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[Note: This material is copyright by the Press-Citizen, 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 the Iowa City Press-Citizen.]

Let's consider a few facts.

On Oct. 3, the UI Presidential Search Committee endured an outburst by Gartner that committee members at the time described as intimidating. Gartner was one of the committee members included by telephone. Regent Teresa Wahlert, the committee chairwoman, arrived having decided, without consulting the committee, to hold off-campus interviews at Des Moines. Committee members began to express a preference for Chicago, UI's usual venue for practical reasons. Gartner, who officially was only a "member" of the committee, grew angry as staff, faculty and students persisted in trying to discuss whether this was a better option. When the committee insisted upon voting, he berated the entire group by speakerphone, saying that the committee members were "inane and insane" to proceed with a vote over his objections.

Two days later on Oct. 5, the entire committee received the following e-mail from Gartner -- I've added emphasis to a few phrases:

"Like it or not ... many legislators are antagonistic to the Regents universities, believing there is much waste, believing workloads are light and salaries are high. ... That is the perception, and that is what we fight each year. ... This coming year, Teresa Wahlert and (Executive Director) Gary Steinke and I will be back again, arguing for the cause because we believe in education. ... But this year, those who oppose increased funding will, I guarantee you, ask this question: Is it true that the University paid for ... people to go to Chicago on a weekend to interview candidates? ... They will ask for everyone's expense accounts -- those are public documents -- and they will use this as a symbol of what they believe is waste and excess at the University of Iowa. They will talk about misuse of taxpayers' money -- and it is an argument that Teresa and Gary and I will not be able to effectively rebut. I guarantee you this will happen, and it will happen at the most inopportune time for the university. It could be quite costly to the entire Regents system."

This threat to the entire committee came precisely one month before the request from the Board Office to the university administration at 8 a.m. Nov. 6 for the salaries and teaching load of Abboud, Kurtz and me, with the demand that the information be transmitted within 30 minutes. The board was due to have a closed telephonic meeting later that morning to discuss how to proceed with the search in response to an e-mail from the Iowa City members of the search committee sent on the night of Nov. 4 to the committee chair and the regents.

Both Gartner and Steinke have stated that this urgent request for information concerning workload and salaries was at an unnamed legislator's request. Yet the timing and context, not to mention the inaccuracy involved in treating the number of courses taught in one semester as constituting the entire workload of an academic year for a person also paid to do research and service, also are facts to be considered.

Gartner denied to the press that he had seen the exact salary figures or spoken to student government officers before correctly naming the UI Student Government president, Peter McElligott, as the person to whom he had said: "I'd like a job like that -- big pay for teaching one course."

With this remark Gartner reveals that he shares the view that he, in his Oct. 5 memo to the search committee, attributes to "antagonistic" legislators and claims to fight against them.

These circumstances all raise the question: Has regent Gartner simply been carrying through at a "most inopportune time" on a threat that Gartner had made Oct. 5 to the entire committee?

That is a question for journalists, legislators and governors to answer.
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Katherine H. Tachau is a University of Iowa professor of history and the co-vice chairperson of the recently disbanded committee searching for a new UI president.