Close Menu
The Baylor Lariat
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    Trending
    • Baylor community unites in flash flood relief efforts
    • Baylor rescinds LGBTQIA+ inclusion research grant after backlash
    • Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown
    • Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects
    • Baylor graduate charged after killing cats with pellet gun, hanging bodies over utility lines
    • Baylor Football’s Alex Foster dies at 18
    • Board of Regents confirms budget, renovations, new leadership in May meeting
    • How facilities responds to storms, flooding in campus buildings
    • About us
      • Spring 2025 Staff Page
      • Copyright Information
    • Contact
      • Contact Information
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Subscribe to The Morning Buzz
      • Department of Student Media
    • Employment
    • PDF Archives
    • RSS Feeds
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    The Baylor LariatThe Baylor Lariat
    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz
    Sunday, July 13
    • News
      • State and National News
        • State
        • National
      • Politics
        • 2025 Inauguration Page
        • Election Page
      • Homecoming Page
      • Baylor News
      • Waco Updates
      • Campus and Waco Crime
    • Arts & Life
      • Wedding Edition 2025
      • What to Do in Waco
      • Campus Culture
      • Indy and Belle
      • Sing 2025
      • Leisure and Travel
        • Leisure
        • Travel
          • Baylor in Ireland
      • Student Spotlight
      • Local Scene
        • Small Businesses
        • Social Media
      • Arts and Entertainment
        • Art
        • Fashion
        • Food
        • Literature
        • Music
        • Film and Television
    • Opinion
      • Editorials
      • Points of View
      • Lariat Letters
    • Sports
      • March Madness 2025
      • Football
      • Basketball
        • Men’s Basketball
        • Women’s Basketball
      • Soccer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      • Equestrian
      • Cross Country and Track & Field
      • Acrobatics & Tumbling
      • Tennis
      • Golf
      • Pro Sports
      • Sports Takes
      • Club Sports
    • Lariat TV News
    • Multimedia
      • Video Features
      • Podcasts
        • Don’t Feed the Bears
      • Slideshows
    • Advertising
    The Baylor Lariat
    Home»News»Baylor News

    BLR suggests major changes to Board of Regents’ governance

    Megan RuleBy Megan RuleJanuary 18, 2017Updated:January 19, 2017 Baylor News No Comments4 Mins Read
    Photo credit: Liesje Powers
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Megan Rule | Staff Writer

    Bears for Leadership Reform proposed a plan Wednesday that will majorly change the governance structure of the Baylor Board of Regents, reshaping the transparency and process of electing regents.

    “We think it gives a more broad representation to the Baylor family and to Baylor constituents,” said Randy Ferguson, co-chair of the organization’s research and policy committee and former regent. “We feel that it provides some accountability to the constituents from the board, and it provides more transparency as well.”

    The plan follows a 10 – 10 – 10 – four model, meaning that 10 regents will be elected by the Baptist General Convention of Texas, 10 regents will be elected by Baylor alumni and 10 regents will be elected by the Board itself.

    The proposal also calls for one regent elected by the Baylor Letterman’s Association Board of Directors, one regent elected by the Baylor Bear Foundation Board of Directors, one regent elected by the Student Congress and one regent elected by the Faculty Senate. These last four regent positions, though they exist currently, serve as advisory regents, meaning that these people do not get to attend committee meetings. The plan proposes that these final four seats become full voting board seats.

    With the proposal, all regents, with the exception of the student regent, would serve three-year terms and be eligible to serve no more than three total terms. The student regent would be eligible to serve a one-year term.

    Liza Firmin, Bears for Leadership Reform board member and 2006 Baylor alumna, said in addition to the proposed election modifications, the plan proposes that the Board of Regents hold open sessions and publish board meetings, minutes and governance documents for the Baylor community to view online. Ferguson said BLR feels the board has turned a deaf ear to the Baylor family, and there has not been necessary accountability.

    John Eddie Williams, Bears for Leadership Reform president, former Baylor football player and donor to McLane Stadium, said these proposed reforms show the Baylor family how the board will work together in the future to increase accountability and transparency.

    “We are not proposing to follow the open meeting pact that public universities have to follow,” Ferguson said. “We do feel there are legitimate reasons why you would go into executive sessions, for personnel or legal or real estate. We would just be saying that the meetings need to be conducted in an open matter. In no way would we be trying to take away the ability for executive sessions.”

    Williams said Bears for Leadership Reform is calling on the board to meet with them on the proposal, and that it is extraordinarily important that Baylor changes the way business is done. There is no deadline set in the proposal, but Bears for Leadership Reform said that the Board of Regents received a message Wednesday with the hope that a meeting will be set up. Williams said that Bears for Leadership Reform is available any time on short notice to start discussing this, and the sooner it is discussed, the better.

    Williams said the plan proposes a change from secrecy within the regents and is an open step in the attempt to get the Board of Regents to start listening to the Baylor family.

    “It’s very important that we not just match what perhaps some other universities might do, but that we become the leader in transparency and accountability, and that we become the best,” Williams said.

    The organization is pushing for regents to do business in public and to identify who is on each committee and what each committee does. This would discontinue the required non-disclosure agreement that is in place. Williams said phone numbers, email addresses or any other means of contact are not made visible online.

    Ferguson said trust has been lost within the Baylor family and the main goal of the plan is to rebuild trust. Williams said he has heard more and more anecdotes of people that are frustrated and is noticing a growth of support.

    “We are not going away, we will be here until the job is done,” Williams said. “The Baylor family will not be ignored, so stay tuned because there is more to come.”

    Megan Rule

    Keep Reading

    Baylor community unites in flash flood relief efforts

    Baylor rescinds LGBTQIA+ inclusion research grant after backlash

    Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown

    Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects

    Baylor graduate charged after killing cats with pellet gun, hanging bodies over utility lines

    Baylor Football’s Alex Foster dies at 18

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Recent Posts
    • Baylor community unites in flash flood relief efforts July 9, 2025
    • Baylor rescinds LGBTQIA+ inclusion research grant after backlash July 9, 2025
    About

    The award-winning student newspaper of Baylor University since 1900.

    Articles, photos, and other works by staff of The Baylor Lariat are Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.

    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz

    Get the latest Lariat News by just Clicking Subscribe!

    Follow the Live Coverage
    Tweets by @bulariat

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    • Featured
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Arts and Life
    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.