Well, it’s official. After the legally required three-week waiting period—because apparently you need a cooling-off period before letting a state senator run your billion-dollar university system—the Texas Tech Board of Regents appointed Senator Brandon Creighton as the new Chancellor and CEO.
Creighton, fresh off his gig in the Texas Senate, gave the usual greatest-hits speech: Tech will “set the national standard,” expand opportunities, pioneer innovations, and probably solve world hunger with a side of brisket. You know, the sort of lofty promises you get every time a politician changes business cards.
Outgoing Chancellor Tedd Mitchell will stick around as “chancellor emeritus” (which is Latin for “guy who still gets an office and a paycheck”), ensuring the transition is “thoughtful and effective.” Translation: no one trips over the furniture while rearranging titles.
Texas Tech says it’s chasing innovation, but if your bold new hire is literally just another Texas politician, aren’t you setting the state standard instead of the national one?
