Leaders of the University of Tennessee are grappling with an unusually public spat involving a presidential spouse. Word of a reported argument between a donor and Carol Petersen, wife of the system’s president, has led the Board of Trustees to ask that the president, John D. Petersen, clarify her role, according to documents obtained by The Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Laura Morris, the donor, quit as chairwoman of the Alliance of Women Philanthropists after an October confrontation with Ms. Petersen, which was described by two fund-raising officials in one of the documents. The trustees and Mr. Petersen subsequently agreed that his wife would avoid contact with donors and university staff members.

But Ms. Petersen may again act freely after her husband sent a letter last week to the governing board’s chairman. The president said he and his wife had apologized for the incident. She would continue to participate in university activities as a volunteer, he wrote, adding that she would have no authority over staff members or volunteers on the campus.

The board is conducting a five-year review of the president’s performance and is considering the incident as part of the process. Mr. Petersen received a positive annual review this year and was praised for his communication skills and his efforts involving fund raising and alumni affairs, the newspaper reported. —Paul Fain