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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.]

In a letter addressed to Gov.-elect Chet Culver, Bedell said he was stepping down "to clear the way to appoint a new regent [who] might become president of the board who could provide new leadership."

The quest to find a new UI leader has been disrupted by a "controversy that is more personality- than substance-driven," he wrote.

In a release to the media, he was far more critical of himself and fellow regents, stating that unnamed regent personalities have "caused suspicion of intentions and agendas which are not focused on serving the people of Iowa."

Yet Bedell, a successful businessman from Spirit Lake and son of former Democratic U.S. Rep. Berkley Bedell, also chastised UI leaders.

"There is no debate about the shortcomings and political self-interest of the leadership of the Faculty Senate, staff, and students" at the UI, he said. "Their behavior is disgusting and embarrassing."

Bedell, who has been a regent for only a year and a half and had been scheduled to stay on the board until 2011, could not be reached for further comment on Thursday.

On Thursday, UI Student Government leaders became the latest university conglomerate to vote "no-confidence" in regent leadership. The Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences assembly members had previously expressed their discontent with the stalled presidential search through similar measures.

Disputes over the presidential search first surfaced last spring, when regents were accused of micromanaging the state's universities and criticized for stacking the UI presidential-search committee with an unprecedented four regents. The battle between UI leaders and regents spiked on Nov. 17, when the board voted 6-2 - a majority that included Bedell - to disband the committee and reject all four candidates it had forwarded.

Tensions eased when regents announced that those candidates would be re-evaluated. But the slew of no-confidence votes ensued after the finalist ultimately chosen said he was no longer interested in leading the UI.

Regent Amir Arbisser said he feels the regent-faculty showdown certainly contributed to Bedell's decision. Still, the move resulted from a combination of different factors, he said.

"Tom has really been quite passionate about the board and his responsibilities, and it has been pretty frustrating to move forward," he said. "I suspect that this has been brewing for a while."

Arbisser said Bedell was very committed to the concept of a "cooling off" period between the board and the UI community. In his letter to the media, Bedell stated that the present atmosphere at the UI is not conducive to recruiting a top-notch president.