Board meets Friday; Faculty Senate wants to hold referendum

11:04 PM CDT on Thursday, September 23, 2004

By HOLLY K. HACKER
The Dallas Morning News

The battle over the future of Baylor University President Robert Sloan continues as the school's regents gather in Waco for a regular business meeting.

Unlike the previous meeting, there are no boisterous predictions of Dr. Sloan's ouster. Nevertheless, there is drama.

Twenty-two former regents are asking the current regents to fire Dr. Sloan. In a resolution submitted this week, the former regents say Dr. Sloan's leadership "has created the greatest divisiveness and distrust in the history of Baylor."

"Baylor University needs a change of leadership, period. It's that simple," said John Baugh, a former regent from Houston who signed the resolution.

Meanwhile, Baylor's Faculty Senate has asked that, by Monday, the regents schedule a referendum on Dr. Sloan. Under the referendum, all 800 faculty members would be asked whether they want to keep their president.

"This really is an attempt in good faith to find out where do the faculty stand, and let's see if we can learn anything from that," said Joe Cox, past chairman of the Faculty Senate. Another reason for the vote is to clear up accusations that the Senate is not fairly representing faculty members, he said.

The Senate's actions over the last year show its unhappiness with the leader of the world's largest Baptist university. In September 2003, the body voted, 26-6, to express a lack of confidence in Dr. Sloan, saying he had created a climate of fear and distrust. In May, there was a second no-confidence vote and a request that regents schedule the referendum. The Senate issued the Monday deadline last month, having received no response.

Board Chairman Will Davis was quoted as saying he does not know if the regents will discuss the former regents' resolution at their meeting. He also has said that the Senate's request will be presented to the regents. "I have no idea how anybody feels about it," he said. A faculty referendum would not determine Dr. Sloan's fate at Baylor – that decision rests solely with the 36 regents. But a faculty vote could certainly influence regents, who have voted twice on Dr. Sloan.

Through a spokesman, Dr. Sloan declined to comment. But the former religion professor has said he's committed to doing his job.

Dr. Sloan, Baylor's president since 1995, has earned both supporters and critics. Many laud his long-term plan to make Baylor a top-notch research university while keeping its Christian identity. At the regents' last meeting in July, they unanimously affirmed the plan, "Baylor 2012."

Mr. Davis also noted that under Dr. Sloan, Baylor just admitted its most diverse freshman class and is offering more scholarships.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.