Patti Minter was overwhelmingly re-elected as faculty Regent in an online election yesterday afternoon, receiving 57.25 percent of the 517 votes cast.

“I’m really excited and very humbled by all this,” Minter said. “The faculty obviously support what I’m doing, and I’m going to keep on doing it to make sure faculty concerns are heard and their cause is advocated.”

President Gary Ransdell said 57.25 percent was a strong outcome.

“She will be a superb Regent,” he said. “I look forward to working with her for the next three years.”

Sixty-seven percent of eligible faculty voters participated in the election, which Ransdell said was a much higher percentage of voters than in previous faculty Regent elections.

“That’s a great turnout,” he said. “I’m very proud of our faculty for taking the election seriously and being actively engaged.”

Three other candidates ran for the position: Scott Lasley, associate professor of political science; Pam Petty, associate professor in the school of teacher education; and Saundra Starks, associate professor of social work.

Petty received 20.7 percent of the remaining votes, Starks received 11.6 percent and Lasley received 10.4 percent.

Ransdell said he wanted to thank Lasley, Petty and Starks for participating as well.

“We had four strong candidates,” he said. “They cut across different colleges and different disciplines and I think that’s just terrific that they made this a strong election for our faculty Regent.”

According to the Faculty Handbook, Minter will begin a full three-year term at next Friday’s Board of Regents meeting.

Minter said she was looking forward to representing the faculty again at Friday morning’s meeting.

“The support I received from colleagues is tremendous and I won’t let them down,” she said.