HOUSTON -- Gov. Rick Perry asked for the resignations of the Texas Southern University Board of Regents Friday and said that he wants to appoint a conservator to act as the single authority to run TSU in an effort to get the school's finances back on track, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The governor said he asked to convene the Legislative Audit Committee in order to authorize a conservatorship for the university.

"The systemic problems at Texas Southern University run deep, and now is the time to take swift and divisive action to reform a proud but broken university administration," said Perry. "Conservatorship will bring a strong leader to the forefront of the university to reinstate accountability, take immediate and decisive action to correct mismanagement, and make the fiscal decisions necessary to get TSU back on track."

But, several members of the Houston delegation to the Texas House of Representatives indicated that Perry is making the decision without the input of the delegation and contrary to the advice of the blue ribbon panel he appointed.

"There's going to be a tremendous amount of push-back, and there should be a tremendous amount of push-back because what has been done in appointing a conservator is not in the best interest of the institution, is not in the best interest of the 11,000-plus students who are there and not in the best interest of the students who have yet to come," state Rep. Sylvester Turner said. "I'm totally offended by it. I think it's disrespectful to the institution, and it's disrespectful for those of us who have served and continue to serve in the Texas Legislature."

Evidence of improper financial practices and gross mismanagement led to the creation of a TSU Advisory Committee in January, the governor's office said.

In the past year, TSU was rocked by a spending scandal and concerns over a multimillion-dollar shortfall. The board voted to fire TSU President Priscilla Slade and Chief Financial Officer Quintin Wiggins, who is on trial for misappropriating funds.

Both are accused of illegally spending university funds, taxpayer money, to furnish and landscape Slade's private residence.