Troubled UDC Giving Money Back to City!
The first reaction of faculty and students was "You have got to be kidding"? I visited The University of the District of Columbia, The city's public university, on Monday after the Examiner newspaper broke the story that the school was returning 18 million dollars to the DC Government's Treasury because the administration had not spent the funds by the end of the last fiscal year in September.
In but a few minutes on the Van Ness campus I had faculty members telling me they had not been paid. Students complaining about the lack of computers, paper, and can you believe there is no student center on the campus and no certain plans of even building one in the future? After 9pm there is no place to study on the commuter campus.
The physical structure begs for needed repairs. The President's office where I interviewed Stan Jackson, the interim Pres, was hot as an oven. He kept apologizing. It was near 80 degrees outside.
The point is UDC has no right to return money to the city's coffers. Jackson says it's not as high as 18 million, but he also confirms that past administrations have been returning unspent sums for the past five years. He blames a lack of accountability while bringing in the Inspector General and a yet to be named private auditor to go over the books. Jackson has fired some people and hints that others might also be shown the door.
One source says the fired former President, William Pollard improperly transferred millions into a discretionary fund only to try and put the millions back into the general pool with little or no documentation.
The source says $500,000 was spent one year for catering while part time faculty members are paid $1800 per course.
Only $88,000 per year for the Mass Media Visual and Performing Arts department with more than 400 majors?
One student complained that "we need a football team and a band"..The stuff most colleges have.
There seems to have been a lack of accountability for what's happened at UDC on every level; from the Board of Trustees, ..all the way up to the DC Council and Mayor.
As usual it's the students..about 5,500 of them who lose and I have learned over the years that UDC students are often far more motivated than students at our other bigger campuses. For many UDC, is their first and only chance at improving their position in life.
posted by Bruce Johnson @ 5:40 PM
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It's sad that our college is going down hill. If these so called money making administrator cared more about the students and the well being of this institution and stop packeting the money themselves, then you would hear positive things about UDC instead of this bull-shit. How in the hell can they afford to send money back when you have perfessor,students, as well as employees who have not been paid. You can spend money on marble restrooms. While the Campus police can purchase several police cars, bikes and two wheelers, but yet some of the offices have there ceiling falling down, leaking, etc. This really blows my mind. I really hope Mr. Jackson don't fall in the line of screw ups like the rest.
I am former supervisor of facilities maintenance. Yes the University is a disgrace and troubled. Did you see the UDC/City budget hearings. At first i laughed about the incompetent responses and lies that the officials were giving the council. Then my laughes turned into disgust and shame. These are the dummies i work for that are up there representing (misrepresenting) me and our university. If this is how business is conducted to the city council on public TV, just imagine what really goes on here behind closed doors.
At that point i realized i made the best career decision of my life by requesting a move out of management.(to which i have still not received proper payment and was demoted to the lowest trade salary on staff (Willfull retaliation on behalf of
UDC). And did i mentioned i earned a degree in civil engineering, directly related to my profession graduated with a 3.7 and top of my class. Yet the University says my UDC degree means nothing even at UDC.
Yet the Director of HR position was announced with only a high school education requirement and then after getting the position she sought higher education to which I'm sure she received promotions for.
And speaking of personnel/HR, that authority should be given back to the city, because there is no oversight here at UDC HR runs ramped with bad policies and promotions based on ties not job performance.
Example, and the last straw for me to leave management- a maintenance mechanic, Cliff Browne who's job description requires at least 80 percent of electrical functions and related duties is allowed by his manager Mr. Belechew not to perform those functions because Mr. Browne says he has a fear of electricity. Yet he has earned( no... been given) two promotions. He has no formal training or education and the university/ Mr. Belechew won't assist him in getting any, or should i say require him to. (Who's getting the kickback on that deal.) While 6 other employees (Helpers)who work at higher skill levels and do electrical functions required under the maintenance position who have gone to classes and training are paid half as much salary. They're told by management there's no money in the budget for them. A fraction of that 18 million would have covered that and hired much needed personnel in facilities.
I do think Mr. Jackson is on the right track. This is a university but it's also a business and needs to be run as such on the administrative side. Incompetent people yield incompetent results.
There needs to be an early out to get new, refreshed, energized employees on board. Those that have been diligent and want and strive to see this university become a model are probably a lot like me, burnt out from failure to induce change. Not because of lack on their part but because there is to much crap to deal with.
Excuse any diction or punctuation errors this was entered on the fly
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