AUSTIN, Texas

Texas A&M President Elsa Murano's job could be on the line in the coming week when the A&M System's Board of Regents meets.

The university system's governing board, according to an agenda item for a meeting scheduled for Monday in College Station, will discuss ``Appointment, Employment, Evaluation, Reassignment, Duties, Discipline or Dismissal of Executive Level Officers and/or Employees of The Texas A&M University System.''

The meeting comes less than two weeks after release of a highly critical performance review of Murano, who received low marks for leadership and management, including the lowest marks possible for decisiveness and for not being a team player in her first full year on the job.

The five-page review of the first female and first Hispanic president in the school's 132-year history was done by Texas A&M University System Chancellor Mike McKinney. He has told The Eagle of Bryan-College Station he's considering consolidating his post with Murano's as a cost-cutting measure.

Murano, in a 10-page typed response, described the review as ``ludicrous,'' ``besmirches my character'' and is ``not based on facts.''

System spokesman Rod Davis has denied any merger plans are in the works.

The Austin American-Statesman reported Saturday that working behind the scenes in the rift is the influence of Gov. Rick Perry. Perry is a Texas A&M alumnus who appointed all nine regents who supervise nine A&M System universities, including the flagship College Station campus, a health science center and seven state agencies.

The newspaper pointed out McKinney is a former Perry chief of staff, that the governor is close with Guy Diedrich, vice chancellor for federal relations and commercialization, and that Mark Ellison, associate vice chancellor for economic development, is a former director of the state's Emerging Technology Fund, a pet project of Perry's.