Baptists' Baylor U. names interim chief

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), May 7, 2005

WACO, Texas (AP) -- The regents of 14,000-student Baylor University named law school professor William D. Underwood as interim president of the world's largest Baptist campus as of June 1.

He succeeds Robert B. Sloan Jr., president since 1995, who resigned in January to become university chancellor without administrative responsibilities following a faculty vote of no confidence.

Faculty opponents claimed Sloan threatened the school's academic reputation by stressing religious beliefs over qualifications in hiring new professors and by requiring inclusion of religious ideas in teaching. He was also criticized over tuition hikes and a costly building program.

Underwood, who is Baptist, represented Baylor before the NCAA Committee on Infractions and served on a committee that investigated violations of NCAA rules after basketball player Patrick Dennehy was shot to death in 2003. The murder trial of Dennehy's former teammate, Carlton Dotson, is set for June.

Sloan was criticized for being unaware of violations in the men's basketball program. The scandal brought down both the basketball coach and the athletic director.