In casting out Vallas, the board Vice President Nicholas Gowen said he felt that Vallas had used the 150-year-old university solely to further his political ambitions. Gowen said Monday that Vallas never informed him about plans to leave the job early or to seek political office. Had he known that, Gowen said, his decision to vote in favor of hiring Vallas, 64, for a position that was essentially created for him would have been different.