ABSTRACT
There is considerably more praise than criticism of academic governing boards. From time to time, public board members are faulted for not being independent enough of the political leaders who appointed them. Governing boards have a far from perfect record of defending the autonomy and academic freedom of individuals during times of political turmoil. A committee for the 1984-85 Adelphi Board of Trustees spent months searching for a President for the University. After considerable time and money, it identified and recommended Peter Diamandopoulos; the entire Board agreed that he was the best of several candidates, and it voted to offer him the position. In an effort to discredit Diamandopoulos after the censure, the Academic Senate unanimously agreed to conduct a referendum to determine the level of satisfaction across the campus with him and his administration. The Adelphi Board overlooked Diamandopoulos's damaging quirks and hired him would seem to call into question a system which gives lay boards this power.
