University  of Minnesota Board of Regents Chair 

Threatens to Reveal Only One Finalist?

In an attempt, yet again, to avoid the state open meeting law, we hear this nonsense. 

From MPR:

"If we find one person who is head and shoulders above everyone else, there is the possibility of naming one," said Allen.

When the U hired Robert Bruininks in 2002, it kept the finalists names' secret. Bruininks, who was the interim president at the time, wasn't one of the finalists chosen by a search advisory committee.


Several Minnesota news outlets filed a lawsuit over the issue. In 2004 the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that state law requires the U to release the names of finalists in a presidential search.

So if the U's Board of Regents names only one finalist at the tail end of the current search, is that an effort to get around the law?

Regent Allen says no. 


"It is in no way an attempt to get away from naming the finalists. It is simply a function of how strong the candidates are," he said. 

Mr. Allen, if you think people will buy this, you are deeply out of touch.

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