During a short meeting, the regents of the Texas Tech University System appointed State Sen. Brandon Creighton as its new chancellor and chief executive officer.
The vote was unanimous. “This is a historic day for Texas Tech University System,” Regent Chairman Cody Campbell stated after the vote on Tuesday. “I know that we’re all looking forward to working together with our new chancellor to further the advancement of our system.”
The appointment is effective November 10.
Creighton (R–Conroe) issued a statement on social media platform X. “With the confidence of the Board of Regents and the strength of our faculty, staff, and students, we will expand opportunities, pioneer new innovations, and ensure the TTU System continues to exemplify the best of what drives Texas and the nation forward.”
Creighton is the primary author of Senate Bill 37, a new law that abolished shared governance and granted new oversight powers to boards of regents. At state universities, shared governance refers to a system in which boards of regents delegate authority to presidents, who then share power with faculty, represented by a faculty senate.
In August, the Texas Tech University System’s Regents chose to implement the new law’s option to restructure faculty senates into an advisory role. As chancellor, Creighton will oversee the implementation of SB 37 across the Texas Tech University System’s five campuses.
First elected to the Texas House in 2006 and then elected to the Senate in 2014, Creighton is the third current or former Republican lawmaker to become a university system chancellor in recent months. Former Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who also served in the Texas Senate, was recently named chancellor at Texas A&M University System, while former State Rep. John Zerwas was likewise hired for the same position at the University of Texas System.
Creighton will have to resign his Texas Senate seat before he can officially accept the Texas Tech position. Gov. Greg Abbott would then call a special election to fill the vacancy.
The Texas Tech University System is the parent organization of five institutions. Its Board of Regents is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate.
