This article examines state court decisions and legislative enactments concerning the applications of public records laws to university presidential searches. It reviews the arguments in support of, and in opposition to, open presidential-search records. Although many administrators favor openness, opponents of open searches argue that they…

Reviews reasons for, history of, and exceptions to open meeting (sunshine) acts and considers arguments by the Michigan Supreme Court in its ruling supporting a university's right to privacy in its presidential search. Concludes that in contrast to the court's argument, universities do not require the freedom to employ closed searches and state…