Wasted tax dollars at University of Tennessee

[Writer]

 

More on Clayton McWhorter, the head of the Board of Trustees' committee that is investigating Mr. Shumaker's finances -- NO WONDER MR. MCWHORTER FINDS NOTHING WRONG WITH SHUMAKER'S EXPENSES!!!!

"The UT Foundation has entered into a deal with a company partially owned by Clayton McWhorter, a UT trustee and member of the UT Foundation, to develop a student housing complex for the UT-Knoxville campus. The McWhorter affiliated company came to the UT Foundation with the land and a development deal. They took it.

OK, fine. UT wants out of the student housing business, and the cash-strapped university would rather private companies build new dorms and operate them. Having a UT trustee and foundation member involved is questionable, but, hey, let's keep it in the family.

But Williams [Channel 5, Nashville] also reports that a similar dorm was built at UT-Martin with the same company, same deal. But that dorm is not rented up and appears to be taking a financial bath.

The state comptroller's office says the occupancy rate was not as high as anticipated. The UT Foundation is in the process of buying it."
[From FrankCagle.com]

This really is an attempt to keep the investigations all in the family!!!

[John]

How many more fine examples such as this are we going to have to swallow before it becomes mandatory that all investigations come from an outside independent company. Also, no one connected with the awarding of bids and contracts should allowed to participate if they or any one in their family or circle of friends are owners/part owners of companys submitting bids for any project.

[Writer]

Well, WATE had a breakdown of some of Shumaker's expenses charged to the State's credit card:

day spas
fancy hotels
first-class air-fare

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=1369143

Was he really conducting business or visiting new foreign close friends?

All while asking for tips on how to cut expenses for students and faculty.

This guy is little better than a white-collar criminal -- and if the Board of Trustees helps and approves, they are abetting in white-collar crimes.

[John]

I still think it is outrageous that this guy can snub his nose and open his wallet and make this go away. If all this had not been brought out into the open no telling how much he would have STOLE. I don't care how the fat cats try to white wash this crap. This is nothing less than Grand Larceny of the worst kind. He HAS to be FIRED and PROSECUTED!!!!!!!!!!! The Trustees need to be examined very closely for allowing this to happen also. That is there job and they aren't doing it.                  

[Writer]

John, much as I dislike to admit it, Shumaker only did on a grand scale what other petty administrators having been doing at UTK for years.

We've spoken about no-bid contracts:  the KNS today confirmed that UT revealed only 48 of 4274 such no-bid contracts to legislators -- and conveniently excluded in-house services offered by administrators' consulting companies, etc.  Clearly this is an abuse -- the in-house services were deemed essential by the administrators who would decide on them and provide them (or get kickbacks) without any outside bids to see if the rates were reasonable.  Tax payers or non-restricted private funds pay for these contracts.

See
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_2134105,00.html

A serious audit of UT seems to be required.  

[IOGODALL3]

Let me first say that I am not a UT graduate nor did I ever consider being a UT student.  I am a graduate of one of the other Tennessee Universities.  I am a resident of Knoxville and a tax payer.   I feel sorry for the students and parents of the students.  It must be a slap in the face to see tuition skyrocket to an unbelievable rate while the president is squandering money.  If he is not faithful over a few things, I am convinced he will be unfaithful over many things.  My advice to the Board and Trustees who chose this gold digger, "cut your losses now!"

[Jim65]

UT has spent more than $350,000 on China -- because Carlos Ghosn of Nissan asked "why" and smiled.  This is a joke?! What does a question "why" and a smile mean? How can that be a basis for a decision especially after such a heavy investment?

See
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_2147785,00.html

Could not some one at UT have done a feasibility analysis?  Among all its professors, does not UT have any experts on business in China?  

[John]

This volcano of good ole boy,sweep it under the rug,system is going to blow up soon. GET AN OUTSIDE AUDIT AND PROSECUTE THESE THIEVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Writer]

Shumaker is little better than a white-collar crook.  He and Crabtree have done nothing tangible to support research or teaching at UTK -- just taken credit for research that faculty have done without any help from them (such as yesterday in Nashville).

Both should be thoroughly investigated -- a mid-level or low-level employee would have been fired at UT for what Shumaker has done.  At UT, these white-collar crooks are administrators, often chosen by the Board of Trustees.  I doubt very much that the Board will find much wrong with Shumaker in their audit - after all they chose him.

WE NEED A THOUROUGH EXTERNAL AUDIT.

[John]

All the monies spent for whatever reason to develop schools overseas is a super cover up. What is wrong with keeping these funds and making them available for OUR kids. It is OUR tax money. Keep it here for OUR kids. If that young man from China gets accepted because of special consideration given because of who he is over a better qualified applicant, the person or persons in charge of this need to be looking for another job immediately.

[Writer]

It looks like Lucy Craig Shumaker may get half of Shumaker's salary in a divorce settlement

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_2152791,00.html

She shows some good taste by divorcing the guy -- but why foist him on Tennessee?  Does UT really need Hot Pants?

[Peter]

From the Daily Beacon, August 15:

President Shumaker and Dr. Crabtree work often together and have become close friends.

"I greatly respect his academic values, his wonderful interpersonal skills and his vision for taking UT into the top ranks of public research universities," Crabtree said. "His passion for students and learning is infectious."

Daily Beacon
http://dailybeacon.utk.edu/article.php/10865

Hmm... I guess a moment of truth from Crabcakes

[UTguy]

Costs at UT have risen, and students continue to pay for these costs with increased fees.
See
http://dailybeacon.utk.edu/article.php/11480

However, who is running up these costs?  Corrupt administrators and trustees with their no-bid contracts and extravagant ways!

Last year, the Board of Trustees spent $28,000 of taxpayers' money at the Peabody Hotel Nashville -- while talking about increasing costs and while increasing students' fees by 9%!

This has to stop!  Increasing students' fees to cover expenses has become normal policy at UTK.  Jan Williams, Dean of the College of Business wanted to increase the fees of students that take Business course so that Glocker could be remodeled.  The students paying would never see the building...

Investigate these administrators and their no-bid contracts.  Investigate their home remodels and extra-curricular expenses.  And stop taking money from students and taxpayers for their corruption and incompetence.

[somebody]

There are several no-bid contracts that need investigating at the UTK Colleges.  One college in particular is like kick-back heaven.  At one, an Associate Dean's consulting company offers its services to all programs.  Programs have been reorganized to include this consulting company.  All program heads and administrators appear to get a kickback.

Another Associate Dean and his hand-picked cronies teach in all programs.  The programs are so small (6 students against a dozen faculty) that they make losses.  Rather than consolidate the programs, the Dean keeps them small as cronies teaching in each get 1/5 of their pay. The state covers these losses and kickbacks.

Of course some programs break even, so it helps to have a Dean who knows how to hide the losses and where the money is really going. The losses per students are then camouflaged.

UTK needs a thorough clean up and their administrators several lessons in ethics. But things are unlikely to change from the inside as the administrators have created the good ole boy, non-competitive system they want.  Of course tax payers and student suffer -- most are not good ole boys.  

I think students and their parents are getting a sense of what is going on at UTK and that is why enrollment dropped.  After all, despite Crabtree's trying to put the blame on Shumaker, enrollment at other campuses was not affected.  

[Timbo]

The latest is that the Business College is "missing" close to 3/4th of a million from its budget. Ooops!