Something tells me that this is not going to turn out well:
Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade has reimbursed the university more than $138,000 for the cost of landscaping her new home, according to records released Wednesday.
Slade, who wrote the check Monday, is hoping to get back into the good graces of the university’s board of regents before they meet Friday to discuss her future. She is also under scrutiny for charging roughly $87,000 to TSU for household furnishings, according to a source familiar with the inquiry.
Slade has declined to comment publicly. Instead, she has asked Bill Miller, an Austin-based political consultant, to help her address concerns raised by regents. None of the nine current regents, who are appointed by the governor, were on the TSU board when Slade was hired in 1999.
Slade has told regents that the university paid the landscaping bill for her 17,675-square-foot property by mistake.
My sense is that President Slade has hired the wrong professional.
By the way, the Chronicle article also notes that President Slade has an accounting degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
I don’t have an accounting degree, but I *do* think I’d notice if my $100,000+ landscaping bill didn’t show up in my mailbox.
(and what kind of fantabulous landscaping does one get for $100,000, anyway?)
Since nobody else will say it, I’ll say it.
If this had been a white unviersity president of any other university, they’d be facing serious jail time instead of having the bill *paid* and then the error fix ONLY WHEN THEY’RE CAUGHT.
TSU exists in a reality-bubble where anti-Semitic monsters like Farrakhan get amens and hallejujahs instead of protests.
I don’t know if you can definitively say that, Laurence. Chuck Rosenthal’s office has issued the official “no comment” on this matter, meaning they are probably at least looking into this.
Universities are notoriously political places. We’ll see if Slade makes it through this with a job. I see a resignation in her future, at the very least.
If I’m wrong, I’ll gladly concede to your position.
Excuse me, but what does Farrakhan have to do with this? This is NOT a racial issue and should not be viewed as one.
She was caught with her hand in the cookie jar and forced to make restitution. No, her explanation does not hold water and she may still be fired. Let the investigation continue and see what the regents decide.
The last thing we need are inflammatory comments which have absolutely nothing to do with the issue.
Gotta agree with Keith on this one. This is certainly not the first time that a CEO has been caught with their hand in the corporate cookie jar (remember Kozlowski and Swartz of Tyco?). I find it hard to believe that $138,000 could be taken by the President without even a colorable excuse that it was an authorized expenditure. Let’s see what shakes out in that regard, but I don’t see any kid gloves being used here just because President Slade happens to be black.
Benjamin Lader, the (white) former American Univeristy president, used his expense account to pay for lots of personal luxuries, including a $100k+ engagement party for his son. He’s been fighting a for cause firing and “renegotiating” his severance package.
Other university presidents have been guilty of similar conduct. None have done jail time that I’m aware of.
Greetings:
I happen to know first hand that several years
ago Dr. Priscilla D. Slade was given several
gifts…see these at http://www.yifii.com under
discoveries assets. These mere gifts when cashed
in should bring in several BILLION DOLLARS $$$$.
I never met this great black woman/educator but
I believed it was the right gift to give to her
school to use as she pleases and on whatever
she and the school feel the need to spend the
coming monies on. Sure everyone make mistakes
but let’s move on forward from here because all
of my wealth “coming” is on TSU. Thank You!
Dr. Slade should have resigned two weeks ago. Presently you have a very week board, who took all day… only to delay what should have been Dr. Slade’s firing. What an idiot, GREED AND ARROGANCE always cause downfall. Ask Key Lay and Jeff Skilling, Dr. Slade is no different, she will be lucky if she doesn’t see the jail cells of Houston Harris County. The school will always say TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, not Dr. P. Slade University, lets move on and find a competent administrator.