Bruce Rastetter, president of the Board of Regents, said he was disappointed in the University of Iowa Faculty Senate’s vote of no confidence. 

University of Iowa’s faculty gathered for an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss whether their feedback was considered for the search for the new UI president, Bruce Harreld. They voted they had no confidence in the Board of Regents.

Faculty described the search process as flawed, disrespectful, devastating, a waste and a failure, according to a Daily Iowan article. 

The UI undergraduate and graduate student senates had similar meetings later Tuesday night, according to the Daily Iowan. 

After the regents narrowed the president search to four candidates, Harreld, a former IBM and Kraft General Foods executive, recieved only 1.8 percent of approval from the university’s faculty and a 2.6 percent positive response from the entire university.

The other three candidates each had about 90 percent approval rating. 

After listening to all stakeholder feedback as well as having frank conversations with each of the candidates, the Board unanimously thought Bruce Harreld’s experience in transitioning other large enterprises through change, and his vision for reinvesting in the core mission of teaching and research, would ultimately provide the leadership needed.

Rastetter said in a press release he was disappointed in what he believes is the UI faculty’s commitment to the past. 

“We are disappointed that some of those stakeholders have decided to embrace the status quo of the past over opportunities for the future and focus their efforts on resistance to change instead of working together to make the University of Iowa even greater,” Rastetter said.

Rastetter said the regents also spoke to stakeholders across the state and took into account their recommendations qualities a UI president would require. 

“After listening to all stakeholder feedback as well as having frank conversations with each of the candidates, the Board unanimously thought Bruce Harreld’s experience in transitioning other large enterprises through change, and his vision for reinvesting in the core mission of teaching and research, would ultimately provide the leadership needed,” Rastetter said.