The possibility that Gov. Bill Graves won’t reappoint qualified current members of the Kansas Board of Regents to make room for his political friends does nothing to build the prestige of this important board.

One of the reasons some important state jobs are filled by appointment rather than by election is to shield those jobs from the influence of partisan politics.

But even though those appointees bypass election politics, the way in which those appointments are made still can be a highly partisan matter.

That point unfortunately may be illustrated in upcoming appointments by Gov. Bill Graves to the Kansas Board of Regents.

When the board of regents was reconfigured in 1999, a number of new restrictions were added to board appointees. For instance, there must be a regent from each of the state’s four congressional districts but the board can’t include two residents of a single county. Restrictions also were placed on how many regents could be alumni of a single regents institution. All of these restrictions were intended to make the board more representative and balanced.

Those restrictions aren’t necessarily bad, but when they are mixed with political motivations and perhaps the desire to repay certain political debts, they may not result in the best possible board to handle the important task of directing the state’s system of higher education.

The terms of three regents will expire at the end of June. Steve Clark of Wichita and Floris Jean Hampton of Dodge City will complete the three-year terms they were appointed to when the new regents board was formed in 1999. Both are eligible for another four-year term. Regents Chairman Clay Blair completed a two-year term on the board last June and also was eligible for another four-year appointment. However, Graves decided instead to give that four-year term to another appointee and appoint Blair only to fulfill the final year in the unexpired term of Sylvia Robinson of Kansas City, Kan.

Although the board wanted Blair to serve a second year as its chair, there was speculation at the time that Graves wanted to make room on the board for another Johnson County resident, former state legislator Richard Bond. The one-year appointment that allowed Blair another year as chair will expire next month. Although Blair still is eligible for another four-year term, indications are that Graves intends to replace Blair with Bond, a political ally of Graves during many battles in Topeka.

And another Graves friend and mentor reportedly is being considered for a regents appointment. Word is that Clark will not be asked to serve a second term so that Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer can be appointed to that seat. Graves certainly owes his lieutenant governor a tremendous debt, and a regents appointment would be a fine way to reward Sherrer for his loyal support.

The political overtones of the appointments Graves reportedly is considering have a negative impact on the prestige of this important board. Regents should be selected for their qualifications and commitment to higher education. Blair, especially, has proven his willingness to dedicate enormous time and energy to serving on the regents board. He has the confidence of fellow regents and has worked effectively with legislators and university leaders. If appointments are based on qualifications and effectiveness, it’s hard to see how the governor could justify not reappointing Blair.

But, like it or not, that’s how the system works, and the upcoming regents’ appointments may provide more evidence of just how political almost every aspect of state government can be.