(July 25, 2008)—A day after voting to oust President John Lilley and begin a search for a new university president, Baylor Regents decided Friday to increase the size of the board from 16 to 24 members “to position Baylor for future success.”

“Our goals are ambitious and we are going to need increased diversity of talents within our board structure to achieve the level of future success we envision,” Board of Regents Chairman Howard K. Batson said.

“Our board is strong now and with this action we believe we can create an even more representative governing body that will help Baylor to reach new heights in the coming years.”

The decision was the product of an extensive study by the regent’s Governance Review Committee, said Wes Bailey, the committee’s chairman.

“We have spent significant time over the past several months looking at governance issues and considering an array of best practices in higher education,” Bailey said.

“The Board determined today it would revise its plans to downsize to 16 and instead adopt a plan to transition to a steady board size of 24.”

The Baptist General Convention of Texas will continue to elect a quarter of the members.

Regents elect the rest.

The vote came at the end of a three-day retreat in Grapevine, during which regents decided it was time for a change in the university’s top leadership “in order to unite Baylor’s many constituencies and move the university forward in its next period of growth and renewal,” Batson said.

“The Board had hoped to transition to a new president gradually, officially beginning the presidential search in January 2009 and eventually replacing Baylor President John M. Lilley during the final portion of his five-year contract. Because plans for a gradual transition were rejected by Dr. Lilley, the Board will immediately seek a new president,” the university said.

In a statement e-mailed to the Associated Baptist Press, Lilley took issue with the decision.

"We felt that we could help to heal the wounded hearts left in the wake of the conflict that preceded us. Despite the board's unanimous vote, it became clear immediately that the Baylor board of regents reflected some of the deepest divisions in the Baylor family,” he said."

"I deeply regret the action of the board, and I do not believe that it reflects the best interests of Baylor University."

Lilley was inaugurated as the university’s 13th president in April 2006, almost exactly 45 years after he earned the first of his three degrees from the university.

Regents elected Lilley to succeed former President Dr. Robert Sloan on Nov. 4, 2005.

He took over from acting President William Underwood on Jan. 1, 2006.

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