ALAMOSA — Adams State University's Board of Trustees approved tenure for Joaquin Vilá, the incoming vice president of academic affairs and Terry Dupler, incoming chair for department of human performance and physical education, during a special meeting on Thursday. Per the faculty handbook, immediate tenure is allowed for those who were granted tenure from previous institutions.

The approval was originally scheduled for a previous board meeting, however, ASU Interim President Matt Nehring inadvertently skipped consulting with the campus-wide tenure and promotion committee so approval was postponed. Since meeting with them, Nehring said that the committee had nothing negative to say and he shared some of their positive comments with the board.

Michael Mumper, senior vice president of enrollment management and program development for the university, said that he wouldn't have accepted his job at ASU if he wasn't tenured and the offer of immediate tenure is important to attract a high quality candidate.

"It is unreasonable to ask anyone to leave their tenured position to take a position at another university in academics without tenure," read Mumper's comment. "Such offers are common, though not universal practice, across all of the country."

After approving the tenure request, the board went into executive session to continue discussing the search for the next interim president. Before doing that, however, two board members disclosed connections with applicants.

ASU Board of Trustees Chair Cleave Simpson said that as of Wednesday Armando Valdez, one of the finalists, was appointed to the board of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District. Simpson is the general manager for the district and, being employed by the board, reports to them.

"As a result I have not participated in any of the deliberations on Mr. Valdez's application and will continue to take that approach while the full board is considering finalists for the position," Simpson said.

Trustee Wendell Pryor also disclosed that he has previously worked with Marguerite Salazar on the board of Colorado Humanities non-profit. According to him, Salazar was the one that suggested his nomination to Gov. John Hickenlooper to serve as a trustee for ASU.

"I do feel like I can fairly evaluate her as well as other candidates but I want to make that disclosure," Pryor said.