Mercury News: UC Davis chancellor faces questions about scandal
SACRAMENTO—An admissions scandal at the University of Illinois has reached California, where an incoming campus chancellor is facing questions about a secretive process that benefited the children of politicians and the politically connected.
Linda Katehi, a provost and head of academic affairs at the university’s main campus in Champaign, denies wrongdoing and has not been called to testify in a state investigation.
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Posted in Administration
Tagged Scandal, U of Illinois, UC Davis
Inside Higher Ed: Foxes Guard Illinois Henhouse
When state university leaders lose trust on issues of integrity, it’s usually the job of trustees to show them the door. It’s not that simple, however, in Illinois – where nothing ever is.
As daily and damning reports illustrate, the admissions scandal at the University of Illinois has engulfed senior administrators, as well as some of the very trustees who would, under typical circumstances, be making heads roll. Therein lies the quandary: as faculty and lawmakers are learning firsthand, it’s hard for trustees who are themselves implicated in a scandal to fire anyone for their part in it.
Comments Off on University of Illinois trustees have yet to condemn the president or chancellor for a widespread admissions scandal. Maybe that’s because the trustees are implicated, too.
Posted in Governance
Tagged Admissions, Governance, Scandal, U of Illinois
AP: Woodward: Former provost salary package ‘invalid’
RALEIGH (AP) — The interim chancellor of N.C. State has eliminated the lucrative resignation package given to the former campus provost, saying in a letter released Tuesday that the deal was “invalid.”
Interim chancellor Jim Woodward said in the letter that former Chancellor James Oblinger did not have the authority to “fundamentally alter” the 2005 employment agreement of former provost Larry Nielsen. Woodward said Oblinger should have sought the approval of the board of trustees.
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Posted in Administration, Government, Salary/Economic Benefits
Tagged Government, North Carolina State U, pay, Scandal
The Chronicle: Mary Easley Is Out at N.C. State, and So Is the Chancellor
Shock waves from a politically charged hiring scandal at North Carolina State University continued to expand Monday with the resignation of James L. Oblinger, the university’s chancellor, and the firing of Mary P. Easley, the former governor’s wife whose $170,000-a-year job is at the center of the controversy.
The high-profile departures followed the university’s release on Monday of a large number of documents it had provided to a federal grand jury that is investigating dealings involving the former governor, Michael F. Easley.
Inside Higher Ed: Survival Tactics
It’s looking like a hot, sticky and scandalous summer is in store for higher education. In recent weeks, controversies of varied size have embroiled college chiefs at the University of Illinois, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and North Carolina State University, where Chancellor James L. Oblinger resigned Monday.
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Posted in Ethics
Tagged Ethics, Government, Mary Easley, N.C. State U, Scandal, University presidents
The Chronicle: Keeping an Eye on Earmarks: the Education Department’s Role in Oversight
The University of Louisville’s former dean of education, Robert D. Felner, faces a criminal trial on charges that he and an associate diverted most of a $694,000 earmarked federal grant into their own bank accounts. Louisville officials have announced an administrative overhaul that will, they say, help prevent any future misbehavior with grants.
But what about the U.S. Department of Education, which was responsible for overseeing the grant on taxpayers’ behalf? Should it, too, be doing some soul-searching in the aftermath of Mr. Felner’s indictment?
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Posted in Government, Legal issues
Tagged earmarks, Fraud, Legal issues, research fraud, Robert Felner, Scandal, U of Louisville
The Chronicle: In Researcher’s Background, Some Warning Signs
When Robert D. Felner applied to become dean of education at the University of Louisville in 2003, he carried a genuinely impressive vita. But two of the most recent large grants listed on that vita could not have survived close scrutiny — and it isn’t clear that Louisville’s search committee scrutinized them at all.
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Posted in Administration, Legal issues
Tagged Legal issues, research fraud, Robert Felner, Scandal, U of Louisville
The Chronicle: Education Dean’s Fraud Case Teaches U. of Louisville a Hard Lesson
The former official now awaits trial. Some colleagues say the university should have caught him earlier.
Related materials
At the end of 2005, Robert D. Felner was riding high. A well-paid dean at the University of Louisville, he had just secured a $694,000 earmarked grant from the U.S. Department of Education to create an elaborate research center to help Kentucky’s public schools.
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Posted in Administration, Ethics
Tagged Fraud, Robert Felner, Scandal, U of Louisville
News & Observer: Records: Mike Easley involved in hiring
New documents show that the Mary Easley job at N.C. State University was orchestrated at the highest levels of state government, and included the direct involvement of then-Gov. Mike Easley.
E-mail messages show the creation of the job for Mary Easley was orchestrated in April and May of 2005 by the governor and that her job formation also included his wife, Mary; the chancellor at N.C. State, James Oblinger; a key trustee, McQueen Campbell; a senior adviser to Easley who now heads the Golden Leaf Foundation, Dan Gerlach; and an NCSU lobbyist at the time, Andy Willis.
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Posted in Ethics
Tagged Government, jobs, Mary Easley, N.C. State U, Scandal
PageOneKentucky.com: Some Robert Felner Scandal Tidbits
The motion to suppress statements made by Robert Felner has been denied by U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Simpson III. Click here (Warning: PDF Link) for that.
And click here (Warning: PDF Link) for the judge’s memorandum opinion of whether or not he was subject to custodial interrogation.
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Posted in Legal issues
Tagged Legal issues, Robert Felner, Scandal, U of Louisville
Birmingham News: SEC says Alabama two-year college officials used public money for plays, dinners, sporting events on New York trips
Alabama two-year college officials used public money to pay for relatives and friends to attend Broadway shows and sporting events and to dine at upscale restaurants in New York City during bond rating trips from 2003 to 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday.
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Posted in Ethics
Tagged Administration, Alabama, Ethics, Scandal
News & Observer: NCSU leaders to testify on Easley
Chancellor and outgoing provost are subpoenaed to talk about former first lady’s job.
Federal prosecutors Tuesday ordered the chancellor and provost at N.C. State University to appear before a grand jury this week, making it clear that investigators have opened a wide-ranging criminal probe of dealings surrounding former Gov. Mike Easley.
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Posted in Legal issues
Tagged Government, Mary Easley, Mike Easley, North Carolina State U, Scandal
PageOneKentucky.com: Glaring Error in the Robert Felner Audit at UofL
In an email to the University of Louisville’s General Counsel, Provost Shirley Willihnganz and others on October 27, 2008, Larry Owsley wrote:
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Posted in Legal issues
Tagged Robert Felner, Scandal, University of Louisville
WLKY.com: Prosecutors Oppose Separate Trial For Felner, Co-Defendant
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to deny a former University of Louisville educator’s request for a separate trial from his co-defendant in a fraud case against them.
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Posted in Legal issues
Tagged Robert Felner, Scandal, University of Louisville
PageOneKentucky.com: University of Louisville: Financial Audit Update From Robert Felner Scandal, Open Records Request Fulfilled
March 9th, 2009
Last Tuesday we discussed the financial audit of the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development. That story revealed that UofL had not legally complied with our Open Records Request for a copy of the audit and we were reduced to linking to the audit’s executive summary, which was presented to the University’s Board of Trustees. Once that story went live, UofL’s legal counsel promptly and professionally complied by fulfilling our original request of the audit.
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Posted in Legal issues
Tagged Robert Felner, Scandal, University of Louisville
PageOneKenutcky.com: The Robert Felner Scandal and Internal Damage Control at the University of Louisville
March 9th, 2009
More on the Robert Felner front at the University of Louisville. Along with previously mentioned Open Records Requests, we’ve finally received copies of late 2008 emails regarding the Felner scandal and what we deduce to being expected internal damage control and CYA.
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Posted in Legal issues
Tagged Robert Felner, Scandal, University of Louisville
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