Meeting of TTU Board of Regents Yields Three Notable Developments

The Texas Tech System Board of Regents met Thursday for an executive session, where a number of notable developments took place.

At the on-campus meeting at Texas Tech University, the TTU System Board of Regents approved a $200,000 expenditure toward the demolition of the Municipal Auditorium and Coliseum. The total cost to demolish the two buildings is slated to be $3.5 million dollars.

After an executive session, the regents unanimously named Dr. Tedd Mitch as the sole finalist for the chancellor position. Mitchell has been serving as interim chancellor since the resignation of former chancellor Robert Duncan in August 2018. Thursday, Duncan himself told KAMC News that he supports Mitchell as the sole finalist for the position.

Towards the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the TTU System Board of Regents, Rick Francis, made the notable announcement that he plans to step down as Chairman at the end of his term in January of 2019. Some might consider the move to be the culmination of efforts by former Amarillo Mayor Jerry Hodge and others to have Francis removed from his position.

Since Robert Duncan’s sudden and unexpected resignation in August as Chancellor of the  TTU system, there has been controversy surrounding the Board of Regents’ handling of the situation. Some even speculated that Duncan had been forced out for political reasons. Former Amarillo Mayor Jerry Hodge has even accused Chairman Rick Francis of personally firing Duncan, absent from other members of the board. Hodge even put together a campaign against Francis, most notably by creating a website called “FireFrancis.com”.

After the meeting on Thursday, Robert Duncan told KAMC News that Francis’ departure is an opportunity for Texas Tech to, “heal and move forward with renewed vigor.”