Ben was away at a meeting of the faculty senate.
Last year, the faculty senate passed a vote of no confidence in the president, 26 to 6.
The entire faculty senate will vote on the recommendation later this month.
The school's faculty senate has also asked the board to withdraw from the agreement.
The recommendations were approved by the faculty senate in May 1995.
The group wants sports controlled by the faculty senate rather than the athletic department.
The four other trustees are appointed by the university's president and its faculty senate.
He was a past chairman of the university's Faculty Senate.
Tennessee's faculty senate recently voted to study how often grade changes were made for athletes.
In his first year, Davies inaugurated the faculty senate and created student government.