The new appointees to the Auburn University Board of Trustees were announced this week, and the theme of the appointments was familiarity.
Of the nine open slots, six were filled by trustees who were reappointed to yet another term.
The most familiar of all those faces was Bobby Lowder, whose power and influence on the board has stirred controversy since 1983 when he was first appointed.
Lowder's reappointment was a blow to many in the Auburn family who had hoped to see new blood on the Board, and questions remain as to whether it was truly Lowder's qualifications that landed him the spot, as the Governor's office has claimed.
It may be that Lowder's lingering influence in Auburn and state politics played a hand in his reappointment.
While it may not be a correlation, state taxpayers should at least be aware that Lowder's wife Charlotte donated $25,000 to Robert Bentley's Gubernatorial campaign in September 2010. What better way to repay the Lowder family than a reward of another term on the Board of Trustees?
Political motives aside, this year's appointments highlighted the flawed process of selecting the Board, something that has not been consistent from term to term. It is clear a more careful selection process is needed that better reviews the credentials of each candidate in an objective fashion (See "Trustees," A1).
While the six reappointed candidates are undoubtedly enthusiastic about serving the University again, surely the selection committee could have found six candidates out of the 195 that applied who were more than qualified and could have brought a new perspective.
Apple Computers Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, an Auburn alumnus who applied for a seat on the Board and was denied, was just one of many missed opportunities.
A top executive in one of the world's largest computer companies that continually masters the art of innovation obviously had more to bring than a retired C.E.O. of a failed bank that has been investigated for financial wrongdoings.
In a time when public education is suffering across the country and in Alabama, change is needed. New men and women with new perspectives are required to deal with budget cuts and rising tuition that are on the horizon.
Unfortunately, Gov. Bentley and his selection committee only continued the "good ole boy" culture of state politics that has plagued the higher education system in Alabama for far too long.
The students, parents and alumni of Auburn University want to see this school succeed and continue to grow in both enrollment and academic standards.
The governor's selection committee, on the other hand, would apparently rather prop up the unceasing political power of a few than listen to the cries of thousands in the Auburn Family who want, and deserve, better.
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