|
 But Quinn didn't say what he will do if the remaining six trustees
refuse to quit and don't give him the chance to replace or reappoint
them.
"I think they should have a few more days to reflect on how
important this is, but I think the people want them to do this,"
Quinn told reporters.
Quinn first urged the trustees Friday to voluntarily resign after a
state panel recommended all the trustees should step down amid
allegations that some pushed for less qualified students to be
admitted to the school.
Three of them -- former board chairman Niranjan Shah, Lawrence
Eppley and Ed McMillan -- already have quit. Quinn has said he wants
a new board in place by September.
But trustee Frances Carroll said she has no intention of giving up
her spot on the board.
"I can't resign. I've given too much of my time and energy and the
soul of my being, and I am not responsible for the admissions
scandal," said Carroll, who has been on the board for six years.
Carroll's name appears a handful of times in the 2,000-plus pages of
e-mails and documents released by the university in response to
questions about the admissions process. The five other remaining trustees didn't return calls Tuesday for
comment on whether they would resign.
[to top of second column]
 |
Quinn spokesman Bob Reed said the governor can fire the trustees. He
cited a section of the Illinois Constitution that says the governor
can remove appointees "for incompetence, neglect of duty or
malfeasance in office."
But Reed acknowledged that he wasn't sure how that process would
unfold or whether the governor has to prove trustees were derelict
in their duties.
"We don't think it's going to come to that point," Reed said.
The university referred questions about the process for removing
trustees to the governor's office.
Quinn said he has not spoken to the trustees since the Illinois
Admissions Review Commission issued its report on the scandal last
week.
The university and the trustees have been under close scrutiny since
Quinn appointed a commission in June to investigate. The panel was
created after the Chicago Tribune detailed how the university kept a
list of politically connected applicants and how some were admitted
over better-qualified candidates.
Quinn said it's imperative that the trustees resign.
"It isn't about themselves, it's about the good name of the
university across the world," he said, "and sometimes in life you
have to do things that are difficult to do."
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed. |
