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Section
III: SACS Core Requirement
III-5. The governing board is free from undue
influence from political, religious, or other external bodies and protects
the institution from such influence.
JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE
Yes, East Tennessee State University is able to provide a
portfolio of evidence supporting compliance.
STATEMENT OF RATIONALE FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE
All members of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) serve a public interest
role and thus have a clear obligation to conduct all affairs in a manner
consistent with this concept. All decisions of the board and TBR administrators
are to be based on promoting the best interests of the system and the
public good (TBR Manual, Conflict of Interest).
Undue influence is avoided, in part, by the mechanism for the appointment
of members (Tennessee Code Annotated, Board of Regents Composition;
TBR Manual, Selection and Terms of Board Members). The process mandates
that the membership be diverse and include regents from all parts of the
state, minimizing the influence that any political, religious or other
external body can place on the members. Specifically, the following mandates
prescribe the composition of the board:
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One public member shall be appointed from each of the nine congressional
districts in which he or she shall be domiciled;
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Three at-large members shall be appointed from different geographical
areas of the state;
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Each of the two leading political parties shall be represented on the
board by at least three appointed members;
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At least four of the appointed members shall be alumni of the institutions
governed by the board, but not more than two of such appointed members
shall be alumni of the same institution;
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At least one shall be under 30 years of age;
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At least one shall be 60 years of age of older; and
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At least one shall be of a racial minority
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All board members are required to provide full financial disclosure (Tennessee
Code Annotated, Disclosure Statements of Conflict of Interests).
Tennessee's expansive statutory scheme for accountability of public
officers limits the likelihood of undue influence. The board is subject
to Tennessee's open meetings (Tennessee Code Annotated, Public Meetings;
TBR Manual, Meetings) and open records laws (Tennessee Code Annotated,
Public Records). The board publishes minutes of all committee and
sub-committee meetings (TBR, Minutes Index).
DOCUMENTATION
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SOURCE
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LOCATION
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Tennessee Board of Regents Policies and Guidelines
Manual, Policy 1:02:03:10, Conflict of Interest
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Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter
8, Provision 201, Education, State University and Community College
System, Board of Regents Composition
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Tennessee Board of Regents Policies and Guidelines
Manual, Policy 1:02:04:00, Selection and Terms of Board Members
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Tennessee Code Annotated Title 8, Chapter 50,
Provision 501, Public Officers and Employees, Miscellaneous Provisions,
Disclosure Statements of Conflict of Interests by Certain Public
Officials
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Tennessee Code Annotated Title 8, Chapter 44,
Provision 101, Public Officers and Employees, Public Meetings, Policy
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Tennessee Code Annotated Title 8, Chapter
44, Provision 102, Public Officers and Employees, Public Meetings,
Open Meetings
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Tennessee Code Annotated Title 10, Chapter
7, Provision 403, Public Libraries, Archives and Records, Public
Records, Public Records Defined
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Tennessee Board of Regents Policies and Guidelines
Manual, Policy 1:02:07:00, Meetings of the Board
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Tennessee Board of Regents, Meeting Minutes
Index
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