‘The Baylor family will not be ignored’: Group calls for shake up that would empower alumni

A group of Baylor University alumni and donors on Wednesday called on the school to make drastic changes to its governance structure in light of a sexual assault crisis that has dogged the school since 2015.

Bears for Leadership Reform, which has criticized university leaders for being secretive in handling the scandal, asked for an overhaul that would shake up how school regents are elected and give more power to alumni.

Baylor is governed by a board of regents, typically 34 voting members who elect up to 75 percent of future members.  Regents generally have a strong connection to the university or are alumni themselves.

The proposed changes would rein in how much control regents have over the future of the board. In a 10-10-10-4 model, the recommended structure would split power to elect new members equally between current regents, alumni and the Baptist General Convention of Texas, a group that elects up to 25 percent of regents. It would also give voting rights to representatives from the faculty, student body and two athletic groups, who currently serve in an advisory role.

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