Dive Brief:

• Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman announced Wednesday that he has applied for the president’s job at the University of Nebraska.
• The governor said he doesn’t expect preferential treatment from regents during the hiring process, and that he made his announcement in the interest of transparency.
• Rigoberto Guevara, former president of the university’s faculty senate, said that professors are less than enthusiastic about Heineman’s candidacy, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. 

Dive Insight:

This has conflict of interest written all over it. The governor said during his announcement that he had spoken with three regents — Howard Hawks, Hal Daub, and Rob Schafer — and left messages for the others. Heineman was once a chief aide for Daub, and he appointed two current regents, Schafer and Bob Phares. The governor appeared at a fundraiser for Schafer in March, along with regents Tim Clare and Jim Pillen, and he received campaign donations from Daub, Phares, Pillen, Schafer, and a business owned by Hawks. Hawks, the chairman, says Heineman will get no special treatment, and that moving forward, no regents, chancellors, or administrators should meet individually with Heineman during the search process.