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[Note: This material is copyright by KCCI-TV8, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of KCCI-TV8.]

Critics said the search has been conducted under a shroud of secrecy. Regents, who include the former editor of the Des Moines Register, defended their actions.

University of Iowa interim President Gary Fethke will hold the job for a while longer.

The Iowa Board of Regents rejected four presidential finalists picked by a search committee. That has many people upset.

"We're not asking for a no vote of confidence. We want a no vote of confidence for the leadership. We want the end of Gartner," said faculty senate President Shelly Kurtz.

Board of Regents President Michael Gartner is the focus of a lot of criticism.

In a statement last Friday, Gartner said the committee did a wonderful job, but the regents were looking for candidates with more experience in overseeing complex health science operations as well as other operations.

Drake University assistant professor Kathleen Richardson heads up the Freedom of Information Council. She said she knows many feel too much of the process has taken place behind closed doors.

"The secrecy that has surrounded the process has caused people to feel that their voices haven't been heard in the process," Richardson said.

In a letter to the Des Moines Register, Gartner said the regents were looking for a more diverse list, candidates said they would drop out if their names were revealed and that ultimately the regents have to make the final decision.

Richardson said though many can have sympathy for a job seeker who doesn't want their name revealed, and that with government jobs applicants must be ready for an open process.

Experts said that anonymity is part of a trend as public bodies hire consulting firms and have people sign confidentiality documents.

Regents said they take up the issue again after the Thanksgiving holiday. But there's no indication of a timeline in finding new candidates.