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When the Iowa state Board
of Regents meets Monday to restart the University of Iowa presidential
search, it will do so minus one member. Regent Tom Bedell, a businessman
from Spirit Lake, resigned from the board Thursday citing as the main reason
the personality-driven fracas between the regents and the UI community
-- a controversy that has led to no-confidence votes or calls for leadership
change from the UI Faculty Senate, the UI Staff Council, the UI Student
Government and the Johnson County Democrats. Bedell said he resigned to
allow Gov.-elect Chet Culver to appoint a new regent who could then take
over as president -- preferably a regent skilled in diplomacy. We've called
for all the regents to follow Bedell's lead and to allow Culver the opportunity
to reappointment them -- or to appoint others -- if he so chooses.