,†Rudd said. “That becomes special.â€Â
