About 50 Burapha University lecturers and students yesterday called on the education minister to replace their acting rector with a "neutral" figure, until a new rector is selected.
They say Sompol Pongthai's selection as acting rector was flawed and illegitimate.
The rebel lecturers and students, led by Samrit Yossomsak, a former dean of the university's faculty of political science and law, yesterday handed a letter to Kamchorn Tatiyakawee, secretary-general of the Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec) and Amornvit Nakornthap, assistant to the education minister's secretary at the ministry.
Dr Sompol, who was the previous rector, completed his four-year term on May 30 last year.
However, he was selected by the committee to carry on and serve as acting rector a week before that on May 24 even though three candidates had been shortlisted by the committee, set up by the university council.
Dr Sompol, who wanted to serve another term as rector, was among a total of nine candidates, but was not shortlisted.
Mr Samrit said the National Council for Peace and Order had ordered that all state and private educational institutions close on May 24 following the May 22 coup.
But the meeting to select the rector went ahead despite there not being a quorum for the meeting.
"That meeting was short of a quorum, meaning there are questions about transparency and legitimacy in the rector selection process," Mr Samrit said.
Mr Samrit also claimed several other disputes had arisen since Dr Sompol assumed the acting rector role.
Dr Sompol has changed one of the qualification criteria for becoming rector by setting the age limit at 70, which would exclude two other candidates still seeking the post, he said.
This case over the selection process has already been forwarded to the Administrative Court in Rayong which has yet to make a ruling.
"We are begging the education minister to send a neutral person who has no stake in this conflict to temporarily run the university and urge the university council to select a new rector from the shortlist provided by the former selection committee," Mr Samrit said.
Dr Kamchorn said the university council would be invited to a meeting with Education Minister Narong Pipatanasai to discuss ways of solving the problem since Ohec has no jurisdiction to take any action in this matter.