Middle Tennessee State University’s board chair is advocating for legislation that would allow college boards to close meetings to discuss “sensitive” topics such as presidential pay. Critics believe this bill is too broad and could be easily abused. The bill was requested by Chairman Stephen Smith and supported by MTSU President Sidney McPhee. The sponsors of the bill are House Education Administration Chairman Mark White and Sen. Shane Reeves. The bill would allow boards to hold private executive sessions to discuss sensitive issues, with reasonable notice to the public. However, this has raised concerns about transparency and potential abuse of the system.
While the House Higher Education Subcommittee passed the bill, it is up for vote again due to changes in the vehicle bill. Critics such as the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government believe the bill leaves too much room for abuse and the definition of “sensitive issues” is too broad. They argue that the bill goes against the principles of the Open Meetings Act, which promotes transparency in decision-making processes.
Some legislators, like Rep. Harold Love and Rep. Ed Butler, have raised concerns about the potential misuse of the bill and the lack of accountability. They suggest that there should be clearer definitions and limitations on what can be discussed in private sessions. Overall, the bill has sparked a debate on the balance between confidentiality and transparency in university board meetings.
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