Controversy arose Monday after Gov. Jan Brewer announced she selected ASU College Republicans President Tyler Bowyer to serve on the Arizona Board of Regents as the newest student regent.
Bowyer, who is a Russian junior and a candidate for Tempe’s Undergraduate Student Government president, was chosen even though he did not go through the traditional application process to be recommended for selection as a student regent.
Two student regents serve overlapping terms on the Board, with one being replaced each year from a different university. This year, an ASU student was to be selected.
Each year, after an extensive application process, a university’s student governments recommend three students for the governor to choose from to fill the position.
The governor then chooses a student to serve on the Board.
While the statute governing the selection process states the governor “may appoint any qualified student,” historically, someone is chosen from among the recommended candidates.
This year, however, Bowyer was not one of the recommended applicants.
Brewer has also done this once before, when she selected current regent Jennifer Ginther from NAU two years ago.
This year’s selection was unprecedented, however, because Bowyer opted to apply directly through the governor’s office rather than the selection committee.
Historically, all candidates have applied through the committee, since its recommendations are typically the only candidates considered for appointment.
Bowyer cited previous disagreements with the Arizona Students’ Association as his rationale for bypassing the selection committee.
Although ASA does not oversee the committee, Bowyer felt he would not be selected as a finalist because of how intertwined he expected the organization would be in the selection process.
Previous ASU student regent and selection committee chair Ed Hermes said he is concerned with the precedent Brewer has set with her appointment.
“The governor is sidestepping, in an unprecedented way, the open selection process and has disregarded students entirely,” Hermes said. “The issue is the sidestepping of the student process. This is a huge departure from the way this has operated since … the student regent position was created in the 70s.”
Hermes said between 20 and 25 students applied from all four ASU campuses this year, and he wishes Bowyer had applied through the formal process as well.
“I’m scared of where this precedent is going to lead us,” he said. “He might be very well qualified, but I can’t speak to that at all without him going through the process.”
Hermes said the application process was extensive and involved multiple rounds of interviews and meetings with current student leaders.
Bowyer maintained he was justified in taking the approach he did and that he is more than qualified for the position.
“I know some people are a bit upset with the governor about it,” he said. “I want to fight for students and be the voice of students. I have the real-life experience needed, I’m a native Arizonan, and I care about these issues.”
Recommended student regent candidate and first-year public administration master’s student Ben Henderson said he is unsure why Brewer selected Bowyer.
“I’m not as much surprised as I am disappointed,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that she chooses to ignore the choices the students make, especially when she makes statements about how important education is. It appears to be politically based, because it seems strange that she would ignore the students.”
Bowyer said he is honored by the governor’s appointment and does not believe his political views affected the selection.
“I’m very involved with education issues already,” he said. “The governor has the right to appoint whoever she feels is the most qualified. I’m excited to serve students as part of the Arizona Board of Regents.”
Bowyer will begin serving his two-year term on July 1.
Reach the reporter at keshoult@asu.edu
