Chairman of U. of Massachusetts Governing Board Resigns Abruptly

The chairman of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees abruptly resigned from the board on Wednesday over what colleagues said he viewed as increasing political interference in oversight of the university, The Boston Globe reported. The chairman, Robert J. Manning, cited business reasons in announcing his departure and did not mention the recent concerns raised by Gov. Deval L. Patrick about the search process for the system’s next president. After the governor questioned the process, a potential finalist in the search, Martin T. Meehan, withdrew his candidacy. Mr. Meehan is chancellor of UMass’s Lowell campus and a former U.S. congressman.