Officials look at strict policies for next UT president
NASHVILLE (AP) — The University of Tennessee’s next president will likely face much stricter policies than the man blamed for lavish spending on travel, entertainment and home furnishings.
Spending rules for the next president will be examined next week by the UT Board of Trustees, part of an ongoing process to replace a president who embarrassed the school and angered state officials with his conduct.
Trustees already have decided that UT’s next president must undergo three interviews and numerous background checks, hoping a more public search will produce a president with integrity and enthusiasm.
A new president is expected to be chosen by April 21.
John Shumaker stepped down as UT president in August. Shumaker’s actions — which included spending $97,000 for a walk-in closet and sun room addition, $4,800 for gas grill and $7,000 for Persian carpet — came at a time when the school was coping with state budget cuts by raising student tuition.
New spending rules were hammered out at a trustee committee meeting Wednesday, and include restrictions on use of the school airplane and housing upgrades. More comprehensive travel rules are also in the works.
“One thing the Shumaker thing has shown is that there has to be some oversight,” said trustee Jim Murphy.
The next president, who will take office by July 1, will earn $400,000 to $500,000 annually, substantially less than the more than $700,000 compensation package Shumaker received.
The proposals adopted by the committee Wednesday would curb the use of the school’s airplane, which auditors said Shumaker used for personal trips.
The proposals, going in front of the full board next Thursday, also would ban the university from making direct payments to a president’s university-issued credit card, which Shumaker used for a variety of purchases. And more documentation and justification would be needed for expenditures.
New housing rules would set limits on how much the president could spend on furnishing public areas of the house provided by the university, and would outline the types of living expenses the next president would have to pay for.
In the past, many of the UT system’s expense rules were made by the president — who had authority to make exceptions. Trustees said they want to set policies the next president cannot bend.
“It ought to be as simple as the president can’t make exceptions for himself or herself,” said retired UT President Joe Johnson, who is working in the job on an interim basis until a successor is chosen.
Johnson said Shumaker did a number of things he had never seen done before by a school president.
“The best way to deal with that is to make sure you have someone straightforward and honest,” he said.
The school has had five presidents in the last four years.
Shumaker’s predecessor, J. Wade Gilley, resigned in June 2001 citing health reasons amid allegations of an improper relationship with a female administrator.
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On the Net:
UT Presidential Search: http://pr.tennessee.edu/presidentialsearch
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