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[Note: This material is copyright by The Daily Iowan, 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 Daily Iowan.]

Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, pushed for the resignation of each regent while on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, citing a host of reasons - including what he called "out-of-control" hotel and travel expenses, secrecy from the public, and the board's flawed procedure of selecting a president.

"I'm asking, 'Where's the oversight?' " he said on Wednesday night. "It is a totally flawed process. How can we recruit the best person to be the president of the university with the history of what happened with the Board of Regents?"

His remarks were the latest development in the search to replace former UI President David Skorton - a process that has been marred by controversy.

The first search committee, whose four finalists for UI president were rejected by regents, was disbanded in November 2006, leading to outcry among faculty, staff, and students.

After regents announced on Dec. 7 they would relaunch the search, UI groups responded with votes of "no-confidence" in the nine-member board. The UI Faculty Senate voted first on Dec. 12, and it was quickly echoed with near-unanimous votes from the UI Graduate Senate, Staff Council, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences assembly.

The UI Student Government went a step further by not only declaring no confidence in the regents but also in then-Gov. Tom Vilsack, who had attempted to mediate between the regents and UI groups after the search committee was dissolved.

But UI Faculty Senate President Sheldon Kurtz, an outspoken critic of the regents who himself asked for Regents Michael Gartner and Teresa Wahlert - the two leaders of the board - to resign, greeted Zaun's proposal skeptically.

"With four [regents] going, I don't think there's a reason for the entire board to leave," the law professor said on Wednesday, emphasizing that the regents' leadership is what needs to change. "There are costs to having a whole new Board of Regents."

Zaun said his call for change was not related to the actions taken by the faculty and staff or the university and its governance structure.

"I want to find the best president for the University of Iowa, and I think with all this history, we cannot find the best candidate," he said. "That is why I'm advocating a change in the Board of Regents."

Regent Amir Arbisser pointed out the benefits of the regent system and asked state lawmakers for a "measured response."

Most of the regents would be willing to sit down with lawmakers to open the lines of communication, the Davenport-based regent said.

"I can certainly understand the frustration of legislators with the situation," he said. "I think [replacing the board] is not an optimal outcome."