Faculty members signing petitions aren’t the only people at Iowa State unhappy with ISU President Martin Jischke.

Ed Snook, senior in English, along with several other students, recently began publishing a Web page addressing Jischke’s role on the Board of Directors for Banker’s Trust of Iowa, which holds Iowa State’s general account.

Snook said sitting on the board creates a conflict of interest for Jischke, since the university’s account is also held by that bank.

“Jischke’s predecessor was also a member, but at that time, Iowa State had no money in Banker’s Trust,” he said. “It was in five different banks in five different accounts.”

Snook said he doesn’t necessarily believe Jischke influenced the transfer of the account to Banker’s Trust, but he would consider the situation inappropriate in any circumstance.

“Even if Iowa State had always had their funds in Banker Trust, that would be a conflict of interest,” he said.

In response, Jischke said his position on the Board of Directors for Banker’s Trust does not create a conflict of interest for Iowa State because it is a matter of public record.

“My participation on that board is a matter of public record I report every year,” he said. “It was also an issue that was discussed when I was hired by the Board of Regents.”

Jischke said he tries to avoid conflicts of interest between the university and Banker’s Trust when acting as a director.

“In any situation in which Banker’s Trust is engaged in business with Iowa State, I do not participate in those decisions,” he said.

John McCarroll, director of University Relations, agreed that Jischke’s position on the Board of Directors should not be an issue.

“This is a public-bidding process,” he said of why all of the university’s accounts were transferred to Banker’s Trust in 1997. “The Board of Regents approved it.”

McCarroll said Jischke had no influence on the transfer of the ISU account.

“It’s all done by the Purchasing Department; the President’s Office has nothing to do with it,” he said.

However, Snook said he is not only opposed to Jischke’s sitting on Banker’s Trust’s board, but on any corporate board.

“I am of the personal belief that [university presidents] shouldn’t [serve on boards], that it’s against the nature of serving the public [and] the public interest,” he said.

Snook also said he is concerned that Jischke appointed the executive vice president of Banker’s Trust to the Board of Directors of the ISU Research Park.

“He is appointing somebody from the business that he has a financial interest in to have power over a supposedly public institution,” he said.

Jischke disagreed that the appointment of Robert De Waay to the Research Park’s Board of Directors is a reason for concern.

“Mr. De Waay is an alum of Iowa State, a very distinguished businessman and banker. A large number of the people on the Research Park are business people,” he said.

Snook said the goal of the Web site, call.to/jischke, is to raise public consciousness and convince Jischke to resign from the board of Banker’s Trust.

“Hopefully, there will be enough public response,” he said. “I think we’re getting it, and I think it’s only going to increase.”

Snook said he and the other creators of the Web site, which has been advertised through sidewalk chalk on campus, will be engaging in an informational campaign during this weekend’s Veishea festivities. They will be distributing fliers and leaflets promoting their position.

Snook said he anticipates support from the Veishea committee.

“I hope they’d understand the urgency of this,” he said. “[I hope they] understand the importance of getting the word out to the public and that Veishea would be a great forum for that.”

Justin Chesnut, Veishea co-chair, said the organization doesn’t have to get special permission to distribute informational material on campus during Veishea.

“The only thing they might have to get permission for is through B-6, Student Services,” he said. “They may have to get permission for sidewalk chalk.”