Hawks also said that now that the governor is an applicant for the presidency, his requests to meet one-on-one with regents, chancellors, administrators and search committee members "are inappropriate and will not be honored. To do so would present a problem of fairness and it is not practical to track and offer comparable opportunities to all candidates."

Heineman, on Wednesday, said he made his interest public because of media interest and his belief in "open and transparent government." He rejected the idea that others will be discouraged to apply due to his public announcement.

The 66-year-old conservative Republican who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point said he realizes he has some "challenges" to overcome as an academic leader, particularly his lack of a master's or doctorate degree and lack of experience with the culture of higher education.

But Heineman said that many of the same skills being sought by the university are those he now performs as governor such as budgeting, leadership and carrying out state policies.