Workplace Blog

Courier-Journal: Inquiry widens on dean’s spending

Second school looks into use of grants

A federal investigation into allegations of mishandled funds at the University of Louisville has led another university to review grant expenditures made by the dean at the center of the investigation.

A spokeswoman at the University of Rhode Island, where Robert Felner worked from 1996 to 2003, confirmed yesterday the school is reviewing his grant expenditures while he was employed there.

Man picked to lead UW-Parkside resigns amid probe

MADISON, Wis. –

A University of Louisville dean hired to lead the University of Wisconsin-Parkside resigned his appointment Tuesday amid a federal criminal investigation in Kentucky.

Robert Felner, dean of the Louisville College of Education and Human Development, was to start as chancellor of UW-Parkside in Kenosha next week. But Felner alerted UW System President Kevin Reilly on Sunday that his college was facing a criminal investigation and offered to resign, said spokesman David Giroux.

Reilly announced he accepted the resignation Tuesday after Felner’s attorney told the Louisville Courier-Journal his client was the focus of an investigation into whether $500,000 in federal grant money was mishandled.

“Everyone involved here realized there would be significant distractions with him stepping in as chancellor of UW-Parkside,” Giroux said. “And everyone agrees, this is in the best interest of UW-Parkside.”

In a one-paragraph letter, Felner’s attorney said he “decided to decline accepting his appointment.” He was to work the first month alongside Chancellor Jack Keating, who is retiring at the end of July, before replacing him.

U.S. Attorney David Huber of Kentucky’s Western District said Monday his office and two federal agencies were conducting an investigation after the university turned over information. He declined further comment.

Felner’s attorney, Scott Cox, told the Courier-Journal his client had not mishandled any funds and was cooperating with investigators. Cox, who did not return messages from The Associated Press, told the newspaper Felner was concerned his appointment would “create a problem, even if it’s just a perception problem, at the University of Wisconsin.”

Reilly expects to appoint an interim chancellor in coming weeks for UW-Parkside, a school of 5,000, to replace Keating while a new national search for a chancellor gets under way, Giroux said.

Giroux said the system will investigate whether Felner’s background was properly vetted during the initial search. Among the potential areas of inquiry, he said, will be the performance of a search firm hired to help.

State Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater and chairman of an Assembly committee on higher education, praised the system for moving decisively to accept Felner’s resignation. Now, he said, system leaders should perform a review of their search and screen process.

“They need to explain what has gone wrong,” he said. “Someone needs to be held accountable. Why did this happen?”

The Board of Regents approved Felner as the school’s chancellor earlier this month with a salary of $205,000. The contract guaranteed him free housing at the chancellor’s residence, a state car and a tenured faculty position.

Felner beat out three other finalists for the job after a lengthy interview process. System leaders said Felner’s personal story as a high school dropout who earned a GED before succeeding in higher education would be a good fit for UW-Parkside, the system’s most diverse campus.

Regent Michael Falbo, who led the regents’ selection committee for the job, said earlier Tuesday that Felner “was the best qualified candidate” and he was shocked to learn about the investigation.

“It was his overall experience, background, education,” he said. “Everything appeared to be appropriate.”

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

The Chronicle News Blog: Incoming Chancellor at U. of Wisconsin at Parkside Faces Investigation

Two weeks after being appointed chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Parkside, Robert Felner has acknowledged that the college he oversees at the University of Louisville faces a criminal investigation, according to the Associated Press.

Mr. Felner has been dean of Louisville’s college of education and human development since 2003. The college is the target of an unspecified investigation involving federal law-enforcement agencies and a local U.S. attorney’s office, The Courier-Journal of Louisville reported. University officials say they alerted the authorities to the “potential issue” and are cooperating with law-enforcement officials, who were on the campus on Friday.

Mr. Felner, whose appointment in Wisconsin is effective August 1, told a University of Wisconsin system official on Sunday about the investigation in Louisville. —Paul Fain

WHAS: U Of L Dean Resigns From New Position

MADISON, Wis. — A University of Louisville dean hired to lead the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has resigned amid a federal criminal investigation in Kentucky.

Louisville College of Education and Human Development Dean Robert Felner was to start as chancellor of UW- Parkside in Kenosha next week.

UW System President Kevin Reilly said he accepted Felner’s resignation on Tuesday. Felner had alerted Reilly on Sunday that his college was facing an unspecified criminal investigation.
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The board of regents approved Felner as the school’s chancellor earlier this month with a salary of $205,000.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Journal-Sentinel: School of future Parkside chancellor being probed
Louisville dean Felner told UW of investigation; target isn’t identified

Posted: June 24, 2008

A federal criminal investigation is under way at the school where newly appointed University of Wisconsin-Parkside Chancellor Robert Felner is dean — and UW officials are trying to figure out what the news means for the school’s future.

Felner, who is supposed to take the Parkside position July 1, told the UW System on Sunday that there is an ongoing investigation into the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development, where he has served as dean since 2003, UW System Spokesman David Giroux said.

The U.S. attorney’s office in western Kentucky, based in Louisville, issued a short statement confirming the office was conducting a joint criminal investigation with the University of Louisville and federal law enforcement agencies. The U.S. attorney’s statement did not name the College of Education or Felner.

“(Felner) took the time to inform us of it. I’d just leave it at that,” Giroux said.

Felner is still an employee of the University of Louisville, where his retirement is effective June 30. UW System officials have not altered his contract, which was approved this month. In an e-mail to the Board of Regents, Giroux wrote: “We are working aggressively to gather more facts about this matter, and to determine what implications this might have for the UW System or our UW-Parkside campus. We will strive to keep you informed as more information becomes available.”

The statement from U.S. Attorney David L. Huber said the matter initially was brought to his office by University of Louisville officials, and “we have experienced nothing but the highest level of cooperation.” He said the criminal investigation is not a matter of public safety and is “fairly new.”

“We are months away from resolution,” he said.

His statement added: “Normally, our policy is to not comment on criminal investigations. However, in dealing with a public institution of higher learning, we must be sensitive to a different community need when the investigation enters a more public stage and is naturally discovered as a result of certain events.”

One media report out of Louisville said federal officials were spotted taking papers away from Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development late last week.

Felner could not be reached at his home or office for comment Monday. Giroux said he thinks Felner is still in the Louisville area and has not yet moved to Wisconsin.

A high school dropout from Brooklyn who later earned his GED and went on to climb the academic leadership ladder, Felner has been hailed for being a chancellor with a non-traditional background similar to that of many of UW-Parkside’s students. The school, in Kenosha, is the system’s most diverse and enrolls 5,000 students from 55 Wisconsin counties.

Felner earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s and doctorate in psychology from the University of Rochester. Before becoming a dean at Louisville, he served as professor and director of the School of Education at the University of Rhode Island for seven years. He has been on the faculty at the University of Illinois, Auburn University and Yale University.

He bested three other candidates for the job after a 19-member search and screen committee along with a search firm conducted interviews and did background checks. His contract was approved at the June Board of Regents meeting.

An aide to Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee Chair Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) — a frequent UW critic — said the legislator is concerned about Felner’s impending start date.

“It raises questions as to whether the beginning date should be delayed,” Mike Mikalsen said.

Regents President Mark Bradley said candidates are supposed to disclose all material facts when an offer is made, but it’s unclear how much Felner knew.

“It gets to what did he know and when did he know it,” Bradley said.

Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Herald-Leader: Former U of L dean under investigation
The Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. —
The man picked to lead the University of Wisconsin-Parkside faces an uncertain future amid a criminal investigation at the University of Louisville, where he was a dean.

Robert Felner is dean of the university’s College of Education and Human Development. He alerted UW System President Kevin Reilly on Sunday that his college was under investigation.

UW System spokesman David Giroux says the system is trying to gather more information and determine what implications the investigation might have for Felner’s job in Wisconsin.

David Huber, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, confirmed last week that federal law enforcement agencies and his office were investigating the university but did not mention Felner’s college.

Courier-Journal: Outgoing U of L dean at center of investigation, attorney say

The outgoing dean of the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development is at the center of the federal investigation at the university, his attorney said.

Scott C. Cox, the attorney for Robert Felner, said the investigation is looking into an allegation that roughly $500,000 in federal grant money was mishandled.

“We believe from our very preliminary investigation that he has not mishandled any funds,” said Cox, who added that Felner has “cooperated fully with federal authorities.”

Felner — who was scheduled to become the chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside next month — notified UW system officials he was withdrawing his name from consideration for that post.

“Dr. Felner is concerned that this is going to create a problem, even if it’s just a perception problem at the University of Wisconsin,” said Cox.

David Giroux, the UW System spokesman, confirmed Felner’s resignation has been accepted by System President Kevin Reilly.

U.S. Attorney David Huber confirmed in a statement Friday that a criminal investigation is under way on campus involving the university, federal law-enforcement agencies and his office.

The investigation was triggered by university officials who became concerned that federal grant money may have been mishandled, Cox said.

The U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case jointly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he said. As part of that investigation, the agencies seized documents and a computer from Felner’s university office on Friday.