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A&M names interim president after Murano resignsCOLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)--Texas A&M University named an interim president June 15 following Elsa Murano's abrupt resignation, which was forced by a growing rift between the historic choice to lead the 48,000-student campus and a critical governing body. The A&M System board of regents quickly approved Murano's resignation during a crowded and brief special meeting. Regents had called the meeting recently before Murano, the first female and first Hispanic president in the 132-year history of the school, stepped down June 14. Murano held the post just 17 months after succeeding Robert Gates, who left to become U.S. secretary of defense. The feud between Murano and the regents peaked this month after the university released a scathing performance review of her first year on the job. Morris Foster, regents chairman, deflected specific questions about Murano after the meeting. About 50 students and faculty members who gathered in protest--some wearing black armbands--worried the turmoil would harm the university's vision and national reputation. Foster said it was a tough situation he'd rather not have gone through but said A&M will endure. "I think that chapter hasn't been written yet,'' Morris said. "All I'd ask you to do is wait and see. Don't ask me to speculate right now.'' Murano, 49, did not attend the meeting and declined to comment through her spokesman. Darryl Carter, her attorney, released a statement that said Murano "was committed to a quick and constructive resolution of the matter.'' After accepting Murano's resignation, regents approved A&M administrator Bowen Loftin as interim president. Loftin is the vice president and chief executive officer at A&M's campus in Galveston, which was battered by Hurricane Ike last year. Foster said he hopes to name Murano's successor within six months. Foster also dampened speculation that A&M might combine the positions of system chancellor and A&M president, saying he believed it was not a direction the board cared to pursue. Murano will return to the faculty under an agreement reached with the university. She will take a year off while collecting her salary of $425,000, and will be paid an additional $295,000. Gov. Rick Perry, an A&M alumnus, said June 15 it remains to be seen whether Murano's departure is good for the university. He expressed confidence in the regents and their decision-making. "Best I can tell, I saw her perform in an acceptable way,'' Perry said. Foster also tried quelling murmurs that Perry exerts influence over the regents he appointed. Perry is a former yell leader at A&M who has appointed all nine system regents. Chancellor Mike McKinney is his former chief of staff. "I will be very quick to tell you that this governor doesn't tell me what to do,'' Foster said. Murano was celebrated as a historic choice at a university that was founded as an all-male military institution and didn't admit women on an equal basis until 1971. But her selection was also controversial: Murano wasn't among three finalists recommended by a 15-person search committee in 2007. The regents instead favored Murano, but their approval apparently didn't last long. In February, McKinney gave Murano low marks for leadership and management in an unflattering review of the first-year president. A month later, Murano disputed the highly critical review in a 10-page response. "Given the complete disconnection between Dr. McKinney's perception of my performance as president and all the evidence to the contrary, I can conclude that this review was not based on facts,'' Murano wrote. Bob Bednarz, speaker of the A&M faculty senate, said Murano came a long way from a skeptical choice to winning approval throughout campus. "One of the frustrating things about this situation is that there is no information,'' Bednarz said. "We generally do not know how decisions are made, or why the regents or the chancellor makes those decisions.'' Born in Cuba before fleeing with her family in the early 1960s, Murano first joined the A&M faculty in 1995 and rose to become dean of the university's agricultural school. She was also appointed to serve as undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Regents recognized Murano with the title of president emerita after approving her resignation. Under the terms of the agreement, she will return as a professor with a starting salary of $260,000.
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