Goodbye to texas university and so long to the Orange and the White, the latest state university to contend with a regent controversy could be Texas A&M.
Sources in Austin allege that A&M Chancellor John Sharp’s allies are seeking to extend his contract before a new group of university regents arrives on campus—ones who might not be so closely aligned with Sharp as those currently holding office.
Just eighteen months ago, A&M’s Regents gave Sharp a five year contract extension and doubled his pay. He has just over three years left on that contract.
In light of such rumors, Texas Scorecard inquired with the A&M System if Sharp’s contract extension was on the agenda for the Board of Regents meeting scheduled for next week. Employees would neither confirm nor deny the item would be placed on the agenda, but said that it would be available on Friday.
A&M’s Board of Regents should refrain from extending Sharp’s contract and making moves to bind the hands of future regents shortly before they arrive on campus. Such decisions would have the potential effect of wasting taxpayer money on political jockeying and are a dishonest circumvention of the will of the people of Texas expressed through the governor.
