The LSU Board of Supervisors will reconsider an initiative to consolidate the system president and chancellor positions at its regular December meeting after being accused of violating open meetings laws.

“Since the LSU Board does not want there to be any question about this important action, we will reconsider and take action on combining the positions at our December meeting,” Board Chairman Hank Danos said in a University news release.

On Nov. 5, University Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope sent a letter to Attorney General James “Buddy” Caldwell, accusing the Board of violating open meetings laws in regard to an unexpected vote that came at the end of its Oct. 26 regular meeting.

“Given the fact that the agenda item may not have sufficiently conveyed to the public the intent of the Board to vote on the merger of the president and chancellor positions, this also raises concerns with respect to compliance with La. RS 42:14, which requires public comment,” Assistant Attorney General Emalie A. Boyce wrote in a letter to the Board.

La. RS 42:14 states that all public entities must give written notice of any meeting at least 24 hours before the meeting and the public must be allowed to register one hour prior to the meeting to comment.

On the agenda, the item was titled “Consideration of a report from the Association of Governing Board on the Structure of the LSU System” and was located under the “Chairman’s Report” while all other items voted on were under “Approval of Consent Agenda Items.”

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges — a firm contracted by the Board to provide counsel on how it should better organize itself — presented a report depicting a drastically changed LSU System.

The Board deliberated for some time before Board member Blake Chatelain pushed to vote on the portion involving the consolidation of chancellor and system president.

Cope felt the lack of notification that there would be a vote meant faculty and staff from the LSU System’s statewide institutions had no opportunity to weigh in on the consolidation.

“A decision like that is a significant item,” Cope said.

He also said he felt like the decision to vote was predetermined.

“LSU System General Counsel, Shelby McKenzie, read ‘on cue’ a carefully prepared version of the resolution,” Cope wrote in his letter to Caldwell. “The ready availability of a professionally written resolution indicates that discussions pertaining to this resolution must also have occurred out of public view.”

The Board will consider the consolidation again at its regular meeting Dec. 7.